Feedback on Paul Phillips

by TulsaDriller on Jun 8, 2009 12:46 AM MDT

The 32-year old puts up huge numbers yesterday, going 4 for 5 and driving in 3 runs. The offensive contribution yesterday from this journeyman back-stopper has certainly been a pleasant surprise. All that aside, what really pumps me up about Phillips in his series vs. the Birds is his on-field presence. I love his post-game comments about Baldo, for which he had this to say: "He gets that look, like 'bring it on, I love it." and then, "The guy is an absolute bulldog. You know how it hard it is to hit 99 miles per hour? He could be stubborn with it, but instead he mixes in that breaking ball. He's not messing around." Sounds like a great clubhouse guy to have around.

Odd baseball blog trivia. Phillips is from Demopolis, Alabama (pop. 7,540) which was the setting for the 1949 John Wayne movie The Fighting Kentuckian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Kentuckian). He is the first cousin of Andy Phillips who is the top 1B prospect for the White Sox & is currently with the Charlotte Knights (AAA - CWS). Overall a great week for the Phillips' of Demopolis; in addition to Paul's feats on Sunday, Andy batted .444, 1 HR, 4 RBIs last week down on the farm.

Curious to hear what my fellow rowbots have to say about Paul.

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

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Memeber since 5/23/07 but my very 1st FANPOST

Have already contacted the District Manager of Taco Bell (Rocky Mountain Division) who assures me that 7 recs will get me some free tacos.

by TulsaDriller on Jun 8, 2009 1:00 AM MDT reply actions

I'm not sure that's worth a rec..

But nice try though!
Phillips has performed well, but he’s really just keeping the seat warm for Doom and the guy who’s son was kidnapped.

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by Charlie77 on Jun 8, 2009 1:06 AM MDT reply actions

I am now calling that guy

Torreambo

because all I can picture is him kicking ass to save his child

Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for Fredo
Chris Iannetta status: Mashing AAA
Seth Smith status: Badass
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY

by Andrew Martin on Jun 8, 2009 9:12 AM MDT up reply actions

I pictured more

a groundskeeper Willy.
“I’ll save the wee ones!”

by Redhawk on Jun 8, 2009 11:53 AM MDT up reply actions

Plaque

Put him in the Hall of Fame, right next to Ruth :)

It’s a nice stretch for Phillips, but there’s probably a reason why he has never had as many as 70 at bats in a season.

It would be nice if he keeps hitting at the same pace, though. My fear is that the pitchers will eventually figure him out.

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by kosmo on Jun 8, 2009 7:24 AM MDT reply actions

Yep, Paul's had a nice little stint but once Doom and Yorvy make it back

it’s back to the Sky Sox. Unless of couse he’s caught someone’s eye to be a minor piece of a trade. Could happen but doubtful.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton

by pedalpusher on Jun 8, 2009 7:54 AM MDT reply actions

minor league catchers are always valuable

Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for Fredo
Chris Iannetta status: Mashing AAA
Seth Smith status: Badass
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY

by Andrew Martin on Jun 8, 2009 9:12 AM MDT up reply actions

There are teams that need back up catchers

Next year I’d assume the Rockies will be one as Torrealba won’t be back next year. Phillips in that roll would be ok.

Back up catchers are always in demand.

by Redhawk on Jun 8, 2009 11:54 AM MDT reply actions

I agree...

With Torrealba’s 1 year contract expiring this season, I’d expect the Rocks to pass on resigning him. It would be nice for Phillips to use this opportunity to grab more than a cup-o-joe and make his case for the back-up role in 2010. Thomas Harding wrote a great piece about Phillipson MLB.com last week (link: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090527&content_id=4987736&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col ).

Here’s an exceprt: “Phillips, 32, has joined the legion of knowledgeable catcher types who don’t quite have big league footing and are looking for an opportunity. Many of these catchers receive a big chance. Phillips has not yet.”

A side-by-side comparision of career numbers for Torrealba vs Phillips:

G AB R H RBI AVG OPS

Torrealba 529 1629 186 406 211 .249 .700
Phillips 70 179 21 68 20 .268 .674

He’d certainly free up some $ for the Rockies to use elsewhere. Anyway, this is his chance, hope he makes the best of it.

Also, Kudos to Barmie who is now hitting .290 on the season after going 2 for 4 today.

by TulsaDriller on Jun 8, 2009 5:08 PM MDT up reply actions

Paul Phillips:

Sal Fasano redux?

"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson

by PioneerSkies on Jun 9, 2009 1:27 PM MDT reply actions

I'd like to point out

that Paul Phillips is a journeyman catcher, nothing special, not that great, showing some spark at age 32

But Mike McCoy is a terrible waste of time and has no place and it’s stupid because he’s not a prospect etc etc

Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for Fredo
Chris Iannetta status: Mashing AAA
Seth Smith status: Badass
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY

by Andrew Martin on Jun 9, 2009 4:36 PM MDT reply actions

If Mike McCoy was a catcher

it would be a different story.

by Redhawk on Jun 9, 2009 10:32 PM MDT up reply actions

point

Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for Fredo
Chris Iannetta status: Mashing AAA
Seth Smith status: Badass
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY

by Andrew Martin on Jun 10, 2009 8:23 AM MDT up reply actions

Clutch hitting in the 3rd game of the Milwaukee series....

….2 key RBIs (although Tulo’s poor base running resulted in an out – shouldn’t have gone 1st to 3rd)

by TulsaDriller on Jun 11, 2009 4:10 PM MDT reply actions

He also

grounded out to the pitcher with the bases loaded and no outs earlier in the same game.

"We made too many wrong mistakes." ~Yogi Berra
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." ~Lou Gehrig
JFK

by jrockies on Jun 11, 2009 6:21 PM MDT up reply actions

True enough...

….but without his bat we would’ve lost – definitely.

by TulsaDriller on Jun 11, 2009 6:44 PM MDT up reply actions

I know

he wasn’t the only one to do bad that inning, we only scored the one run. I do like him though, as he knows how to call a game and his bat is decent.

"We made too many wrong mistakes." ~Yogi Berra
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." ~Lou Gehrig
JFK

by jrockies on Jun 11, 2009 8:51 PM MDT up reply actions

Agreed...

….the future of this franchise rests securely with CDI, I’m not saying Phillips has anywhere near Iannetta’s potential and may not even be as good as Yorvit, but he’s earned his shot & has been making the most of it with narry any mistakes. I think Phillips could become the next Cris Coste.

I would be pissed off if the front office dismissed this guy to the waiver wire (where he’d surely be snagged up) without giving him the opportunity he’s earned. After all, what’s the sense of developing at your AAA affiliate only to trade him off once he shows some potential. If no trade is in the offing there seems a plan to continually hide the player away, exhausting all minor league options, and then praying no one else grabs him on waivers just so you can re-sign him to a minor league contract.

That’s the one problem I have with professional baseball’s player development; to me it seems that sometimes general management roots against their own players. There seems a mindset that “we know he’s good & has potential, we just don’t want anyone else to know about it”.

Just re-read this post & I’m not sure if it makes any sense, but hey, if you can’t ramble like a idiot on a baseball blog where is it safe to spew half-sensical missives about this crazy game? Either way, I agree that about the best that can be said for Phillips right now is his bat is decent & he can control a pitching staff – which ain’t all that bad.

by TulsaDriller on Jun 11, 2009 9:33 PM MDT up reply actions