Phillie GM's Boggling Statement

by Jaybat on Feb 3, 2010 9:16 AM EST

In response to criticism of the Cliff Lee trade, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr says in this article that the Phillies cannot be the Yankees. That instead they need to develop their core players from their system. What did he mean by that?

If he meant they can't spend like the Yankees spend I disagree. Philadelphia is not a small market. I don't even think small market teams can make this claim. If a team really wants to win, they can afford to spend the money necessary to win. Maybe not $200M but Philly can afford to be in the top 5 spenders...like the Yankees.

If he meant they don't want to just buy their roster from other teams, but rather develop players in their own system and bring them to the roster having had the Philly philosophy instilled in them, that's a great idea. This is something many teams do...like the Yankees.

I won't make the list here but I believe about 60% of last year's roster was home grown.

So I guess the idea is to put together a good mix of home grown players, veteran free agents and a strong farm system to get yourself into a lot of playoffs and a lot of world series. If only there was a team out there that was doing this successfully that they could model from.

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I'm boggled. Look at the Phillies' roster- I just did.

Pitchers- Blanton, Contreras, Durbin, Halladay (!) Moyer Romero.
Position players- Polanco, Gload, Ibanez, Victorino
and probably some others I never heard of and didn’t check.

Most of their starting rotation and a good chunk of their starters on the field were someone else’s players. Of the Yankees position players, only Teixeira and Swisher were free agents. Of the pitchers, 2 starters and probably Marte only from the pen. The rest are home-grown or trades.

by designatedquitter on Feb 3, 2010 11:21 AM EST reply actions

Swish wasn’t a free agent.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Feb 3, 2010 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

Marte was a part of the Nady trade too.

But good point, more often than not, the players are traded for and then signed long term. (Aside from the winter of ’08 of course.)

by Leviticus6688 on Feb 3, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions

Would you trade Halladay for CC? Blanton for AJ? Contreras for Pettitte? Polanco for Arod? Gload for Granderson? Ibanez for Swisher?

We’re not exactly comparing apples to apples here.
Yes, they were brought in. But the quality isn’t the same, and the depth to have a Nady and a Swisher on the same team isn’t there.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Feb 3, 2010 7:36 PM EST up reply actions

I stand corrected. My point is even more valid.

The Yankees have only one free agent starting at a position. The Swisher for Wilson Breathmint and Nunez/Marquez deal looks like highway robbery in retrospect. Is that the kind of thing the Phils can’t do?

(People forget sometimes that ARod was a trade for Soriano. If Soriano were still with the team, he would probably be starting in the outfield. Although he never turned into another ARod, he’s been a serviceable major leaguer for a long time).

by designatedquitter on Feb 3, 2010 1:29 PM EST reply actions

Well Tex isn't the only bigtime FA we have.

CC and AJ beg to differ. Nevertheless you are correct.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Feb 3, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

Soriano had close to ARod potential

He has a major work ethic problem and is one of the bigger puss’s in the game today.Oh no I can’t play today skip I clipped my toenails to close last night at the bar with Mondesi.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.

by cashman bashman on Feb 3, 2010 11:52 PM EST up reply actions

I dont think Soriano had ARod Potential

The guy feasted on bad pitching during the season and was not so great against quality pitching. Even the HR he hit against Schilling in 01 was an awful pitch that he really had no business swinging at. His performance in the 03 WS was his ticket out the door. I wouldnt be surprised if he was on the list of 103 either.

by YankeesJets on Feb 4, 2010 11:17 AM EST up reply actions

What I don't get

is how teams look at the Yankees as evil. If the Phillies got a super rich Russian oil tycoon, they’d be in line to spend half a billion an offseason as well. The Yankees invest their money wisely, and now they have a stream of revenue from the YES network, millions of sponsors lining up, and fans who sell out the stadium every day. Its a cycle-invest your money, and it’ll come back to you ten fold. That’s what the Yankees do and that’s what makes them the Yankees.

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

Vince Lombardi

by moose35 on Feb 3, 2010 2:15 PM EST reply actions

Of course people think the Yankees are evil

27 World Championships
40 AL Championships
Reigning World Champions
Best, most recognized team in all of sports.

It’s JEALOUSY!!!!!

by nyyrocks29 on Feb 3, 2010 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

28 dumbass

where have you gone Joe dimaggio our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you?
http://checkthatchrisevert.blogspot.com/

by Brooklynsoul on Feb 3, 2010 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

28?

Jumping the gun, no?

by david d on Feb 3, 2010 7:21 PM EST up reply actions

28?

Unless you were joking and saying that referring to next season…

You’re an idiot.

by Gelatin on Feb 3, 2010 7:51 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

No, 27

28 at the end of 2010. but right now, 27.

by nyyrocks29 on Feb 3, 2010 9:29 PM EST up reply actions

im being optimistic!

i had a brain fart im the dumbass i no. my b

where have you gone Joe dimaggio our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you?
http://checkthatchrisevert.blogspot.com/

by Brooklynsoul on Feb 6, 2010 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

Success breeds more success. They’re also able to attract top talent to the front office (e.g. Kevin Towers).

by Scooby Snacks on Feb 3, 2010 3:29 PM EST up reply actions

I love that move

It’s going to get really underrated, but Towers is one of the best when it comes to pitching. But we got him because he was a personal friend of Cashman, not because we’re the Yankees.

Vince Lombardi

by moose35 on Feb 4, 2010 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Well, sure “who you know” matters. But Towers did state that he wanted to remain in baseball, specifically the AL, shortly after he was let go by the Padres. Boston also made him an offer.

by Scooby Snacks on Feb 4, 2010 12:45 PM EST up reply actions

I have a moto instilled into all my employees

It goes,you can’t sell stupid.Nor can you figure out why stupid thinks and acts the way he does so don’t try or you’ll end up arguing and pretty soon people walking by will not be able to tell who the idiot is.You could draw them a childrens map and they still can’t comprehend so I just laugh and get away before I to catch the disease known as moronicstupidityidiocrecy.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.

by cashman bashman on Feb 3, 2010 11:58 PM EST up reply actions

Well put

I have two of my own…
Practice makes permanence — not perfect.
Never underestimate the power of stupidity.

by Scooby Snacks on Feb 4, 2010 6:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

This is the general preconception of the NYY's.

we all know it is.

Its stupid. Its ignorant..but its the general POV of the Yankees and their way of operating.

Amaro doesn’t spend much time around the Yankees to know…so, he just spews out the general preconception.

You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there

by FreeBradshaw on Feb 3, 2010 4:17 PM EST reply actions

the yankees

are not evil the rest of baseball is to a expent

okay i have cereal palsy arhrtis and chronic fatiue as well i have a grea life loveing folks some days are better that other days i got a make a wish in 2001 saw my favorive team the broncos was the trip of the lifetime i wish everyone couild gotten to enjoy that with me i know some of u hate the broncos and that ok but i bleed organ and bule reseident broncos fan for ap lol denver will rise again resident broncos fan for every blog resident broncos fan for stanpleid bule

by j-man on Feb 3, 2010 4:35 PM EST reply actions

I fricken love the evil tag associated with the Yanks.

It means I get to hear the dark side Darth Vader music.Cmon admit it you all love that song and Star Wars.If you don’t then that is just unamerican and you know nothing about good stuff.You know you want to sing along.Dant dant dant dant ta dant -dant ta dant .Everybody hum along.I wish the Yanks would use Vaders helmet when they are hitting,that would be so awesome that the opposing team would just forfeit because there would be to much awesomeness for them to handle.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.

by cashman bashman on Feb 4, 2010 12:15 AM EST up reply actions

I'm confused.

What I don’t get is how…

A. We won’t win the division.

B. Everybody we have uses steriods

C. They’re all cheaters

D. None of farmgrown

I mean, I thought living in South Jersey was enough for me to hear every single stupid Philly Sports related comment, but these guys are idiots.

by Gelatin on Feb 3, 2010 6:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Dude scroll up and read my post and you shalt not be confused anymore.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.

by cashman bashman on Feb 4, 2010 12:18 AM EST up reply actions

Don't Read Too Much Into This

Most of the baseball world views the decision to trade Cliff Lee instead of going for it with Lee AND Halladay as a strange decision. The prospect package that the Phillies got back for Lee also hasn’t been viewed with a lot of enthusiasm. In defending this move it makes sense for Amaro to attack the Yankees because they’re an easy target and because people in Philadelphia dislike New York to begin with.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Feb 3, 2010 7:36 PM EST reply actions

I turn my back for one minute, and you go off on a tangent

My point was that the Phils are not ones to cry poverty or whine about Yankee free agents, since the Phils have their own. Other than CC AJ and Mt the Yanks are largely homegrown or traded for. JScape’s point about not comparing apples to apples eludes me. The Yankees simply made better trades. The Swisher deal was not regarded as major when it was made, and he didn’t cost a lot in either salary in or players out. The trades Mr. Scape implies are unfair seem roughly even to me.

by designatedquitter on Feb 4, 2010 10:50 AM EST reply actions

Ruben Amaro Jr.

I think he meant that they couldn’t afford to keep Lee and go out and get Halladay as well, like the Yankees probably would have done. I think it was just more double talk from a GM who is trying to make excuses to the fans as to why they didn’t want to spend the money. The sad part is that the fans buy into it and all of a sudden it isn’t their teams fault….It’s the big, bad Yankees fault. Just more blame shifting to take pressure off of a questionable move by the front office of another loser team!

by Tickle Monster on Feb 9, 2010 2:50 PM EST reply actions