Storyline #1: The Stairs Project
Selfishly, I am anticipating being part of the moment this coming Friday when Matt Stairs is announced as the new hitting coach in front of 40,000 fans at Citizen’s Bank Park. However, perhaps more exciting is the hopeful impact that he is going to have on the young hitters in the Philadelphia organization.
Stairs played parts of an insane nineteen seasons in the majors for thirteen teams. No one spends nineteen seasons in the big leagues out of pure luck. Stairs has been known throughout baseball as a guy who simply understands hitting. Often over the course of the last three seasons we, as fans, could hear his growing frustration with the struggling Phillies offense from the broadcast booth.
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So what did the Philadelphia folk hero do as a result? When the opportunity to become the new hitting coach arose, he was first in line. And now that he has the title, we are all waiting (and praying) for the positive results.
The Phillies 2016 season was successful regarding wins and losses because of an eight-game improvement. However, a deeper look at the season will tell fans it is a near miracle that they were able to win that many games with baseball’s worst offense. Their run differential was an abysmal -186. The Phils were outscored by nearly 200 runs last season and were somehow still victorious 71 times.
Also, I invite you to scroll down the MLB’s list of average runs scored per game in 2016. The lowest total seen will be the Atlanta Braves and Oakland A’s with 4.03 runs scored. Wait…you thought I meant last overall? No, no! That was last among teams who scored more than an average of four runs.
The Phils were dead last. They were the only team in baseball to average under four runs a game (3.77) at season’s end. This was par for the course as the Phils were bottom feeding from every offensive statistical category in 2016.
In 2017, Stairs hopes to change those numbers. His approach to hitting had to change over his career as he went from a regular to a power bat off the bench. He adjusted just fine, as we all remember. The real concern is whether or not he can get buy-in from his new students.
All of the talks out of Phillies camp has been positive. His work with Nick Williams and Maikel Franco before Spring games showed great promise. Results were evident, as both showed a much more mature and calm approach. Williams’s swing was much more controlled, while he took a more patient approach. And thinking back on it, did Franco’s helmet fly off at all?
And then there is the silent story of camp, Aaron Altherr. The 26-year-old stood out and even made some believe that he deserves more opportunities. The ball seemed to jump off his bat at times this Spring, especially toward the end. For example, with just a few days left in camp, the big righty hit a monster blast over the batter’s eye. He credited Stairs with moving his hands to a better position, allowing him to react more quickly and see the ball a bit better.
Next: Phillies Release 2017 Minor-League Rosters
Stairs has already cemented his name as a legend in Philadelphia Phillies lure. He hit the most memorable postseason home run of the most recent run. He also hit the home run that ended up being Harry Kalas’s last “That ball’s outta here” call.
If Stairs can turn the current crop of youth into a group of major league hitters, the legend of Matt Stairs will simply grow and the Phillies rebuild will be accelerated.