Or you can buy the whole tripleplay package, factoring in the fact that Ibanez went .232-12-33 after the All-Star break last season while playing through a serious abdominal injury that required postseason surgery to repair a sports hernia. Caution: This approach has been known to result in panic.
The Phillies lost by a run yesterday, 6-5. There were plenty of reasons why. No one person was responsible. But Ibanez came up three times with runners in scoring position, including the ninth inning, and didn't knock any of them in. This is the whole truth and nothing but.
"I'm definitely frustrated but at the same time I have to maintain belief," he said softly. "I know that it is only 3 days. At the same time, I'm pretty pissed off about it. I'm seeing the ball well. I can get the barrel there but I'm not producing line drives right now. And that's what I try to do, produce line drives. I'll get it. I'll get it."
Ibanez, who turns 38 in June, said there's no physical reason for his lack of productivity. He mentioned his frustration several times. As in: "You've got to try to keep your perspective. There are a lot of games left. But, yeah, it's frustrating."
Charlie Manuel eventually will have to decide how much rope to give Ibanez, when to consider dropping him in the order, when to sit him down for a spell. The Phillies manager, as always, was publicly supportive.
"It's three games," he said. "We've got to keep running him out there. I don't want him to start digging a big hole for himself. In situations like he was hitting in today, he expects to contribute just like everybody else.
"I'm not worried right now. I think he definitely deserves more time to see if he can get it going."
It may have been the listener's imagination but Manuel seemed to put a little extra oomph on "right now."
