Phils' lesson for Orioles fans: There's hope but it takes time
Long-suffering fans.
That label could have been created for the oft-disappointed followers of the Philadelphia Phillies, the newly-minted National League champions.
Of course, locally – that also happen to be the unfortunate station of Baltimore Orioles fans. Long-suffering.
The Phillies may be the losingest franchise in all pro sports but Orioles fans are currently living through the sports hades of 11 straight seasons of sub-.500 baseball.
The happy lesson being shared this baseball post-season by the Phillies (and the Tampa Bay Rays who are one win away from joining Philadelphia in the World Series) is both instructional and obvious.
Both teams have been assembled with homegrown talent. When the Phils beat the Dodgers last night for the NL pennant, four key position players in the lineup were from Philadelphia’s farm system. The starter and middle relief pitcher were as well. Still another starter is homegrown.
And while the Tampa Bay success has been startling -- a worst-to-first fairy tale – the Phillies strategy has produced long term success. Philadelphia has had winning records in seven of the last eight years. This is the Phillies second straight season in the playoffs.
The good news for Orioles fans is that Baltimore seems committed to the same sort of strategy of building from within. The sobering news is that it takes time. In the Phillies case, the farm stars were all drafted at least six years ago (pitching ace Cole Hamels in 2002). Ryan Howard was drafted in ’01, Chase Utley in ’00, Brett Myers in ’99, Pat Burrell and Ryan Madson in ’98 and Jimmy Rollins in ’96.
Of course, Baltimore fans would prefer the more immediate Tampa Bay-type of turnaround that Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, James Shields and Andy Sonnanstine have produced for the Rays. But even in Tampa Bay, it took a few years for some of those current star players to mature.
The point, I suppose, is that it can be done. And when it is done this way, through farm talent, the results can be lasting. In the case of the Phillies, before their gradual ascent started in 2001, they had suffered seven straight losing seasons. In fact, with the notable exception of a World Series appearance in 1993, the Phils were losers in 13 of 14 seasons from 1987 through 2000. For the most part, it was a drought not unlike the one here.
But for most of the current decade, the Phils have at least been in the hunt come September and it has been largely because of the farm system. Hopefully, some day Orioles fans can say the same.
Comments
Bill, I agree with most of what you say. There is a large amount of "luck" here. Look at the turn around year of Lidge? After seeing his production or lack of production in Houston. Who predicted this type of turnaround? The Phils stayed away from the injury bug for the most part. Alot of the folks you mentioned are also streaking players. They are either hot or cold, no middle of the road. At the critical time when needed, they are firing on all cylinders.
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Capt.,
All that is true and it does all have to come together for a WS run. But I think the more salient point is that the Phils have been a winning team now for seven years, even with the hot and cold guys like Pat Burrell, and wouldn't we take that here in Baltimore.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: Captain Jack | October 16, 2008 11:44 AM
So what? They have the Mets to deal with; we have the Yanks *and* the Sox - in other words, two of the biggest spenders in the game. We have to play them nearly 40 times. The Rays did well this year, but only because the Yanks were too pig-headed to retain a decent manager and the Sox lost half their team to injury. If the Rays manage to keep to this level for five years, then your opinion might have some validity. But more than likely, in a few years from now, when Mark Teixeira and Josh Hamilton and CC Sabathia and others have helped the Yanks and Sox to another half dozen titles, we'll be hailing one good year from the Blue Jays as proof that youth and smart drafting wins in the AL East.
Well, it doesn't - and the stats show that it doesn't. Even if you develop terrific players through your farm system, like the Yanks did with Jeter and Williams and Rivera, you need to be ready to shell out megabucks to keep them, and you need to surround them with expensive free agents to win in the AL East.
Posted by: jouster | October 16, 2008 1:28 PM
Oh please jouster! Get a clue.
The core of both the Sox and Yanks are homegrown like the Phillies/Rays and that's what Bill O is saying...he's a bit too smart to ignore a timely and productive piece of the puzzle WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.
Both World Series teams are doing it the right way, just as it's been done this whole century. That's exactly what the O's are doing and what Bill O is talking about.
Tiexeira is overrated and will be overpaid...you want another one of those in the clubhouse? CC may or may not pitch the same after this season, he's a crap shoot, Hamilton might be nice but so may be Adam Jones.
You drink way too much Free Agent Kool Aid jouster, waaay too much.
Posted by: L.J. Burgess | October 16, 2008 3:10 PM