Urgency Could Be Something That The Phillies Might Want To Practice Right Now
Urgency, whether in real life or sports, is something that only comes about when there is pressure. Pressure to get something done at your place of work, with your family, and, yes, with your favorite sports teams. So here is the question I posed on the show and something I’m still wondering. Do the Phillies have any sense of urgency right now and should they?
As they prepare to get back to the “second half” of the season with 73 games to play, the Phillies find themselves a half game out of a Wild Card spot. They’ll start things up again on Friday at Citizens Bank Park, five days after their last game. So it would appear that any starter would be available to go. Whether it be ace Zack Wheeler or any other starter.
But manager Rob Thomson has decided to start fifth starter Christopher Sanchez to open the series against the San Diego Padres. That decision doesn’t exactly scream urgency, does it? Sanchez wasn’t even a starting pitcher on the roster for most of the first half.
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“Once you kick it past the All-Star break, nothing is early,” said our own Ricky Bottalico. “They are under the impression that it will come back to us in late September,” he said of the Phillies, also showing confusion as to why the team decided to start Sanchez on Friday.
There is no secret as to what needs to happen for this team to get to where many thought they would be by the time the season ends – and that is around the 90-win mark. Trea Turner needs to start hitting the baseball the way he has done his whole career; Kyle Schwarber can’t be a .180 hitter and Aaron Nola has to find his better form for most of the rest of his starts this season.
It all starts with Friday night. And the urgency that is going through the veins of Rob Thomson tells him to start Christopher Sanchez. We’ll see what happens. Also, maybe, just maybe, Kyle Schwarber is taken out of the leadoff spot. That would be a pretty good example of urgency
Ricky Bo's 5 Keys For the Phillies After The All-Star Break
Trea Turner Needs to Get On Base More
Trea Turner, has come up small in the first half, but we do know that his tools are all there. It isn’t power we are looking for with him, it simply is for Turner to be an on-base machine and use his speed to be a problem for opposing pitchers. I do think he will turn it around in the second half. Anything he adds to the offense would be huge to a team that has plenty of stars.
(Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper Moving to First Base
Bryce Harper….He is key to so many things coming up. First, Harper moving into a role as a first baseman could benefit the whole team. If he is adequate at first base, then the Phillies have the perfect move for Kyle Schwarber to move to DH (As we know, he has struggled in the field this season). This could simply help the defense immediately, putting Christian Pache into left, and Brandon Marsh in center. One thing that should be noted, Harper is not a first baseman. While he is athletic, it will not be an easy move and there will be growing pains. But it certainly will be a big move if it works out.
Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on June 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
