The Future of Baseball

As much as I envy anyone who has the ability to watch every Phillies game on TV, there is something to be said about the drama of radio, and the interactivity of MLB.com's GameDay .

To the left, and highlighted throughout this blog is the last pitch of the game to Ryan Howard. It was pretty exciting watching it on the GameDay and listening to the WPHT broadcast with GameDay Audio.

Some of the perks of the GameDay feature include the ability to click around and see statistics of each player. If the pitcher is left handed, you'll see the batter's average vs. lefties. If he's home it will show his home average or his stats (away if away), and it will show his average for the month, season and career. Each of those is again, clickable to see more. When he's on base, you'll see his stolen base percentage. Rolling over any fielder will give you fielding percentage. There is always something you can be doing, to enhance the game experience.

The focus of the GameDay is the pitcher/batter match up. And what is better than a good battle at the plate? The GameDay option allows you to see each pitch and its location. A red dot is a strike, a green dot is a ball and a blue dot, is a ball put in play. This feature is extended when you can go to previous at bats and watch the pitching sequence in order.

Here you can see the pitch sequence of Ryan Howard's last at bat. The pitched him out and up for the first 3 pitches. The fourth pitch was in the zone, but still a little out. The 6th pitch was a waste pitch low... and finally he got one to drive and put a charge into it, but we all know the result was a game ending double play.

If the ballpark has the ability, you can sometimes see the flight of the ball from the pitcher's hand to the plate. They'll put a tail on the ball for its entire flight so that you can see the trajectory of the pitch, how much it dropped or how much it curved, etc... One can also switch to the pitcher's view of the balls and strikes.

There is a map (pictured at the bottom) which shows you how many men are on base, who's playing what position, the layout of the ballpark and where the ball was hit. The pictures I used are from a screen shot from last night's ball game. The image to the left shows where Ryan Howard hit the ball that doubled up Bourn. Rolling over the pitcher's name would give you the # of pitches and how many strikes, his record and his current, up-to-date ERA.

As you can see, the box score is scrollable. You can see both teams in the same window. You can also see the pitcher's box score to quickly get a tally of the number of walks or strikeouts he might have. Each name on the box score is clickable giving you a well placed window with all of the aforementioned statistical options.

The game summary is a pitch by pitch recall of the entire game. If you just tuned in and you want to see how Hamels got himself out of a jam in the 3rd inning. Simply click on the 3rd inning and scroll down to read the play by play. Each play can then be opened to reveal the pitch sequence of that at bat. They've really thought of almost everything. And what amazes me about the whole thing is that it doesn't seem too busy. They even have the scores of other games scrolling across the top, but it adds to the interface as opposed to detracting from it. Each of the games is obviously clickable so that you can go to the GameDay interface of any game being played.

Much like the Merrill Reese/TV timing issue, there is a slight radio delay when watching GameDay. This however, can sometimes be good because you'll see the single, and then look forward to how Harry might call it.

I like what MLB.com has done with their ability to keep out of town fans satisfied with the coverage. I have not used the MLB.tv option, so I'm curious to hear about the pros and cons of that. I do however utilize the MLB Audio to listen to Phils and it just like listening on the radio, but without the interference. But I must say there is something about the interference I used to get from my parents' kitchen radio that would make the games that much better. We used to have to turn out the lights to get better reception. And on rainy nights there was more interference than talking... but we were true fans and would listen regardless.

And about the Phils. It seems as if we don't know what to do with our broom. We sweep the Braves and then get swept by the D-Backs... talk about snake bitten.

Howard and Hamels

Howard and Hamels. The names flow nicely. As nice as Schmidt and Carlton or Bunning and Callison.

Howard and Hamels.

Say it to yourself, quietly at first... and then louder. Now shout it...Howard and Hamels. Nice, right?

Be prepared to say these words with confidence, and practice it so that if flows off your tongue nicely, and without hesitation. Howard and Hamels.

Howard and Hamels are going to help this organization win some ball games. Howard and Hamels are going to be perennial All-Stars. Howard and Hamels will be MVP and Cy Young candidates for years to come. Howard and Hamels are young. Howard and Hamels are Superstars in waiting. Howard and Hamels will be the future of this franchise.

Oh, and don't look now, but we've also got the best shortstop/second base combination also. Utley and Rollins are pretty damn good too. Rollins and Utley sounds good too. Or is it Utley and Rollins...

Rollins to Utley to Howard... not quite the same as Tinkers to Evers to Chance... but Howard and Hamels... wow, that sounds nice.

Howard and Hamels helped us complete the sweep of the Atlanta Braves this afternoon. Howard contributed with 2 homeruns, leaving the Mendoza line behind and proving that he is back to his old self. Hamels, simply pitched 6 innings with 3 earned runs and 8 Ks. Hamels now leads the league in strikeouts with 86 in 74.2 innings. Good stuff, huh?

Howard and Hamels. The names should make you smile. They are the future.

Oh.. and one more thing. Cue Dick Van Dyke and the dancing penguins, and get the bratty kids on the set... we've swept the Braves like an old chimney... "Chim chimery, chim chimery, chim chim cheroo..."

Can't wait for the next Hamels outing to be able to say these words again... Howard and Hamels.

Bring on the Diamondbacks...

PS - The real reason why Cole had a back injury is because he threw a ball so hard it went all the way around the world and hit him in the back. (http://www.colehamelsfacts.com/)

My 2007 Phillies Record is 2-0

I've been to two games this year. The Phillies have won both games. I'm thinking I should be hired as a Victory Consultant. I won't ask for much, just a free ticket and a small stipend for a brat and a beer, and maybe a parking pass for me and my buddies.

The most recent game was Friday night, at Turner Field. Having lived in Atlanta for 2 years, this was my 4th and most likely last time at Turner Field. It is a nice stadium but nothing really that impressive. They have a hug scoreboard, which is apparently the biggest screen in professional sports. But it doesn't look as impressive as the one Citizen's Bank Park. I think the backdrop has something to do with that.

Friday night's win was an 8-3 victory. Jaime Moyer out-dueled Tim Hudson for the win. The highlight of the night might have been Ryan Howard's return to the 4th spot... Jimmy Rollins' two doubles and 3 runs scored, or Shane Victorino's 3 hits. Granpa Moyer had two hits also. That's one for each World War he's lived through.

To the right is the picture of the crew right after the game... For the curious, I'm the one on the left. The others from left to right, are Steve a friend of mine I met at the best Eagles Bar in the World, Joe, also from the bar. Brian, a fellow teacher and baseball coach. He does an excellent job with the program. They're very competitive (Go Druid Hills Red Devils). And finally Kristy, who I also know from the bar. Katie, however happens to be from my hometown of Warminster, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb. Below is the scoreboard, just for posterity.

After every Friday night game the Braves have fireworks. Too bad they didn't have too many during the game. Here is a pretty cool picture of Steve watching the fireworks. It wasn't an easy shot considering the lighting and the timing and the fact that I had as many beers as the number on Shane Victorino's back.

Before Friday, the other game I attended was the Phils' lone victory vs. the Braves this season.

In that contest we saw King Cole Hamels let up 3 runs in the first, and then settle down for a 7 inning, 6 strikeout respectable performance.

The first game was enjoyed a few Yeungling's from the Phillies fans who pulled up next to us in the parking lot. They were all air traffic controllers at the nearby Hartsfeld-Jackson Intl. Airport, a huge hub for local company Delta, where a good number of our friends work. One of these air traffic controllers, who's name I forget now, had gone to my high school, William Tennent, in the aforementioned Warminster. Small world.

To the right is the crew we had for the first game. It is kind of dark, but that's what you get when you ask the drunk girl behind you, who held up a sign the entire night that read: "Hey Brian, How do you like these Cann's?", to take your picture.

Her signed was aimed towards Braves' catcher Brian McCann, who I saw speak at a coach's convention this year. He's kind of a dud. But he can hit. He's a local hero who played with fellow Atlanta native Jeff Franceour. During an interview at a University of Delaware teacher job fair, I met Franceour's father. This was before he had made a big impact with the Braves. He was still a minor leaguer at the time. I remember they asked me if I had heard of him and I had said no.

And finally, the last few pics are from our post-game celebration from this Friday night's win. We were simply waiting for traffic to subside, though the traffic at Turner Field is nothing compared to that of our favorite sports complex in South Philadelphia.

If Phillies management is reading this blog, then I'd be happy to attend a few more games to help this team win a few more games. I have a 100% winning percentage this year. I'm available for all weekend games and weeknights Monday through Wednesday.

Fish Stories: The One that Almost Got Away...

"Joe, you should have seen this whopper. He must have been 200lbs., and he was 6 feet if he was an inch... He was a fighter too... He almost got away. His line snagged on a rock and I couldn't free it. So do you know what I did? I jumped right in there and grabbed him myself... Yep. And then we ate him for dinner that night, and put the rest in the freezer for later."

The Phillies almost let one get away tonight. Myers got our big catch snagged on the rock, but luckily Abraham Nunez was willing to jump in and save the day.

The game was a see-saw battle. Garcia pitched okay. He still didn't make it to the 7th inning, nor was he too keen on keeping the Phillies in the lead. He relinquished two leads. However, the last several innings were exciting to say the least.

Now, because I'm still in Atlanta (moving in 10 days back home to Philly), I can only listen to the game with MLB Audio. So I can't make a comment on the play at the plate... but it doesn't matter now because we won the game. But my summation is that Barajas is at fault for dropping to his knee and then standing up to make the tag. If the throw beats the runner, the catcher shouldn't have a problem making the tag, unless they do something strange. And according to Larry Anderson, the ump was in no position to see the play and probably should have called him out... regardless.

Good win.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are....

I think it is due time to grill Freddy Garcia. Out of all the offseason acquisitions I was most excited about Freddy Garcia. He was supposed to be our ace. And it was pretty cool because he was joining a staff of previous aces... which is better than a staff of never-were-aces, right?

We were on board to have Freddy Garcia, a perennial innings eater with 12-15 win capabilities. Garcia made 33 starts last year and won more than half of them. The White Sox Freddy Garcia is good.

He's made 7 starts this year and has only managed to win one. The Phillies' Freddy Garcia is not good.

So Freddy, I don't want to hear excuses about not being pitched enough and just let me pitch, blah, blah, blah... if you pitch well through 5 innings, you'll pitch in the 6th. Period. If you keep your pitch count down. You'll pitch in the 7th. Period. If you're mowing them down like Cole Hamels', you might pitch the 8th. And if you're really on par, you'll pitch the 9th. Until then, just get us through 5, kid... okay?

You have exactly 2 quality starts in 7 attempts. Let's not complain about staying in the ball game just yet. Cole Hamels has that clout, not you... not yet.

Here is how the 7 games break down.

About 5 innings per start. Garcia, you've yet to make it to the 7th inning. Maybe tonight is the night. Please show us why we brought you here.

Considering 33 starts, which is a stretch, Garcia is on pace to finish the season with a 5-14 record, he'll pitch 174 innings, and have 146 Ks (this stat isn't bad..its about his average). But he'll be about 40 innings shy of what we'd expect. Over 30 starts, that's more than an inning per start lost.

Enough is enough.

Freddy, I'll reason with you. We know you are a competitor. You have 9 postseason starts... of these you've won 5 to only 2 losses.

5-2 with a 3.11 ERA is nothing to shake a stick at... that's really good. So we know you have the fire to compete. Now go out there and do it... We want the Freddy Garcia the White Sox had. That guy was good.

"I need you tonight... 'cause I'm not sleepin... there's something about you [Garcia], that makes me sweat!"

Cole Hamels is Human... and so is Aaron Rowand

Cole Hamels had good stuff. He struck out 8 batters in 6 innings. He entered the sixth inning leading 3-1, with no sign of slowing down.

Then Cole Hamels turned into Hole Camels (I'm not exactly sure what that means, but its funny...at least its funny to me). Hole Camels must by Cole's alter ego... every super hero needs one, right?

Cole Hamels is only human, he's allowed to have bad outings every so often. I'll take a 6 to 2, win to loss ratio, any day. But Cole's lack of prowess tonight was enhanced by what could be considered a miscue, from Aaron Rowand. Errors are like Kryptonite to King Cole.

Cole Hamels, started off the 6th by allowing a sharp double to left field. No problem, Dan Ugla doubled to start off the 3rd, and didn't advance. Then Miguel Cabrera hits a ball that appears like it should have been caught by Aaron Rowand... who appeared to have taken a bad angle on the ball. Then Chase Utley throws the relay throw into the stands to allow Cabrera to score... tie game.

These miscues, obviously play with the super intelligent mind of Cole Hamels, and he quickly transforms into Hole Camels, and another double was registered.

Then Cole Hamels again, as he fanned two in a row... and then bam... Hole Camels lets up another double. 5-3 Marlins...

I guess we can't blame Aaron Rowand for this ball... but the entire outcome may have been different... had Rowand caught that ball. They may have come out of the inning leading 3-2, instead of losing 5-3.

But, he's only human.

PS - By the way, check out this site about Cole Hamels... http://www.colehamelsfacts.com/ I wonder if Cole Hamels could beat up Chuck Norris?

PSS - Does anyone else wince at the thought that Sammy Sosa's name is soon to be used in the same sentence as Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays? It disgusts me... I'll even except Bonds because steroids or not... that guy can flat out hit.

Starting Pitching Heads Success

Fresh off a successful 7-3 homestand, we have a day to recuperate and reflect on our recent accomplishment. A few things come to mind. First, we don't have Ryan Howard in the line-up, who's about ready to return from the DL shortly.

Second, is that our regular performers, really haven't been our regular performers. According to We Should Be GMs,

"...the Phils lineup has been slumping lately, with Rowand (5-24), Victorino (5-24), Rollins (5-32), Utley (1-11), Burrell (4-19), Helms (2-14), and Ruiz (4-22). collectively that's 26-146 for a pitiful .178 batting average..."

It is pretty pitiful. These numbers were posted before Sunday's game.

So what then is the reason for our recent success? For starters, it's the starters.

Remember all the complaints from the beginning of the year about how our starters were good on paper, and how they weren't performing... well, I think this kind of talk will be muffled for a little while. Our starters are keeping us in ball games.

Despite the fact that we've been see-sawing back and forth the last few games, W-L-W-L-W, we have still put up an impressive 8-3 record in our last 11 games. (I'm including 11 games in our recent up-surge, instead of the 10 games of the homestand).

The biggest reason for this 8-3 record is our starters. Here are the numbers.

We have definitely been getting Quality starts (QS). According to baseball statisticians, a quality start is awarded to a starting pitcher who completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. Incidentally, the QS statistic was invented in 1985 by John Lowe, who was a sports writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Of the 11 games, we had 8 quality starts. (Garcia was very close to another with 5.2 inn, and 2 ER).

A few other things have skewed these statistics... for example, Lieber's 8 innings with 1 ER ended in a loss. Bad luck. And Eaton's 7.2 innings with 1 ER on the next night, was nullified by a blown save which the Phils eventually won, taking another win from the starters. So that 5-3 record, could very easily by 7-3.

Here the breakdown of wins for each starter in this stretch. (Phillies' record is in parentheses), and then there ERA's over these games.

Moyer 1-1 (2-1) 8.10 ERA
Hamels 2-0 (2-0) 2.40 ERA
Garcia 0-1 (1-1) 3.85 ERA
Lieber 1-1 (1-1) 2.40 ERA
Eaton 1-0 (2-0) 0.66 ERA
____________

Starters 5-3 (8-3) 2.63 ERA

PS - It appears as if Jaime Moyer is about to go into a slump. His last two starts, he's accumulated 9.2 innings and given up 12 ER.

No Hit Etiquette; To Bunt or Not to Bunt?

It was brought to my attention that Cole Hamels' perfect game was nearly compromised in the 5th inning, when the Brewers' outfielder Corey Hart attempted a bunt.

Being that I didn't see the game, I had no idea this had occured until tonight when I saw this comment, by meech.one on "We Should Be GMs"...

"You forgot the BMOTW (Bitch Move Of The Week) when Corey Hart tried to break up the perfect game in the 5th inning with a 2-out, nobody on bunt attempt. That's grounds for a bean ball if you axe me. "

I totally disagree with this being called a 'bitch move'. This same thing happened to Curt Schilling a few years back, when Ben Davis broke up a Schilling no-hit bid in the 8th inning with bunt single. I think I remember Curt Schilling applauding Davis for doing it. Schilling probably would have done the same thing. Schilling says he can't get pissed about it. .

Here was the situation... The two teams were tied for first place about a third of the way through the season. The D-backs were up 2-0. Davis' bunt allowed the tying run to come to the plate. Schilling walked that guy and later gave up two more hits anyway. The game ended 3-1. Here is a box score of the game. (our beloved Adam Eaton was on the losing side of the game... he too pitched a complete game... tough luck.)

Now, I don't know about you, but if I was tied for first place I play to win. I don't abide by some stupid rule about "earning" your way on base after the 6th in a no-hit bid... Bullshit. Get on base any way you can. A bunt is not an easy thing to do. If it were, don't you think you'd see more of them? Lean into one. Crowd the plate.

I'm a gamer. I played baseball in college where I was hit by 19 pitches in 28 games as a junior. And yes, some of them may have been in the strike zone.. but I got on base... a lot and scored a lot of runs....and played to win the game. Period.

Bob Brenly and the Arizona ballclub were complaining about `unwritten rules' and `codes,' but what about the Golden Rule of baseball--play to win?

Enough Said...

I applaud Corey Hart, for going against the grain,...wearing his sunglasses at night, attempting the bunt and playing the game to win.

PS - Cole Hamels will have other opportunities to create history. I have no doubt. And it isn't it nice to see Curt Schilling. That guy's a gamer. I'm still hoping he decides to end his career in Philadelphia and helps us win a World Series.

No Cigar... for Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels continued to impress... this time taking a perfect game into the 7th inning. I'm jealous of the Phillies fans who got to experience the excitement of this outing. Cole Hamels is the kind of pitcher who is going to do this for us consistently. It would have been nice to make history and pitch a no-no... That's two almost no-no's for the Phils so far in the early season. Not too shabby.

I was at the game when Kevin Millwood pitched a no-hitter. It was pretty electifying. It was one of the best baseball moments I've experienced.

It was up there with the game at Camden yards where I thought it was going to be Cal Ripken's last game and he got a standing ovation before every at bat.. that was cool. But it turned out not to be his last game... my prediction was ill conceived. So I predicted retirement again the next season and bought tickets to the last game of the season in New York, where the O's would take on the Yanks. This time, Cal did announce his retirement and was prepared to hang up his cleats for the last time at Yankee Stadium...but... the Taliban decided to ruin that by flying some planes into our World Trade Center delaying a few weeks worth of games and forcing the rescheduling of the games after the original last date... so my "Cal Ripken's Last Game" excitement... was in reality... "Cal Ripken's Last Game at Yankee Stadium"... f#@kin' taliban!!!

Back to the topic at hand...

Hamels improves his record to 6-1 with a 3.30 ERA. Cole's 11 Ks brings his season total to 70, which is currently Tops in the Majors. Cole Hamels is legitimate... he was worth the wait...

PS - His wife is pretty hot...

Good Home Cookin'... Something's Brewin'

Two dramatic victories in a row in front of the home crowd, and notching wins in 5 of the last 6 contests, the Phils just might be ready to go on one of those winning streaks which usually doesn't happen until August.

Congratulations to Carlos Ruiz for the first, of what we hope will be many, walk off home runs... and thank you to Eaton for a solid outing. Adam, we know you're a battler, but let's see this more consistently...

The first of the two vs. the Brewers was a dramatic, improbable, come-from-behind victory Monday night. The next, a walk off homer by Carlos Ruiz and combined with a gem from Adam Eaton.

WIN 1 - We started things off with a come from behind victory over the Diamondbacks, scoring 4 runs in the 7th to take the lead 4-3 and then continuing the barrage through the 8th and 9th... giving support to another strong outing by Moyer.

WIN 2 - This was followed by a relatively easy victory over the Cubs behind a solid outing by King Cole Hamels, and two homers by Burrell. Phils win 7-2.

WIN 3 - was an event where we outslugged the Cubs winning 11-7, where the bottom of our lineup, (spots 7, 8 and 9) Dobbs, Ruiz and Nunez were a combined 9 for 11, 6 runs and 8 RBIs, a double, a triple and a homer.

WIN 4 - was the aforementioned come from behind victory over the Brew Crew.

and finally, WIN 5 was last nights Eaton/Ruiz combination.

There are some new names surfacing as far as heroes... Notice I didn't mention Rowand, Utley or Rollins until now... this is a very democratic game... this is what makes it great.

All but one of these wins has been in the friendly confines of the Cit. The Phillies are beginning to excite the crowds.. the crowds will motivate the players, the players will win games, and build confidence and before you know it.. we've won the World Series... it's a simply equation.

Support the Phillies... cheer them on... and we'll win.

I'll be home soon enough to do just that. We close on the house June 4th... In the mean time we're preparing another outing her in Atlanta to cheer for the pinstripes... May 25-27... look for me on TBS, I'll be wearing a Lenny Dykstra T-shirt.

PS - These wins are even better because a colleague of mine is from Milwaukee and I bet him that the Phillies will win more games than the Brewers. I gave him 6 games too... he won't make that same bet with the Packers.. i was even willing to give him 3 games. So these wins are satisfying.

Game Log: Phillies vs. Brewers, May 14

So, I just get finished writing a little ditty for my US History blog... my true passion. I had checked in on the score a few minutes earlier and was disappointed to see our Phils down 6-2 in the 8th.


I click on the GameDay link, and voila... men at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and Rollins is up... So here we go... its situations like this where we need to capitalize, change momentum and win some games we had no business winning.

I check in just in time to see see/hear Rollins walk, and then the wild pitch which brings in a run... 6-3 Phils... So I figured I would stop everything, and enjoy the pure sport of baseball, and give an in-game blog (a Glog if you will) for the remainder of the game.

The Phils are 1-15 when trailing after 7 innings... and the Brewers are 21-0 when leading after 7... We have a tough field to plow.



Base hit Chase Utley!!! Utley delivers a single scoring 2 runs, making it a 6-5 game. (Chase has 26 RBIs in his last 23 games.) He's doing his job.

Burrell, seems to be coming around again.. he's always been a streaky hitter, so you might expect something here... He puts a charge into it but flies out to right.

Greg Dobbs is up... he singles to right to continue the rally. Momentum is now wearing grey... let's get this one guys... get it now...

Nunez, who is surprisingly hitting well is up... another hit to right? Two hard hit balls in a row to right field... both were hit hard enough NOT to allow Chase to take an extra base. Bases loaded for Ruiz. Tying run is at 3rd. Go ahead run at 2nd. WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE HERE!!!

Ruiz just has to put the ball in play for a chance to tie the game... he bounces one to first, and Prince Fielder makes the wrong decision and throws home late... the Run Scores... aaahhh... a sigh of relief...


One more run, and the Brewers will lay down... A sac fly from Helms would be ideal. His homerun numbers are low... he has zero... but a deep fly is what we need. C'mon Wes!!!


I can't believe it... a Pat Burrell single off the wall for Wes. He's come up big... and I can't believe this pitcher is still in there... 7-6 Phillies.

Rowand skies one to center, which allows ALL THREE runners to tag up... 8-6 Phillies. The pitcher is finally lifted, but the damage is done. THE PHILS HAVE CAPITALIZED.



Shut 'em down in the 9th and go home happy.

Bretty Myers, who has not allowed a run in 9 straight appearances and is 3 for 3 in Save opportunities is coming in to do just that. I think we've found our closer. Brett Myers seems to have adapted to this change quite well. 1 earned run in 14.1 innings in relief for an ERA less than one... It's not as easy as it looks. These are pressure situations and can be difficult for many.


I'm expecting a 1-2-3, inning... let's see how it turns out.

Fly ball right field. One down.



Nice Play by Nunez. 2 Down.



Ground out to the Pitcher... 3 down.

An improbable come-from-behind victory. Great Win. Enough said.

Name that Phillie...

With another disappointing Phillies loss, there is only so much moping one can do. So I'll have to mix it up a little bit and throw in another episode of Name that Phillie.

This one might be a little difficult, so I've included some clues.

• If you're observant you can see that he was a rookie in 1966
• Only pitched in 8 games as a Phillie, compiling a 2-1 record with a 2.19 ERA
• The above statistics were a preview of what was to come...
• He was traded to the Cubs in 1966, another bad move by the Phillies
• And finally, there is no truth to the rumor that his daughter is a singer in the Black Eyed Peas.

Ladies and Gentlemen.... Name That Phillie....

Same Old.. Same Old...

I'm back from a brief hiatus. I had to take some time to figure out job stuff, moving, mortgages, etc... it's almost figured out and I have a few moments to ponder what has been happening with our Fightin' Phils...

Absolutely Nothin'... Say it Again!

The Phillies are the exact same team they were last year, the year before and the year before that. We have potential but don't perform. We have glimpses of hope, but don't follow the light. We have talent, but not many wins. We have good pitching performances and no runs. We score runs and have poor pitching performances.

It appears as if the only player we can count on year in and year out.. is the Phanatic. Here's a picture of him to make us smile. At least this team is good at something. We definitely do the mascot thing right....

At this point in the season we should be officially 'gelled'. There should be no excuse. Charlie has been mixing up the lineup a little bit... to his advantage, I like managers that do this... but his quick hook last night of Garcia was a bit confusing...

Elmer Fudd is doing nothing to motivate this ball club. We need Eskin to light another fire under him.

PS - ETA for my wife and I to have officially moved back to Philly is... 27 days. Can't wait.

I have pics of me and some friend at the Phillies/Braves game in Atlanta.. that was the one we actually won... you'll see them soon.