Ruben Amaro Compliments Raul Ibanez’s Body; Leaves Tampa

You’re probably wondering what all the sexual innuendos in the headlines are about lately.  Juan Samuel and the Phillies are “getting intimate”?  The Ironpigs are “seducing” players?  Ruben Amaro likes Raul Ibanez’s body?  This kind of trashy, disingenuous jackassery is what got me kicked out of journalism school.  That, and never going/applying to it.

See?  Again.  Purposeful misleading.  With The Fightins apparently gone, someone is going to have to step up and make a statement against stuff like this.

Here’s one.

"“He takes care of himself extremely well. He’s in great shape. He has the body of a 25 year old.”–Ruben Amaro on Raul Ibanez"

Wait, no.  That was… that’s just continuing the first thing.

Okay, enough.

This outfield is quickly turning into a series of question marks, swelling in size. Werth’s not, I guess.  He’s more like an endless series of exclamation points.  His replacements are still curious, but that’s not going to end anytime soon.

Phillies Nation is right; Victorino’s numbers against righties sort of negate his status as a “switch hitter.”  They don’t seem to want to move him to make room for Werth, though I can’t say I’d fret too long over it if they did, and that’s coming from a guy who habitually stalked the Hawaiian for about a year (I really have to update the About page for this site).

If he goes, it will be one of those deals that happens in between blinks, which would be nice, because then we wouldn’t have all this preemptive whining and moaning bullshit we’re getting with Werth’s scenario.

But Raul’s tricky.  He’s streaky, like Werth.  But if he’s not performing, then people immediately point at his age.  When he is, “age” doesn’t exist and he can play as long as he wants.  I tend to see it as a guy on a ship as it sinks, who is rescued by another boat, which then eventually begins to sink as well, until another boat comes along…

You cross a threshold, age-wise, where each year, holding onto an Ibanez is a bigger and bigger gamble.  How long will we be waiting for rescue boats in 2011, and how long will we have before they start going down again?  Ruben Amaro knows, but he’s pointing at Raul’s recovery from surgery as the reason.  Maybe that’s it.  But maybe it’s also the most convenient excuse.

So the theory is that Ruben’s pleasantries regarding his left fielder are yes, probably genuine because Ruben’s not really a snake-in-the-grass GM, but also, they’re a good way to groom Raul and put him in the display window should any curious onlookers saunter by.

I’m getting interviewed on Sports Talk Soup tonight, and in a previous interview, Vito asked me before the post season started if the Phillies would consider picking someone up for outfield support even before Werth or anyone else was gone, as they were starting to lag.  He suggested Cody Ross.

HA!  Ha ha!  Ha.

…

The GM Meetings are over!  It’s been a wild ride, everybody.  Thanks for joining me on this barely noticeable two-day journey through tepid corporate shrugging.