Heard in the Cheap Seats

The win over the Yankees last night was a good one for the Phillies.  The four home runs were a nice added bonus, too.  But, the most important moment of last night’s game came in the bottom of the first inning.  Jimmy Rollins led off the game in typical new Yankee Stadium style with a home run.  Yankees starter A.J. Burnett subsequently plunked Chase Utley in the next at bat.  It is doubtful that Burnett intentionally hit Utley, but that isn’t the point.  The response by Brett Myers in the bottom of the inning is the moment I am referring to.  On the very first pitch, Myers threw behind Derek Jeter, the Yankee captain.  It was a clear and proper response to his teammate being hit.

It may not seem like much, but in my opinion it was important.  See, the Phillies are the World Champions, but sometimes when you have already reached the top, the drive and competitiveness to stay there is hard to maintain.  The Yankees are the most storied franchise in the history of baseball and they like to think of themselves as alpha dogs.  When Brett Myers threw behind Jeter, he was simply saying, “You aren’t going to intimidate us.  We are the champs for a reason.”  It was a clear sign that the Phillies still have the edge and the fight in them that helped them win a championship last year.  These guys have each other’s backs, and in baseball that is more important than people realize.  The fact that it was Myers that threw the pitch is no surprise.  Say what you want about Myers’ inconsistency, but he is a competitor.  When you walk into New York and throw a pitch at Derek Jeter, you are doing something that most pitchers don’t have the guts to do.  Obviously, it will ultimately be the Phillies play on the field that will determine how they finish the year, but the competitiveness, fire, resiliency, and camaraderie that moments like last night are examples of will also go a long way in the Phillies success.

There is an entire industry predicated on projecting the futures of 19-year old boys that show athletic promise.  These projections are obsessed over by scouts and fans alike (unless you work for the Yankees, then you just spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get better).  And for good reason.  The depth of a team’s farm system is often a good indicator of future success.  Of course, some players will not live up to their potential and others will take us by surprise, but the teams that are the most successful at cultivating young talent are the ones that consistently win at the big-league level.

Look no further than last year’s World Series matchup for proof.  The Phillies’ nucleus consists almost solely of players that were drafted by the Phillies and escalated through the ranks.  Cole Hamels, Jimmie Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley is a brag brook any organization would be proud to call its own.  On the other side, the Rays too consisted almost entirely of homegrown, young talent.   Is it any wonder then that these were the last two teams standing come October?

So how do the Phillies fare when it comes to the depth of their current farm system?  Keith Law of Scout’s Inc. and espn.com fame has just released his 2009 organizational and prospect rankings.  The Phillies come in at a very respectable number 11 with the top prospect being Jason Donald at #48.  In their own division, both the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins have higher-rated systems.  But the Phillies’ numbers are skewed a bit.  For starters, the aforementioned dearth of talent that is at the major league level undoubtedly depleted the ranks.  But to have that number of prospects develop into top-performers at the major league level is a rare feat.  The #11 ranking does not take into account to what extend current teams have built their rosters with homegrown talents.  In that category, the Phillies can stand toe-to-toe with any organization.

In addition, Law’s rankings only value what is a known commodity.  For example, the Phillies have several raw talents at the lower-levels of their minor league system that could turn into top-level prospects before the year is complete.  Domnic Brown and Michael Taylor come to mind in that department.

Recent history suggests that the Phillies have a knack for identifying top talent.  But more than that, the success of the big-league club illustrates that once the Phils acquire that talent, they are no slouches at developing talent either.  While some may look at the #11 ranking and feel discouraged by the presence of two-division rivals in the top 10, I first look at the current roster before passing judgment.  The Phillies farm system is strong and track record indicates that young talent will continue to flood Philly. 

Other Phillies Notes: In other Phillies notes, it looks like the team is continuing its search for a right-handed bat to add to the bench.  Growing weary of Nomar’s indecision, the team has turned its attention to another grizzled vet—Moises Alou.  While Alou would add some nice pop off the bench, his health would be a question as would his desire to except a limited role.