Beerleaguer Previews Spring Training

Earlier this week, pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. Yes, after a winter filled with disappointments — Sixers, Flyers, punting on 4th and 15 — we have reason to be optimistic again.

The Phils just missed the playoffs last year. A team with a worse record than them went on to win the World Series. They have the MVP, Ryan Howard, the hustle-and-talent machine Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins in the infield. They have some new pitchers. Cole Hamels could mature into a star. Brett Myers is in shape. Jon Lieber has a giant truck. And so forth.

But, then again: It is the Phillies. Do I hear 86-76 again?

But, hey, baseball is here! And such, optimism or no, I chatted with Jason Weitzel, who blogs about the Phillies at Beerleaguer, about the team’s chances this season.

Are you excited for the season? (Editor’s Note: Wow, I really started off with a bang here.)

Of course I’m excited. I’m always excited. I think they’re going to be a good team. I like the optimism that everyone seems to have about the team. The starting rotation looks solid. I think it’s a good time for the Phillies to really jump on things.

After the fire sale [last season], they ended strong for the most part. Hamels looks good. Howard and Utley speak for themselves. I’m not ready to say they’re going to win it yet.

Do you expect them to make any moves before the season starts?
Lieber has value. Last year he just he gave up too many hits. They were really hitting him hard, especially right at the trade deadline, so nobody wanted him. It seems to be the pattern that he pitches better at the end of the season. I think there’s a chance he has a better season than Adam Eaton.

Then again, they think [Eaton] has 20 win potential. I liked the signing of Eaton. He’s a rare case of a free agent pitcher that has some upside left, has some talent. They think he can keep the ball down even though the numbers don’t really back that up. I’m excited about him. He could be a plus.

How about the biggest holes and questions? That’d be third base and everyone’s favorite left fielder, Pat Burrell?
Third base is still a problem. Wes Helms… Some people on my site compare him to David Bell. He’s a plodding right-hander at the end of your lineup. I think that’s an area you might be seeing some more Abraham Nunez than you might expect.

As for Burrell, he’s becoming more of a DH-type statue than an everyday player again. There’s more of a chance of that happening than going out there for 150 games. He has just such a slow-healing foot problem. It’s another area to keep an eye on.

Do you think the Phils can win the division?
I think people are underestimating the Braves and they’re underestimating the Mets, too. The Mets: there’s a team right there they could easily go out mid-season and get Zambrano. They have a pretty deep farm system so they have some flexibility to do some things.

People are really excited about the Phillies lineup, but to me the Mets lineup is still the class of the National League.

What about Washington and Florida?
Florida is a young team. They have some very good young players. They set the table pretty well at the top with their offense. Willingham game into his own last year. Hermedia is another guy in the outfield who could be pretty good. The thing with florida is: They never have much pressure on them, and they seem to do well with that.

I don’t expect Washington will be anywhere close to the Phillies. But, still, going to play in RFK; it doesn’t play to the Phillies strengths.

What about the bullpen?
They definitely need help. The closer’s 39. I think the question with Gordon is the second half of the season. Is it going to be like last year when he goes on the shelf for a while? The Phillies can’t really afford it. I don’t look at Madson as a closer and I don’t look at Geary as a closer. I think they are two guys who could do well. There’s been talk that Alfonseca could be the setup man and that’s a real long shot, too, in my opinion.

It could be a year someone steps up internally. Every year a couple guys could make the jump and show they have pretty good stuff. Right now as it stands I don’t think the bullpen is playoff caliber.

Any other major weaknesses or questions?
The bench. I don’t really think they did enough to improve the bench. After they traded Abreu, Dellucci got so hot, his slugging percentage went through the roof. They’re missing that left-handed bat off the bench. That’s an area that’s going to hurt them a little.

They do have some issues, but overall the positives outweigh the negatives. Utley is as complete as they come. Howard was the MVP. I’ve become a big Jimmy Rollins fan. He plays every day, he scores runs. He had 25 homers and 127 runs. If he goes down, I think they’re screwed.

Have you been a Phillies fan your whole life?
I grew up in reading, then moved to Kutztown. I’ve been a fan since i was 3 and have been watching games pretty much since then. I eventually became a hardcore fan, enough for me to write about the team every day. I don’t have any real world experience covering the team as far as a beat goes. It’s all on my own ambition, my weird hobbies.

How about the blog?
Beerleaguer’s been up since 2005, but the early version of the site was up on blogger in 2004. (Editor’s Note and Fun Fact: In 2004, Philadelphia Will Do debuted on blogger as well!)

Are you surprised at how successful the blog is? Every post of yours seems to get 80 comments or so.
Yeah, I am surprised. The thing I’m surprised by is the quality of readers I’ve somehow managed to attract. There are some really intelligent baseball minds, people who take pride in the site. They’re so loyal to it and their insight is like none other that you can get. I don’t know where I picked up this readership. I have to be active on it, be topical, get the ball rolling. But after I put it up, it’s really in my readers’ hands to keep it alive and keep it going. They deserve as much credit with the success of the site as I do.

Editor’s Note: Jason Weitzel blogs at Beerleaguer. Some of my other favorite Phillies blogs are (in no particular order) Balls, Sticks & Stuff, Shallow Center, Phillies Nation and The Good Phight.

I’d also like to take time out to express my sympathies to the friends and family of Dave Snyder, who died in a car accident last Saturday. He was the founder of the excellent, occasionally infuriating Phillies messageboard PhilliesPhans.com and will be missed.

[Photo of Antonio Alfonseca via AP]