Showcase Showdown

Which Pennsylvania Baseball Team Will Make Playoffs?

Philadelphia Phillies or Pittsburgh Pirates

By Ryan Frisco and Eric Berkenpas

Photo Cred www.georgefox.edu

Photo Cred bleacherreport.com

Seeing that half of this blog's authors are in the Pittsburgh area and the other half are in the Philadelphia region, it only makes sense that we go head to head with this question.  Since this is Eric’s first showdown, I’m going to get things started, and give him the privilege of having the last word.

Ryan – I’m a Philly native, I’m rolling with the Phils this year.

Eric – I hail from the Burgh; Go Bucs!

Photo Cred www.nbcphiladelphia.com

Ryan – Let me start this off the right way.  I’m not here to bash the Pirates.  They have talent and are a good team.  The Phillies are better.  If we are realistic, the two of these teams are in contention for only one playoff spot this season, and that is the 5^th seed, the second Wild Card.  Why are the Phillies the better team?  My first reason for this is that their key pieces are coming back this year…rested and healthy.  Roy Halladay is the deciding factor.  His arm is healed, and if he is truthful about feeling as good as he did a few years ago, opposing hitters better watch out!   The second big piece returning is Ryan Howard.  The big first baseman who made more Subway commercial appearances then plate appearances last season has said his leg/Achilles feels better now than at any point last year.  That’s good.  With him back to this kind of health, who knows what can happen.   My only hope is that he hits the lefties a little better.  And, the third key piece nursed back to health; Chase Utley.  He has had the better part of two offseasons really to get his knees back in order.  I see him coming out early this year and getting in that old groove we Phanatics are so used to.  I have much more to say, but Eric, please enlighten us on the Pirates bright spots.

Photo Cred www.nbcsports.com

Eric – Well, Ryan, I can see why you have a good feeling about the Phillies this year and quite frankly, I do too. Only my feeling lands them in the 6 spot, behind the Buccos. Clint Hurdle is sick of his pattern of first half fireworks followed by second half slumps. The Pirates made some key acquisitions in the offseason to deepen their lineup and improve their rotation. Russell Martin will be a large improvement behind the plate with his experience and talent level. Do you remember what Francisco Liriano was putting up in his second year with the Twins? 12-3, 144 K’s, 2.16 ERA and held opponents to a .205 batting average in only 121 innings. If he can get healthy, which is the key, this is what he is capable of in Pittsburgh. Pirates also recently signed veteran Brandon Inge who spent some quality years in Detroit and knows what it takes to win. Pedro Alvarez is getting better each year and entering his prime. Andrew McCutchen was on pace for an all-star season before a second half slump. James McDonald proved to himself in the first half last year what he is capable of and will be entering the season with a lot of confidence. Wandy Rodriguez will be fully acclimated to the team now and will be much improved right out of the gun and AJ Burnett’s competitive nature will keep the entire rotation on cue. Jason Grilli will cement a young and talented bullpen that looks to finish better than their 11^th best in the league last year. This team is primed and ready for a complete season. Let’s see if you can challenge the upside of the Pirates!

Photo Cred www.bleacherreport.com

Ryan – Awesome!  You made my transition for me.  Yes, let’s talk about ‘key acquisitions’ for the Phillies. 1. Michael Young – Bringing in Michael Young gives the Phillies something they haven’t had at third base in a long time; experience, a great glove and a potentially great, powerful bat.  He has a lifetime average over .300 and holds many of the Rangers all time offensive records.  The best part?  He’s that long sought after right handed bat in the line up.  He should be the first player to really replace Jayson Werth in the batting order.  2. Ben Revere – A big addition for the Phils.  Revere might not seem like much, but will huge down the stretch. He brings a solid glove to the center of the outfield, along with tons of speed to cover ground.  He doesn’t hit for power, but he can get on base, and when he does, watch out!  He already has 74 stolen bases in not even two full seasons.  With Revere hitting number two in the lineup, we should see a lot of two and three run homers from Utley-Howard this season. 3. Delmon Young – Is Delmon Young going to play every day? No.  Is he going to break any home run records?  No.  I like him though for two reasons.   One, he adds some depth to the outfield.  Second, and the bigger reason, is he can be a viable bat coming off of the bench late in the game in clutch situations.  Remember what Matt Stairs used to do?  Yeah, I see Young playing that role a few times this season.  These three guys have given the Phillies offense three of the big pieces it has been missing the last few years.  How can a team this complete not be the best in the state?

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

Eric – Those are some pretty good acquisitions and will bring some good experience to the Phillies, but I can give you reasons why I would not be entirely excited about them. Michael Young is up and over the prime of his career. He is 36 years old and is declining. On an absolute all-star lineup in a hitters ballpark last year, he only managed 8 home runs, 67 RBIs and batted .277. The year before was a little better but his numbers are on the decline. Delmon Young has never blossomed into the player he was supposed to be when he entered the league. That is an accurate comparison you made to compare him to Matt Stairs who was an average baseball player at best.  Will he be clutch like Stairs was? That remains to be seen. Ben Revere is the best thing you got going for you. He will bring a lot of speed to a generally slow lineup and will be a menace on the bases. That said, I don’t see too much improvement in those acquisitions nor do I see many players on the Phillies team who are entering the prime of their career. Pirates have Jared Hughes, Francisco Liriano, James McDonald, Charlie Morton, Tony Watson, Michael McKenry, Pedro Alvarez, Josh Harrison, Neil Walker, Chase d’Arnaud, Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley and Travis Snider all entering or in their prime. All those players I listed with the exception of Liriano have shown gradual improvement over the last several seasons and with them entering the prime of their careers, it’s only going to get better. Add a couple all-star, experienced players like Russell Martin and Brandon Inge, you got yourself a winning formula. I could keep going at this pace but I need a chance to catch my breath. Whattyou got?

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Ryan – Hmm…you make great points.  I can’t deny, the Pirates are an up and coming squad.  I’d even go so far to compare them to the Oakland Athletics.  They have potential, I’ll give you that.  But, we’re arguing which of these two teams are going to have the better season, and frankly, it’s no contest.  When you look at overall talent in the three big categories, the Phillies outweigh the Pirates.  Pitching.  You got Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, who are all in the top 10 National League pitchers.  You have one of the greatest closers in the league in Jonathan Papelbon.  They did a little work to sure up their middle relief guys.  This rotation has potential to be one of the best in a long time.  Fielding. There is a ton of speed in the field and lots of Gold Gloves.  Getting Mike Young at third base was huge. Hitting. No one can argue the bats in the Phillies lineup.  Altogether, on paper, they are by far the superior team in Pennsylvania.  Now it depends on a few different things, mainly the health of the key players.  But, if Halladay, Howard and Utley stay healthy, this could very well be a Champion team.  One more thought; Charlie Manuel is in a contract year.  Like any player in this situation, he is going to do whatever it takes to earn that extension.  Look for some un-Charlie like moves this season in an attempt to change it up and make playoffs.  Alright Eric, take it home from here…that’s the only place the Pirates will be come October baseball.

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Eric – Perfect! You made my point for me. I can’t argue that “on paper” the Phillies don’t look better than the Pirates. Luckily you can’t judge a team in the MLB by what you see on paper. If that were true, the Yankees would probably win the World Series every year. Yes, the Phillies have a lot of big names on their roster and added a couple more. Ask the Oakland Athletics if that matters. I would compare the Pirates this year to the Rays team a couple years ago that made the World Series. Every year they got the new hot draft pick and held on to them. The Pirates are now holding on to their picks and are seeing the results. Pedro Alvarez is shaping into a player who is a home run threat every time he is at the plate and has shown signs of the defensive player he can be as well. Andrew McCutchen has shown that he has what it takes to play at an MVP level. The Pirates boast one of the fastest outfields in the league, second only to maybe the Braves. AJ Burnett still has a lot left in the tank and will be a huge part of leading the generally young Pirates pitching staff. The Pirates have a lot of question marks coming into the season and do not have the greatest team on paper, but constant improvements over the last couple years by some very talented young players teamed with some older experienced players will, in my opinion, lead to great success this year. To top it all off, there is finally excitement in that Pirates Clubhouse. There are expectations to win. Attitudes have changed in Pittsburgh and that is going to yield results sooner rather than later.

Alright fans, it’s your turn to vote.  This poll means more to us than any other one yet.  Rally behind your city and team and let us know, which one of these teams will get the job done this season!