Phillies are ready for view of future
Monday, July 22, 2002
By CHRIS EDWARDS
PHILADELPHIA - Back in June 1999, hours after the Phillies made him the 12th overall pick in the draft, Brett Myers expressed his affinity for the National League.
"I want to hit, because chicks dig the long ball," the excitable young right-hander from Jacksonville, Fla. told reporters.
Since that memorable quip, Myers has done a lot of growing up - both literally and figuratively. "That was a long time ago," Myers maturely admitted.
At 2:20 Wednesday afternoon, inside Chicago's Wrigley Field, the 21-year-old Myers, will fulfill his destiny as the golden arm of the Phillies' organization by assuming Terry Adams' place in the Phillies' rotation.
His first major-league assignment will be a matchup with Cubs right-handed phenom Mark Prior (3-2, 3.41 ERA in 11 big-league starts), the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft. While Myers is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in his last five Triple-A starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Prior is coming off an eight-inning, eight-strikeout gem against Houston Friday afternoon.
Phillies general manager Ed Wade preferred to keep Myers (9-6, 3.59 ERA in 19 starts this season) in the International League for the entire season but, Wade said, "This was a decision based on our needs. At this point, I don't think (staying in Scranton) is what the circumstances dictate for him."
In 79 minor-league games (74 starts), Myers has gone 37-18 with a 3.46 ERA and 397 strikeouts in 486 1/3 innings. Perhaps most impressively, he walked just 20 in his 128 innings this season.
Bowa and Wade decided to move Adams to the bullpen during a Saturday night conversation after Adams allowed four earned runs in the first three innings of Saturday's 4-3 loss to Atlanta. Afterward, Adams (4-7, 5.00 ERA in 19 starts) indicated that he expected to be taken out of the rotation. He knew he was on an extremely short leash.
"I thought he took it well," Wade said after he and Bowa broke the news to Adams yesterday morning during a brief meeting. "Early in the season, he would have fought this. Realistically, to be down four runs early (Saturday), this was the right thing to do. I thought we needed to do something right now."
Adams, who has made 363 career relief appearances with the Cubs and Dodgers, almost certainly will not amass the 170 innings and/or 30 starts he needs to automatically trigger a 2003 option for $5.4 million. If he falls short, the Phillies hold a club option for $5.4 million which surely would not be exercised.
"I don't think anybody is closing the book on Terry, but I don't think it'll be a `one-and-done' for Brett," Wade said.
Myers' curveball has drawn comparisons to Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven. He is not afraid to use it at any point in the count, and it is a devastating complement to a 92-95 mph fastball and a changeup.
"Mark Bombard (Scranton manager), Mike Mason (pitching coach) and (senior advisor) Dallas (Green) all agree that his stuff is ready," Wade added. "Hopefully, the whole package is ready for the challenge at this point. I would like to think his (first big-league) memory would be shaking hands with everybody after the game."
Myers' likely first appearance at Veterans Stadium will be July 30 against Barry Bonds and San Francisco.
"I would hope a residual of him being here would be some increased fan interest," Wade said.
..........................................................................................................................
07/21/2002 2:24 pm ET
Top prospect Myers joins Phils
Rookie right-hander will replace Adams in rotation
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The pitching matchup for Wednesday afternoon's game at Wrigley Field will read Myers vs. Prior. The Phillies and Cubs won't mind seeing that for the next 15 years.
In a battle of 21-year-old phenoms, Mark Prior will oppose Brett Myers, the Phillies' top prospect since being selected 12th overall in 1999. He will join the team Monday in Chicago.
"I'm excited to watch him," said Randy Wolf. "Seeing him in Spring Training, he had great stuff. He can learn how to pitch in Triple-A, but this is where you really learn."
He learned very well at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he went 9-6 with a 3.56 ERA in 19 starts, and 4-0 with 1.66 ERA in his last five. He had allowed 121 hits and 20 walks in 128 innings, with 97 strikeouts.
He will assume the spot held by Terry Adams, sent to the bullpen to become the eighth-inning setup man. He had success there with the Dodgers and Cubs, before converting to a starter midway through 2001.
A combination of Myers' steady progression at Triple-A and Adams' 11.25 ERA in his past four starts made the change necessary.
"We wanted to give him as much time as possible without ignoring what he could do for us here," general manager Ed Wade said of Myers. "We kept pretty close tabs. He's ready to pitch here."
Wade began thinking about Myers skipping Triple-A this spring but thought better of it because the Phillies' rotation was set. He said in earlier years a decision to bring Myers north might have been simpler, though it wouldn't necessarily have been an optimal situation.
Circumstances then dictated the shift in strategy. Myers went from pitching great to dominating. Adams struggled. The Phillies fell out of the NL East race and perhaps began looking toward the future.
Which, by the way, is spelled M-Y-E-R-S. His next manager, Larry Bowa, hopes the rookie doesn't buy into all the fanfare.
"The hype has been there, but he's not the savior, just part of the solution," Bowa said. "To put that kind of pressure on him is wrong. It will be a good opportunity for him. I'm sure there'll be some bumps, but he'll get through it."
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"The hype has been there, but he's not the savior, just part of the solution. To put that kind of pressure on him is wrong. It will be a good opportunity for him. I'm sure there'll be some bumps, but he'll get through it."
-- Larry Bowa on Myers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowa said Myers reminded him of Bert Blyleven, and Wade said he would take a Blyleven-type career from Myers.
"I think I could probably live with that," said Wade. "If Brett does what he's capable of doing I think everybody will be happy to see him pitch every fifth day."
The rookie could help smooth out the bumps the organization has suffered, when the Phillies were picked to compete with the Braves and Mets for the NL East title. Wade said Myers' promotion doesn't signal a white flag and doesn't mean center fielder Marlon Byrd is days away either. Wade said he's still working the phones to explore trades by the July 31 deadline. The most likely players being shopped are free agents-to-be Scott Rolen and Robert Person.
Regardless, the Phillies' young rotation has to be viewed as a strength heading into the 2003. With Vicente Padilla leading the group of Wolf, Myers and Brandon Duckworth, the Phillies may potentially have a wealth of talented young arms.
Even Wade seemed giddy at that prospect and shrugged off the fact that Duckworth would be the oldest at 26.
"It would be great to be good and experienced," he said. "I think we have the ability right now to be young and good."
Economics will go a long way toward determining how long the group can stay together, though no one wanted to think about that Sunday.
"Everybody who has seen (Myers) feels he's accomplished everything that we hoped," Wade said. "We think he's ready for this challenge at this point. I expect him to come up here and pitch very well."
Wolf said he was glad Myers was beginning his Major League career on the road, then remembered when he got "the call."
"I was in Philly doing an interview at Comcast to talk about when I was going to be called up. I had no idea. Within a half hour of being home from Philly, (assistant GM) Ruben Amaro Jr. calls me. I was more than happy to put those miles on my car. If you play this game, you probably dream about being in the big leagues your whole life but to get that call it's surreal."
Myers is scheduled to make his first Veterans Stadium start July 30 against the Giants. Wolf inspired the fiercely loyal Wolfpack, who haven't missed a home start since Wolf's debut in 1997. Any thoughts on what Myers' supporters should call themselves.?
"Hmmmmm," Wolf said, rubbing his chin. "I got it! How about Myers' Friars. They can wear the robes and everything."
Ken Mandel covers the Phillies for MLB.com and can be reached at philliesfans2002@yahoo.com.
Monday, July 22, 2002
By CHRIS EDWARDS
PHILADELPHIA - Back in June 1999, hours after the Phillies made him the 12th overall pick in the draft, Brett Myers expressed his affinity for the National League.
"I want to hit, because chicks dig the long ball," the excitable young right-hander from Jacksonville, Fla. told reporters.
Since that memorable quip, Myers has done a lot of growing up - both literally and figuratively. "That was a long time ago," Myers maturely admitted.
At 2:20 Wednesday afternoon, inside Chicago's Wrigley Field, the 21-year-old Myers, will fulfill his destiny as the golden arm of the Phillies' organization by assuming Terry Adams' place in the Phillies' rotation.
His first major-league assignment will be a matchup with Cubs right-handed phenom Mark Prior (3-2, 3.41 ERA in 11 big-league starts), the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft. While Myers is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in his last five Triple-A starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Prior is coming off an eight-inning, eight-strikeout gem against Houston Friday afternoon.
Phillies general manager Ed Wade preferred to keep Myers (9-6, 3.59 ERA in 19 starts this season) in the International League for the entire season but, Wade said, "This was a decision based on our needs. At this point, I don't think (staying in Scranton) is what the circumstances dictate for him."
In 79 minor-league games (74 starts), Myers has gone 37-18 with a 3.46 ERA and 397 strikeouts in 486 1/3 innings. Perhaps most impressively, he walked just 20 in his 128 innings this season.
Bowa and Wade decided to move Adams to the bullpen during a Saturday night conversation after Adams allowed four earned runs in the first three innings of Saturday's 4-3 loss to Atlanta. Afterward, Adams (4-7, 5.00 ERA in 19 starts) indicated that he expected to be taken out of the rotation. He knew he was on an extremely short leash.
"I thought he took it well," Wade said after he and Bowa broke the news to Adams yesterday morning during a brief meeting. "Early in the season, he would have fought this. Realistically, to be down four runs early (Saturday), this was the right thing to do. I thought we needed to do something right now."
Adams, who has made 363 career relief appearances with the Cubs and Dodgers, almost certainly will not amass the 170 innings and/or 30 starts he needs to automatically trigger a 2003 option for $5.4 million. If he falls short, the Phillies hold a club option for $5.4 million which surely would not be exercised.
"I don't think anybody is closing the book on Terry, but I don't think it'll be a `one-and-done' for Brett," Wade said.
Myers' curveball has drawn comparisons to Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven. He is not afraid to use it at any point in the count, and it is a devastating complement to a 92-95 mph fastball and a changeup.
"Mark Bombard (Scranton manager), Mike Mason (pitching coach) and (senior advisor) Dallas (Green) all agree that his stuff is ready," Wade added. "Hopefully, the whole package is ready for the challenge at this point. I would like to think his (first big-league) memory would be shaking hands with everybody after the game."
Myers' likely first appearance at Veterans Stadium will be July 30 against Barry Bonds and San Francisco.
"I would hope a residual of him being here would be some increased fan interest," Wade said.
..........................................................................................................................
07/21/2002 2:24 pm ET
Top prospect Myers joins Phils
Rookie right-hander will replace Adams in rotation
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The pitching matchup for Wednesday afternoon's game at Wrigley Field will read Myers vs. Prior. The Phillies and Cubs won't mind seeing that for the next 15 years.
In a battle of 21-year-old phenoms, Mark Prior will oppose Brett Myers, the Phillies' top prospect since being selected 12th overall in 1999. He will join the team Monday in Chicago.
"I'm excited to watch him," said Randy Wolf. "Seeing him in Spring Training, he had great stuff. He can learn how to pitch in Triple-A, but this is where you really learn."
He learned very well at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he went 9-6 with a 3.56 ERA in 19 starts, and 4-0 with 1.66 ERA in his last five. He had allowed 121 hits and 20 walks in 128 innings, with 97 strikeouts.
He will assume the spot held by Terry Adams, sent to the bullpen to become the eighth-inning setup man. He had success there with the Dodgers and Cubs, before converting to a starter midway through 2001.
A combination of Myers' steady progression at Triple-A and Adams' 11.25 ERA in his past four starts made the change necessary.
"We wanted to give him as much time as possible without ignoring what he could do for us here," general manager Ed Wade said of Myers. "We kept pretty close tabs. He's ready to pitch here."
Wade began thinking about Myers skipping Triple-A this spring but thought better of it because the Phillies' rotation was set. He said in earlier years a decision to bring Myers north might have been simpler, though it wouldn't necessarily have been an optimal situation.
Circumstances then dictated the shift in strategy. Myers went from pitching great to dominating. Adams struggled. The Phillies fell out of the NL East race and perhaps began looking toward the future.
Which, by the way, is spelled M-Y-E-R-S. His next manager, Larry Bowa, hopes the rookie doesn't buy into all the fanfare.
"The hype has been there, but he's not the savior, just part of the solution," Bowa said. "To put that kind of pressure on him is wrong. It will be a good opportunity for him. I'm sure there'll be some bumps, but he'll get through it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The hype has been there, but he's not the savior, just part of the solution. To put that kind of pressure on him is wrong. It will be a good opportunity for him. I'm sure there'll be some bumps, but he'll get through it."
-- Larry Bowa on Myers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowa said Myers reminded him of Bert Blyleven, and Wade said he would take a Blyleven-type career from Myers.
"I think I could probably live with that," said Wade. "If Brett does what he's capable of doing I think everybody will be happy to see him pitch every fifth day."
The rookie could help smooth out the bumps the organization has suffered, when the Phillies were picked to compete with the Braves and Mets for the NL East title. Wade said Myers' promotion doesn't signal a white flag and doesn't mean center fielder Marlon Byrd is days away either. Wade said he's still working the phones to explore trades by the July 31 deadline. The most likely players being shopped are free agents-to-be Scott Rolen and Robert Person.
Regardless, the Phillies' young rotation has to be viewed as a strength heading into the 2003. With Vicente Padilla leading the group of Wolf, Myers and Brandon Duckworth, the Phillies may potentially have a wealth of talented young arms.
Even Wade seemed giddy at that prospect and shrugged off the fact that Duckworth would be the oldest at 26.
"It would be great to be good and experienced," he said. "I think we have the ability right now to be young and good."
Economics will go a long way toward determining how long the group can stay together, though no one wanted to think about that Sunday.
"Everybody who has seen (Myers) feels he's accomplished everything that we hoped," Wade said. "We think he's ready for this challenge at this point. I expect him to come up here and pitch very well."
Wolf said he was glad Myers was beginning his Major League career on the road, then remembered when he got "the call."
"I was in Philly doing an interview at Comcast to talk about when I was going to be called up. I had no idea. Within a half hour of being home from Philly, (assistant GM) Ruben Amaro Jr. calls me. I was more than happy to put those miles on my car. If you play this game, you probably dream about being in the big leagues your whole life but to get that call it's surreal."
Myers is scheduled to make his first Veterans Stadium start July 30 against the Giants. Wolf inspired the fiercely loyal Wolfpack, who haven't missed a home start since Wolf's debut in 1997. Any thoughts on what Myers' supporters should call themselves.?
"Hmmmmm," Wolf said, rubbing his chin. "I got it! How about Myers' Friars. They can wear the robes and everything."
Ken Mandel covers the Phillies for MLB.com and can be reached at philliesfans2002@yahoo.com.
