Mitch Williams Thinks The Phillies Should Fire Rich Dubee
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Phillies were supposed to be a team that will succeed because of their pitching. With the 26th best ERA in all of baseball, it isn't particularly surprising that they're 13-16 on the season. Former Phillies closer Mitch Williams thinks that some blame for the poor start has to go to the pitching coach.
"Well, they're are not playing up to their capability is stating the blatantly obvious, but this is me---I had kind of a conversation, I would guess in Spring Training, with the pitching coach [Rich Dubee] and he didn't like the fact that I spoke with his pitchers at all about anything," Williams, now an analyst for the MLB Network, told Angelo Cataldi and the WIP Morning Show on Friday. "I see things now, in this pitching staff that as a pitcher you don't feel, that's why there's coaches. Halladay is struggling---when he was earlier, it was plain as day what was wrong and it wasn't fixed. You watch things go on---it may be time for a new voice with the pitchers."
Though the fact that Kyle Kendrick has been so impressive this year is a nice surprise, the Phillies would still be better off if he wasn't their most consistent starter when names like Hamels, Lee and Halladay are on the staff as well.
"It's not personal. I think that these pitchers have to hear something because what they're doing right now just isn't getting it done. They are way too talented for it to be what's going on right now," Williams said.
