Ryan Spilborghs remembers ripping the Houston Astros three years ago for "failing to put a competitive team on the field."
"Spilly," a host on Sirius XM MLB Radio, had some justification for the on-air outburst. Houston had lost 106, 107, 111 games, and was stumbling through another losing 2014.
But within the carnage, seeds were sprouting. Outfielders George Springer and Jake Marsinick struggled through their first Major League action, while 2B Jose Altuve and SP Dallas Kuechal broke through with plus-plus seasons.
"I wasn't thinking player development happened at the Major League level," Spilborghs recalled during a recent show. "I thought you came here as a finished product. That's not true."
The 2017 Philadelphia Phillies have the potential to be remembered alongside the Ricky Watters signing and the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals as one of the worst city sports debacles. It's a stink bomb, a Dumpster fire, a nightly Twitter mockfest, and many other descriptions not fit for a family blog.
Alas, if you squint hard, signs a life are evident. I mean you really gotta squint George Costanza-style to see it, but they are there.
Remember, the 2015 Houston Astros went 86-76, improving by 25 games in two years. The Phillies' tan... ahem, rebuild, has often been compared to Houston's, so a similar turnaround is not out of the realm. It is characterized by a wave of young prospects hitting the big club over a short timeframe.
The premise is simple -- guys bond and grow together and the cream rises to the top.
As Keni Burke say, "The time has finally come. Let's get it done..."
Okay, so let's put on our Costanza glasses and squint us some dimes. Three things I like about the squad:
* Aaron Nola: I doubt Nola will ever carry the team as its ace, but he's going to be a damn good No. 2 starter with a Tim Hudson/James Shields type career. Nola just turned 24 and is in his third big-league season. So much for the Phillies-don't-promote storyline.
In his last four starts, Nola has pitched 28.1 innings and allowed three earned runs. He appears to be through the sticky wicket that tends to greet all young pitchers.
FYI, I think the best move the Phils can make going forward is to acquire a frontline starter to pair with Aaron.
* Freddy Galvis: Speaking of Nola, he made some interesting comments on Freddy the other day.
"The guy is unbelievable, man," Nola said. "I wouldn't want anybody to be at shortstop other than that guy. He's been great for us. He's our leader."
As a journalist, you develop an ear for comments that fall outside the normal boilerplate. Nola is revealing some candor here. Or perhaps he was just grateful for plays like this:
I like Freddy. I like players who constantly fight off challenges and survive. Fans have been trying to run Galvis out of town for years. Yet he remains.Freddy being Freddy. pic.twitter.com/N4cfw9Dtzh— Phillies (@Phillies) July 7, 2017
Look, Freddy has his warts and we all know them. But I'll never criticize a player who is constantly improving because it's the best evidence we have of work ethic.
Freddy's OPS the past three years: .546, .645 and .673. Currently, it stands at .710. After walking 25 times all of last year, Galvis has 22 walks already this year. If he can pair a .700 OPS with the terrific defense, Freddy is a starting SS on a winning team.
Yeah, I said it.
* Andrew Knapp: If you haven't been paying attention lately, you might have missed Knapp becoming the starting catcher.
The receiving skills are coming along nicely. At the plate, Knapp has a strong walk rate, a .362 OBP and a .755 OPS. A switch-hitter, he has pop and runs well.
At a time when plus catching is as scarce as a city parking spot, Knapp is developing value.
I haven't even mentioned Altherr, Kingery or the Nicks (Williams and Pivetta).
There's some good player development going on at the Major League level.
And the worst might be behind us.
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