This is another in our occasional series of posts wherein we update you on the status of the nonstop schadenfreude express which is the 2008 San Francisco Giants…

Philadelphia and San Francisco were tied at 4 in the bottom of the tenth inning. The Phillies had runners on first and second. Right fielder Geoff Jenkins grounded the ball sharply to the left of second baseman Eugenio Velez, who bent down to pick it up and…oops!…the ball went under his glove.

And that’s how the Giants lost Sunday’s game, with Howard scoring from second on the play.

Some Giants fans will point to the team’s talented young pitchers as reason for hope. But this optimism takes for granted that, when those pitchers induce ground balls and shallow pop-ups, that the fielders will be able to catch the ball and throw it to the appropriate base.

After yesterday’s game, we can no longer assume.

The Giants made three errors Sunday. The first was charged to shortstop Emmanuel Burriss, who threw wide of first base in the third inning. The second was charged to third baseman Jose Castillo. And then, of course, there was Velez.

Giants starter Tim Lincecum allowed four runs in six innings – none earned. But don’t feel too bad for Lincecum. He made a few mistakes of his own. He had two wild pitches. One led to a run.

Today, the San Francisco Chronicle suggests that fielding errors are the price you pay when you stack your team with young players:

Any team that pushes youth makes a Faustian bargain. There will be moments of uninhibited enthusiasm and excitement, but the payback will be lots of mistakes.

There’s some truth to this. A majority of the Giants’ errors this season have been made by the team’s younger players. But here’s the rub: just because you’re one of San Francisco’s younger players doesn’t necessarily make you young.

Castillo, who is 27 years-old, is in his fifth major league season and leads the team with six errors. Brian Bocock, who actually is young (23 years-old) and is filling in while Omar Vizquel is out, is second on the team with three errors. After Castillo, Bocock and Fred Lewis (who is 26), the Giants have no starters under 30. Moreover, the only reason those guys are playing at all is because of injuries to older players.

So let’s not pretend that the Giants are in the middle of a youth movement. The Giants are not a young team (they’re ranked 15th in average team age). They are not a good defensive team (they are among the bottom third of teams in fielding percentage and errors).

This weekend, all three games against the Phillies were decided by one run and two of the games went to extra innings. Of course, the Giants lost two of three — further proof that in close games defense makes the difference.

That’s more bad news for the Giants.

Phils backup catcher Chris Coste had himself quite a day yesterday. He tied a career high with four hits. He went 4 for 5 with a double, capping the day with a two-run homer off Astros closer Jose Valverde in the eighth inning.

Coste is now hitting .400 (8 for 20) with two home runs and four RBIs. The Phils’ starting catcher, Carlos Ruiz, is hitting .186 (8 for 43) with no homers and no RBIs.

So is it time go give Coste the starting job?

I say yes.

Charlie Manuel, he’s not so sure.

“I’ll kind of make that decision probably tomorrow,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “There’s no sense in rushing into it. We’ll let Coste think about it for a while.”

I don’t know what that means, exactly. Think about what? Regardless, I think it’s time to give Coste the starting job. Let’s do it today.

After all, we’re talking about a guy who has hit at every level. In 2002, he led the International League in hitting for most of the year — only to break his hand two days before he was to be called up to the Indians. He’s hit over .300 in seven of his professional seasons, and exactly .300 over his minor league career. During 2006 spring training he hit .467 with three home runs and 11 RBIs — and still didn’t make the team!

Since finally cracking the Phillies’ lineup, Coste has hit .314 (.358 OBP) with 14 HR and 58 RBI in 347 at bats.

So, really, how do you keep a guy like that on the bench? Especially when he plays a position where offense is at a premium?

Maybe it’s his defense? It’s true, Coste doesn’t have a rocket arm. Of the 60 guys who have attempted to run on him, Coste has thrown out 15 of them, or 25 percent. On the other hand, it’s not like Ruiz has been that much better. He’s only thrown out 30 of the 103 guys who have run on him — 29 percent.

Maybe Ruiz handles a pitching staff better than Coste? That’s possible. And, to be honest, I’m not sure how to measure that. I know Brett Myers threw his best game of the season yesterday, pitching to Coste. I know Phillies’ pitchers had an ERA of 4.62 when they threw to Ruiz last season, and an ERA of 4.93 when they pitched to Coste. I know both catchers had a zone rating of 1.000. I know Ruiz posted an impressive .997 fielding percentage and that Coste had an even more impressive fielding percentage of 1.000. Finally, I know that Ruiz had a slight edge in range factor, 7.32 to 6.27.

From where I’m sitting, it seems like Coste represents a significant offensive upgrade and a minimal defensive downgrade, if any. So why not play him regularly?

Here’s a theory: the Phillies just aren’t invested in Coste. It’s no secret that the more time, money and energy teams invest in a player, the more opportunities that player will get to succeed. The Phils have given Coste very little time.They’re paying him $415K this season, which is better than government work, to be sure, but far less than Ryan Howard, Chase Utley or even Jayson Werth are being paid (and way below what Philly Daily News columnist Bill Conlin makes, for that matter).

The Phils didn’t draft Coste. They didn’t sign him to a big free agent contract. And, as such, they just aren’t that invested in him. Frankly, I think the Phillies’ brass still don’t believe Coste is as good as he appears. That’s understandable. Take a look at Coste’s bio:

• He went to a high school that didn’t have a varsity baseball team;
• He wasn’t offered a college scholarship;
• He played baseball in a Division III conference that hadn’t produced a major leaguer in 40 years;
• He went undrafted out of college;
• His first pro team went bankrupt after 30 days;
• He didn`t play his first game in the minors until age 27;
• He didn’t play his first Major League game until he was 33 years old!

You know who is the anti-Chris Coste? Evan Longoria, who today received a long-term contract after six games in the bigs. I can’t even imagine what goes through Chris Coste’s mind when he reads a headline like that.

Coste didn’t take the normal route to the majors. He’s not young and he’s not flashy. He’s not the catcher of the future.

But he should be the catcher of the present. He’s earned it.

Well, this seems to have kind of gotten lost in the excitement of the start of the season, but did anyone else notice that the Phillies traded Wes Helms to the Florida Marlins for one dollar? And not only that, but the Phillies also agreed to pay all of Helms’ $2.15 million salary for this season.

It goes without saying that this is a pretty decent deal for the Marlins, but how ignominious is that for Wes Helms to be so unwanted by your old team that you get traded for a single dollar?

As far as crazy trades go, this one is right up there with the Braves getting reliever Kerry Ligtenberg from a Northern League team for a bucket of balls and some baseball bats.

Actually, I’m sure those balls and bats cost significantly more than $1.

In retrospect, this should’ve been a liveblog. Oh well.

From: Paul
To: UmpBump Staff
2:21 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
So I’m following the game on MLB Gamecast here at work today. I just wanted to report that all of Jamie Moyer’s fastballs are showing up as “changeup” on the pitch type. Yes, he’s that slow.

From: Coley
2:25 pm
I just blogged that there’s talk that there could be a fight at the game today. But then I realized, there is 50 percent less of a chance than usual, because you can’t get mad when Jamie Moyer hits you with a pitch.

From: Sarah
2:38 pm
I just ducked out of work to listen to the first inning of the Sox-Tigers game in my car radio. With Kenny Rogers on the mound, I couldn’t figure out why the announcers weren’t talking about the game. “What’s happening?? Why aren’t they calling the pitches?!?!” I needn’t have fretted. Turns out, Rogers is just working thaaaaaat…..slooooow.

Read the rest of this entry »

Could A-Rod play shortstop while Jeter is on the shelf? Girardi won’t rule it out.

The Phils-Mets series is underway. Jayson Stark reported this winter that the Phils were talking about starting a fight with their NL East rivals. Will there be a brawl? The Mets say maybe.

The Orioles are in first place and Aubrey Huff — who went on a shock-jock radio show over the offseason and trashed Baltimore –  is jackin’ it. Any way you slice it, this is a feel-good story.

Joe Posnanski is scaling back while he goes into book mode. Don’t be a stranger, Joe.

Two blogosphere favorites face-off today: Phil Hughes vs. Brian Bannister.

Baseball season is underway in Philadelphia. How do you know it is?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

It was dollar-dog night, and fans at the sold-out park - presumably not fervent Nationals fans fired up about their city’s first 3-0 start since 1951 - threw hot dogs, drinks and bottles onto the field afterward.

Debris nearly struck reliever Ryan Madson as he entered the dugout.

It’s like Groundhog Day in Philly. Every year, the team gets off to a terrible start. And every year, they spend the rest of the season trying to climb out of a hole. Last year, they managed to overcome their deficit — with a lot of help from the Mets. A lot of help.

So far this season, the Phils have looked hell-bent on living up to all of our greatest fears. Brett Myers was bad in his first start. Ryan Howard is swinging (and missing) violently. Tom Gordon got lit up on opening day. Pedro Feliz looks lost at the plate (though he did have the Phils’ only hit last night).

I just don’t get why the Phillies can’t get off to a good start. Even the Giants have a win this season! What have Phillies fans done to deserve this shoddy treatment?

Oh, right.

Got to get me one of these t-shirts.

This is one in a series of posts in which we break down each team’s wily offseason maneuvers and tragic offseason blunders.

Last season Jimmy Rollins proclaimed the Phillies the “team to beat.” And then they promptly went out and got swept by the Braves to open the season. But then they righted the ship. And then the Mets collapsed down the stretch. And then the Phillies won the NL East!

This season, the Phils were understood to be the favorites to win the division. They have guts. They have stick-to-it-iveness. They have moxie.But now the Mets have Johan Santana. And all of a sudden moxie seems like a not such a big deal.

Are the Phillies still the team to beat in 2008? No. Don’t be crazy. Johan Santana has shifted the balance of power in the NL East. But Phillies GM Pat Gillick made a few moves of his own this offseason.

First, Gillick traded a fourth outfielder and a couple of midlevel prospects for Astros closer Brad Lidge. This was a high risk, potentially high reward move. Lidge was once great. But he’s got a fragile psyche. How will he hold up in front of arguably the toughest fans in the game? That’s the million-dollar question. If he returns to elite status, the Phils will be in great shape. If he doesn’t, there’s no clear Plan B.

Acquiring Lidge enables the Phillies to move Brett Myers back into the rotation. Myers and Cole Hamels will be a formidable 1-2 punch. After them comes Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer and … well, then it gets tricky.

Gillick signed SP Chad Durbin in the offseason. Durbin, who made 19 starts and 17 relief appearances last season for the Detroit Tigers, will compete with Adam Eaton for the fifth starter’s job but could find himself in the bullpen. Durbin has three times pitched in more than 20 games in a season (2001, 2004 and 2007) and he has not once kept his ERA under 4.00. Only twice did he keep it under 5.00, and that was just barely.

Next, Gillick signed Giants 3B Pedro Feliz (two years, $8.5 million), who is a prolific defensive player with some power and a propensity to swing and miss. He’ll help keep the ball in the infield. He should be most welcomed by second-year starter Kyle Kendrick, who is a ground ball pitcher and doesn’t record many strikeouts.

Third, the Phillies signed RF Geoff Jenkins (two-years, $13 million) who will platoon with Jayson Werth. Jenkins had a career-high 34 home runs and 94 RBIs in 2000 for Milwaukee, and he thinks he can replicate those numbers at homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park, surrounded by Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Burrell. But, realistically, he’s not going to get enough at bats to hit that many homers. You know what number I’d love to see him replicate? .375. That was his OBP in 148 games in 2005. For what it’s worth, Jenkins OBP has gone steadily down the last few years. But he’sa career .288 hitter against right-handed pitchers, so he should be an ideal platoon player.

The Jenkins aquisition and the loss of CF Aaron Rowand to free agency will move Shane Victorino to center.

Other moves you may have missed: The Phils traded for OF Chris Snelling. Though he missed most of last season with a knee injury, the 25-year-old has a .311 career average in the minors with 46 homers in 493 games. The team also acquired utility infielder Eric Bruntlett, who hit .246 with 14 RBIs last season, seeing time at shortstop, third base and the outfield.

Acquisitions: Brad Lidge, Geoff Jenkins, Pedro Feliz, Chad Durbin, So Taguchi, Eric Bruntlett, Chris Snelling

Losses: Aaron Rowand, Jon Lieber, Tadahito Iguchi, Kyle Lohse, Rod Barajas, Antonio Alfonseca, Jose Mesa, Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, Abraham Nunez

Projected lineup and pitching staff:

1. CF Shane Victorino
2. SS Jimmy Rollins
3. 2B Chase Utley
4. 1B Ryan Howard
5. LF Pat Burrell
6. RF Jayson Werth/Geoff Jenkins
7. 3B Pedro Feliz
8. C Carlos Ruiz
9. Pitcher

SP Cole Hamels
SP Brett Myers
SP Kyle Kendrick
SP Jamie Moyer
SP Adam Eaton/Chad Durbin

RP JC Romero
CL Brad Lidge

Offseason Grade: B+

The Phillies needed to upgrade their starting pitching and they did, by moving Myers to the rotation. They replaced Myers with Lidge. They replaced Rowand with Jenkins. And they upgraded at third base by signing Feliz. And yet all of this seems rather ho-hum when you consider the Phils still have Adam Eaton and the Mets have Johan Santana.

-Hot Offseason Action Index-

Yesterday, the Phillies signed 3B Pedro Feliz. But they got far more than just a gold glove fielder. The Phillies got a player who dabbles in unfortunate facial hair the way Charlie Sheen dabbles in Vegas hookers. The way Amy Winehouse dabbles in coke. The way Britney dabbles in crazy.Truth be told, I haven’t spent a ton of time watching Feliz, since he played for the Giants, a team that has always been in a different time zone and lately has been far from contention. But with yesterday’s trade, I had new reason to gaze upon the visage that is Feliz. And lo, what I did see!

First, on Philadelphia Inquirer baseball writer Todd Zolecki’s blog, I got a glipse of Feliz rocking the chin strap.

Then, I Googled a nice pic of Feliz with what looks to be a still-in-progress chin strap. I’ve seen 13-year-olds with fuller beards.

Then, I took to Flickr, where I discovered a photo of Feliz with a soul strip, a look he no doubt borrowed from one Doug Davis.

Finally, here he is with a couple of female fans, rocking a combination of barely-there mustache and chin fuzz. The chin fuzz says, “got a tin can I can munch on?” while the almost-stache says, “Hi, my name is McLovin and I’d like to buy some beer.”

The reaction to Feliz’s signing in Philly was a collective “meh.” But I suspect he’ll grow on the city of brotherly shove. And even if he doesn’t grow on them, I know something will grow on him.Welcome to the team, Pedro. The UFH team.

On the off chance that you’ve tired of reading articles about salary arbitration, here’s something totally different.

In November, Philly Daily News baseball writer Paul Hagen participated in a Q&A with Umpbump on the topic of the NL MVP award. Today, Hagen compares Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick to another former Philly pitcher, Bruce Ruffin. It’s a cautionary tale about what can happen when you think too much.

From Philly.com:

It has been, as a matter of fact, 21 seasons since Ruffin checked in at the Carpenter Complex, a bright and shining hope following a 1986 season during which he went 9-4 in 21 starts after Steve Carlton was released.

And in a haunting echo across the baseball generations, it is also the eerily similar situation Kendrick finds himself in with the first official workout for pitchers and catchers in Clearwater scheduled for 4 weeks from yesterday.

He, too, was summoned from Reading when a pitching crisis struck the Phils last June. He went 10-4 in 20 starts and amazed everyone, well, you know the rest of it.

Ruffin says he got rocked in his second season because he tried to make too many adjustments. He made the adjustments, he says, because the media convinced him he needed to.

Ruffin: “Everybody kept saying I had to throw my fastball inside more to righthanders, to keep them honest so they wouldn’t hit my sinker away. And before the season even got going, I bought into it.

“But I lived with my two-seamer [sinking fastball] away and then ran the slider in. Now I was throwing fastballs that tailed out over the plate and Jack Clark [of the Cardinals] would hit it into the upper deck. I was making adjustments before the league showed that adjustments had to be made. All of a sudden I was trying to throw fastballs inside and guys were hitting the ball into the gaps or for home runs.”

Ruffin says he thinks Kendrick will be better equipped to handle the rigors of his sophomore season, because he’s got veteran Jamie Moyer to help him.Not everyone thinks that will be enough. We told you recently that Kendrick is getting no love from baseball pundits, most of whom think the Phillies youngster is primed for a sophmore slump.

And while it’s certainly not a good sign when local writers are comparing you to Bruce Ruffin, whose lifetime record was 60-82, I’m guessing Kyle is just excited that Hagen isn’t comparing him to Pat Combs, who won ten games for the Phillies as a rookie in 1990 — and then won three more games the rest of his career.