In any other department, we will not have such discussions.

When a team enters the week of the trade deadline at 0.500, it is usually not a problem for buyers or sellers. In any division not named the Eastern Conference of the National League, the Phillies will win at least 8.5 games, and there is no realistic discussion of “go all out.”

Therefore, when Dave Dombrowski talked about “unable to transfer players” as a seller on Saturday and actively increasing talents, this is not a reflection of the strengths of this club, as it may surge from August to September. Instead, when you can calculate the number of games in which you are the division champion on the one hand, the required optical system needs it.

When you haven’t been in the playoffs for 10 years, the focus is often-of course-when you are close enough to taste it, no matter how mediocre the other members of the department are. However, one thing that should not be lost in the equation is the “bigger picture” referred to here, which is to be a contender to win the entire game and “retake the damn trophy”.

This week the front desk can’t do anything, let them have a realistic discussion to do this.

What the East of the National League will do in 2021 is for the Phillies to evaluate things in a two-pronged way. One is here and now, the urgent need to enter the playoffs, and finally end the topic of drought-this is the longest among the National League teams and the second longest in a row by the Mariners in the 19th season without playoffs in the sport. Team.

The other—perhaps the more important of the two—is conducting a two-month reality self-check on everything related to the team’s culture, which has little to do with whether the Phillies will eventually make the playoffs.

Dombrowski and General Manager Sam Fuld will use a different vision from the past to accomplish this. Dombrowski’s track record should convince you of his evaluation, and the ownership seems willing to make the necessary changes to create an atmosphere of victory.

Unlike past offseasons, this review will not be conducted in the context of a pandemic and income uncertainty-although looming labor issues in this offseason may eventually lead to a shutdown. It should pay more attention to culture.

The word-culture-has many different variables, and some people shake their heads when they hear it. The immediate reaction is that people think that mentioning cultural change means that a team is full of bad guys and selfish people who don’t play hard. This is not what this term means. And it doesn’t mean getting rid of Georgirardi, because that card has already been played and it doesn’t work again and again.

Since the media’s access to the dressing room is so limited, it is almost impossible to understand the real atmosphere and attitude of the dressing room. You can talk to people coming and going on the periphery, but nothing can replace what you see and hear when standing in the clubhouse as a reporter. And there is a lot of evidence that the team has worked hard. This may not be a good game, but it does not mean a lack of effort.

When I talked about culture, it boiled down to a simple question, namely why the results of the past four years have really not changed from mediocrity, despite the presence of several different managers, front desk changes and several roster upgrades.

Why did defense-once the ultimate sign of team reliability-become so bad? What does it mean that runners in scoring position are so cruel?Last week, the The Phillies made 5 of 51 shots and the runner was in the scoring position (.098). Is it realistic to think that a team can continue this long drought and find a way to make it work? And why the organization continues to overestimate its prospects, but after it was established, it found that they were flawed.

The reverse answer is “that’s it.” But .500 teams should not carry a roster that pushes up the luxury tax unless you misidentify and pay for talent-this is certainly possible. The ten-year playoffs of unsuccessful teams should not have a farm system that can generously rank the bottom third in the sport.

When Ed Wade succeeded Lee Thomas as general manager in the late 1990s, he established the “Philadelphia Way”—see what the organization did and the methods that needed to be changed. These changes eventually helped produce a rich farm system and a core unit of world champions.

It’s time to revisit this model and evaluate the use and handling of player development systems, scouting, analysis, and other topics related to franchising. And self-study should force you to understand more clearly why this team is always spinning in the mud.

Yes, the deadline is a flash memory issue. If there is no action at 4 pm on Friday, many people will just raise their hands in protest. But in reality, everything you do is irrelevant to the future of franchising. This must start now and look in the mirror.

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Kevin hosted”Work rhythm“Podcasts in collaboration with Mike Kern are available on iTunes, Google Play and wherever you can hear podcasts. As a frequent visitor to WIP, Kevin likes to interact with readers on Twitter. Follow him there @????.

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