Ninth Inning, Tie Game: Which Phillie Do You Call Off the Bench?

With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Phillies are a virtual lock to reach the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Phillies sport one of the top infields in baseball, as well as one of the top left-handed pitchers in the National League, and arguably the top closer in baseball (sorry K-Rod). However, one of the many reasons the Phillies have been so successful is the strength of their bench.

The most crucial player off the bench for the Phillies is Greg Dobbs. The 30-year-old infielder can play first base, third base, second base, right field, and left field, and his career fielding percentage is well above the league average. He has also earned a knack for delivering timely hits and has earned the reputation as the top pinch-hitter in baseball.

In 2008, the Phillies are 33-21 when Dobbs gets a hit. Dobbs leads all pinch-hitters in batting average (.355), hits (22—a Phillies single-season record), and runs batted in (16). He has a .327 batting average with runners in scoring position and is batting an amazing .380 in close-and-late situations. Dobbs seems to have ice water in his veins. If the Phillies are trailing in the ninth inning and need a hit, Dobbs will get the call.

Backup right fielder Geoff Jenkins has been a major disappointment for the Phillies. Signed as a free agent after ten prolific seasons with the Brewers (he ranks second in team history with 212 home runs), Jenkins was expected to compete for the starting job with platoon outfielder Jayson Werth.

However, Werth's surprise season quickly earned him the starting job. Jenkins was signed particularly for his ability to successfully hit right-handed pitching. However, in 2008, he is batting .258 with only nine home runs and just 29 runs batted in versus righties.

Against lefties, Jenkins (2 for 21 with seven strikeouts) is practically useless. Jenkins is batting .203 with runners in scoring position and .148 in close-and-late situations (zero home runs and zero runs batted in, in 54 at-bats). A closer look at Jenkins's stats have revealed how much of a major disappointment he has been as a Phillie.

35-year-old backup catcher Chris Coste has been a phan phavorite for much of his three seasons in Philly. Coste earned a reputation as a great clutch hitter in 2006, and while he hasn't been quite as good in 2008, he has still been very productive. Coste is only batting .242 in close-and-late situations, but is just a shade under .300 with runners in scoring position.

Phillie phans will never forget his 4-4 performance against the New York Mets on August 26. In a game that Coste ENTERED in the eighth inning, he rapped out four hits, including the

game-winning, bases loaded, walk-off single in the bottom of the 13^thinning, a hit that gave the Phillies sole possession of first place.

This year, Coste became the first backup catcher in National League history with four hits in a game three separate times. He could be the difference maker in at least one game for the Phillies this postseason.

Utility player Eric Bruntlett possesses the ability to play six different defensive positions: shortstop, third base, left field, right field, second base, and first base. Unfortunately, he has made seven errors in limited action this year, after being signed specifically as a defensive specialist.

As a hitter, Bruntlett is about as effective as Ryan Howard would be playing shortstop. He is hitting .214 with two home runs and an anemic 14 runs batted in in over 200 at-bats. Bruntlett's nine stolen bases are cancelled out by his seven GIDPs.

Bruntlett is currently batting .205 in close-and-late situations, and is even more pathetic with runners in scoring position (.204). The Phillies will use Bruntlett only as a late-inning defensive replacement in the postseason. However, Bruntlett is not the worst hitter on the Phillies. That honor belongs to So Taguchi.

39-year-old So Taguchi is the backup left fielder to Pat Burrell. Taguchi can also play right field or even center, if necessary. Taguchi was signed to provide the Phillies with a late-inning defensive replacement for Pat Burrell. With the bat, Taguchi is hitting under the Mendoza Line (.198). As a pinch-hitter, he is hitting .098 (3 for 33) with only two runs batted in.

He did provide the Phillies with one clutch hit in the 2008 season—a two-run ninth inning game-winning double that came with the bases loaded versus the New York Mets in late July. This win gave the Phillies sole possession of first place. If a player like Burrell gets a hit late in a close game, Taguchi will likely be called on to pinch-run and then finish out the game in the field.

With players like Dobbs and Coste coming off the bench, the Phillies have found a simple solution for hitters like Taguchi and Bruntlett. They just don't use them. Both Taguchi and Bruntlett have seen increasingly limited action. In the field, however, the two will be called on as defensive replacements.

The most important player off the bench for the Phillies is unarguably pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs, whose late-inning heroics have provided the Phillies with four or five extra wins this season, and hopefully one or two more in the postseason.