Philadelphia Phillies 2019 season official thread
stevek
Posts: 29,039 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
What a fantastic start to the upcoming season - signing Bryce Harper!
Hopefully an omen of good things to come for 2019.
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An injury prone albatross weighting you down for the next 13 years! Go Phils, LOL!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Harper will be a welcome addition to a lineup that had all sorts of trouble putting runs on the board last season. With the offseason additions of Segura, Realmuto, Mc Cutcheon and now Harper, their lineup should go at least 6 strong, and that's not counting on much from CF and 3B. Looks like a very interesting upcoming season! Looking forward to having an exciting, competitive team again.
Without a doubt, Harper is a good fit for the Phillies.
The dynamics for the Phillies are very interesting. On paper, they don't look like any sort of lock to win a championship. But I think the team chemistry could play out extremely well.
I completely agree with ya that at the least, our Phillies will be an exciting, competitive team throughout the season. Hopefully we can mix in some good luck with that, and play in a number of World Series games during the next thirteen seasons with future first ballot Hall of Famer, Bryce Harper.
Phillies fans are counting on the expertise and guidance of Gabe Kapler about fitness and nutrition to hopefully help Harper in that regard to lessen injuries and improve performance.
We shall see. No doubt Harper is a very productive player when he's in the lineup but salaries like his hardly ever justify the price tag. Once thing I will say is that Harper is at least younger than most players reaching free agency due to his early start date.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Frankly, I don't see any other team except the Yankees signing him at this point for the probable 400 million, maybe 500 million he is going to get.
These salaries are stupid in baseball. I'd rather give LeBron that kind of money and I don't like the dude. One guy on a baseball team has way less impact than one guy in basketball. Or football for that matter , No one in baseball is important the way a QB is . Don't say pitchers either they pay a fifth of the season if they are lucky
Can't disagree with ya about "salaries like his hardly ever justify the price tag." But unfortunately that's the way it is in today's world of sports.
So if a major sports team wishes to be a champion, they often need to dig deep into their bank account, and keep the fingers crossed.
Can't disagree with anything you stated.
That being said, I'm very happy about today's signing. As a fan, I'm glad my team is willing to take a chance on a young player such as Bryce Harper, than not take any chance at all.
Hey congrats for getting Harper Steve, personally I don’t think it was a bad investment overall, I like Harper better than Machado and hey there are only a handful of franchise caliber players like these guys out there so the market is what it is, I won’t care if the Sox make a similar offer to Betts so best of luck with the signing
I wouldn't mind during October in this thread if there is a Phillies versus Red Sox sigline bet for the World Series. ⚾
What's your pitching look like this year in Philly?
Nobody at this time is going to mistake it for the 1990's Atlanta Braves.
If that happens you got it 🍻
Not to rain on the parade, but...
Harper is indeed a superstar within the baseball world...however, the baseball world is littered with uber excitement of new signings of superstar players, who have totally flamed out. Manny Ramirez, Dicek, Hanley Ramirez, Chris Davis, Bobby Bonilla, Bruce Sutter, Tulowitzki, Fatty Sandoval...it goes on and on and on. And the money being paid to these "superstars" for years and years well beyond their playing years is stunning!
So, before you pop the champagne, let's see how Harper does. The expectation is that he will perform equal to, or beyond past performance. We all know that things will happen that may well preclude him from doing so...any number of injuries could bench him, slumps, etc. He's only one guy, 8 others are out there, he can only hit so many home runs, or hits in general, but, trust me...he'll get his fair share of strikeouts as well.
I wish him well, and the Philly fans also, but I clearly see some irrational exuberance at play.
Seeing the name made this a must post...
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
there is much consternation about the escalating price paid for MLB and other sports superstar talent. The very upper tier guys, however, are definitely not overpaid. regardless of what owners say, they are in the business first to turn a profit. signing a superstar name to a mega deal is good business. while Pujols deal with the angels has received huge criticism, the Angels, no doubt, have already turned a profit on albert. when teams sign huge names, it increases revenue at a much higher percentage than when they sign two middle relievers, an average second baseman and a DH. Even if the salaries match. It is the superstar that puts butts in the seats and increases stadium revinue like parking, concessions etc. Most importantly, it vastly increases merchandise sales and licencing agreements. think of how many pujols t shirts, jerseys, hats, stickers, pennants and all other kinds of merch have been sold. the amount would be staggering.
while it was certainly not a good baseball decision, signing Pujols was a great business decision. the same can be said for harper, Lebron, steph curry, tom brady etc.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I don't disagree with your premise. Frankly, i don't know how any reasonable sports fan could disagree.
Years ago, i basically didn't like mercenary players even though the Phillies have had some. But now mercenaries are an ingrained part of the game, and MLB sure isn't going back to the reserve clause anytime soon.
This was covered a bit in another thread. With the legalization of sports betting in a number of states, and still a lot of states yet to go that will legalize it, the eventual revenue to MLB teams could be staggering. MLB owners will be raking in so much money from gambling, they will hardly know what to do with it.
I exaggerate to make a point, to say tongue in cheek that one day in the future this contract given to Harper may be a contract given to a utility infielder. Then again, maybe some day it will be reality?
I'm expecting the Mets to very possibly win the coveted title of finishing in 4th place in the NL East.
Ahh, with so many Boston fans on the forum, it would sure be a beautiful thing to see more Phillies avatars on here for a while.
i'll be a dreamin' about that all season.
With the prolific way you post, I suspect your posts will more than cover the avatar concern you may have.
Five posts today alone, certainly qualify you as a prolific poster, but hey, who's counting.
Lot of pressure on this board to keep up appearances.
Otherwise the damn New York and Boston avatars will overrun the forum.
Steve, I need to provide some Philly support here, but it's tax season and I just don't get on here enough. But if they are going to compare Harper to some of the names mentioned above (DiceK, Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez etc) that's just crazy! None of those players were the elite talent that Harper is, and history shows that his 26-30 years should be the prime years of his career. They may not contend for the championship this year, but I do think that a return to the playoffs is definitely a very strong possibility. A few more supporting pieces and a return to the World series shouldn't be too far off. We shall soon see.
As a Yankee fan, I think this was a great move for the Phillies to really cement the baseball appeal of the stadium for the next decade, with out of towners especially. For the ownership AND the city of Brotherly Love at large (a tremendous town to visit for many, many reasons), this a tremendous move to create a decade of area commerce in sports longest season.
He’s a polarizing figure in some ways and that’s a good thing - nearby Mets and Nats fans will come to see their rival more often I’d bet.
As for the player, he needs to go back to being the .330 hitter who hits for decent power instead of the guy swinging for 50 HR. Watched his entire career and he definitely changed his approach at the plate. Got paid now go back.
Fun stuff...
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
I am they, and you are entitled to your opinion as am I. Harper is but one man on a team, no more, no less. If you think Harper is gonna carry the whole season for the Phillies, I think you are sadly mistaken. Since you quoted "history", history also shows that injuries, slumps and a host of other things happen to the best of the best...I of course don't wish this for Harper, but, time will tell. Methinks you should not think too far ahead, and let the TEAM produce the runs needed to win a championship, otherwise, Harper is just an overpaid ball player, no more, no less.
Enjoy your excitement, indeed we shall soon see
I think Bryce Harper is sitting on a monster season coming up.
Hitting 50 home runs wouldn't surprise me at all.
Harper has performed well at Citizens Bank Park over the years, and now he gets to play here at least 81 times per season.
Whether or not the Phillies have enough talent to win it all this season is a tough call. However in any event, I strongly feel the stars have lined up nicely for Bryce Harper to have a tremendous career in the greatest sports town the world has ever known.
I foresee a lot of 10-8 games in Philly this season. Question is how often will the Phillies have 10 and how often will they have 8.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I never said that Harper would carry the whole season; What I said was that by adding Harper to the upgrades they have already made in Segura, Realmuto and McCutcheon, this will be a very formidable lineup, and Harper and Hoskins in the middle should provide much needed power and production. The days of banking on O Herrera and Franco in the middle of the order are over!
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/phillies-sold-100000-tickets-in-less-than-24-hours-after-signing-bryce-harper-195043717.html
Phillies sold 100,000 tickets in less than 24 hours after signing Bryce Harper
Philadelphia Phillies fans went crazy on Thursday when their team won the Bryce Harper sweepstakes and signed the mega-star to a 13-year, $330 million contract. They invaded the internet with their happiness. They had beautifully pure reactions on local news stations. They made Harper and the Phillies a trending topic on Twitter.
And they bought tickets. Lots and lots and lots of tickets.
From when the news broke of Harper’s signing at 3pm ET on Thursday to Friday morning, the Phillies sold 100,000 tickets.
In related news, the New York Mets set a record this season for selling one ticket in one day.
The overjoyed Mets front office contacted the buyer for a press interview.
When the interview began, the buyer stated that he had meant to purchase a ticket for the Metropolitan Opera. That he bought the Mets ticket in error, and asked for a prompt refund.
I thought he wanted to buy NETS tickets!!!!!
Sneak preview for this upcoming season
of an enthusiastic Mets fans crowd during a game:
maybe they can have a concert after every game so they can sell tickets.....or can you have 81 giveaways during the season???
It's a good news, bad news thing for the Mets in the NL East.
The good news is the Marlins are beyond a mortal lock to finish last in the NL East. So the Mets don't have to worry about finishing in last place.
The bad news is there are three other teams in the NL East.
Terrific press conference today from Florida introducing Bryce Harper to the Phillies.
I watched it live earlier today, and Harper seems like a great team player with a winning attitude, a perfect fit for the Phillies.
How all that translates into World Series titles, we shall see.
The Mets could try to have say the Rolling Stones or Paul & Ringo play after every game for the old folks such as Grote. Bring in some other bands for Grote's great grandchildren to enjoy, and then they would sell some tickets. 🤣
Whoever said that it wasn't fun to pile on?
I realize if the Mets surprise everyone this season, there's going to be hell for me to pay here.
I love the see the Philly fans feeling their oats in March. We'll check back in late April and see where things stand.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
this is starting to make the George Schmidt thread look like a 25-yr class reunion
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Here's a question. Will Steve ever catch Grote in number of posts.
I've got Grote at 26,703 and Steve trailing at 21,125.
In Steve's favor, Grote tends to avoid the threads with a lot of conflict and name calling,
unless it involves the Mets.LOL. But Steve isn't afraid to recklessly throw himself into the fray.
I predict Steve may someday overtake Grote.
And I like both guys, so this post is just in fun and I hope they both keep posting a lot.
Grote has the early speed, but I've been rating off the pace to try to catch him around the 30k post mark.
It's just preseason banter.
We'll get down to regular season banter fairly soon.
Harper at his press conference today: "We Want to Bring a Title back to D.C." LOL..
https://deadspin.com/bryce-harper-at-his-phillies-press-conference-we-want-1833012464?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR3Vk-u-AEp6EAQ2du9Y6OvJz6Ner627gwpwzMvC8Wdy4xI3g-w448A8s8Q
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
In all fairness, SteveK was MIA for about 6 years while he completed house arrest with no internet service for throwing batteries at Santa Claus with a group of unruly Eagles fans, so I expect him to catch up fairly quickly now that he's completed his sentence.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
No TV, radio, or newspaper allowed either.
i had to get sports results thru carrier pigeon.
Harper quickly corrected himself mentioning "Phillies" a number of times right after that.
Perfectly understandable error after being with the Nats for so long.