Rube thinks pitching wins....but he decided we didn't need any offense to replace Howard and Utley...you can't win this way. At least the Braves are 0-3, but it's sad to give away two straight games that were in the "W" column.

You honestly think that Galvis was given a shot because of his stick? Hahahaha. Any intelligent Phillies fan knows that Galvis hasn't proven he can he hit his way out of wet toilet paper. 3 games in and it's a national tragedy. Let's find a good lineup, today generated some runs. Let's try this for a game or two and see how it goes.

"...Let's find a good lineup, today generated some runs. Let's try this for a game or two and see how it goes..."

-- Today, the two runs in the 7th scored because Neil Walker missed the throw from the pitcher on Galvis' sacrifice bunt. Both were unearned. Essentially, the Phillies went to Pittsburgh and scored 4 earned runs in 28 innings against a Pirates' rotation ranked 29th in baseball, and a bullpen of no names in front of Joel Hanrahan. The Phillies scored a grand total of ZERO earned runs against the Pirates' BP in 10 innings.

This was putrid bad. People can gloss over it as only 3 games all they want, but one of three things is the case:

1) They're really bad offensively;
2) They weren't prepared to play this series;
3) They were just really unlucky this weekend, and were the victim of bad bounces and/or a poorly timed team-wide slump.

I'm not saying No. 3 isn't possible, but I certainly wouldn't bet on it being the only applicable reason.

My money is on 2. From the head of the snake on down the line. I like Charlie Manuel, but I don't think he is suitable for managing this type of team. He was basically handed a team on the verge of something special and he didn't have to do much in-game managing. 2008 was his easiest season as the bullpen had clear roles and the lineup was pretty much set in stone as well.

And for the kool-aid drinkers, I'm not talking about just setting the lineups, but the situational hitting, the situational pitching, using the "red light/green light" scenarios while players are at bat, etc. It really wouldn't surprise me to see Sandberg be the successor, because he seems to have that fiery type of managerial style. At least publicly. Not saying that Charlie doesn't get on his guys, but who really knows outside of the locker room.

I'm really hoping that the Phillies let this whole thing playout. Don't make any rash decisions, or stupid ones either. If Utley sits out. If Howard can't come back. Don't acquire a replacement. Stick with what you have. If anything, and as unpopular as it will be to say, I'd try to find a way to get Dom Brown into the lineup as a regular. There is no way to see what a person has to offer without giving him a shot that doesn't have him looking over his shoulder the entire time. Granted that will have to include possibly trading away Juan Pierre, but you need to know what you have.

I know he was brought up for his glove, but if what he did this weekend is a sign of what is to come this season IRT Galvis at the plate, they have to send him down.

i saw before todays game people were ripping on galvis for being hitless in his first two games....come on, some patience here, let him play and see if he can do it. they know what they have in orr (not really a major leaguer), why not let the kid play? it was 2 stinking games.

He's not ready to hit ML pitching. I didn't need to see these 3 games to know that. Like I said before, IMO, he's up 2-3 yrs too early, and I'm assuming the Phils agree or they wouldn't have re-signed Rollins.

i trust the teams scouts over you...3 years is insane long time. 3 and a half years at AAA to be ready? no way, none.

So the team scouts thought he was ready this season? Gotcha

honeslty, how many games have you seen galvis play?

if they didnt sign rollins, he would have been the shortstop this year.

Minor league games? None

What's your pt? If he was ML ready, why did they re-sign Rollins?

because rollins has a better bat

"Minor league games? None

What's your pt?"

youre telling me you can look at him and see he cant hit major league pitching, you know this from 3 games?

They gave him 3 yrs. Why do that if they have a "ML ready" SS in the minors?

So assuming Rollins is here for those 3 yrs, the earliest Galvis is playing SS on this team is the 2015 season correct?

at short, likely, but he could play 2nd or be a utility guy.

as far as why 3 for rollins, because he probably goes to the brewers if they offer 1 or 2.

you dont have to believe it, but galvis was likley the guy to get a good amount of time at short if rollins left.

He wouldn't play 2B until 2014 so that's 2 yrs and sorry, I see no way they make him a utility guy. He was/is being groomed to be Rollins successor correct?

they werent keeping him in AAA for 3+ years, they simply werent. thats nuts to do as a plan. if utley was healthy, galvis would be the guy to get the call if rollins went to the dl and next year would have probably been the utilty guy on the team. those plans changed why utley's did.

So in a situation where a guy needs ABs because he's gonna be the successor at a key position, they're gonna use him as a utility guy? Sorry, not buying it.

and im not buying for a second they let him sit in AAA for 3+ years, it makes zero sense, none at all.

I'm sure it's happened before and I think it makes less sense for him to be a utility guy.