Culture of complacency has got to end

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I've haven't been out for Pat Gillick's blood by any stretch of the imagination. Many around here want to blame him every time the Phils lose a game. While I still feel the guy deserves a little more time before the hammer can come down, he said something today that really dropped him down in my book; to paraphrase:

I would be happy if we finished this homestand with a 4-2 record, but 3-3 would be acceptable.

This statement, I've come to realize, epitomizes the main problem with the Phillies organization for the last 124 years (aside from being very bad for much of that time). This Phillies ownership in particular does not seem to want a championship. They seem to be content with being OK. This is NOT ok.
Since Gillick was given the general manager job almost two years ago, I have been patiently waiting for him to work his magic like he has done in other cities. And I thought we were getting there. There were a number of mistakes made by previous management that he had to fix/work around before he could really turn this team into a contender. And, let's face it: the Phils have a fun, exciting young team that is 5 games out of first in the East (just two out of the wild card). And they've done this with enough talent on the DL at some point to field a team that could probably beat the Pittsburgh Pirates...ok, bad example. Anyway, my point is that they don't need that much more to make the playoffs.
And that is where the culture of complacency comes in. What indications have the people in charge down in Philly given us that they won't stop there? Judging by Gillick's comments (in addition to a long history of "penny pinching"), they will stop there. 3-3 is acceptable?! No championship caliber team should EVER accept mediocrity. And that is exactly what Gillick is doing. Now I know Gillick is an honest guy who speaks his mind. And, quite frankly I like him for it. He is a straight shooter. Last season, after trading away Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle, among others, he stated that he did not think the Phils would be true contenders until the 2008 season. And what did the team do? They caught fire, and made another run at the playoffs. Eventhough they came up short, there was a lot of hope for this season.
There are some who believe that Gillick's comments, both then and now, were meant to inspire and motivate the team; a little bit of reverse psychology I guess. However, like I said earlier, Gillick is a guy who speaks his mind. He generally doesn't play those types of mind games. So when he says that a .500 homestand is acceptable, I have to believe that is what he truly feels.
This is clearly a problem in a city starved for a championship. Take a look at the Flyers and Eagles, the two teams that have had the most success over the last decade. They don't talk about making the playoffs the same way the Phillies do. To those two teams, making the playoffs is just the start, not the destination. The Phillies organization, while they won't flat out say this, have made it clear that their goal is simply to make the playoffs. The Flyers, even coming off a league worst, and franchise worst, season, are talking about making the playoffs....and doing some damage once they get there. And the Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie, just today, mentioned how he expects playoffs, and the main goal is to win the Super Bowl. For both of these teams, anything short of a championship is a disappointment. Unfortunately, the Phillies' management doesn't live in that culture. Hopefully when/if they make the tranisition to a championship-based goal system, it won't be a case of culture shock.

Give Gillick a Break

Many people around Philadelphia are calling for Phillie's GM, Pat Gillick. I, on the other hand, am calling for patience. And I think I'm alone in doing this. Pat Gillick was brought in to replace Ed Wade in November of 2005; whose tenure as GM of the Phils could only be described as a failure; or some synonym thereof. And the bottom line on Gillick so far is that he has not improved this team; wins and losses have not improved and the team has still not made the playoffs. But by taking a closer look what Gillick inherited shows that, at the very least, it's too early to call the jury for a verdict.
When Gillick came to Philly, the team he inherited had a decent amount of talent, but they still hadn't made the playoffs since 1993. And Ed Wade was the chief scapegoat, whether rightfully so or not. It's pretty much consensus around the league, that today, the Phillies have one of the best lineups in baseball. It didn't get like that by accident. Pat Gillick put a lot of the key pieces into a position to succeed. Lets take a look at a few of the big moves Gillick had to make in order to get the lineup to where it is today:

Jim Thome - Thome was a beloved player in Philly, that everyone wanted to see go. I only say that because Ryan Howard was charging from behind, begging to replace the aging Thome and his contract. So Gillick sent Thome and his huge contract (some of it) to Chicago for Aaron Rowand. And I don't think there is a person in Philadelphia that doesn't like how that turned out; Rowand an All-star this year and Ryan Howard winning MVP to follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign.

Bobby Abreu - Abreu had oodles of talent, but the fans and management became tired of his lazy approach toward the game and his bloated salary. So Gillick sent him and Corey Lidle (RIP) to the Yanks for a bunch of players. Result: Shane Victorino has been a HUGE upgrade in the field and can make plenty of things happen with the bat. And he has become a fan favorite.

Jamie Moyer - The next biggest thing to come out of Souderton High School other than me....Moyer has been a nice addition to the staff and a huge influence on the progression of Cole Hamels

Greg Dobbs, Cole Hamels, Brett Meyers, Ryan Howard - All these players were given either bonuses, extensions, or new contracts by Gillick. Anybody have any problems with any of that? Speak now or forever hold your peace.

All of that was done in about a year and a half. The team went from old and slow and basically boring to a young exciting team that can beat you in a number of ways. The biggest problems that plague the Phillies right now are Pat Burrell and pitching. The former can not be attributed to Pat Gillick. The previous management group can be thanked for over-valuing Burrell and signing him to the financial equivalent of a mortgage. With the rest of this year, and still another year left on the deal, what is Gillick realistically supposed to do with the guy. While Burrell is as hard a worker as anyone, he simply doesn't have enough to offer another team to warrant anywhere near the contract they'd have to take on. For the time being, I think we have to accept that Burrell will continue to be an anchor in the field and the lineup until his contract runs out.
As far as the pitching staff goes, it's a little more gray here. I'm not an expert on baseball and all the prospects that are out there (or even in the Phil's farm system), but I know there is only so much a guy can do to transform a pitching staff that hasn't been good for years. Going into this season, there was a lot of confidence with the starting rotation. Brett Meyers was the young ace, Cole Hamels was the younger ace, Jamie Moyer was the crafty veteran, Adam Eaton was a decent (if overpaid) addition, and Freddy Garcia was supposed to be the crown jewel acquisition. Then throw in Jon Leiber, and you have a good to great rotation. What happened? Meyers had to turn into a closer due to bullpen injuries, only to subsequently also get hurt. Adam Eaton has been what we should have expected, especially when not relied on as a 4th or 5th starter. Freddy Garcia was damaged goods and quickly went on the DL. And Jon Leiber, who was supposed to be trade bait to get bullpen help, also was injured and lost for the season after becoming a starter again. Any team with that many key injuries is going have trouble staying afloat above .500. Critics will say Gillick should have never entered the season with a such a thin bullpen. While they have been proven right, Gillick's hands appeared to have been tied this offseason. No one wanted Leiber, the biggest trade chip he had. And he has to overpay to get any pitcher to come pitch half their games in the defensively challenged Citizens Bank Park (exhibit A: Adam Eaton). And he is already weighed down by immovable contracts like Burrell's. What we wanted to see happen, and what could realistically happen are two different things. What is realistic is that without those injuries, the Phillies could very well be in first place right now.
But they are not. And as we approach the trade deadline, fans are once again clamoring for Gillick to make a move. However, there problems, in addition to the ones that plagued Gillick in the offseason, with making a move. There simply isn't that much out there to help the bullpen. And I strongly urge anyone out there who will listen to consider the consequences of overpaying, either in money or prospects, for some overrated pitching help. Let's face it: this staff is in such disarray that a little help here and there isn't going to make a difference. They need to get healthy and they need real significant additions that you can only make in the offseason. I guess what I am saying is to not abandon ship, and start sending off the few prospect you have (i.e. Michael Bourn, Carlos Ruiz) in order to get some pitching help that will turn out to be nothing more than an mirage. Hopefully Meyers and Gordon can come back soon and stabilize things, wherever they are placed. Because it is not fair to vilify Pat Gillick for things largely out of his hands. At least that is until he has a few more years to show that it has just been bad luck and logistics, and not incompetence.