Phils Sweep the Mets

When something is described on the radio as being the most exciting game in Citizen's Bank Park history, then it must have been good.

If you're like me and you work for a living, chances are you didn't catch any of this game. And you were probably just as pleased as I was commuting home to learn that the Fightin' Phils continued their fight and swept the Mets to come within 2 games of the division lead.

Once again Pat Burrell has come up big. I think he just has the confidence to do whatever he wants. This is the Pat Burrell that warranted the $13 million/year. And what can you say about Chase Utley except, MVP.

To see all the highlights you missed while working for a living, click this link.

Time to Fry the Fish!

Jaime Moyer Pitches and Runs Phillies to Victory

We'll skip the game ending interference call against Marlon Anderson and just leave it as a good call... and it was. If the runner is that far from second base, there is no question of his intentions. Phils win on the call.

But I'd like to comment on Jaime Moyer.

In the beginning of the year he was Mr. Reliable. He'd trot out there every 5th day and give us a solid outing. But the baseball season is long, and Jaime Moyer is old. Moyer's solid outings happened less frequently and Old Man Moyer suffered a slump. Despite this, the loss of Hamels, Victorino, Utley, Bourne, Gordon, Lieber, Garcia... the list goes on... the Phillies are still in it. And now, more than ever, we need Mr. Reliable. And we got him.

We needed some solid outings from our pitchers to deal with the Mets and we've been getting that. Adam Eaton surprised us last night... and Moyer returned to form tonight. Both when we needed them most.

Moyer's line of 6 inn., 8 h, 2 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB, is a more than solid effort. Moyer most surprised me however when he scored from 3rd base on Pat Burrell's Sacrifice Fly. Burrell's ball was hit pretty deep, but Moyer still had to hustle to make it there. There was not play at the plate, but I'm not sure that too many 44 year olds would be sent in that situation. Surely, Moises Alou in left field is no schlep, but he too is up there in years. I wonder if there is a record for oldest combination of outfield assist + man being thrown out. If it had happened tonight, with Moyer at 44 and Alou at 41 would be a pretty tough one to beat.

That SAC Fly by Pat Burrell was an excellent at bat. After nearly hitting a grandslam and having 40,000 plus on their feet, you'd think it would be very difficult to regain your composure and put together a solid at bat. Burrell did that. He waved at the next pitch down the middle, but then took two balls off the plate and launched the 3-2 pitch high and deep to left field to send Moyer to the races.

Which brings me to the second point I'd like to make tonight, and that is the impressive play of Pat Burrell in the second half. Though I'm still not sold that this is the real Pat Burrell, his stellar second half is a big reason why the Phillies are still in this hunt. He's been hitting at close to a .360 clip since the all star break with 11 homeruns and 36 RBIs. His numbers to date this season are 22 HRs and 72 RBIs, which are very, very respectable considering where he was earlier. I'm still not a Pat Burrell fan, but I'm pulling for him to continue this hot streak right through September and into the playoffs. Rowand, Rollins and Utley have performed all year. Burrell is now helping out more and we're winning more games. And now we're just 3 back of the Mets. A sweep tomorrow would be a huge confidence booster going on the road where, we're going to need to play much more than .500 ball.

Sweep the Mets. Sweep the Mets. Come on out and Sweep the Mets.

PS - I'm still holding out hope that the Phillies keep Rowand. He'll demand a lot, but I think he's worth it.

Phils Start Homestand with "messy" win

The Phillies' destiny is in their hands. Tonight they started an all important 10 game homestand, where they hold a 34-25 record. That's a winning percentage of .735, or about 74%. If the law of averages holds true, the Phillies should win 7 of the next 10 games.

Currently we're tied with the Padres for the Wild Card lead...but that's not good enough. There is still a lot of baseball left to play and I want the East. I want the Mets to come to town and leave with their tail between their legs.

If the Phillies come out of this homestand with anything less than 7 wins, then I'd be disappointed. It's bad enough we lost 2 games to the Pirates. It would be even worst to follow that up with a poor showing at home.

The good news is we secured a much needed win tonight, in a game that could have easily slipped away. Kyle Kendrick did his job again, and kept the Fightins' in the game, and gave them a chance to win. Our bullpen did their job tonight and we came out victorious. The game was a sloppy rain-soaked bore fest, but to quote former Phils' announcer Scott Graham, it's "in the win column for the Fightin' Phils".

But... bad news is afoot. Tomorrow's scheduled starter, our consistent Cole Hamels has soreness in his elbow and will miss the start tomorrow. JD Durbin, who has been pitching well with a 5-2 record is slotted to take his spot. This means that the Ancient One, Jaime Moyer is now the only Phillies starter not to miss his spot in the rotation.

Durbin has the stuff to be a good starter. He's proved that with a complete game shutout earlier this season. I've also watched him strike out the first two batters in a game at the Cit where he seemed untouchable for the first inning. He just needs to make the right decisions. His 5+ ERA is not encouraging, but his 5-2 record proves that he's a battler.

But... good news is also afoot. Chase Utley has been given permission to begin hitting off of a tee and increase his workouts. Some sources say he could be in the lineup as early as Monday. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's concentrate on beating the Dodgers tomorrow, where the Phils will face Derek Lowe and his 11 losses. He does however have a 3.45 ERA.

And another thing... I was the first to say that Carlos Ruiz deserved to start over Rod Barajas, and I'm glad Barajas and his faux injury are out of the picture, I'll even support Ruiz and say that I think he is the catcher of the future for this team. But at this point in the game it's time to go with the hot hand, and the catcher of the present and in this case, it's Chris Coste. Coste had better start at least 6 of these upcoming home games.


One win at a time boys.

Placido Polanco is "Like an Old Shoe"

Maybe Barry Bonds' record has overshadowed it. Maybe A-Rod hitting 500 homeruns or Sosa's 600 is more important.

I think we're all aware of Brandon Webb and his 42 straight scoreless innings, but did you know that an American League second baseman just broke the Major League record for most consecutive errorless games at his position?

You do now. My boy Placido Polanco is now the Major League record holder for most errorless games from the 4 position.

For those that read my blog regularly, you know that I have always been a Placido Polanco supporter. I praised him here, here, here and here. He is up there amongst the list of my all-time favorite Phillies with Schmidt, Dykstra, Rolen, Schilling and Utley. Guys that play the game the way it should be played.

I'm singing his praise once again... not only is the reigning ALCS MVP hitting .344 (3rd in the Majors) but he's yet to commit an error this year. He's gone errorless in 150 straight games. You can't ask for much more from your 2nd baseman, unless your 2nd baseman is Chase Utley.

I think Jim Leyland describes Polanco best... "He's like an old shoe — not the prettiest, but real comfortable." Now that's a quote.

Luis Castillo held the previous mark for second basemen with 143 errorless games from May 30, 2006, to June 5, 2007, while playing for the Minnesota Twins. (remember when Castillo and Juan Pierre were the 1, 2 punch for the Marlins?? That's good baseball.)

The major league record for consecutive errorless games by any infielder is 193, set by Steve Garvey... Garvey's giant Popeye like forearms and abnormally large game-show host head still haunt me to this day.

Thanks to my dad for bringing this to my attention, where he too knows where he could be playing... (see email text below)

Hi Kev;

Thought this might interest you -In this weeks Sports Illustrated in the
"Go Figure" Column"144 Consecutive errorless games at 2nd base by the Tiger's
Placido Polanco breaking the major league record set by the Twins' Luis Castillo
last year."

He could play 3rd just as well.

Love Dad

You're definitely on to something Dad... he sure could. He even played some outfield for us. Might a Gold Glove be in his future? Maybe he's not flashy enough... we all know the Gold Glove has nothing to do with percentages...it's all a popularity contest... just ask Ozzie Smith.

Games Worth Watching

It is refreshing to me to know that every 5th game is a game worth watching. Every 5th game we have a shot. Every 5th game we could see a gem. Every 5th game, we have the privilege of watching Cole Hamels.

As a kid I was too young to really remember Steve Carlton. I saw him on the back-end of his career. He was a name, but I didn't know why. I'm 30 years old and really didn't start paying attention to the Phillies or baseball until the 1986, when I was 10. In that year, Carlton was 9-14 with a 5.10 ERA, while playing for 3 different teams. Not quite the Steve Carlton some of my elders would remember.

But lucky for me, the Phillies have another pitcher with the ability to put up numbers similar to Lefty's in Cole Hamels.

When Schilling was pitching with us, it was a game worth watching every 5th day. Cole Hamels brings that same feeling.

Tonight Cole Hamels enters the game with a 13-5 record, 3.46 ERA and 150 strikeouts. With some luck, he'll hit 200 Ks in his first "full" season in the bigs.

I look forward to many years of games worth watching, every 5th day.

It's also yet another year where the Phillies will be playing "games worth watching" through September. Sure that's nice to continuously be in the hunt, but let's make the playoffs. Let's not accept mediocrity anymore. This might be the team that has enough passion to overcome the inept management.

PS - Chase Utley began light tossing. And Shane Victorino exited a rehab game with tightness in his calf. The Phils are holding steady, 4 games behing the Mets in the East, and 1 game behind the Padres for the wild card. Hang in there guys. You have Cole Hamels every 5th day.

#756

There isn't anything to write here that hasn't been written before. We're all familiar with stigma that will forever cloud the number 756. There are many, I'm sure, who will refuse to acknowledge this accomplishment. Many who say they don't care. There are plenty who believe that #756 should come with a caveat, an asterisk or a footnote.

Say what you will. Believe what you'd like. But trust that Barry Bonds is indeed one of the greatest ball players you have ever seen. Period. In an era where every time you turn around Bonds' contemporaries are joining him in the ranks of baseball's elite. Sosa with 600 homeruns. Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and A-Rod with 500. Thome, Ramirez and Sheffield right behind them.... Bonds, despite the controversy has outshined all of them.

My hat goes off to Barry Bonds. Congratulations.

That said....

Taking nothing away from Hank Aaron and all that he has accomplished, I can't help but think that a part of him has just died. A part of baseball lore has just been overshadowed by a new kind of story. A story filled with controversy, conflict, "clear" cream, and complaints.

The story of the good guy, overcoming adversity and fear to dethrone a not-soon-forgotten and beloved hero is no longer at the fore front. Instead, it is the story of the villain stealing the kingdom from the beloved King. A new King who will live in infamy as someone to be feared, admired and revered all in the same breath.

Despite all of this, there is one thing that can be said about the character of Barry Bonds, and that is his ability to persevere. Yes, Aaron's homerun chase came at a time when a black man was less accepted in society. A time when race riots were still common place. A time when men like Martin Luther King were needed to inform the ignorant people of the world that blacks were just as capable. A time where in some places in the country, it was dangerous just to black. So I continuously applaud Hank Aaron for his bravery, perseverance and longevity. His legacy has not died in my mind. Unfortunately, his legacy will not be the same for our posterity. There is a part of Hank Aaron's legacy that has died tonight.

Fortunately, times have changed. Barry Bonds did not have the weight of an entire race on his back. Barry Bonds was not fearful of his life at visiting stadiums. (Well...maybe he was considering the receptions he would receive) Though Barry Bonds still persevered through all of the naysayers, the disbelievers, the unrelenting media, and the under-appreciative jury of public opinion. He had to deal with a stubborn commissioner, an indictment, and the cold shoulder of baseball fans and historians everywhere. But he has persevered.

In light of the controversy, his longevity in the game of baseball is incredible. He has played the game for 21 seasons. He has performed at a high level well after his 43rd birthday. He has consistently put up impressive numbers, year after year. In his 20 completed seasons to date he has averaged 41 homeruns, 108 RBIs, 121 runs and 28 stolen bases. All this while compiling a .299 career average.

You can't hit 756 homeruns, win 7 MVPs, 8 Gold Gloves, appear in 14 All-Star games, win 2 batting titles, steal 500 bases, collect nearly 3,000 hits, and win Rookie of the Year on performance enhancing drugs alone. Barry Bonds is an excellent baseball player. Period.