PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
I know you’re a busy man, Mr. Charlie Manuel, so I took the time to help you out.
I’ve read through the major league baseball rulebook and nowhere did it say anything about having to keep Ryan Howard in the four-spot in the lineup.
Surprising, isn’t it?
With that said, it’s time to move Howard back one spot and Pat Burrell up one.
There are many reasons this should be done.
The biggest reason? The Phillies cannot afford to have a .204 batter in the clean-up position.
Burrell is batting .281 on the season with 17 homers and 43 RBIs. In his last 15 games (coming into Friday’s game against the Cardinals), he’s batting .295.
Howard does have 50 RBIs and 16 homers, but his 91 strikeouts are hurting the Phillies. Teams are no longer afraid of the 2006 NL MVP. Instead, they’d rather face him than the potential 2008 NL MVP, which brings us to reason No. 2 to switch Howard and Burrell.
Chase Utley needs protection.
He’s been walked 30 times — intentionally eight times, maybe more since teams tend to pitch around him in certain situations — and a lot of that has to do with Howard behind him.
Yes, if Howard backs up one, it could just lead to Burrell being walked, but he already leads the team with 51 at-bats, and if Utley is on and Burrell is being walked to get to Howard, the situation could lead to more RBIs for Howard.
The other thing this would do is get rid of the four straight left-handed batters (counting the switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino who both hit better from the left side).
Manuel tried this at the beginning of the season last year for this reason, but it didn’t work out to well, but that was because both Howard and Burrell were not hitting well.
Now, with Burrell hitting consistently, there is no better time to make the switch — especially after having the Florida Marlins win two of three games — both losses featuring a lack-luster offensive outputs.
So get out you eraser, Charlie, and make a change on the lineup card. If you’re too busy, I can do it for you.
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