phrustrated philly phan

I was ready to sit down and write about the Phillies pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training but they got upstaged by the Flyers. There are reports that the Flyers have agreed to trade Peter Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for a first and third round pick along with Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent. Forsberg has had limited action this season because of foot problems.

Upshall is a right winger for Nashville. He is a former first round pick and this is his third year. He has 11 career goals in 77 games played. Ryan Parent is a prospect for the Predators. Parent was a first round pick in 2005. He is currently playing in the OHL. The Flyers traded Forsberg for some young talent and draft picks. This move also frees up some cap room to spend in the offseason. This was the only move the Flyers could make if they felt that they could not resign Forsberg.

Think about this. In the past 16 months, Philly teams have traded Jim Thome, Bobby Abreu, Allen Iverson, and Peter Forsberg. That is a lot of star power leaving town and only the Phillies have the start power to replace their traded stars. Also the Philies began their 8 1/2 month journey towards a World Championship today with Pitchers and Catcher reporting.

Labels: Flyers

The Flyers won at home finally last night, 4-3 in overtime. The big question was obviously who was in goal. Was it Antero Nittymaki or Robert Eshe. No it was unknown Michael Leighton. He played a steady goal behind offense provided by Simon Gagne. Gagne had two goals with Mike Richards and Mike Knuble each adding one goal apiece.

The Peter Forsberg situation looms over this team wielding a large shadow. Forsberg was scheduled to meet with Comcast-Spectacor chairman, Ed Snider today to discuss his future. Will he request a trade, commit to be here in the long-term or as I suspect offer very little into his future plans. Forsberg meeting with GM Paul Holmgren earlier this month got considerable press but very little concrete plans were discussed. Snider is trying to determine whether Forsberg needs to be traded this month or whether he will be resigned for a couple years.

Forsberg has had the title of "best player in the world" for the past couple of years but his play is starting to slip. It may be because of his sore feet or his age. His is still one of the top players and would bring a good return in a trade to a championship contender. He has consistently made the Flyers better whenever he is on the ice, which has been rare.

So three option remain in how to deal with Peter Forsberg. The first option is a bad and I think it is obvious why. That option is to keep Forsberg and deal with the futre in the offseason. Option 2 would be to hold onto him and sign him to a contract extension for probably two years. The third option is two trade him for younger talent.

Option 1 could be a lose-lose situation for the Flyers. If he is not dealt or resigned the Flyers would come out without Forsberg and no younger talent to build around. This option should be torn up and thrown in the garbage.

Option 2 is to hear that Forsberg would like to remain in Philadelphia and to sign him to a contract extension. This would be the perfect solution. Forsberg would be a great talent to build around and for the younger players to learn from. It is always easier rebuilding around a great talent. For example the Sixers rebuilding around Allen Iverson or the Phillies rebuilding around Jim Thome. He raises the play of everybody around him which is important when rebuilding.

The third option and the one I think is most likely is for Ed Snider to give Paul Holmgren the go-ahead to trade Forsberg to a title contender. Forsberg should bring some considerable younger talent in return that the Flyers could pair with some of their own young talent to help expedite the rebuilding process. Forsberg claims to like Philly but which great player wants to play for a team with little chance of winning when the could demand a trade to a team that will make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The situation with Peter Forsberg should play out over the next week or two. My preference would be that Forsberg remains with the Flyers and signs a two year extension but I believe he will hint that he wants out and Holmgren will grant his wish and deal him to title contender to put them over the top. In return the Flyers should get some considerable young talent to rebuild their team into a winner quickly.

Coming Up: The Flyers will honor former captain, Keith Primeau Monday night before their game against the Detroit Red Wings (reportedly one of the teams interested in trading for him).

On Thursday, the Phillies pitchers and catcher report to Spring Training. Does anyone else smell spring in the cold air?

Labels: Flyers

Check out this article by Jim Salisbury in this morning's Inquirer. It is amazing what the Phillies transport from Philadelphia to Clearwater in preparation for Spring Training.

Labels: Phillies

• Villanova beat St. Joes to win their second consecutive Big 5 championship along with their eleventh straight Big 5 win. Not a pretty game.
• Both the Flyers and Sixers are in action tonight
• It is good to hear that Brett Myers is down to 218 pounds and says he will stay committed to staying shape during the season

Labels: Big Five, Phillies

As spring training nears and Chase Utley gears up for another 162 games, I first want to talk about what is going on over at the Wachovia Center. No not the stumbling Flyers who don't win at home or the Peter Forsber question but instead number 9 on your Philadelphia Sixers. He is quickly making himself into a star without another certain AI beside him. Yes I am referring to Andre Iguodala. He is not the only bright star on this squad but he is the brightest.

Iguodala is averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on the year. Those are the impressive numbers but since trading Allen Iverson, Iggy has played much better than those numbers indicate. In February, the Sixers are 1-1 but here are some numbers Iggy has put up in those two games. He has played 45 and 48 minutes respectively and scoring 25 and 23 points respectively. He also has a combined 28 assists. He has along with Andre Miller evolved into the leaders of this young team. His season-high in points is 34 points against January 24 against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a heart breaking loss on February 2, Iggy recorded a triple double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.

Iguodala has helped pull this team back towards a respectable level but he has been helped by others. Specifically by the combo of Steven Hunter and Samuel Dalembert. Those two have combined to form a very good frontcourt and Joe Smith has provided quality depth. The Sixers are actually better than .500 (6-4) with these two in the starting lineup.

The pessimistic fan will point out that they are playing themselves out of the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant. I am here to tell you though that the development of Iggy, Rodney Carney and the play of Hunter and Dalembert offsets the lower chance of winning the lottery. Also with three first round picks, Billy King could choose to package two of those to move up in the draft.

Overall the Sixers playing much better recently. They still have their occasional duds such as their games against the Spurs and Rockets but they have been much more consistent from game to game which has lead to more wins and more positive feelings around the team.

Also don't forget St. Joes visits Villanova tonight at 7 on ESPN2

Labels: Sixers

So Brett Myers has a new 3 year deal under his belt in a move that seemed to come out of left field. I really thought that the Phillies would go to arbitration with Myers before settling. There were no hints or rumors of this deal before it was done. The deal is very back heavy. He will make roughly 6 million this year, 9 million next and 12 million in the final year.

Myers has a career 54-40 record. He had a very up and down year and I don't think there is any need to go over that here. In the past four years, Myers has ranked in the NL's top 10 in numerous categories. These include starts, strikeouts, wins, and innings. He is often labeled with "ace-in-waiting" or the "next Schilling." I believe he continues to development every year and with some guidance from Freddy Garcia could take that next step. He will pair with Garcia and Cole Hamels to form a fearsome top 3 to the Phillies rotation. The Phillies are hoping to ride their arms to their first playoff appearance since 1993.

Probably the biggest complaint against Myers is his conditioning. It seems to be a legitimate complaint. As the season wears on he looks to put on more and more weight. His dead arm period last season was partly blamed on his conditioning. He was throwing to much with his arm and because his lack of conditioning was prohibiting his legs from helping him.

The strength of the Phillies will be the starting rotation. With a threesome of Myers, Hamels, and Garcia and the four and five spots occupied by Jamie Moyer and Adam Eaton, they look ready to carry the Phillies throughout this season. The rotation has been significantly upgraded since the beginning of last season but the development of Brett Myers is being counted on.

Labels: Phillies

The Phillies announced that they have signed Brett Myers to a 3 year deal worth roughly 25 million dollars. More on that tomorrow. This leaves only Geoff Geary heading towards arbitration.

Labels: Phillies

• The Sixers recovered from a terrible effort against the Houston Rockets on Monday night to halt the New Orleans Hornets six game winning streak. The power rotation of Samuel Dalembert, Steven Hunter, and Joe Smith combined for 33 points and 37 rebounds. Also Andre Iguodala scored 22 points. Call me an optimist but the Sixers seem to have some players to build around and with playing in the Eastern Conferance, I could see a quick turnaround.
• The Flyers actually won a game this week although not a home game. They still haven't won a home game since November.
• Paul Holmgren confirmed the Flyers will be sellers at the trading deadline (surprise). That could spell the end for a players such as Peter Forsberg and Robert Eshe.
• Reports abound that the Phillies are trying to deal Aaron Rowand for the Padres Scott Linebrink. Linebrink is one of the best set-up pitchers in the league. I believe if this deal is made the Phillies will need to trade Jon Lieber for an outfielder such as Kevin Mench or Ryan Church. That said, I would like to see this trade be made as it would stabilize the bullpen.
• The Phillies brass is still evaulating the players as Spring Training approaches along with continuing to determine the best way to pair and use their announcers. No announcer has been hired to do the pre-game and post-game. They are also unsure how they plan on using "Sarge." Sping Training will not only be an audition for some players but also for the announcers.
• Check out Sam Donnellon's article about how Philly pushes away its top players.
• Villanova product, Randy Foye, has been selected to the NBA's all-rookie team for the All-star break. Congrats to Randy.

Labels: Flyers, Phillies, Sixers