Amusing Headline of the Day

On my Twitter feed I saw a post that exclaimed that the Phillies believe that the righthanded pitcher they took in the second round is the best righty in the draft.


I had a few reactions, among which were the following:


-- what were they supposed to say?


--- on what basis?


-- are they kidding me?


Let me explain as to the latter.  Name a pitcher that the Phillies have developed over the past say 70 years. 


Robin Roberts?  Okay.


Jim Bunning?  Nope, didn't come up with the team.


Fergie Jenkins?  Traded him away for, well, not much.


Steve Carlton?  The Hall of Famer Steve Carlton?  Nope, came up with the Cardinals.


Cy Young Award winners John Denny and Steve Bedrosian?  Neither came up with the team.


Okay, that takes us through the 1980's.  They signed Dave Stewart off the waiver wire, cut him, and then he became a star in Oakland and pitched on those great A's teams in the 1980's.


Curt Schilling?  Nope.  Phillies were -- get this -- his fourth stop, after Boston, Baltimore and Houston (they traded him to the Astros for Jason Grimsley). 


That pretty much takes care of the 1990's.


Cole Hamels.  All-Star Cole Hamels.  Yes, the Phillies developed him.


Cliff Lee?  Heck no.


Roy Halladay?  Nope.


Roy Oswalt?  Nope.


Sure, there were some promising names in between, guys with names like Wright, Munninghoff, Ghelfi, Bystrom (he of the 5-0 record in September of 1983 to help the Phillies clinch the East and then defeat a depleted Dodgers squad for the right to lose to the Orioles in the World Series). 


So, when the team makes such a boast, the answer is why?  Is it because the team is so desperate for quality starting pitching help?  Or is it because the team has been so woeful in developing any starting pitching over the longest period of time?  Other teams win games and put together wonderful legacies because of their ability to develop pitchers.  The Cardinals, Dodgers and Yankees come to mind.  But the Phillies? 


They are what their record says they are. 


Terrible about scouting, drafting and developing pitchers.