Though I woke up sluggish this morning, a rambunctious Tugger talked me into a game of fetch in the yard. Now we are both spent. Best to lounge on the floor with a bone and surf the web. I'll let you determine which of us did which...
...Hey guess what? Jimmy Rollins is still day-to-day. At this rate, it is turning into week-to-week. When it looked like it really was day-to-day, I didn't see much problem with Rollins pinch-hitting. But now that he's been out for a fairly long time and we now know that the trainers would prefer he stayed off of the ankle entirely...
...The Inquirer's Jim Salisbury must have been pretty busy yesterday. Not only did he eulogize John Marzano, he also profiles one of the American League's best pitchers so far this season, Gavin Floyd. According to data at Fangraphs.com, it looks like Floyd has not only added confidence to his skill set this year, but also a slider.
...The more Ryan Howard struggles at the plate, the more you have to agree with the school of thought that says the Phillies would be best served by retaining Howard through his arbitration years and then letting him walk in free agency. Really of the five tools baseball players can possess -- hitting for average, hitting for power, throwing, running, defensive range -- Howard really only possesses one.
...Speaking of tools, Greg Golson was touted to have copious amounts all five when the Phillies drafted him in 2004. Through last season, he's been a disappointment, particularly in plate discipline. But when he had a great spring training, many began to wonder if Golson had finally "gotten it". He's playing at AA Reading now and through 68 plate appearances, he is on pace to double his walk total from last year.
