Emmitt's Record To Stand The Test Of Time

There are a few major sports records that most people would classify as “unbreakable.”

​            A couple that come to mind include Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games-played streak (2,632), Wayne Gretzky’s 215 points in a season, Pete Rose’s 4,256 all-time hits, Pistol Pete’s average of 44.2 points-per-game in a college career, Brett Favre’s consecutive games-played streak (297), and Cy Young’s 511 career wins.

​            All six of those records seem pretty ridiculous when you sit down and put them into perspective.  In Ripken and Favre’s case, those streaks are quite staggering when one considers that in this day and age it is common for baseball players to get a day of rest at least once every two weeks.  And for a quarterback to go 18-and-a-half seasons without missing a game – when about five guys are trying to take his head off on every play – is rather unfathomable.

​            As for the performance-based records, I’d bet Cy Young’s is the most untouchable.  I think it is pretty safe to say that no pitcher today will average more than 20 wins for 25 consecutive seasons.  Rose’s would probably be second considering he and Ty Cobb are the only two players in history with more than 3,800 hits.

​            Gretzky’s 215-point season in 1985-86 means he averaged over 2.5 points-per-game for the entire year.  Unfortunately, he takes some of the luster off of his own record due to the simple fact that he was just so damn good.  He is the only player to tally more than 200 points in a season (but did it four times) and has ten of the top-11 scoring seasons in NHL history.  Anything he can do, you can’t do better.

​            My affinity for Pistol Pete goes without saying if you read my previous piece on him.  If you haven’t, here you go.  I guess averaging 44.2 points-per-game could be possible today, but only if the player is a one-and-done guy and 'technically' averages it for his one-year career.  However, Maravich averaged 44.2 points for four years and did so without the three-point line.  Had the line existed it is estimated that he would have scored about 57-points-per-game.  Jesus Shuttlesworth couldn't even do that. 

​            But enough about those records and how mind-boggling they are.  I feel as if another performance-based record has joined the ranks as one of the “unbreakables.”

​            Due to a number of factors that I will detail, I believe that Emmitt Smith’s career rushing mark of 18,355 yards will stand the test of time and last long after I am gone.  That, or until football turns into Sarcastaball.

​            First of all, I’m not too naïve to realize that Barry Sanders would have probably held this record had he not abruptly retired after ten seasons and 15,269 yards.  He later admitted that the record wasn't that important to him and the multiple losing seasons had taken their toll on his psyche.  Kind of makes you respect the guy a little bit more, huh?  I don't know how many athletes today would cut short their own shot at immortality.

​            The number one aspect of the NFL that makes me believe that Smith’s record will last quite a while is that the league has become a ‘passing league.’  Whether it is due to the recent rule changes that took away hand-checking from defensive backs, or just the new offensive spread-it-out schemes that have become so prevalent, the NFL is pass-happy.

​            Before 2008, only one quarterback (Dan Marino in 1984) had ever passed for more than 5,000 yards in a season.  Since then it has been done five times (three times by Drew Brees).  In that same five-year window, quarterbacks have surpassed 4,500 yards 15 times.

​            Furthermore, 12 of the top-20 pass-attempt seasons have taken place in the last five years.  Fifteen of the top-20 passes-completed seasons too.

​            Now look at what that has done to the rushing totals.  Since 2008, only three times has a running back topped 1,700 yards.  Adrian Peterson did it twice while Chris Johnson did so once.  Both went over 2,000 yards, but each of those seasons seem to be the outliers of the past half-decade.

​            Perhaps even more startling are the rushing attempt numbers.  The most attempts any back has gotten in the last five years was Michael Turner.  His 376 carries in 2008 rank 20th all-time.  One would have to look all the way down to 55th to find someone who has had the most carries since 2010.  Arian Foster ran the ball 351 times that season.

​            The 19 guys ahead of Turner set their marks between 1981 and 2006, with only six of those totals taking place in the 2000s.  Oddly enough Smith’s highest total was 377 attempts - one more than Turner's high.  Still, as one can easily see, running backs aren’t getting the carries that they used to.  So how can they get the yards when they don't get the touches?

​            Coupled with all the passing, most teams have started using two running backs in the hopes of lessening the wear-and-tear on one guy.  How many teams legitimately use one back now-a-days?  Houston (Foster), Jacksonville (Maurice Jones-Drew), Minnesota (Peterson), Tennessee (Johnson) and San Francisco (Frank Gore) are the only ones that come to mind.  Everyone else either splits or runs on a 75-25 count.  That ratio may not seem like a lot, but that's 15 carries instead of 20.  The league average is around 3.5 yards-per-carry, so that's a potential loss of 18 yards a game and 280 yards a season. 

​            There is something else that has become a big problem in the NFL and may indirectly lead to less rushing attempts and yards.  That would be concussions and the new protocols to deal with them.

​            It has become widely evident – whether through player admissions, research, or the NFL’s own acknowledgment – that concussions weren’t closely watched as recent as five years ago.  It wasn’t until ex-players either started losing their memories or killing themselves that someone finally decided to take a look at what was going on.  Now, with all the lawsuits being brought against it, the NFL is taking concussions and their treatments very seriously.

​            I don’t know how many concussions Smith had in his career.  Smith only missed seven games in his 13 years with Dallas.  Two of them were because he was holding out in ’93 and another was because the Cowboys’ playoff spot was already locked in.  He went on to miss seven games with Arizona, but I can’t recall any of them being strictly because of a concussion.  Smith did say last year that he would lie about head injuries to stay in games.  How many times is anyone’s guess, but players surely won't be getting away with that anymore.

​            Today, if a player is suspected of having any type of head injury, they are immediately pulled from the game and given a series of tests.  If the trainers think there is even the slightest chance that the player has sustained some sort of injury then they are done for the day.  No more questions asked.  The player must then pass mental and physical tests throughout the upcoming week(s) in order to be allowed to play.  It could take one week.  It could take five.

​            I understand the NFL has had to alter its concussion protocols with all of the added attention.  The players have to be protected from themselves in a sense.  They have shown in the past that they won't take themselves out of harms way.  Add in that fact that a running back gets hit practically every time they touch the ball and their chances for injuries increase dramatically.  Missed games means no yards, and the players don’t get that time back.  As Charles Barkley likes to say, “Father Time is undefeated.”

​            Now for the numbers.  I feel as if what I am about to explain will put my argument over the top.

​            The Rams’ Steven Jackson has the most yards of any active player with 10,135 yards (27th all-time).  That puts him 8,220 yards behind Smith.  To put that in perspective, only 38 backs in 93 years have rushed for that many yards.  So to say Jackson can’t even see Smith with a telescope would be an understatement.

​            Peterson is second amongst active backs with 8,849 yards.  Gore is third at 8,839.  No other active back save Willis McGahee (8,097) has more than 7,400 yards.  Quick math tells you that each of these guys would have to more than double their current career outputs in order to reach Smith.  Sounds like a long shot, eh?  Well, there is more.

​            Gore turns 30 in May and has rushed for more than 1,214 yards just once in his career.  Combine that with the 49ers' new system with Colin Kaepernick and I think it is safe to say Gore is out of the picture.

​            Peterson will turn 28 in March.  Now before I get into Peterson’s dilemma, I’d like to bring up LaDainian Tomlinson.  At age 28, LT had 10,650 yards heading into 2008 and looked as if he had a realistic shot at topping Smith.  Four years later, after two seasons with San Diego and two with the New York Jets, he retired with 13,684 yards – roughly 5,000 yards shy of the record.  Talk about an abrupt decline in production.  That will make guys like Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James and Fred Taylor feel better about themselves. 

​            Peterson, probably the most physically-suited back to break the record today, averages about 1,475 yards-per-season.  For arguments sake, let’s say he runs like that for the next two years and gets to 11,799 yards by the time he turns 30.

​            The number “30” is thought to be the death sentence for running backs.  Most experts say a back’s skills greatly diminish after they hit the big 3-0.  Whether that's the case or not, let’s look at those numbers.

​            The NFL record for most rushing yards after turning 30: Emmitt Smith with 5,789.  John Riggins is second with 5,683 while Walter Payton is third at 5,101.  With that in mind, one sees that Peterson would have to break the post-30 record by 767 yards in order to get to Smith.  He would have to rush for 6,556 yards after turning 30 on top of gaining nearly 3,000 yards over the next two seasons.  If I were a betting man, which I am, I would not take those odds.  And I’m not.

It seems as if running backs have everything going against them in today’s NFL.  They aren't just fighting the hands of time anymore.  They have to deal with pass-first offenses, stricter injury protocols and splitting carries with teammates.  Because of all of those things, I expect future running backs to be trying to 'Catch 22' for a long time to come. 

Walking into a Bear Trap

     The closest most people will come to seeing “The Bear Trap” in person is probably on their annual Tiger Woods video game.

     However, one Kunkletown native recently got the chance to walk on the PGA National greens and take in the sights of the Palm Beach Gardens course.
     Matt Pfancook, a 2001 Pleasant Valley graduate and ex-National Guard, currently attends the Keiser University College of Golf in Port St. Lucie, Florida and was given the opportunity to caddy the practice round of the Honda Classic two weeks ago. A bunch of students from the school, 65 in all, were able to volunteer their time and services in exchange for a chance to be amongst PGA professionals as well as see the famed Champion Course first-hand.
     Pfancook ‘teed off’ at the offer.
     “I jumped at the chance,” said Pfancook. “Four amateurs and their caddies were paired up with one pro. I got to caddy for Jim Odenbach, who is an operating golf partner of the PGA National. Robert Allenby was the pro in our group and he was a lot of fun.”
     Though Pfancook was manning the bag for an amateur in a fun practice-day event, he admitted he wasn’t asked for much advice.
     “(Odenbach) didn’t ask me,” joked Pfancook. “Our school actually warned us before we went. They said our motto was ‘Show up, shut up and walk.’”
    Allenby is a four-time winner on the PGA tour. Ironically, his last win came in September of 2001 when he won the Marconi Pennsylvania Classic in Farmington.

     Pfancook said the experience was unlike any other and that he took a lot away from the day.

     “It gave me a new perspective on everything,” said Pfancook. “You see these guys on television and they seem like they are larger than life. They are these big stars playing in front of everyone. But when you are out there walking with them you realize they are humans just like us.

     “It gave me a lot of inspiration. It made me feel like I can get that far someday.”

     Although Pfancook’s dream is to one day play on the tour, he admitted that his university has taught him a lot about the game of golf and what it takes to be one of the best in the world.

     “When I graduate, I would like to try to become a head pro somewhere,” Pfancook said. “Going to this school makes you realize how tough it is to actually make it on the tour. While I dream about playing golf at the highest level, I know it is probably very unlikely.

     “After I blew out my knee playing for the NEPA Miners a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to teach golf for a living. I want to teach kids, so that is what I am hoping to do.”

     Pfancook played golf at Pleasant Valley in 2000. After high school he considered himself a weekend golfer, however his talent was never in question. Since he began attending the Keiser University a year and a half ago he has dropped six strokes off his score and currently sits at a three handicap. Still, he was quick to admit that golf in Florida is a lot different than golf in Pennsylvania when one considers things such as air density and course design (more flat with more water).

     As for “The Bear Trap,” it is a stretch of three holes that Pfancook will never forget.

     “It was awesome,” Pfancook said. “There is a big bear statue right by the 15^th tee box and Allenby stuck a ball in its mouth. It was funny and we were all having a good time.

     “It was crazy to walk on the greens in the midst of the tour atmosphere. It is something that will stick with me for a long time.”

Some Questions To Ask

           Before we get going, I thought this would be a nice time for a little pop-quiz.  I know no body wants to read the sports section of a newspaper and have to take a quiz, but this one will be a little fun.  Well, at least it was fun for me to come up with the questions.  Plus it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out the correct answers.  The answers will be displayed at the bottom of the column.  Don’t cheat!

            1.      True or False: The defending Super Bowl champs are 13-0 in season-openers over the last 13 years.

2.      True of False: The Dallas Cowboys are 6-0 all-time in season openers versus the New York Giants.

3.      True or False: Roughly five minutes after the Giants lost to the Cowboys last week, Eddie Hedes started making excuses.

4.      If “Dallas Cowboys > New York Giants” is a true statement, and Dallas Cowboys = Shawn McFarland and NY Giants = Eddie Hedes, then what else must be true?

5.      The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Viking and Arizona Cardinals all currently have more wins than the New York Giants.

6.      Despite their loss, the Giants still looked better than the Philadelphia Eagles.

            Now onto something that popped into my head the other night.  Thought I would share it with everyone…

            In this day in age when every athlete who accomplishes any sort of crazy  feat is eventually suspected of steroids, one person in particular has seemingly dodged the HGH bullet.  That person is Serena Williams.

            My suspicion arose the other night as I laid in bed and watched some highlights on ESPN.  As the replays went on, they showed Williams serve three aces in a row – all over 110 miles-per-hour – and fist pump afterward to the point where her bicep looked photo-shopped onto her arm.  If someone had digitally removed her body and left just her arm, and then asked me to guess who the arm belonged to, my first guess would have been Evander Holyfield followed by Deebo from the Friday movies.

            This is when someone from my generation says, “I’m not sayin,’ I’m just sayin.’”  I’m not sayin’ Serena Williams is definitely on steroids, I’m just sayin’ that if she would be the odds-on favorite to win an arm wrestling tournament at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York – maybe she should at least be tested.

            The whole steroid debate doesn’t really have me going one way or another.  Baseball was loaded with users.  I get it.  Football probably is too although no one would ever admit it.  Honestly, if practically everyone was on it then I don’t see the big deal.  It was a somewhat level, albeit juiced, playing field.  It’s impossible to tell who is or isn’t juicing anymore, so I’m over it.

Most people use steroids or HGH more for quicker healing rather than a performance enhancer.  The only people I have ever had a problem with were Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa because they are only known for their power and wouldn’t have amounted to much without the homerun chase of 1998.  Thankfully they have seen been ostracized.  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were Hall of Fame quality before they allegedly started juicing so I don’t hate them as much as other people do.  All I know is that my all time hero, Ken Griffey Jr., never juiced.  That dude got hurt way too much to be on anything.

So, with Williams, I’m not saying she is taking steroids.  She has always been a muscular woman.  I probably wouldn’t care even if she was.  All I am saying is that I am surprised the idea has never brought up.  After everything with A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro and Lance Armstrong, you never know what will come out five years down the road.

Quiz Answers: 1. False: The Giants’ loss was the first for a defending champ since 1999. 2. True. 3. False: It only took 30 seconds. 4. Shawn McFarland > Eddie Hedes. 5. True. 6. Very True.

            I’d just like to point out that I didn’t say one word when all you Giant fans were talking noise last week.  But if you are going to dish it out then you better be ready to take it.

Borre blurs Huskies' vision

     Not too long ago, ADIDAS came out with a few advertisements in which it proclaimed “Fast Don’t Lie.”
After last Friday night, the company may want to recruit Pleasant Valley’s Austyn Borre to be the new spokesman for its marketing campaign.
     The Bears’ freshman running back ran around, through and away from the Dieruff defense last weekend on his way to racking up a school-record 246 yards and four touchdowns on just eight carries. As if his 30.75 yards-per-carry average wasn’t enough, it becomes even more amazing when one finds out that Borre did all of that in just a little over a quarter of play.
     Borre’s most recent performance proved that his 100-yard effort against Nazareth on opening night was no fluke. Perhaps more importantly, it has also earned him the TIMES NEWS Football Player of the Week award for week number two.
     “It feels great to win an award like this, especially with me being a freshman in just my second week,” said Borre, who was clocked with a 4.5 in the 40-yard-dash earlier this year. “But I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without my offensive line. They opened up the holes for me. Without them or the rest of my team, I wouldn’t be able to put up the numbers that I did.
     “The blocking was perfect and everything was wide open. It was an amazing night. It is something I will never forget.”
     Borre began his night against Dieruff much like he did against Nazareth. Whereas the 5-9, 180-pound back took his first carry versus the Eagles 75 yards to the house, he grabbed his opening carry last week and ran 59 yards before being taken down at the six-yard-line. He gained three more yards on his next carry before fullback Josh Thornton plunged in from three yards out to cap the scoring drive.
     Borre would total nine yards on his next three carries before breaking out in a major way. His final three totes of the night went for 62, 46 and 67 yards - all touchdowns. They made for the third, fourth and fifth carry of his young career that have gone for 46 yards or more.
     Pleasant Valley possessed the ball for a total of two minutes and 39 seconds while Borre was in the game. That means he ran for 246 yards in only 159 seconds. Do the math and that’s an average of nearly 1.55 yards-per-second. And as we all know, a football player doesn’t run continuously while his team has possession. The offense has to huddle up and call another play before handing the ball off again.
     “He really is a special kid,” said head coach Jim Terwilliger. “I haven’t seen a kid with his attributes, especially his speed, at this young of an age. As good as he talent-wise, he is a great worker and a good character kid. It’s always ‘yes sir, no sir’ with him. He is all about getting things done and is a results-oriented kid.”
     Through the first two weeks of his career, Borre has run the ball 19 times for 351 yards (18.47 average) and six touchdowns. His eye-popping stats at the middle school level (5,152 yards and 69 touchdowns in 20 games) had his coaches drooling at the thought of what he could do at the varsity level. However, no one expected him to be this good right out of the chute.
     “He has done a tremendous job of working hard and putting himself in a position to be successful,” said Terwilliger. “He has done a nice job in two games, but here we sit at 1-1. Now we are looking at game number three. I think our goal is to not look at what we have done, but look at what we have to do to move forward. I know Austyn feels the same way and we are excited to see what the rest of this year brings.”
     As for Borre, he couldn’t have imagined a better start to his high school career.
     “No, I don’t think I could have,” Borre said. “These past two weeks have been great and I am happy with my numbers, but I am never satisfied. I am going to continue to work hard and try to get better every week. It’s all about putting points on the board and helping my team win games.”
     Borre had just one goal in mind when he practiced with the program over the summer. Now that he has since checked that task off the list, he has reset his goals for the remainder of the year.
     “Before the season, my only goal was to play varsity,” admitted Borre. “I didn’t care about any stats. I just wanted to play and help my team win games.
     “Now that I accomplished that, I would like to help the team win the Mountain Valley Conference championship. Rushing for 1,000 yards would be nice too.”
     While Borre will need help from his teammates to accomplish the former, he has put himself in a great position to achieve the latter.
     Pleasant Valley fans who watch Borre the rest of this year may not want to blink much. Otherwise they might miss him.

Phillies Still Fighting For Playoff Berth

While there are still 40-plus games left in Major League Baseball's 2012 regular season, it has already seemed like an eternity for the Philadelphia Phillies and their fan base.

However, despite what seems to be the most injury-plagued season any single team has had in baseball history, along with a few underachieving stars, the Phillies are still alive in the playoff race.

I know it sounds absurd to think that after everything the Phils have been through that they actually have a shot at the post-season - especially when they can't even trade for players without them coming to town and getting hurt (see Nate Schierholtz). I don't blame you. I don't entirely believe it myself. But it's true.

The division is out of reach. That shouldn't be news to anyone. When you see the number 19 in the 'Games Back' column as of Friday afternoon, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Phils won't be winning the NL East for the sixth straight year. Still, as of Friday, at least they were out of the basement. It only figures that the team I suspected to compete with the Phils for the division crown at the beginning of the year, the Miami Marlins, would be worse.

Thanks to MLB's rule change this year where two Wild Card teams make the playoffs (each will play in a one-game playoff before starting the NLDS series), the Phils will have one less team to jump over in the Wild Card standings. Prior to Friday's game, Philadelphia was 11 games back and in seventh place in those standings. That means that only 11 games and five teams stand between the Phils and a possible post-season berth.

Though it seems like a long shot, all that Phillies fans should be asking for right now is a chance. And there is one. Two teams ahead of the Phils, the Atlanta Braves (leading the race with a 69-49 record) and the New York Mets (nine games behind Atlanta), have both shown the ability to go into major slumps at the worst possible time. The Braves lost 21 of their final 32 games last year, including each of their last five, to miss the playoffs entirely after it seemed like they were going to push the Phils for the division title.

Every Phillies fan knows about the Mets historic collapse in 2007. Jimmy Rollins said the Phils were the better team. Everyone in New York hated him. Analysts called him crazy. Turns out Rollins would have the last laugh. Despite leading the division by seven games on Sept. 12, the Mets went on to lose 12 of their last 17 games. It was the beginning of the Phillies' NL East reign. Heck, the Phils' post-season may have turned out a little different that year had they not gotten the red-hot Colorado Rockies in the first round. Why do I bring that up? BECAUSE MATT HOLLIDAY STILL HASN'T TOUCHED HOME PLATE!

Besides Atlanta and New York, the other five teams ahead of the Phillies are Pittsburgh, Arizona, St. Louis and San Francisco. All four of those teams are playing slightly above .500 ball since the All-Star break. St. Louis and San Fran are both 18-14, while Pitt and 'Zona are 17-16. The Phils are 17-14 in that time frame. These numbers show that while it will require a run at some point, and the middle receivers to somehow miraculously turn it around, the Phils still stand a shot at moving up the board if the other teams continue to play at their current level or go into a slide.

Again, I know this may be a lot of wishful thinking, but until the Phils have been mathematically eliminated I am not ruling anything out. I don't know how anyone can after watching the Boston Red Sox go 7-20 down the stretch last season. Sure, the Phils will need five different teams to go into coinciding slumps, but there is a first time for everything right?

The two biggest and obvious problems for the Phillies are 1. the amount of teams that they will need to jump and 2. going on a roll when apparently no lead is safe with their current bullpen. In the end I think those two factors, probably the latter more so than the former, will end the Phillies' five-year post-season run.

Regardless, I haven't heard a fat lady singing yet. The Phillies haven't given up and neither will I.

Out With The Old(er), In With The New(er)

            Major League Baseball’s July 31^st trade deadline saw two Philadelphia Phillies get shipped out of town.

            Centerfielder Shane Victorino and leftfielder Hunter Pence were both dealt to National League West teams on Tuesday.  Both seemingly the casualties of a huge payroll, and being practically unsignable after this year, Phillies’ general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. decided to deal the outfielders and get something in return while he still could.

            I can understand trading Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  There was no way the Phils could have given Victorino the contact he was looking for.  Especially with having just signed Hamels to the second-richest pitcher contract of all-time.  Amaro recently said in an interview that Hamels’ contract had nothing to do with it, but I’m not buying it.

            The one I can’t fully understand was Pence’s deal.  I know he was eligible for arbitration and would require about $14M next year, and I know he wasn’t playing up to his potential.  But again, much like my Hamels argument, I ask ‘why unload one of your youngest, most talented players?’

So what Pence is due to make a large amount of money.  Haven’t you been selling out the park every single night for the last three years?  Amaro has shown the ability to fork out the cash when the time calls for it.  Trade or release someone else.

Jimmy Rollins.  Ryan Howard.  Chase Utley.  Roy Halladay.  Placido Polanco.  I suspect all five of those player’s careers will be over within the next three to four years (or close to being over).  Pence just turned 29 in April and would still have a few years left after all those guys are gone.  But in the end it all comes down to Amaro’s philosophy of dealing someone when he feels that he won’t be able to resign them.

In the end I feel like we have to give Amaro the benefit of the doubt.  While Pat Gillick was responsible for the World Series winning team in 2008, and Amaro did have most of the same players the following year, he still got the Phils back to the Fall Classic.  He still got the pieces to set a franchise-record for wins in a season.  He bought when the team was fighting for a ring, and now he is selling when the team is in the basement.  As much as I hated to see those two players go, it’s only good business.

Also making the trip from Philly to LA was Joe Blanton.  The Dodgers claimed Blanton off of waivers on Friday and was sent across the country for either a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Again, this was a move to free up money.

Cliff Lee was also claimed off of waivers by the Dodgers on Friday, but a deal doesn’t seem likely according to reports.  That would sure be a lot of money for LA to take on.  Plus, the Phils have the luxury of getting the exact deal they want or taking Lee back off waivers. 

But enough about the guys who left town.  Let’s take a look at the guys who are joining the organization.

C Tommy Joseph (acquired in the Pence deal): Joseph is a 6-1, 215 pound catcher who just turned 21-years-old.  He was named the Giants’ No. 5 prospect by MLB.com heading into this year and possesses some serious pop.  Last year at the AA level Joseph connected for 22 homers and drove in 95 runs in 127 games.  He had a respectable .270 average with a nice .471 slugging percentage.  I would think that he figures to be Carlos Ruiz’s replacement whenever the time comes.

P Seth Rosin (acquired in the Pence deal): Rosin is a studly 6-6, 250 at 23-years-old.  Before the trade he had struck out 68 batters in 56.1 innings, albeit it was at the A level.  He had only walked 18 batters in that time and possessed a .228 batting average against.  He was used as a starter (5 GS) and a reliever (34G, 10 SVs) and should only get better with age.

OF Nate Schierholtz (acquired in Pence deal): Schierholtz has been a platoon outfielder for the majority of his career, but will probably see plenty of time in the Phillies’ outfield now.  Schierholtz is a .270 lifetime hitter and had 45 hits in 175 at-bats with the Giants before being traded.  His best year was last year, when he hit .278 with nine homers and 41 RBIs in 115 games.  Not spectacular, but what do you expect to get in return when you are trying to free up money.

P Ethan Martin (acquired in Victorino deal): Martin was the Dodgers’ No. 8 prospect prior to the year and had some pretty impressive numbers before the trade.  Martin boasted an 8-6 record at the AA level with a 3.58 ERA.  His walk to strikeout ratio isn’t great (112:61), but he has only served up five homers in 118 innings.  He has a .214 batting average against, including a .171 average against righties.

RP Josh Lindbolm (acquired in Victorino deal): Lindbolm has been quite respectable in his two years in the majors.  This year he was 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA before being dealt.  He’s given up 42 hits in 47.2 innings, but has 43 strikeouts to go along with those numbers.  Either way, we all know the Phils could use some bullpen help and Lindbolm’s numbers are just as good – if not better – than anyone in the pen right now.

Is Shane Victorino On The Way Out The Door?

Will Shane Victorino be the first main piece of the Philadelphia Phillies to be traded?

It’s looking more and more like that is going to be the case.

Early on Monday, FOXsports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported that one high-ranking executive expected Victorino to be the first ‘big name’ to be traded before the July 31^st deadline.

Yes, this executive thinks that the 31-year-old center fielder will be dealt pretty soon, before the likes of Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Zack Greinke, Justin Upton, Carlos Quentin, Josh Willingham or Francisco Liriano.  Considering the recent reports about the Cubs wanting to trade Dempster this very week, a deal involving Victorino would have to be right on the horizon for the executive’s theory to be true.

Regardless of when it happens, most Philly pundits fully expect Victorino to be traded sometime within the next two weeks.  It’s not rocket science when one thinks about it.  Victorino, who is making $9.5M in the last year of his three-year deal, is seeking a new five-year contract north of $12M per year.  Considering the Phillies’ current financial situation, and the fact that the team is trying to sign someone much more important to its future success in Cole Hamels, there just isn’t enough money left in Citizen's Bank to ink the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

Teams that have been linked to the trade talks include the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants, the Texas Rangers and the Miami Marlins.  Oddly enough, all but one is a National League team.  Who it will be is anyone’s guess, but the Phils’ six-game home stand beginning on Friday could be Victorino’s last in South Philadelphia.

Later the same day, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported that the Dodgers have shown some interest in Jimmy Rollins.  He wrote that Rollins is part of a long list of players the Dodgers are looking at and may be the most intriguing.  However, it will all come down to Rollins.  As a 10-5 player (ten years in the bigs, five with the same team), he has the luxury of a full no-trade clause and can choose whether or not to accept any deal.

Meanwhile, other reports have surfaced about the Phillies putting together a substantial offer for Hamels.  It is said that the Phils have no problem giving Hamels a contract much like they did to Cliff Lee (five-years, $120M).  Others believe the Phillies will have to do at least as good as Johan Santana’s six-year, $137.5M deal in order to keep him away from free agency.

Needless to say, the next two weeks figure to be pretty interesting for the Phillies, their management and their fan base.