Shane Victorino is on the block.  Reporters are saying the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested in moving quickly… and making some players disappear from the City of Brotherly Filth.   Hmhmmm, does this make you wonder why?

Could Victorino just need out?  Was he pissed about his failure to get a contract done before the season?    Could he be the type of player who can turn it on in the second half, and land that four or five year deal he covets?

Maybe.  But why couldn’t he just do that in Philly?  Sorry, but it reminds us of a Derrek Lee situation.

Are the poor numbers of this season simply a case of bad luck for the Flyin’ Hawaiian?  Some will point at his .260 BABIP and scream that fact to the hills.  But we look at his lowest line drive percentage ever, and hit the warning sirens.

If you look closer, 2011 was his previous low water mark for hitting line drives, although he had a monstrous season.  We’re afraid a trend is coming.   His on-base percentage is also down 40 points from where he finished in 2011.

Victorino is seeing fewer and fewer fastballs, so maybe jamming him into the Pittsburgh lineup would help force the pitch selection by the bad guys on the bump?  We’re not so sure.  Victorino’s slugging percentage has taken a serious dive.  It’s down from .491 to .373 this year.

Perhaps Dan Fox and the gang sees something we don’t.

Perhaps Clint Hurdle sees Victorino swinging at the more pitches outside the zone  than he has since 2006, and feels he can fix him.

Perhaps Neal Huntington knows the cost will be so damn low it will be worth a shot in the dark.

But when we look at it from a numbers standpoint, it’s hard to see the Pirates targeting Victorino.  There are simply too many warning signs screaming to the contrary.  Now, could it be a package deal with Cole Hamels in the mix?  We’re trying to sniff around and find out.  Something like that would make sense, we guess, but Victorino alone?

There’s a reason the Phils are ready to unload Victorino, a player who was looking to get paid before the season.  There has to be a reason that deal never happened.

Fangraphs

We checked the standings and found the Philadelphia Phillies  in some strange territory.   Justin runs one of the best blogs on planet earth, That Balls Outta Here   He is  a rightfully proud, always sarcastic and original, but sometimes most of the time pissed off Phillies fan.  So we reached out to see if he wanted to answer a few questions for us because we just couldn’t believe the powerhouse cross state rivals are sucking so bad.  It’s such a shame.

So, Justin how is life as a Phillies fan these days?

Great.  The team is fine and the city is fine and we’re all fine and we’re great.  Thanks.  Thanks for asking.  Thank you.  What have you heard.

What has gone so wrong that the Phillies fell so fast?

Well, the main problem is that their bones keep breaking.  I can’t remember the last time I saw so many grown men fall down simultaneously.  You can stick all the right offensive pieces in there, but if the bigger pieces disappear, suddenly, all we’re left with are a bunch of malfunctioning parts.  And Michael Martinez, who is like the piece from an IKEA sofa kit that was included by accident and actually belongs in a water softener somewhere.  Except I’m not sure if there’s a water softener out there that’s desperate enough for Michael Martinez.

That, and the main focus of this team, the starting pitching, has through a variety of injury, poor luck, and down years been hardly the force it has been.  Combine that with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs bullpen and you’ve got one hell of a mediocre at best ballclub.

The starters in the series seem to favor the Bucs, can you tell us anything about them?

Who is it?  Kendrick and Blanton? And Worley I guess?  Yeah, great.

Kyle Kendrick is Kyle Kendrick.  The hip, pompous Phillies writers out there like to point out that HEY KK HAS PERFORMED IN WHATEVER ROLE THE PHILLIES ASKED AND ALSO HE’S ONLY ALLOWED 7 RUNS A GAME IN THE LAST 20 GAMES AND IF THE PHILLIES GAVE HIM RUN SUPPORT MAYBE HE WOULD BE ABLE TO anyway, they have a point, it’s just Kyle is no ace, and when he’s effective it’s more of a miracle than a standard, and he really shouldn’t be out there in the first place, as a long reliever, the real pitchers just keep getting injured.

Joe threw a CGSO earlier this year and said he felt better than he has in his whole career. “THE NEW ACE?!” we all hoped, as Doc went to the DL and we thought maybe this was the start of the quirkiest season that ever quirked.  He wasn’t, though, and in his next five starts everybody teed off on him, making us all realize that Joe Blanton is a back of the rotation guy who will always be that way, and he is vulnerable to lapses in effectiveness same as anyone else, except probably more, because he is a back of the rotation starter and will always be that way.

I like Vance.  I think he’ll be fine.  He’s young, can’t be intimidated, and has glasses.  Yay Vance.

Carlos Ruiz is your leading hitter, one of the best averages in the game…how??

I don’t know.  Someone asked how a 33-year-old catcher is still getting better.  No one knows.  He’s just a great team player and rotation manager and a defensive wall at the plate.  All he was missing was offensive prowess, and he seems to have found that.  If only it were a year or two ago, he might not be the only one in the lineup hitting the ball consistently.  Hell, if only it were game five of the 2011 NLDS.

Are you happy with the production the team is getting from Hunter Pence?

Yes, if I owned a car that ran on stupid-looking swings that more often than not resulted in goofy choppers to the third baseman.  I’d never have to pay for gas!

Prediction for how this series turns out?

Kendrick and Blanton throw seven innings combined, Vance takes a shut out into the eighth, only to be removed by Charlie Manuel with a three run lead in place of Chad Qualls, who gives up six runs on two hits and eight walks, then the ball is handed over to BJ Rosenberg who vomits all over the mound, and then in comes Papelbon because Charlie once heard a story from a drunk minor leaguer in a West Virginia bar about bringing in your closer when you’ve just blown the game and the pitcher’s mound is covered with barf.

The Philadelphia Phillies have no idea what is coming at them tonight. Jeff Karstens is back.   The Bucs officially activated Karstens today and sent Bryan Morris back to AAA.

The Bucs decided Karstens had caused enough destruction throughout minor league ballparks. The rehab is over after five starts in Altoona and Indianapolis. Karstens pitched 23.1 innings, and gave up eight earned runs with a bunch of minor leaguers behind him.

The Bucs hot bats are Pedro Alvarez who has twelve hits in his past eight games – with five bombs, two doubles, and ten runs driven in. Andrew McCutchen has torn it up on the road this season with 42 hits – including four doubles, two triples, and six homers.

Keep an eye on the long ball from the Bucs as Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.04 ERA) has allowed 17 this year. He gave up three bombs in seven innings against Colorado last time out.

For the Pirates, the Zombie has lost each of his past four decisions on the road. So you’ve got an angry one on your hands, Phillies fans.

Good Luck. You’re gonna need it.