The Phillies Chronicles

2009-08-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

No Offense, No Win

2007-10-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so we scored 5 runs. Big deal. Four of those runs came from the NL MVP Jimmy Rollins.

Yesterday's problem was the top 4... and I give them all the credit in the world for stepping up today.

Rollins was 2 for 5, with a run and 4 RBIs.
Utley got 2 late inning hits, though I would trade both for a more timely one.
And Howard had 2 hits including a homerun, though he did leave 3 men on base.
Finally, Victorino came through in a PH role and produced a run with a single and a SB/E-2. He was eventually knocked in by a Rollins ground out.

So the "superstars" kind of answered the call today. But the offense stopped there.

Nobody Hits, woohoo!

If you combine the totals from the rest of the team you'll see the numbers are pathetic. Excluding the aforementioned Rollins, Utley, Howard and Victorino, the team was 2 for 20. Burrell, Helms, Werth and Iguchi all managed walks, but that was it.

I'm not saying the offense is the only thing to blame for this loss. Our bullpen is exposed, though they've been exposed all year. But I am saying that our offense is not clicking on all cylinders which can lead to a laugher like this one.

The decision to pull Kendrick in the 4th with the bases loaded is easy to criticize because Lohse was beat deep by Matsui who is not a homerun hitter. Had he gotten him out, it would be a different ball game. Now I'm not a genius, but Matsui, being a contact hitter enjoys balls low and probably can't catch up to the high fastballs, otherwise he'd have more homers. So instead of pitching him up, Lohse gives him a low strike to hit. I'm just sayin'...

And then there's Mesa. Enough said... the ball game was over when Mesa came in and starting walking guys and giving up doubles, that's never a good sign.

We've a tough road ahead having to pull off 3 in a row... It's not impossible, but it sure is daunting.

I'll leave you wall with a song. Sung to the tune Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry", hopefully this will bring back some recollection of what we used to have and bring us some good karma from this regular season.

"No, Offense, No Win"

Said - said - said: I remember when we used to score
At Citizen's Bank Park in Philly,
Ob - observing the hot sticks
As they would mesh with the good defense we'd play.
Good games we won, oh, good games we've lost
Along the way.
In this great game, you cant forget your bats;
So dry your tears, I say.

No, offense, no win;
No, offense, no win.
Oh, little Phils fan, don't shed no tears:
No, offense, no win.

PS - I like our chances with Jaime Moyer. It takes a crafty, veteran with off-speed stuff to slow down hot bats. We'll just need to sacrifice a chicken to get our going.

Phils Superstars are Superduds in Game 1

2007-10-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

When the top 4 players in your lineup go a combined 0 for 15 with 9 strikeouts, you're not going to win many games.

The bottom line is, that the triumvirate of Rollins, Utley and Howard, who make up arguably the best infield in the league, did not perform. We'll let Victorino off the hook for now, because he has been out for some time, and let's face it...he's not on the same level as the other three.

There is no doubt that Rollins, Utley and Howard were the 3 biggest reasons we made the playoffs in the first place, but when you get there they have to perform. I'm not mad at them, I'm just analyzing the game and their failure this afternoon is the biggest reason for the loss.

Consider these numbers:

Rollins: 0 for 3, 1K

Victorino: 0 for 4, 1K

Utley: 0 for 4, 4Ks (ouch!)

Howard: 0 for 4, 3Ks

Total: 0 for 15, 9 Ks

If you have any other reason for losing that game... you're wrong!

On the pitching side, thanks to his long sleeve shirt, Hamels had one bad inning and then was lights out, retiring 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. He pitched well enough to win. Too often it seems like Hamels falters for an inning early in the game and then settles down, only to have that early inning haunt him. Maybe he doesn't warm-up enough in the pen before the game. Maybe he needs some of the pressure of pitching perfectly taken off his shoulder. I don't know. He pitches well enough in all the other innings to warrant his praise. He's pretty damn good.

It's not a good thing when you lose a game at home in a shortened series. Now we have to win 3 out of 4... for some reason, even with the Phillies late season push, it seems daunting. It will seem a lot easier if we can get the first one under our belt. It won't be as hard as Uncle Charlie trying to get all his fat under his belt...

Tomorrow's match up brings together two rookies. Kyle Kendrick vs. Franklin Morales. Of the 2 Kendrick has a lot more experience. Morales has only pitched in 8 games this year for a combined 39.1 innings of major league experience. Another stat in our favor is that Kendrick is 7-1 at home with a 3.76 ERA. It will be a contest of who will blink first, my guess is Morales. Kendrick is consistently credited with being calm and even-keeled regardless of the situation, and after a few first inning playoff jitters, I've no reason to believe that tomorrow will be any different. We'll jump on Morales early, wake up our superstars and win one handily.

We're In! - The Wait is Over, the Phillies Make the Playoffs

2007-09-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

After 14 grueling seasons, the 2007 Phillies have done what no other Phillies team since 1993 has done... they've made the playoffs. They sealed the deal to day with a 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

When playoff time comes there are some intangibles that make up for a lack of talent. In our case, that lack is on the pitching side, but the intangible additions are momentum and heart. The never say die attitude exemplified by this team, personifies the Philadelphia fan and enables the 10th man to be a difference maker in close games.

And as a proud member of that 10th man, I want to say thank you to all of the Phillies' players who have made this roller coaster season an exciting ride.

As the 10th man filed in, I got a sense of nostalgia. This is why we complain, this is why we cheer, this is why why we are fans. I then noticed that our Suite was sandwiched between the banners of Jimmy Rollins and Jaime Moyer. Not a bad place to be. Moyer and Rollins were two of the biggest reasons we were able to win this game and move into the playoffs.

From the beginning the place was electric. Even before the national anthem the crowd was put into a frenzy when it was announced that the Florida Marlins had scored 4 runs on the Mets in the first inning. The Marlins ended up scoring 7 runs before the inning was over making for a very loose crowd, knowing that the worst case scenario would be a one game playoff.

But a gutsy outing by Jaime Moyer, another MVP caliber performance by Jimmy Rollins and an exclamation point homerun by Ryan Howard, made sure that the NL East would be ours today.
I had kept a lot of notes to discuss in the blog on a scorecard, but I have misplaced it. I'm a little upset for nostalgic reasons, because I have a feeling I dropped it on the way out of the stadium hauling all of the leftover food out of the Suite.

But staying late and enjoying the celebration was worth it. The party inside the locker room was showed on the Phanavision which gave an excellent look into the personality of the players. We stayed after for another hour. Eventually the players came back out and thanked the fans, took a trip around the field and doused the fans with beer, champagne, jerseys and water from the field hose.

The celebration continued driving back home via Broad Street where the fans flocked to the streets join in the festivities. With my rally towel in one hand and my car horn in the other I was a very happy man soaking in the Philadelphia passion. The entire experience was priceless. To me, this is more rewarding than the '93 team because of the excitement at the end. As opposed to waiting for the playoffs to begin, this team had to fight until the final game to get in. And this momentum is what will make them "the team to beat" in the playoffs.

"We're the Team to Beat!"

2007-09-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the 2007 National League East Champion Philadelphia Phillies!

If there is anything in sports that can help a team win besides talent, it's momentum and heart. And this team has both.

I'm too busy enjoying this victory and preparing for the Eagles game to concentrate on writing anything now... but I have a lot of notes from the game. I was there and it was electric from the beginning.

Go Phillies!

Cole Hamels Pitches Phils to First Place... Alone

2007-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Rollins draws first blood again. It wasn't in the first inning this time, but boy was it timely.

Being there in person makes it very vivid. Let me set the scene.

Top of the 4th. Cole Hamels had just settled in after struggling a bit in the second inning giving up 3 hits but being bailed out by forcing a double play to end the inning. The 3rd inning Cole began to find his groove with 2 strikeouts, but really hit stride by striking out the side in the top of 4th, priming the fans for what was coming in the bottom of the 5th.

Greg Dobbs singled to lead off the 5th. Ruiz followed him by being beaned in the hand. 1st and 2nd, nobody out, Cole Hamels is up.

Hamels lays down a perfect bunt moving the runners to 2nd and 3rd. This is where it gets fun. Amidst twirling rally towels and "M-V-P" chants, Rollins confidently stepped up to the plate and lived up to his new moniker by smacking the first pitch up the middle scoring both Dobbs and Ruiz. Proving once again why he is so important to this ball club. He scores 'em and drives 'em in. How many other lead off men do you know with 93 RBIs?

Rollins, however can not over shadow the superb pitching performance of Cole Hamels. Hamels' only trouble came in the second inning (mentioned above). After the second inning, Cole Hamels recorded 13 Ks through the next 6 innings. In other words of the 18 outs recorded from the 3rd inning through the 8th, only 5 were not Strikeouts. That is impressive. Hamels struck ou the side in the 4th and 6th, including 5 in a row from the 3rd through the 5th. Cole Hamels was doing his best Cole Hamels impression tonight. And despite a Ryan Howard homerun a Chase Utley RBI double, an excellent catch by Aaron Rowand and a two run single by Rollins, he is without a doubt the MVP of this game.

8 inning pitched, 6 hits, 0 Runs, 13 Ks, 1 BB - and 1 bullpen pitcher used. Meaning , our pen will be well rested for the weekend games, and more importantly for tomorrow's game when Adam Eaton is scheduled to pitch. So Manuel should have a short leash tomorrow with Eaton and all the bullpen stooges.

Oh, and in case you live in a box and only have access to the Phillies game through a transistor radio, the Mets lost.

Phils lead the East by 1 game with 2 to play. That sounds pretty good doesn't it? I have tickets to Sunday's game as well, here's to happy times.

Pic below is my wife and I at tonight's game. (Isn't she beautiful?) She made me take this same picture 6 or 7 times until she was satisfied with the results. I'd be happy to post all them by request.

PS - He said it not me...

"It's embarrassing. It's pretty pathetic." - David Wright on the Mets' "Colossal Collapse"

"Do we smell it? Yeah, of course we smell it." - Charlie Manuel

First Blood Leads to First Place

2007-09-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino helped the Phils draw First Blood to set the tone for the rest of tonight's contest.

Rollins continued his MVP caliber play leading off the game with a single. Dejavu, considering he led off last night's game with a triple and joined the 30/30 club the night before by leading off that game with homerun. That kind of spark, speaks volumes.

Drawing First Blood is what makes Jimmy Rollins the National League MVP.

What might be overlooked tonight is the kool, kalm and kollected play of Kyle Kendrick. K2 earned his 10th win of the season, pitching 6 solid innings, the first 5 of which were scoreless.

And after 2 homeruns by Howard and Burrell, 6 runs scored (1 each by the first 6 batters), and over 40,000 rally towels, the dust settled and the Phillies ended up in first place. Thanks in large part to our continuous winning and the Mets continuous losing.

The Phillies are in first place. I will sleep well tonight.

PS - I have tickets to tomorrow night's game and Sunday's game. It should be a fun weekend.

Die Another Day: Lohse and Rollins Spark Phils

2007-09-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

With the result of the Mets' game still in the balance, the Figtin' Phils have done their part in staying in the hunt, and getting back on the winning track.

Once again, Jimmy Rollins started things off with a bang. Not since Lenny Dykstra has someone at the top of the Phillies' lineup meant so much to the success of this club.

Yesterday, Rollins led off with a homerun. Today, it was a triple. We'd score several more times in subsequent innings on a Chipper Jones miscue and again on a clutch pinch hit homerun by Shane Victorino.

"But the big story tonight..." to borrow a line from Philly's own Jim Gardner, was the pitching prowess of Kyle Lohse. Lohse was nothing short of solid pitching 7 full and giving up only a 2-run homerun in the 4th. Since acquiring him several months ago, the Phils are 6-0 behind Lohse. I think he's pitched well enough to warrant a contract for next year. But we'll worry about that later.

7 innings, 6 hits, 5 Ks, 0 BB and 2 ER.

Today was as close to a must win as we've had this season. This was undoubtedly the most important game of the season and the Phils responded. Even the bullpen played well.

As I write this Nats have a 7-6 lead over the Mets in the 7th, meaning the Phils may wake up tomorrow down 1 game in the East. The Padres play later, but will definitely be feeling the pressure from the Phils' victory.

Great match-up tomorrow: Smoltz, 9-4, 2.96 vs. Kyle Kendrick, 9-4, 3.83.

Stay tuned Phils fans, there is more to come.

Die another Day.

This Is It! - Phillies Phate is in their the Phinal Games

2007-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

These are kind of games you want to have. These are the games that turn young boys into fans for life and turn old men into young boys.

Baseball teams play 162 games with the hopes that many of them will be meaningful. The better you play, the more meaningful games you have.

The Phillies have played well enough for their last 6 games to be meaningful. They enter the last 6 game tied for the Wild Card lead with the San Diego Padres, who, by the way just lost one of their star players Milton Bradley when he injured himself in an argument with the ump. Believe it. It's true.

Fortunately for the Phillies these games are at home, where it will undoubtedly be a near packed house with a playoff atmosphere. I could sense the excitement on my drive home on 76 East, as there was more traffic than normal and plenty of Phillies red in the bumper to bumper to traffic.

So if you drove to the game from Warminster or Wilmington. Or your watching at home in Newtown or Old City, rest assured that these Phillies will give you a fight. They've scratched and clawed the entire year. They've put up numbers and brought down the house. And whether you're a rabid fan, or simply dressed like a rabbit, you have 6 more meaningful games.

So sit back, or sit on the edge of your seat. No matter how you watch it, if you're a Phillies fan, you can't ask for anything better.

Go Phils!

The Fightin' Phils Live Up to there Name

2007-09-18T20:26:00.001-07:00

While most Philadelphia sports fans were busy yelling at the television, wondering why Brian Westbrook was not being used more often, the Phillies were busy creating some telle-yellers of their own.

Had you been watching the Phillies instead of the Eagles, you too were probably yelling at the television wondering how on earth the Philles could blow an 11-run lead.

I was the former. I did however hear about the disaster and tuned in with the Fightin's leading 12-11.

And now, down the stretch the Phillies are ready to strike. Fresh off another sweep of the Mets, the re-rejuvinated Phils are again clawing and scratching their way back. They're fighters.

And they'll be in this thing until the end.

They hit St. Louis at the right time, where it seems like the Cards can't even buy a win.

Currently the Phils are in the 13th inning fighting out another with the Cards. A win tonight would move the Phils within 1.5 games of the Mets. Surpisingly the Phils' offense is dormant today, while their bullpen has been stellar. I will stay up and watch the end of this one, but I do want to close this blog.

Go Phils!

PS - Cole Hamels only went 3 inning in his first gamem back from the DL. In those 3 innings Cole gave up 3 runs and 5 hits.

Brett Myers Has Dug Himself A Hole

2007-09-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

First it was the stadium's fault that he was giving up homeruns, er uh, "pop-ups". And he was so frustrated by his inadequacies on the mound he took it out on a reporter.

http://www.kyw1060.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=968148

Now he's blaming his fielders or just bad luck, I can't tell which. He was saying something about how he was making good pitches. If they were bad pitches they would have been hit harder. Sure, there is something to be said for texas leaguers, dying quails, flares and seeing-eye-singles, the bottom line is you gave up 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings. That's not good. Take the blame, swallow your pride and pitch better next timie.

Never has it crossed his mind that perhaps he has a 5.09 ERA is because he's not making good pitches.

Bretty Myers needs to learn that sometimes it might be his fault. I don't think this fan base is going to embrace him like they once did. It all started with the incident with his wife, and since then he's continued to dig himself deeper and deeper.

The Phillies Bizarro World

2007-09-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Phillies 4-game sweep of the Mets has virtually been erased with 3 straight losses to the Marlins and Braves. All of last week's hype is once again old news to the Philadelphia fairweather fan.

On the present Phillies front there is nothing new to report, which brings me to the Phillies past.
Let's take a step back in-time to 1993, (Darren Daulton can actually do this through astral travel, but we'll get to the bottom of this shortly).

The 1993 Phillies were a motley crew to say the least. That team definitely had its share of characters. Dave Hollins with his dual personalities. John Kruk and his legendary sense of humor. Danny Jackson, Mitch Williams, Curt Schilling, Pete Incaviglia, Jim Eisenreich and of course Lenny Dykstra and his Holding down the fort of all these characters was Darren Daulton. To many of us, Dutch was the sane leader of all of these lunatics.

Now the tides have changed. Dutch is now the lunatic. And in another ironic twist, Lenny Dykstra, who was arguably the King of the Idiots is now giving stock advice next to Jim Kramer on TheStreet.com. And I do say this with all due respect to The Dudes' superb effort on the field. He was, is, and always will be my favorite Phillie.

Dykstra giving stock advice and Darren Daulton being off his rocker seems like a paradox.

Dykstra believes the Microsoft (MSFT) is a good bye.
Daulton believes he can talk to lizards.

To be fair, I'll allow Daulton to explain himself.

"I started experiencing these different realms, these different planes of
existence ... I know exactly what I'm capable of doing. ... People talk about
speaking with lizards and stuff. You can communicate with anyone, with nature,
that's all that happened there. To me, that's not a big deal now. I like to
astal travel, teleport, travel through time ... December 24, 2012, by the way,
that's the number. As seven billion people, the world will rise to another level
of consciousness. I don't have all the answers."

Daulton has gotten away with a lot. He was a marginal player for nearly 10 years, and somehow managed to stick around long enough, to earn himself a whopper of a contract. He did have several years where he was the best catcher in the national league, but as players go, he is grossly overrated.

And now that Dykstra is giving stock advice to high-income investors, perhaps his cognitive capacity was grossly under-rated.

If nothing else, The Dude and Dutch are full of surprises.

If they're really smart, Daulton and Dykstra team up and astral travel back in time to purchase pre-IPO stocks and make millions.

For more about Daulton's view on other dimension, go to DarrenDaulton.com and buy his book "If they Only Knew".

For more on Dykstra's investment advice, go to TheStreet.com.

Phils Sweep the Mets

2007-08-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-08-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

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.

Did the White Sox Do Us a Favor?: Welcome "Gooch"

2007-07-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

I'm impressed in the quick turnaround in finding a replacement for the injured Chase Utley. I'm impressed that it is a legitimate major league starter and not a glorified minor leaguer. We have, Tadahito Iguchi, who is suitable. Obviously, you can't replace Chase Utley. Unless ofcourse, we get Rogers Hornsby, Joe Morgan or Jeff Kent in his prime.

But I can't help but think that the Whitesox were doing us a favor.

The story goes that the Sox were looking to give a young rook more playing time and looking to dump salary. But I don't buy it. I really think the Sox felt a little guilty about the Freddy Garcia deal. They knowingly pulled a fast one on us in dealing a less-than-perfect Garcia, not to mention the lopsided deal we gave them in the Thome deal when we needed to make room for Howard. Granted we did get Aaron Rowan in the deal, but lets face it... Thome for a bunch of guys was like trading Charles Barkley for Jeff Hornacek, some scrubs and guy named West.

The bottom line is the Phillies proved that they don't want to die. They replaced Utley with someone who could help us. We're still going to give it a shot. That says something. Though I have a feeling this is the biggest deal we'll see as the deadline approaches.

UTLEY UPDATE - The Utley injury doesn't seem as gruesome as it once did. What was once 6-8 weeks has now turned into a possilbe 4 week stint. All the doctors on the radio are saying that a bone takes about 3 weeks to heal. From there, you have to take into account grip strenth, pain tolerance, and how well the bone has healed. Utley had surgery yesterday. Given his good health and his high tolerance for pain, he might just pull a Terrell Owens and be ready weeks before the Average Joe. I think we all know Utley is not the Average Joe. So send your get well cards to the Philliies c/o Chase Utley, and hope that Kendrick and Durbin are man enough to step up and perform.

PS - Last year Iguchi hit .281 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs, in 138 games. They are not Utley numbers, but serviceable nonetheless.

Phillies Lose Utley; Playoff Hopes are Dim

2007-07-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Is it just coincidence that a day after the virtual ending of the Phillies season, marked by the loss of Chase Utley to a broken hand, starts the beginning of the Eagles' season?

We can now take our focus away from the guys in red and concentrate on our men in green. Sure we can still check the box score, or watch Comcast sports night to see how far Howard's latest bomb went, or even tune in for the entire game when "The Man" Cole Hamels is pitching... but we won't have to allocate 100% of our passion on the Phils anymore. Their season is done. They've lost their most consistent player in Chase Utley who was putting up MVP type of numbers.

We can now turn our attention the Eagles training camp which starts tomorrow. Tune into my Eagles Blog, to see all of my thoughts on the Birds.

One thing that is going to upset me about Chase Utley's injury... is not the fact that I'm thinking about what could have been. Or not that Chase could have set a record for RBI's as a second basemen, or was on pace for an amazing 60 doubles. But what will upset me the most is now, when the Phillies don't make the playoffs, the Phillies management will use the Chase Utley injury as an excuse. Another excuse as to why the team failed and that our team was good enough. But let's face it. As well as we've been playing lately, and as much as we know in recent years that this is a second half team, we realists can understand the Phillies are a tease and were not going to make the playoffs.

This will now serve as another excuse to leave Charlie Manuel around. Another excuse for Dave Montgomery to use when he's asked about not spending money. And another excuse that Pat Gillick will use about not having the tools to work with.

PS - I don't know what you've heard... and I didn't see the game. But I don't think the kid Hannan was intentionally trying to hit Utley or Howard. He had Utley down 0-2, and was still in a winnable ball game making his major league debut. Howard was hit on the first pitch. But immediately after hitting Utley, why would you then throw at Howard? I can't imagine Ryan Howard showboating after a homerun, or doing anything that would warrant a bean ball. And I can't blame the Nats manager for getting tossed for defending his pitcher. Good work.

Chico and The Man

2007-07-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

It is only fitting that Cole Hamels pitches on Cole Hamels Bobble Head night. The last time the Phillies gave away a bobble head, it wasn't a bobble head but rather a hula dancing Shane Victorino. On that night, Shane Victorino hit the game winning walk off homerun in the 9th.

If Cole Hamels hits the game winning homerun in the 9th tonight, then it will be a game for the ages. But we're not expecting Cole to do that. We're hoping he's not hitting in the 9th.

Tonight's starters were Matt Chico and The Man, Cole Hamels. Chico is 0-5 on the road this year, while The Man is 10-2 at home in his career (6-2 this year). Things look good for The Man.

After pitching a gem and losing 1-0 in his last outing, I think Hamels needs to come out and just pitch well. Our offense is working on all cylinders right now, and we'll only need to score a few to give Hamels (The Man) some room to work with.

It's nice to see the Phillies put another streak together. This team is too good not to make a run. We have too much offense to continue to lose. Many think we're a few pitchers away from being a legitimate contender.... and with the trade deadline, coming the Phils still haven't made a move, and we're still not sure whether they are going to be buyers or sellers.

My thoughts, are that we do nothing (i know... that stinks doesn't it)... do nothing... offer Rowand the money he deserves, take the money we'll save by getting rid of Lieber, Garcia and Burrell and sign every top tier pitcher we can get our hands on. We won't fold the season right now, but we can play the odds and keep this nucleus and use the offseason to build on it.

Pessimist vs. Optimist: Phillies Mid-Season Report

2007-07-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

At 44-44 the Phillies have done a fine job of staying even. Depending on whether you are a half-empty or half-full kind of person, will influence your feelings on how this season has turned out thus far.

The Optimist would say that the Phillies lead the National League in runs scored with 456 (26 in front of the second place Brewers).

The pessimist would say our 4.91 ERA, which is last in the national league would even that out... and it does.

The optimist would say, our pitchers are hurt, and the slop we're throwing on the field is expected to have close to a 5 ERA.

The pessimist would say, the organization knew the bullpen was "exposed" and any injury would set them back.

The optimist would say that a 44-44 record is good considering the injuries to Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Tom Gordon, Brett Myers and Ryan Howard.

The pessimist would say that the Phillies are much better than 44-44 on paper and are under performing.

The optimist would say that the Phillies are a second half team and are bound to make the playoffs one of these years.

The pessimist would say that the playoffs won't happen under this organization, because they settle more mediocrity.

The optimist would say that we'll dump the salary of Lieber, Garcia and Burrell in the off-season, freeing up money to sign some pitching.

The pessimist would say we've never signed a decent pitcher.

The optimist would say there's a lot of baseball left to play.

The pessimist would say, 15 days until Eagles training camp.

I'm on the fence..... E-A-G-L-E-S.... EAGLES!!!

Ricky Jordan

2007-07-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but Ricky Jordan will always have a place in my heart. He is just one of those Phillies players I took a liking to as a kid.

We mimicked his unmistakable, unorthodox batting stance when playing wiffle ball. His stance was a little open, with his arms in the air, waving the bat ever so slightly. (kind of like Kruk) You might think a stance like this would be easy to find a weakness, considering the distance the bat head would have to travel to make contact.... but he, like Kruk was always known for having a good bat. Unfortunately Jordan was often hurt and never truly had a shot to be the Phils everyday first baseman for more than one season. In that season he batted .285 with 12 HRs and 75 RBIs... that's pretty good production... that's Rico Brogna production.

Aaaahh.. there was a short time when all Phillies fans let out a sigh of relief and thought that Ricky Jordan and Ron Jones would lead us to the promised land... but it was not meant to be.

I can also recall Jordan always chewing bubble gum and would often do so open mouthed. When in the field this gum chewing would cause his temples to move unlike any other ballplayer.

I think we all remember the homerun in his first official at bat followed by his excellent rookie season. To this day, I still think he should have won rookie of the year over Chris Sabo. Consider these numbers.

Sabo - 538 ABs, 11 HRs, 44 RBIs, .271 avg., 46 SBs

Jordan - 273 ABs, 11 HR, 43 RBIs, .308 avg, 41 Runs

Granted, Ricky Jordan didn't have 46 stolen bases, but he did have the same amount of homeruns and RBIs with half as many at bats... that has to count for something.

Cheers to Ricky Jordan who seems to be happy and healthy living with his family in California. The Phillies website posted a good story about him....

Congratulations to our Phillies' All-Stars!

2007-07-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

The 2007 season was one that started with a lot of optimism. Not since the signing of Jim Thome has the city been so excited about the boys in red and white. And for good reason.

The end of the 2006 season brought many positives to the franchise. The Bobby Abreu trade seemed to bring new life to the Phillies as they nearly played their way into a playoff spot.

The offensive prowess of the middle infielders (Utley and Jimmy Rollins), and the amazing play of the National League MVP Ryan Howard was enough to give you goosebumps... but wait... there's more.

The off season brought in 17 game winner Freddy Garcia... we resigned veteran Jaime Moyer who helped lead us in August and September. The Phils added proven starter Adam Eaton and seem to have a logjam in the starting rotation... so much that many were calling to trade some of the excess.

Cole Hamels' rookie performance was good enough to impress even the most fair weather of all Phillies fans.

We were "the team to beat" in the National League... or so Jimmy Rollins would have us believe.

Unfortunately, things happen. Injuries happen. Slumps happen. Bad trades happen. Barajas happens. And when things happen, it throws plans out of whack... this is the story of the 2007 Philadelphia Phillies...

But... let's look at the bright side. We have 3 All-Stars. Congratulations to Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and Cole Hamels. With a nod to Jimmy Rollins, you all deserve to be there. I have no doubt that Utley, Howard and Hamels, will not be making All-Star break vacation plans for years to come. And Jimmy will make his appearances now and then....we're privileged to have all for of these guys on our side...

3 All-Stars is a good showing.... 4 would have been nice... but 3 is great.

Remember the days when the Phillies would have the obligatory, All-Star players? You know, because every team must be represented? That is when we had something to complain about.... when Kevin Gross and his efus pitch was our All-Star.

To make us feel a little better about our recent slide... let's remember some of those obligatory All-Stars... at least from my generation.... because I have no idea who Ken Raffensberger is!

1996 - Ricky Botallico

1990 - Lenny Dykstra

2003 - Randy Wolf

1997 - 1998 - and although well deserving.. Schilling was our lone representative.

1991 - John Kruk

2000 - Mike Lieberthal

Let's be thankful that we have a handful of perennial all-stars on our team and hope that the front office will surround this core with solid role players to do something with....

Congratulations to Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Aaron Rowand.

Phils Low on Pitching Options: Need to Trade

2007-07-02T05:05:00.001-07:00

With 29 days until the trading deadline, an unfortunate series versus the Mets and an ailing pitching staff the Phillies need to make a trade if they intend to contend until the end.

The Phillies have had 6 pitchers make their major league debuts this year. Here is the list of newcomers; J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick, Joe Bisenius, Zack Segovia, Michael Zagurski and Yoel Hernandez, all made their big-league debuts this season,

Additionally, the pitchers have just called up one Anderson Garcia, who will be the 7th big league debut on the mound this year for the Phillies. He will also be the 25th pitcher to pitch this year inching closer to the record of 27 different pitchers from the 2002 season.

The bottom line is... we need pitching help.

Rumors are circulating that some teams are interested in Pat Burrell. Undoubtedly, to deal Burrell the Phillies will have to pay part of his salary. Considering he makes $14 million, I would gladly deal him and pay up to $7 million this year and next to open up the roster spot. That $7 million could be used to bolster next year's starting rotation. Burrell could be dealt for pitching.

The recent play of Micheal Bourn will make this transition easier, not to mention add even more speed to the Phillies lineup. Rollins and Victorino at the top and Bourn at the bottom. Very nice.

Another option I would not put past the Phillies is the trading of Aaron Rowand. I was an advocate of keeping him on the team when the Phillies faithful were shouting for him to be traded. I pleaded with Gillick to give this club house leader and ultimate gamer a chance to prove his worth... and he has. He's even been selected to the NL All-Star team. He'll accompany the well deserved Chase Utley and Cole Hamels. But, with Rowand's recent success, it begs the question do we trade him for the future? If we were take advice from an old investment maxim of buy low and sell high, it would be the perfect time to put him on the block... and I wouldn't put it past Gillick... though as a guy who enjoys his play, I hope he sticks around and Gillick finds other options...

The recent call up of Chris Coste makes Rod Barajas expendable. And Coste's homerun on Friday makes you wonder what he's been doing in the minor leagues all this time, while Barajas flirts with Mendoza. The Cubs could use a catcher...

Given Pat Gillicks history, something will be done.

Its Official: Carlos Ruiz Has Earned It!!!

2007-06-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Carlos Ruiz has proven time and time again that he is not the future catcher of this ball club. He is the catcher of this ball club... NOW!

Carlos Ruiz's bases clearing double in the 4th inning of tonight's ballgame was enough to make me stop preparing for my wife's birthday and run to my computer to announce this news.

I have no idea why Rod Barajas still gets playing time. Every time Carlos Ruiz starts, he performs. He stole home tonight... that's the first time in 10 seasons a Phillie has stole home. (Scott Rolen was the last to do it in 1997).

Currently Ruiz is hitting, .273 with 6 HRs and 36 RBIs. And this has been done with Barajas stealing about 80 of his ABs... getting about 15 starts too many.

To Manuel's credit it appears as if he's getting it. It does seem like Ruiz has been playing more and resting less. Next year I expect Ruiz to play in 140 plus games. None of this 110/50 game split. Ruiz is our starter, Ruiz is a gamer...

Ruiz has earned it!

No ifs, ands or Barajas....

Larry Bowa Loses His Cool

2007-06-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

Warning: This video contains fowl language and ridiculous gestures.

Am I the only one who thinks this the kind of attitude we need in the clubhouse? Now I'm the first to say that every player is different and every player should be treated differently. Some respond to criticism, while others need to be coddled. Regardless, Larry Bowa bleeds baseball. And what's even better is that I'm convinced to this day, he still bleeds Phillies' red.

Sometimes a good manager is effective with a certain group of players. I think this current team is the perfect fit for someone like Bowa.

Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand, Brett Myers... a match made in heaven.

I'm hoping the Phillies don't make the playoffs this year just to get Fuqua Manuel out of here.

What do Jon Lieber, Robin Roberts and John Denny all have in common?

2007-06-24T07:53:00.001-07:00

Answer: They will never pitch for the Phillies again.

It appears as if the Phillies' pitching woes have just gotten that much worse. Is it too early to start thinking about Eagles' training camp... which by the way begins in 34 days.

Jon Leiber has hurt himself in a freak accident taking a mis-step after surrendering a single, which incidentally scored a run, bringing his June ERA to 6.66. That's not good karma. Let's burn his uniform, sacrifice a chicken, and hire clairvoyant to rid the Phillies of this awful curse.

It is quite possible that Jon Lieber will have season ending surgery and not pitch again this year. Here's a full report on Lieber's injury. With Freddy Garcia and Tom Gordon already on the DL, the Phillies' already thinning staff has just gotten that much thinner, kind of like Brett Myers' hairline. (see pic to the left)

Speaking of Brett Myers... will the Phillies ask him to return to the starting rotation? If that's the case, who is our closer?

Jamie Moyer has already volunteered to be part of a 4 man rotation. Which will allow Myers to stay in the pen. Moyer is a true gamer and is tough as nails. Jamie Moyer is 44 years old and he's still pitching deep into games and has arguably been our most consistent starter. (Hamels is his only competition, unfortunately)

So what are the Phillies to do? They've listed a whole lot of names from AA Reading, AAA Ottawa and haven't ruled out a trade. The Good Phight has a few of those suggestions. And even though Lieber was the most likely candidate to be traded... it was me, the prognosticator of all prognosticators that said something like this was bound to happen and it was a good thing to have 6 'quality' starters. (Please note, quality is used very loosely here.)

I've always thought the Phillies should have kept all 6 starters and used one in the bullpen. I had no idea it would turn out to be Myers, in a closer's role. Regardless. Our 6 starters has now dwindled down to 3.

I also pleaded with Pat Gillick on numerous occasions to keep Aaron Rowand. I think we're all glad he did.

But now, with the Phillies realistically in a position to make a move towards first place and make the playoffs. What doe Gillick do?

Is it time to try and get something for Pat Burrell? Do we now trade our beloved Aaron Rowand? Should we package a few of our young outfielders? I don't know. I'm not paid the big bucks to make these decisions. I'm a little worried that I'll be disappointed with what goes on... all we can do is wait and see.

Phillies Diary: Ben Rivera 1993

2007-06-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

Before they imploded the Vet, the Phillies staff were giving away a big box of things left by the players who were too busy or ashamed to come and clean out their lockers.... I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some diaries... and lucky for you, I will share them with you from time to time...

October 13, 1993

Dear Diary it's me Big Ben,

We just beat the Braves to go to the World Series!!!

I can't believe what's happening here. Our team has capitalized on our amazing April record and held on to make it to the playoffs. That's great news. It's the first time the Phillies have made the playoffs in 10 years. That's a long time.

And winning the NLCS was no picnic... but we showed the Braves who was boss. I think there run of making the playoffs 3 years in a row now is over.... no way they can reload again.... Pendleton, McGriff, Blauser, Lemke... they're all over the hill... and those pitchers they have, Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux...they're overrated... i was on their team at the beginning of last year....they'll be out of baseball in a few years.

Let's face it... it's the Phillies time to reign!!!

What's better is that even if we don't win this year... I have confidence we can be there again shortly... we have a pretty good hitting SS in Kevin Stocker... his move from AA Reading has been seamless. Mickey Morandini seems to have entrenched himself as an All-Star second baseman. That could be a good Double play combination for the next few years.

And don't even get me started with Kim Batiste... talk about a clutch hitter. Did you see that hit in Game 1 to beat the Braves? Amazing... we're grooming him to be the best pinch hitter in the game.

Our outfield has Wes Chaimberlain... who is still kind of young at 27 years old, man he has a gun and he has glimpses of power and when Eisenreich decides to retire, he'll fill his shoes nicely. Tony Longmire is primed to be a super-star and I think Pete Incaviglia appears to be back to his old form... we can expect 35 homers from him next year, no problem.

And Lenny Dykstra.. what can I say about Lenny Dykstra. The man is a machine. He takes such good care of his body. Have you see that animal in the weight room? Actually, I've never seen him in the weight room... he must have a gym at home... anyway... he takes such good care of himself, He'll play until he's 40. He led the league in walks, hits and runs....And that's nice to have at the top of the order.

Ricky Jordan will have a long career as a pinch hitter, and he's good insurance behind John Kruk, and he too will be weened to take over the starting job soon.

And though our pitching staff is kind of old with Mulholland and Jackson.... me and Schilling and Tommy Greene should hold down the fort for a few years. I won 13 games this year. There's a lot to be said about that... never mind my 5.02 ERA, this team will always put up runs to support me.

I here we have a pretty good 3rd base prospect playing down in Rookie Ball with Martinsville. The organization is really high on him, has a glove like Schmidt.... his name is Scott something... he probably won't pan out... but we won't need him. Dave Hollins will do just fine. His 24 homers this year, are just the beginning of what this guy can do... his intensity alone is responsible for 4 homeruns a year.

We're going to win the series this year and be in contention for the next few years, at least to win another. And I'm confident our farm team will continue to produce superstars like Ruben Amaro Jr. and Kevin Stocker...

Mitch Williams is looking better than ever he had 2 saves and 2 wins in the NLCS...Can't wait to beat the Blue Jays!

signed,

Big Ben Rivera

Cole Hamels is in good Company... Literally....

2007-06-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Cole Hamels had a Jon Lieber like outing tonight. Let's hope Jon Lieber has a Cole Hamels like outing in his next start.

Hamels did not look like himself, he looked like Hole Camels again... but again...he's only human. I'll take 9 wins to 3 losses from any pitcher, any time... He'll be back.

Hamels does have some problems. He gives up the long ball. Currently, he leads the league with 17 homers surrendered in 103.2 innings, which translates to approximately 1 homerun every 6 innings, or 1.5/9 innings.

Surely this is a bad sign, but consider the following statistics.

Pitchers Who Have Surrendered the Most Homeruns in their career... I have asterisks, next to the names of the Hall of Famers. He's got a lot of innings to pitch to get there, but he would definitely be in good company... Nice to see another Phillie who is the career leader in this category.

CAREEN HOME RUNS

Pitcher HR

Robin Roberts 505*
Ferguson Jenkins 484*
Phil Niekro 482*
Don Sutton 473*
Frank Tanana 448
Warren Spahn 434*
Bert Blyleven 430
Steve Carlton 414*
Gaylord Perry 399*
Jim Kaat 394
Jack Morris 389
Charlie Hough 383
Tom Seaver 380
Jim Hunter 374*
Jim Bunning 372*
Dennis Martinez 372
Dennis Eckersley 347*
Mickey Lolich 347
Luis Tiant 346

SEASON HOME RUNS

Pitcher Year HR

Bert Blyleven 1986 50
Jose Lima 2000 48
Robin Roberts 1956 46
Bert Blyleven 1987 46
Pedro Ramos 1957 43
Denny McLain 1966 42
Robin Roberts 1955 41
Phil Niekro 1979 41
Rick Helling 1999 41
Bill Gullickson 1987 40
Robin Roberts 1957 40
Ralph Terry 1962 40
Orlando Pena 1964 40
Phil Niekro 1970 40
Ferguson Jenkins 1979 40
Jack Morris 1986 40
Shawn Boskie 1996 40
Brad Radke 1996 40
Ramon Gritz 2002 40
COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

So what does this tell you? I'm not sure, but if Hamels is being compared to Left and Left and is 8th all time in most homeruns allowed, than Hamel's Achilles heal is alright by me.

And doesn't it also seem like Cole Hamels gives up a lot of first inning runs? I would pull the stats on runs per inning, but I'm pretty tired and am fending off sleep.

PS - Say hello to Cole Hamels' wife... Heidi, she was on the Survivor. I told you he was in good company....

B-B-B-B-Boyz II Men...

2007-06-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Boys to men... this appears to be the mantra of the most recent Phillies surge... Come Friday, we'll really be able to separate the men from the boys when the Phillies square off against a very strong Detroit Tigers team.

Incidentally, Friday night Philly's own Boyz II Men will be honored at the 4th Annual Sound of Philadelphia/Black Music Month, for their work in the community during a pre-game tribute. I'll be sure to show up early, grab a Schmitter and a Lager and watch the awards ceremony.

I will actually be in attendance Friday night... but not because Motown Philly is back again, (go...go...) doin' a little east coast swing. But because of the one and only Placido Polanco, and I'm taking my mother-in-laws husband, kind of my second step-dad to the ballpark for father's day. I convinced my wife it was a good idea for the four of us... and I'm happy because I get to see Polanco play.

Placido Polanco plays the game the way the game should be played. He's batting .344 this year and I've always said that he will win a batting title before his career is up. If he stays healthy. The biggest reason I'd say that is because he always puts the ball in play. He rarely strikes out... here are his statistics to date.

.343 BA, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 44 runs, 33 RBI, and he's only struck out 13 times in 251 ABs.

He's been known to get hurt a lot, which doesn't bode well for staying in a groove and staying consistent. If Polanco can stay healthy I see no reason why he wouldn't keep up his current pace.

I remember being at the Phils game, when my sister and I used to have the Sunday plan and Polanco had just hit a double... then he did something that I teach my ballplayers (I was a high school coach in Atlanta, and played in college, so I know what I"m talking about)... What he did was stand on second base, and look to see where all the outfielders were standing. What this does is gives him the ability to get a better jump on the ball based on his knowledge of the outfielder's placement. If he knows they're playing a right handed hitter to pull, and the center fielder is shading to left, then a ball hit in the gap in right center, will most likely get through and it allows him to score, as opposed to stopping at third if the ball is cut off. It seems simple, but you won't find anyone else doing that. I'm sure Dave Lopes teaches that...but it was refreshing to see.

If you're at the game... look for me.. .i'll be wearing a Phillies' hat, and rooting for Polanco... (and the Phils of course)

I'll keep you updated on Polanco's stats as the season progresses.

Come Friday... will the Phillies officially turn from boys to men, and take hold of this wacky NL East? Things are looking good... and all of a sudden the radio talk show hosts will jump back on the bandwagon and take back everything they've said about Gillick and Montgomery... they sure are fickle.

Open up and say aaaahhhh!!!

2007-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

aaahhhhh....

Relax for a day. The Phillies have done their job and handily taken 3 games from an underperforming White Sox club.

We can relax for at least a few hours knowing that the Phillies have helped themselves stay within 3 games of the division lead... 2 games if the Mets lose to the Dodgers tonight...

The rook looked decent in his debut. He kept them in the ball game and gave the offense a chance to win... and that is really all you need your pitcher to do.

I'm heading to the game on Friday night vs. the Tigers. Can't wait to see Placido again... what a player that guy is. It was a shame we couldn't find a place for him at 3rd base. I can't believe we opted for David Bell over Polanco.

That's More Like it... Eaton shuts down White Sox

2007-06-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

That's more like it... an easy, uneventful Phillies victory.

The delay in postings was because of our move to Philadelphia. We are now officially settled, and can re-start our lives in our beloved hometown....

Tonight was my first opportunity to watch a Phillies game front to back on Comcast. And boy, The Sarge is terrible... When reading about his boringness on other blogs, I didn't think it would be that bad... but it is... He has got to go. And they team him up with Chris Wheeler, who I think is in love with every major league baseball player.

Adam Eaton pitched very well. He pitched 7 strong innings, and it may have been 8, had he not been taken out for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th.

Eaton has managed 7 wins despite his 5.42 ERA. To me, someone with a lot of decisions, usually pitches well enough to stay in ball games and be carted out there every 5th day. Remember when Schilling used to win 15 and lose 13.... you have to be good lose 13 games. (And weren't we all rooting for Schill last week with his no hit bid... tough luck!!! It would have been neat to see Curt get a no-no.)

The Phils only managed 4 hits, though 3 of them were homers. Pat Burrell started things off with a long-slow-methodical swing which just so happen to make contact with an outside fastball... it left the park.

Ryan Howard hit a "second decker" to add some insurance. And finally Jimmy Rollins added his 11th homerun of the year, once again showing his power surprising power.

PS - Brett Meyers was throwing a little bit today (with his left hand). The good news is he's out and about and probably ready to start rehabbing. Where will Uncle Charlie put him? Alfonseca seems to be doing okay... and now that the Phils have Joe Table, do we still put Meyers in the closing role, or does he take Garcia's spot. One more time through the rotation before that decision is made, as the Phils have called up Kyle Kendrick, from Reading to pitch the last game agains Chicago. How fitting is it that he's a pitcher with 3 Ks ini his name. I'm a KK also, but I don't have that third K... and I'm not a major league pitcher.

PSS - The acquisition of Joe Table (aka Jose Mesa) begs the question... Is Ricky Botallico available?

The Phillies' Fab Four

2007-06-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

When you think of the Philadelphia Phillies, the first names that pop into your head are probably Howard, Utley and Rollins. Add to that, the best pitcher in the National League Cole Hamels.. and you've got yourself a pretty good core of great young players.

Today, The Fab Four forged forward flattening San Francisco, 5-2.

Hamels contributed greatly with a 5 hit, complete game posting his NL leading 8th victory. Rollins respectfully scored a run and recorded an RBI. Utley scored twice, and Howard hit in the clutch driving in 2.

Previously I mentioned that we would be saying the words Howard and Hamels an awful lot in the coming years. Today was no exception. Howard and Hamels helped hand homerun boy and his hackless teammates a big L.

But, Howard and Hamels.... need some help.

Phillies Offense... Like a Runaway Train

2007-06-01T19:12:00.001-07:00

The Phillies offense has managed exactly 5 hits in the last 18 innings.

Makes me think that something is missing. Oh that's right... offense. The offense is missing. (there was no pitching tonight either, but even if Eaton pitches a 1 run gem, we still lose).

The Phillies offense is on a runaway train. Wrong ticket on a one way track. It seems like we should be getting somewhere... somehow we're neither here nor there. And it has been going on like this for too long.

This Soul Asylum video makes me think the Phillies should have a spot in the video.

"Phillies Playoff Berth: Missing Since 1993"

Pathetic... enjoy the video..

The Future of Baseball

2007-05-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-26T21:40:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-05-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

"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....

2007-05-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-05-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

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'

2007-05-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-05-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

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.

Almost No-No...is Definite Yes-Yes.

2007-04-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Yes to Jaime Moyer and the Phillies. Yes to the great house my wife and I are going to be living in... Yes to the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. Yes, to an interview I have with the Constitution Center on Tuesday. Yes, to getting out of Atlanta and coming home...

A new day, a new hero... it was Jaime Moyer's turn to be the hero today. Holding the Marlins hit less through 7 and 2/3, Moyer recorded his 3rd win vs. 1 loss and holds an impressive 2.65 era.

The Phillies meet the Bravos for a 3 game series at The Ted. I live in Atlanta and will probably go to Wednesday's game with a buddy I met at the Eagles Bar this season. Yes, an Eagles bar in Atlanta... you won't believe it until you see it.. (The Best Bar on the Planet) I'm going to miss it dearly...

but...

my wife and I have just bid on an excellent house on St. Albans Street in Philadelphia's Graduate Hospital area... and if all works out.. then my new favorite bar will be the Ten Stone. It will be a 2 block walk. Yum. beer.

Are fingers are crossed...

Tom Gordon Ruined My Blog!

2007-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley came up big last night. Rollins' NL leading 9th homerun tied the game in the 8th.

Two batters later.... Utley connects on a solo shot extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Meanwhile, Rowand homored earlier in the game to record a hit in a league leading 15th straight game.

It appears to be turning into one of those stretches where there is a new hero every night.

On another note, Wes Helms, who is yet to go yard in pinstripes had an impressive 14 pitch at-bat in the 7th inning. It was a signal that the Phillies were not going to go down lightly. Here is the pitch sequence.

1. Foul
2. ball in the dirt
3. called strike high in the zone
4. foul
5. foul
6. foul
7. foul
8. foul
9. ball inside
10. ball high and inside
11. foul
12. foul
13. foul
14. in play, SINGLE to left field

An impressive sequence of pitches...

Wait.... Tom Gordon just ruined my blog entry... he just allowed the tying run to score on a double to left... Gordon now has 3 blown saves in 6 opportunities. Not good. I have a 7 AM flight tomorrow and I'd like to get some sleep... but now I have to stay up and will this team to win...

Bourn is leading off the 9th. He was used as a pinch runner for Burrell.

Bourn has walked, and now our hottest hitter, Aaron Rowand is at the plate. Let's sit back and see how Manuel plays small ball. Do you bunt a hot hitter? I would....

Base hit, Aaron Rowand!!! His 4th hit of the night puts the winning run at 2nd. NOW!!! Would be a good time to bunt.

Helms has a conference with Steve Smith, 3rd base coach. I'd bunt them over in this situation. Helms shows bunt and takes a ball.

Helms bunts the second pitch and the pitcher had no play. Bases loaded, nobody out. Carlos Ruiz, who has hit well this season, simply needs to lift it to the outfield.

Infield Single for Carlos Ruiz!!! Put this one in the win column for the Fightin' Phils!!!

Tom Gordon gets an undeserved win. He's got to go. We need to find relief. Good night.

You are the Weakest Link... Goodbye!

2007-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

It appears as if our reigning National League MVP is our weakest player. Our $900,000 baby is not holding up his end of the bargain. The new face of Major League Baseball is getting a lot of time to watch his friends run around the bases...

To date, Ryan Howard is the weakest of our eight everyday position player starters. His .213 average is nearly 70 points lower than our next worst starter.

Howard has to uncross his bats, to take off the hex... but I'm sure he knows that.

All in all, that's pretty impressive.

Granted, Chase Utley's 5 for 5 game tonight raised his average nearly 50 points, but it is still encouraging to look at our 7 starters without an MVP trophy and smile at their current averages.

Rollins - .295

Victorino - .282

Utley - .296

Burrell - .344

Helms - .290

Rowand - .365

Ruiz - .296

That kind of production is going to score some runs. It doesn't matter if we're hitting singles, doubles or homeruns, this offense is going to score runs.

This offense has finally woken up and is no longer relying on Jimmy Rollins to provide the pop. Burrell is still hitting. Rowand has a 13 game hitting streak. Utley has finally woken up, and Helms, Victorino and Ruiz are doing there jobs very well.

Now if we can just wake up our sleeping giant, Ryan Howard, we'll be in good shape and we'll be tough to beat. At this point though Ryan Howard is the least of our worries. He seems to be hitting a homerun now and then (he hit his 3rd tonight), he's still getting on base via the walk and is still finding ways to drive in runs... he's got 12 to date.

On another note....

Another strong outing by a Phillies starter. Lieber pitched well tonight. 6 innings (that's half a dozen, Jon), 2ER, 5Ks, 0 BBs and a victory.

Tomorrow night is Cole Hamels. This guy is a stud. Hamels is coming off a 15K performance and has pitched solid in every outing. His opponent, Shawn Hill has not let up more than 2 earned runs in any of his 4 previous starts. It should be a great game tomorrow. Two young arms. I'm looking forward to a pitcher's duel.

Skeeter at Driven to Center believes we'll continue our winning ways and end April at 13-12... it is definitely doable.

Inertia: A Body in Motion, Tends to Stay in Motion

2007-04-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

A simple physical science proof that states, a "body in motion continues moving in a straight line and at a constant speed, unless a force is applied to it. "

The Phillies took the moementum of last night's hit barrage and continued moving, despite the "force" of Nats starting pitcher Jason Bergman. The momentum hit a few bumps, and slowed down, but the lack of constant friction from Washington allowed the Phillies to continue on their straight line towards their fourth consecutive victory.

Helping to keep the team rolling was Aaron Rowand who through the first 3 innings had the team's only hit. Rowand also tied the game in the 7th with his 3rd homerun of the season.

AAron Rowand is hot... he's got a 12 game hitting streak, and is climbing out of the whole I had him in because of his pitch selection.

All Aboard the AA Train... Let's keep it rollin'...keep it in motion.

Adam Eaton is a Battler... Name that Phillies

2007-04-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

It appears as if the Phillies have finally shaken off their offseason dust and are nice and clean and ready to meet expectations.

Last night's torrid attack of 20 hits and 11 runs is a great way to start their first official winning streak. (3 in a row).

And despite his giving up 4 runs in 6 innings, I think you have to hand it to Adam Eaton for keeping his focus and settling down. It would be very easy for Eaton to let the Astros trade runs with the Phils, but that didn't happen. Eaton is a gamer.

I think that Adam Eaton will win a few games on determination alone. He proved last night that he is more than just a pitcher.

Eaton recorded his second hit of the season last night... he's batting .200 through 3 starts. Eaton also broke up a double play with a hard slide... and he allowed Jimmy Rollins to get a triple by getting a good read on the ball and hustling around to score. If that is any other pitcher, Rollins would be forced to halt and second for a double. Good job Eaton.

Eaton will probably be one of those guys that will get a lot of decisions. (12 wins 10 losses, something like that), because he's a battler who will do everything to keep his team in ballgames. Like he did last night.

It was nice to see every starter in the lineup with a hit... 5 phillies had 2 or more hits... 4 of them had 3 or more (Rollins, Victorino, Burrell and Helms)

Let's get some bug spray and fend off the Nats!

PS - In lieu of Rollins almost hitting for the cycle, it is interesting to note that the last Phillie to hit for he cycle was David Bell in 2004, and before that it was Gregg Jefferries in 1995)

Name that Phillie

Does anyone know which Phillie has hit for the cycle twice? (yes both in a Phillies uniform)

He's pictured to the right...

That's More Like it...

2007-04-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

I think we can all release a sigh of relief. The Phillies know how to win. They've proven they can win two in a row. In fact, in their last 10 games the Phillies are starting to be respectable...

5-5 in their last 10... 3-1 in their last 4.... and 2-0 in their last two... they've finally won 2 in a row.

Tucked within the nuances of these latest games, the Phillies have begun to show signs of life...

Cole Hamels has proven that he's a stud... 15 Ks is impressive...at any time. (He leads the Majors in Strikeouts)

Garcia got one of those things we've been waiting for him to get... a win.

Ryan Howard is finally starting to produce... he had 3 RBIs today. And Utley appears to have found his stroke, as his average is slowly rising... and he has quietly produced 10 doubles.

We're not that bad after all...

That's Philadelphia!!!

2007-04-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've had a pretty good day... here is what I did.

(This blog has very little to do with the Phillies, but it has a lot to do with Philadelphia... So please continue reading and find out why I'm so happy today!

I flew up from Atlanta yesterday morning to look at a house that my wife really liked. We both live in the ATL, where the fans are, shall we say, less rabid than the Philly faithful. Regardless, we're both Philadelphia natives (she from Radnor and I from Warminster) and are moving back home in June.

The last weekend she spent a few days with a realtor looking at houses in the city. And to make a long story short, she found one she likes. So, with her back at work, I figured I would take a few days off and come up to check out the place, and if I liked it as much as she did, then we'd make a bid... so we did.

Our big reason for moving home is the fact that our family is here. Family is important... but it is also because we missed Philadelphia. And after looking at the house yesterday and seeing the potential there, I spent today really taking in the city...

In addition to looking for a house, I too must look for work. I do have a backup plan set up and can do some web consulting work for a few months, but I really have a passion for US History. (see my website http://USHistorySite.com) I've been a teacher for 2 years, but I was previously a web designer and worked in a corporate environment.... and I want to find a job that allows me to teach and be around education while at the same time have the adult interaction and team environment you'd find in corporate America... the solution... work at the Constitution Center. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one... I'd love to work in Old City.

Through my network of friends I've found an in at the Constitution Center and I spoke with that 'in' today. After speaking with him I really took in the sights and sounds of Philadelphia... something I truly missed.

I must have spent ten minutes standing between 5th and 6th on Market street with a huge smile on my face staring at Independence Hall. I watched the archaeologists dig where the President's House used to be... I listened in on a few tours... I talked to a woman in Colonial garb about the Presidents house and informed her that there was never actually a picture of the house taken and the only sketches they have of it were from memory... so they don't really know what it looked like. Additionally, the city of Philadelphia hastily built a bathroom at that spot in the 1950s when they were revamping Independence Mall. (this is all knowledge I gained while interning at the Independence National Park, which is actually different from The Constitution Center, but they sometimes work together. You can see the work I did there... here... It's a webquest I helped design.)

With a huge smile on my face, I look left at the Wachovia building at 5th and Market... That's where my dad worked for 37 years. He worked for one company... though it had many different names... Philadelphia National Bank (PNB), CoreStates, First Union and finally, Wachovia.

I head passed the liberty bell in front of Independence Hall and a smile while truly appreciating the debate and deliberation that took place in that building... I double back passed the horse and carriage pickup, and I jay walk (ssshhh!) right towards the Bourse. I stop to see the Rocky display they have in the display outside... and then I head straight to Bain's Deli and order a corned beef special. The girl behind the counter asks me if I want rye bread. Of course I want rye-bread.. and pickles on the side. The sandwich was excellent... I was trying to engulf myself in the Philadelphia culture that I missed.. the culture I will soon have when my wife and I are living in our new neighborhood... University Hospital/Rittenhouse.... We can't wait...

...then the girl who rings me up, is a nice looking jewish girl (my father's jewish, which makes me half jewish... we celebrated al the holidays, and I feel we're evolved enough to be able to call a girl jewish by the way she looks without having to hear about it... right?) So the jewish girl behind the counter, who had super long fingernails and a big nose...which i enjoy by the way, I have a thing for noses... though my wife doesn't have a big nose... anyway.. then the girl behind the counter calls me 'hon'... Yes! You don't get that in Atlanta...

That's Philadelphia!!! Ordering a Corned Beef Special from a jewish girl with long fingernails who just called you "Hon"... 100 yards away from the spot where Thomas Jefferson and Company wrote the most important document in our Nation's history.... That's Philadelphia!

I even drove home via Broad Street so that I could see Temple. That's Philadelphia!

I stopped in to see my grandmother in Jenkintown...and then it was home to Warminster! That's Philadelphia!

Then the Phillies win... but the radio callers are still complaining (as they should)... That's Philadelphia.

Then I listen to 610 and I hear Eskin busting Elmer Fudd's chops. That's Philadelphia!

I come home sit down at my old stomping grounds...my dad shows me his new tools down in the basement... That's Philadelphia!

But tomorrow, I must wake up early, catch a train to head to the airport and go back home to Atlanta... but I'll be home soon... because I love this city.

That's Philadelphia!

Also, today on the radio I heard a guy who wanted to start a countdown to Eagles training camp in Lehigh because the Phillies, Flyers and Sixers are all pathetic! That's a good idea..i'm going to add that to my Eagles Blog, The Eagles Chronicles....

That's Philadelphia.

Phillies Lose Again... What's Next?

2007-04-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

The good news is, the Phillies don't have to play the Mets tomorrow. The bad news is the Phillies play the Nationals on Wednesday.

They have an undeserved day off. If Charlie Manuel does what he's supposed to do, he does not give this unmotivated team the day off, but instead chews them out for putting him on the hot seat.

It's too early to blame Gillick (his maneuvers still may work out), and even though we know it's the players' lack of performance that is causing this demise, we also know that it is the demeanor and the attitude of the manager that can make or break a ball club.

We've known for sometime that Charlie Manuel is not the best man for the job. That man is coaching 3rd base for the evil pinstriped team in the American League. Knowing that we can't get Larry back, I'd like to scour the planet for other possible candidates... real quickly here are some guys I'd like to bring in... just for a few days, to light a fire under this team...

I think Sgt. Slaughter might be just the guy to hold this team accountable. If you miss a sign, 10o pushups. If you make an error, 100 pushups. If you strikeout with men on base, 200 pushups.

Secondly, in taking an entirely different route, I think it might be interesting to try to motivate this team. Tony Robbins, the motivational guru with giant "banana fingers" is just the guy to convince this team that they can do anything. Tony Robbins helps fat people get skinny. He helps stupid people become rich. He helps smokers quit smoking. He can do anything. I challenge him to motivate this team to do well.

And a 3rd candidate is the legendary inventor of "Shaw Ball", Mr. Robert "Buzz" Shaw. Buzzy was my travel team coach from age 11 until 17. He is the best baseball mind I know and he has motivated kids of all kinds to play to the best of their potential. We had some prima-donnas, tough guys, guys who had just come out of reform school, just plain stupid kids and kids who would rather be somewhere else.

But somehow, Buzzy would get as all to play together and we were successful. I know we won at least 2 championships in the 6 years we played and I know we competed for at least 2 more. We were undefeated one year in the Montco Travel league. (we tied Roslyn, but we won't mention that on our resumes... we were still not defeated, right?)

Long live Warminster. We'll take on Southampton any day... name the place.

Can You...Name that Phillie?

2007-04-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

With the rain washing out several games and no new news to talk about, I figured I'd throw another "Name That Phillie" out there.

Here is a classic picture of a classic Phillie. In what seems to be an acceptable way to waste time between innings or keep himself entertained during a rain delay, this Phillie, although donning a White Sox uniform, shouldn't be too hard to identify.

No hints needed for this one. These will get harder, I promise.

Don't look at the comments, that's cheating. Give us your best guess, no guess is a bad guess.

Name that Phillie.

The Complete Lenny Dykstra Summary Pack

2007-04-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

So I'm checking my email and at the top of the Google where the sponsored links are... and I come across a curious ad that reads "Lenny Dykstra Biography and Summary Pack".

It is there asking me to click on it so that I can gain more knowledge about Dykstra as if he can be compared with Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill or Ghandi. A Lenny Dykstra summary pack, complete with a 9 page biography and an encyclopedia article. What is this stuff?

Check out some of the features on the left. Are these things for real? An interview with the girl he groped? Discarded tobacco in the shape of the The Boss? You can't make this stuff up.

Don't get me wrong, Nails is my favorite Phillies of all time, but to have an entire collection of literature focused on his boring-middle-class-existence just doesn't seem right. I remember hearing that Dykstra didn't go to his prom and went to baseball practice instead.

I'm thinking he didn't go to his prom because all the girls were freaked out by his Pete Rose intensity mixed with his Hugh Hefner creepiness, those two don't mix when it comes to charming the ladies.

The Dude, will always be in the hearts and minds of the Philadelphia Phillies Phaithful as the Fall Phil, the man who stepped it up in the playoffs and proved to the world that he was not going to allow this team to go down lightly.

We love you Nails!

PS: Here's a Lenny Dykstra Brawl...

Here are my thoughts on "The Dude" and The Tao Of Dykstra... and finally, for posterity a List of My Favorite Phillies, which ofcourse, includes Dykstra.

Jimmy Rollins Leads the League in Homers

2007-04-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Don't look now, and don't jinx him by spreading the word, but our leadoff hitter Leads the National League in homeruns, with 6.

The next closest are Carlos Lee, Adam Dunn and Miguel Cabrera, who are all legitimate homerun threats. Rollins is actually tops in the entire MLB. He is tied with AL leader Alex Rodriquez.

Now I know that Rollins will not lead the league in homeruns, nor will he lead our team in homeruns, but it is nice to know that one of our guys is doing something to get some recognition.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are pretty much unmentionable at this point. Pat Burrell on the other hand is playing pretty good baseball. (Burell was 2 for 4 today with another hit and an RBI)

I was always an advocate of trying to get Rollins to hit the ball on the ground more and get more infield singles and line drives. I was always stressing the fact that he had to learn his role, strike out less, pop-up less and play more like Juan Pierre. He's kind of done that. His strikeouts are way down and it is true that he doesn't seem to pop-up as much in recent years. My question is how can he legitimately do his job as a leadoff guy while swinging for the fences? Is he swinging for the fences? It is tought to tell but to date.. I won't complain...

.298, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R

... is not something to complain about having only played 9 games. Keep up the good work Jimmy. The rest will follow.

Today's win versus the Astros was actually my first chance to catch a glimpse of the 07 squad. Living in Atlanta, without cable one can only watch the Phillies when they play nationally televised games. That said, I met up with some of my buddies who I met at the bar where I watch the Eagles to partake in the Phillies nationally televised game on Fox. Fortunately they won.

Burrell continued to play well. Utley showed sparks of his previous brilliance with 3 hits including a homerun, and Carlos Ruiz, who totaled 2 hits, 2 runs and an RBI, showed why he should be getting more time that Sucks Barajas.

The Phils have won 2 out of 3. It's a start. Let's take this momentum into tomorrow, auction off the Jackie Robinson #42 jerseys and be on our way to a victorious season.

The Last Phillie To Get a Hit Award; Or How I was Rod Barajased into Submission

2007-04-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rod Barajas, who was the last Phillies position player to record his first hit. He accomplished this feat last night in the first inning, slugging an RBI single to score Wes Helms.

The hit, a screaming-slow-roller to deep shortstop, could only be knocked down by the Astro's Adam Everett. Apparently it was too hot to handle.

Barajas started the season 0 for 10, which isn't bad for a backup catcher with no arms.... oh, what? Barajas has arms? Then the 0 for 10 is awful.

I take back everything I said in my 2nd ever PhilliesChronicles posting when I stated that Barajas was a welcome addition to the ballclub and added a "Good Job Gillick!". That comment makes me cringe, and actually throw up a little bit in my mouth.

"I'm taking it back. I'm taking them all back." -- A little Goonies for you..

Rod Barajas Kind of Sucks. To see how much he sucks, check out the Tiny Mistake's posting about the analysis of Rod Barajas' Suckage. (i think i just made up that word...)

I want Chris Coste. Phellow Phillies Blogger, Von Hayes #9 has a good posting about Chris Coste and the raw deal he got. A good read. He makes some great points.

The english translation of Barajas means 'to shuffle'. That is what I'd like the Phillies to do... shuffle the roster a little to get rid of Barajas.

PS: And please don't hate me for being optimistic about this guy many months ago. I take it all back. I'd rather Steve Lake, John Russell or even Sal Fasano.

The Backwards K

2007-04-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Did this really just happen?

Aaron Rowand and Rod Barajas just capitalized the Phillies loss to the Astros tonight by striking out looking in the bottom of the 9th.

Where's the aggressiveness? Where's the urgency? I can't believe I just watched two major league ballplayers head to the showers because they decided not to swing.

This losing thing is getting old.

I'm worried about Brett Myers' wife tonight. If she's smart she's staying at a friends house tonight. Myers didn't look real strong tonight.

Name that Phillie...

2007-04-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

I'd like to continuously find pictures of obscure or not so obscure Phillies, to see if any of the Fightin' Faithful can name them... let's start with an easy one.

Try not to peak. If you'd like to comment, please do and include your guess, but if you really want to play don't look at the other comments and submit your guess.

Name this Phillie...

No hints...

Pete Incaviglia In the Hall of Fame?

2007-04-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

In the midst of yet another disappointing Phillies loss, I've once again found something we Phillies fans can smile about. How about a reference to our favorite faction of Phightin' Phils, the crude and crass crew of 1993?

Our very own Pete Incaviglia, "Inky" to most, has been elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, and rightfully so...

Incaviglia was perhaps the most imposing power hitter in college baseball
history, setting the NCAA career records for home runs (100) and slugging
percentage (.915) from 1983-85. In 1985, he set NCAA single-season records for
home runs (48), RBIs (143), total bases (285) and slugging percentage (1.140) _
marks that still stand. (courtesy of the AP and www.SI.com)

These numbers were good enough for Inky to make the jump from college directly to the majors, hitting 206 homers in 12 seasons. Here's a link to his career stats.

The only line we really care about is this one...

.274, 24 HRs 89 RBIs, .530 Slugging %, in 368 ABs.

Pretty good considering he split time... The platoon in left field that year with Papa Milt Thompson was awesome. Not to mention the platoon in right with Eisenreich and Wes Chamberlain. Heck.. that whole team was awesome.

Other former major leaguers amongst the class of 2007 include Jim Abbott (Michigan), Fredd Lynn (Southern Cal) and John Olerud (Washington State).

Here's the article where I found this tidbit... it's mostly about Jim Abbott.

Congratulations Inky... Thanks for the 93 Season...

Game Log: Phillies Win Over Mets, April 11

2007-04-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

In Game Thoughts

First inning, uneventful.. Victorino stung the ball but to no avail, he was robbed of a hit.

Top of the 2nd Inning

7:36 - After two walks in a row to Burrell and Helms, somehow Aaron Rowand managed to strike out. Putz.

7:39 - Rod Barajas just drew a walk to load the bases and more importantly turn over the lineup to try and get the top of our order an opportunity to bat with men in scoring position. This makes Rowands walk look even more suspicious.

7:40 - Eaton Strikes out, to end the inning. Phillies Leave 'em loaded. First threat is dead.

I'm disappointed Rowand couldn't put his bat on the ball to move the runners... how about a bunt in that situation, to put men at 2nd and 3rd? Does Elmer understand how to use the bunt?

Bottom of the 2nd
Momentum is going our way. After loading the bases, a quick inning by Eaton is a good sign for the momentum of this game. 1-2-3 inning. Without scoring any runs, we won that inning.

Top of the 3rd
7:50 - Victorino grounds out to short. Victorino has hit the ball hard twice... good sign that he's progressing. He'll get a hit today.

This pitch progression thing with MLB Gameday is pretty cool. You can go to past at bats and watch the pitch progression.

7:54 - Perez's 4th walk in two innings. 26 balls, 26 strikes after 52 pitches. Another scoring opportunity with a runner in scoring position and our best hitter, Burrell is up. (please don't strike out with that long, slow swing...)

7:56 - Burrell works the count to the 3-0. Takes a strike on the outer half of the plate. Burrell is a Met killer, remember all those homeruns he used to hit against this team... let's repeat history Pat?

7:58 - The 3-2 pitch to Burrell... High. Ball 4. Bases loaded again... Momentum is definitely wearing a grey and red jersey.

7:59 - Ball one to Helms. He should take 2. He does. Two balls, no strikes. Low, ball 3. Take all the way. Let's draw first blood... The 3-0 pitch... is low, ball 4.

The Phils take a 1-0 lead. Great discipline by Helms and Burrell not to swing at ball out of the zone.

8:00 - After walking 3 in a row... what is Aaron Rowand doing swinging at the first pitch... somebody tell this guy how to bat... and now he's down in the count 2-2 because he swung at another pitch out of the zone... Does he watch the game?

8:03 - Rowand walks and brings in another run. 2-0 Phillies. Lucky, what a stupid at bat. To follow his other stupid at bat.

Aaron Sele is warming up for the Mets.

8:05 - Rod Barajas is hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Pitching change. How often do you see a pitching change right before the pitcher's spot in the batting order.

3-0 Phillies. Eaton has some breathing room.

Bottom 3 - Eaton walks a guy but puts down the Mets easily. Phils lead 3-0, after 3.

Top 4
8:23 -- Victorino is robbed again... he can't buy a hit today. He's hit the ball hard 3 times with nothing to show for it.

Bottom 4
Beltran leads off with a double. Let's see how Eaton battles through adversity here with Delgado, Wright and Alou due to bat.

After a good battle, with a few 3-2 foul balls, Eaton loses Delgado. The Mets have men at 1st and 2nd. Now's a good time for a double play. Eaton gets ahead 0-2. Don't get beat here... (see Brett Myers, 8th inning game one...) Damn! Eaton hits Wright to load the bases...

Nice... Alou hits into a 4-6-3 double play... Beltran score on the play but now we've got 2 down and the damage will be minimized. Green flies out to left to retire the side.

That double play is bigger than most think... to get out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam with allowing only 1 run is a good thing.

After five, the Phillies hold a 3-1 advantage.

Top 5
8:39 - Two balls no strikes to Howard, a hitter's pitch.. good time to look fastball... Howard gets a fastball but flies out to center.

8:41 - Infield single for Helms. Good to stay away from the 1-2-3 innings.
8:42 - Rowand gets an infield hit too....
8:43 - Barajas flies out, ending the threat.

I'm satisfied with that inning because it brings the top of our order up again. Even though we didn't capitalize on the back to back hits, and Eaton is leading off, we'll get to our big guns sooner.

Bottom 5
8-9-1 due up for the Mets. Should be an easy inning.

8:47 - 8:51 - Infield hit for Valentin. Sele bunts him over to second, and Reyes singles to bring in the run. Mets cut the lead to 1.

1 out, man on first, not a good time to lose the lead. Reyes is a burner and might be looking to run. Phillies are keeping Reyes close with snap throws from Barajas and Eaton. Good baseball.

Phillies pitch out and nail Reyes at 2nd. Great call. Good execution. Elmer Fudd did something right. Good job. I wonder if Elmer called that one?

8:54 - LoDuca flies out to center and the threat is stopped.

After 5, the Phillies hold on to a 3-2 lead.

Top 6
8:59 - Triple by Rollins. Larry Anderson is so unexciting on the radio... I saw the triple on the Game Day feature before the delayed audio, and I expected to hear some exciting commentary, but it wasn't... it was uneventful slop. He sure doesn't give me goosebumps.

9:00 - SAC Fly by Victorino. Phils take a 4-2 lead. Just desserts for Victorino getting an RBI there after hitting the ball hard 3 times.

Bottom 6
Eaton enters this inning with 79 pitches. If he can get a quick inning, no reason he doesn't pitch the 7th too. (47 strikes, 34 balls)

Eaton strikes out Beltran. And gets Delgado on a lazy fly. Two quick outs. If anything, this start is very encouraging as to what we can expect from Adam Eaton. He's not overpowering but he seems to be smart and makes good pitches.

A big, 13 pitch 1-2-3 inning for Adam Eaton. He's got 92 pitches, there
s a slight chance we'll see him start the 7th. If Eaton doesn't bat this inning, I'm betting we'll see him go one more.

Top 7
Sele's done a pretty good job of keeping the Phils in check. Let's see how he does with our 4-5-6 hitters.

David Wright is playing a good 3rd base. Though I can't see it down here in Atlanta, I can hear it, and this is at least the 3rd time he's gone to his right, backhanded a ball and made a play. He just robbed Burrell of a hit... though Howard, who walked, did advance to second. Burrell's 7 game hitting streak might be in jeopardy.

9:18 - Madson is warming up.

Aaron Rowand has justified his two stupid at bats with a big 2 out double to score Howard. With first base open, the Mets intentionally walk Barajas to get to the pitcher's spot. Manuel decides to stick with Eaton and allow him to bat with a 5-2 lead. Interesting choice. Considering all the trouble the Phillies have had with their bullpen this is a good decision. Eaton subsequently pops out to end the inning.

Bottom 7
This is where Adam Eaton, with 92 pitches, needs to bear down and keep that bullpen off the field as long as possible. He needs to finish this inning. Madson is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. Gordon has a 9.00 ERA also...

Eaton gets Shawn green to fly out for the second out on his 99th pitch. Eaton then proceeds to walk Valentin on 4 pitches. But he comes back to get pinch hitter Newhan.

That should do it for Eaton.
7 IP, 2 ER, 5 Ks, 3 BBs

A solid outing by Eaton. He's put us in a position to win the game. My fingers are crossed that our bullpen can hold 'em in check.

Top 8
9:32 - Alfonseco is now loosening up in the bullpen. Alfonseco has a 2.70 ERA... whew!

Rollins finally gets to Wright. E-5, Rollins on at first. It would be great to manufacture a run here. I'd expect a bunt from Victorino. He squared on the first pitch.. but not on the second. Maybe he was bunting on his own... How about a hit and run... Victorino's been hitting the ball solidly... and it can't hurt to be agressive. I wonder if Elmer is even thinking right now. Does he know what a hit and run is?

9:36 - Wow... A hit and run. Rollins was running and Victorino fouled it back. Elmer is thinking!!
9:39 - A balk by Feliciano has put Rollins in scoring position. Let's take advantage of this gentlemen!

9:42 - Utley is hit by a Phantom pitch... Utley had a check swing and got back in the box... the home plate umpire awarded Utley first base saying he got hit. Clearly, Utley thought he fouled it because he got back in the box...

Two men on for Ryan Howard, who has homered in 5 straight games vs. the Mets. Nope. Strike out. The slump continues. The Phils are 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position tonight.

Bourn, a defensive replacement for Burrell is having a pretty good at bat. He was agressive early in the count, fouled off a pitch. And then took 3 balls to fight back to 3-2. He's fouled off 2 straight 3-2 pitches. He's putting himself in a good position to succeed. Another fould ball. Outside ball 4... an 11 pitch walk. Great job by Bourn. That at bat impressed me. Good discipline and good protection. He loaded the bases and the Mets go to the pen to bring in pitcher #5.

The Mets bring in RHP Joe Smith. Manuel decides to stay with Helms and the righty vs. righty matchup. He has the lefthanded bat of Dobbs on the bench, who also happens to play 3rd base. If he's not confident with Dobbs' glove, we've still got Nunez. Plus we'd still have Werth and Carlos Ruiz to pat for the pitchers later. Let's use our resources Elmer. Helms pops out.

The Phils go to the bottom of the 8th leading 5-2.

Bottom 8
6 Fingered Alfonseca is on the mound. He makes a statement with a 9 pitch, 1-2-3 inning.

Top 9
Rowand walks to lead off the 9th. The Phillies have walked 11 times tonight and two batters have been hit by pitches. That is 13 extra baserunners. It goes without saying that the Phils have left 13 men on base.

The Phils lead the league with 51 walks thus far. We just can't seem to bring them home.

10:07 - The Phils go down quietly in the 9th, leaving Rowand stranded and increasing men left on base to 14.

Bottom 9
Flash Gordon, is on in relief in the 9th. Gordon is looking for the save. I'm of the school that always believes the first batter is the most important in these situations. Get him out and you've got 'em.

Gordon K's Delgado for out #1. That should do it. The Mets' fans our heading to the exits.

10:14 - Mets have some life. David Wright singles to center. "Hey Sal, c'mon back, Wright just got on." Some of the Metropolitan faithful are once again interested and borrow some seats closer to the exits. But not for long...

Gordon strikes out Alous and the Mets fans once again file out of Schea.

10:16 - Shawn Green grounds to Howard for the final out.

The Phils snap a 3 game losing streak and get a much needed win. A strong outing by Eaton will be the big story. And the Phils will be criticized for leaving 14 guys on base. Also, I'd like to highlight the two stupid at bats by Aaron Rowand. And kudos to the bullpen for doing their job... no wait.. that's what you're supposed to do...nevermind.

Phils win 5-2, with 5 hits and no errors. Player of the Game Adam Eaton.

Here's To You Mr. Robinson

2007-04-11T17:31:00.001-07:00

On this date, April 10, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player to sign a major league contract.

Like the good businessman he turned out to be, Robinson signed a one-year contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodger's general manager Branch Rickey personally recruited Robinson from the Negro Leagues to play with his ballclub. Robinson left baseball early, after 10 years of service to pursue other endeavors. He became the Vice President for Chock Full o' Nuts and then tried his hand in politics.

On April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of Robinson's entry into Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig announced that Robinson's #42 would be retired throughout baseball and would never again be issued to on-field personnel. (players currently wearing the number were grandfathered in and allowed to wear the number until retirement)

This year, to mark Robinson's 60th Anniversary, Major League Baseball will honor Robinson once again by allowing players to wear his retired #42 jersey. The idea apparently came as a result of a phone call that Reds' right fielder Ken Griffey Jr. made to baseball commissioner Bud Selig, requesting permission to wear it on the anniversary.

Each of the 15 games throughout Major League Baseball on April 15th will feature festivities to honor Mr. Robinson. The national celebration of Jackie Robinson Day will take place at Dodger Stadium with many VIPs, an on-field ceremony before the game Among those participating in the festivities will be Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife and founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation; their daughter, author Sharon Robinson; several of Jackie's former teammates; baseball executives and civic and industry leaders; Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars; and winners of the Breaking Barriers Essay Contest. (info. courtesy of http://www.mlb.com/)

In his rookie season of 1947, Robinson won Rookie of the Year. He as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1949, and led the Dodgers to 6 pennants in his 10 seasons. For more information visit the Baseball Almanac for all of Jackie Robinson's Career Stats.

More than a great ball player, Robinson personifies courage, determination and perseverance. He, like so many black ball players after him had to endure a lot of hardship to play the game they loved. I applaud Jackie Robinson not only for his athletic prowess, but for his courage to be the first to step foot on a major league ball field. He could have said no, and left the name calling and death threats to someone else. But he didn't.

Like Robinson, I've all the respect in the world for Hank Aaron as well. He too received death threats and threats to his family if he dared to break the great Babe Ruth's home run record. Well, he dared. And he succeeded.

American history is perseverance. American history is courage. American history is baseball. American history is Jackie Robinson.

PS:

Here is a PDF link to the 7th-12th Grade Winning Essay

For historians, researchers, baseball fans and curious minds, check out ABNER, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Online Library Catalog...

Jimmy Rollins Makes Us Smile

2007-04-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

The Phillies have not been doing much to make us happy so far. But at least J-Roll is doing okay. He's got 3 homers, 7 runs, 6 RBIs and a big mouth. That mouth haunted him today in New York when he made a key error in the 8th. The Mets fans let him have it.. Rollins' miscue led to a 7 run 8th inning by the Mets allowing them to cruise to an 11-5 victory.

Some reasons the Phillies are 1-6;
As a team, the Phillies are hitting .188 (13-for-69) with runners in scoring position.

And today was the first day where both Utley and Howard had an extra base hit in the same game. We can't afford to have that happen once every 7 games.

For now, let's enjoy Jimmy's inside the parker. Notice how he's sprinting out of the box, he doesn't score otherwise.

What has 5 Heads, 10 Arms and a 5.89 ERA?

2007-04-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

No it is not Alfonseca... though he does have 11 fingers, see the picture on the right...

Here are some quick calculations after Sunday's Loss...

Phillies' Starters Statistics:

Record: 1-3
K/BB Ratio: 2.58 to 1 (31 Ks, 12 walks)
Innings Pitched: 35.1
Earned Runs: 23
ERA: 5.89
8 Homeruns allowed... 1 every 4.4 innings.

They are averaging about 5.85 innings per outing with a K/BB ratio of 2.6 to 1. So what is the problem?

1 and 3 with a 5.89 ERA. Something is wrong here. This was supposed to be one of the deepest rotations in the league...

To date Cole Hamels and Jaime Moyer have done their job. Maybe we need more lefties... We need Garcia and Lieber to come back... fast.

Patience... I will show some patience. But hurry up and get good guys.. the Mets are pulling away.

What is the reason for the Phillies Slow Start?

2007-04-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice to have Larry Bowa right now? Is this not a time when some of the Phillies need a kick in the pants or a good chewing out? Is our starting pitching not what we thought? Are our relievers to blame? Is it Utley and Howard?

What do you think is the biggest reason for the Phillies' 1-4 start?

You decide... Please cast your vote on the right side.

If it were My Team...

2007-03-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

If it were my team, I would have kept Placido Polanco at 3rd base over David Bell.

David Bell had a career year in 2004 batting .291 with 18 HRs and 77 RBIs. His average was about 30 points higher than his career average... his stock was high. It was time to trade him and get something out of it...

If that would have been done, then last year's fiasco at 3rd base with Nunez, never would have occurred. Polanco would have given us his .295 average and solid defense... which is better than what Bell gave us last year.

But.. if it were my team, I would have coddled Scott Rolen from the beginning and payed him what he was worth and give him more than just Abreu and Burrell as company. If I would have done that, then we never would have traded for Polanco, nor would we have needed Bell, and the whole Nunez experiment never would have occurred, and we'd still have a great hitting, gold glove 3rd baseman.

If it were my team, I'd still have Curt Schilling. He, like Rolen, would have been given his fair share, and I would have surrounded him with other talented pitchers. It's not easy being the King when you don't have any Knights to protect you. Though I'm not sure if I would have taken a chance on a young kid with a mustache like that. He might still be an Oriole, if it were my team.

If it were my team I would have hired Jim Leyland over Charlie Manuel. Ed Wade made the wrong decision there. But we'll have to live with it. On that note...

If it were my team I would have gotten rid of Ed Wade years ago... and the decision of Leyland vs. Manuel would have been a whole lot easier because I would have never gotten rid of Larry Bowa.

If it were my team, Ed Wade would not have stayed as GM as long as he did.

With Ed Wade out of the picture, my team never would have tried to sign J.D. Drew, knowing from the beginning what a prick he was. And since we weren't set on J.D. Drew, then we never would have been given the chance to draft Pat Burrell and some other team would have had to deal with him.

So.. if it were my team, and I didn't want to deal with JD Drew, I probably would have picked the next best outfielder in the draft, Vernon Wells, chosen 5th by the Blue Jays.

(http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/1997draft.shtml)

Vernon wells consistently hits 25-30 homers, 100 RBIs and bats .300 every few years. And he strikes out less than 100 times a year. And he's rarely hurt. Burrell, on the other hand... well we know about Burrell.

To sum it up.. if it were my team, I would have Larry Bowa as my manager, and I'd have Vernon Wells, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling and Jimmy Rollins.

I'd still have Rollins because he was drafted in the 2nd round in 1996. Since Ed Wade, who I might have hired considering he came up through the ranks and earned his chance to be a GM, took the job as a right of passage in 1997, the Rollins thing still would have occurred.

Also...looking back. If it were my team I still would have brought in Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the '93 World Series. So we probably still would have lost... I'm not one of those jokers who claims he was yelling at the TV to leave in Larry Anderson... that's bull... you wanted Mitch, just like the rest of the Phillies' Nation.. it just didn't work out.

If it were my team, would we still have been given the opportunity to have Chase Utley and Ryan Howard? Would my team have done more to make the playoffs in years past eliminating the chance to draft such studs as Utley and Howard? I don't know.

What I do know is that is always fun to imagine what I'd do, if it were my team.

Freddy Not Ready; Don't Sweat It

2007-03-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Freddy Garcia left yesterday's game with tightness in his bicep. Though this is never a good sign, but don't sweat it. I'm encouraged by the fact that we still have Jon Lieber around.

I've said time and time again that we should keep 6 starters for something like this. I was predicting a Cole Hamels back spasm or a blister of some sort early in the season, but I didn't predict this.

Despite Garcia's injury, all is not lost. We're not sure how long he'll be out, and we have a serviceable replacement. We are in a much better situation than we were last year in the fact that we still have 5 quality starters that many teams would love to have.

What this injury may do is increase the urgency to trade Aaron Rowand. With the youth on this team, and the lack of leadership from Burrell, I think someone like Rowand is needed. What's funny about this statement, is that Rowand is only 29 years old. This says a lot about the future of this ball club.

Lieber is not 29. Jon Lieber is 36. It's ironic that 36 is also the number of donuts Lieber eats the day before his scheduled starts. Lieber is a veteran and will undoubtedly provide leadership for this ball club. As will Jaime Moyer. The oldest of the other four starters is Garcia at age 30. Amazing youth on this ball club.

Lieber has already shown leadership in the fact that he has graciously accepted his role in the bullpen. He's expressed his desire to start, but has not made a stink about losing that status.

I'm disappointed," Lieber said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I'm going to do it for these guys in here, but I think I can still start. That was my mind-frame this offseason, to better myself. I signed here to be a starter."

Keeping Lieber around turned out to be a good thing. Here is what I see happening. Garcia is out for a few weeks. Lieber takes his spot in the rotation, but not as the #1. Myers is now our opening day starter. Garcia will return, spend a few days in the pen, and then will be inserted into the rotation. However, I think he'll replace whoever it is that is struggling. If Lieber has a desire to start, now is his time to earn his keep. If he goes 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA, then we'll leave him be and replace someone else.

This injury is a bad thing, I'm not downplaying that, but I the situation is definitely more manageable with the presence of Lieber.

Brawls: Lenny Dykstra v. Rick Dempsey

2007-03-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've found several Phillies from recent years and I'll be posting them in due time. They'll be labeled under Brawls.

I just had to post this... I found the pic with the intentions of simply leaving it as is... but in trying to find out who Dykstra is man handling, I also found the story that goes with it...

Information below courtesy of Dodger Blues where they have a list of the Greatest Dodger's brawls of all time. What a great idea.

Here's the scoop...

August 20, 1990
With runners at first and third, home plate umpire Ron Barnes called Philadelphia outfielder Lenny Dykstra out on strikes in the fifth inning. As Dykstra, who was leading the league in hitting at the time, approached the plate with two outs in the seventh, he started complaining to Barnes. He then turned to Dodgers catcher Rick Dempsey, accusing him of brown-nosing the umpire. As Dempsey stood up and took off his mask, Dykstra dropped his bat and stepped forward. The 40-year-old Dempsey immediately popped him in the face with his glove and followed with a quick right. The two tangled and fell to the ground and the benches cleared.
Seconds later, Dempsey was on the bottom of a huge pile. "Somebody grabbed my face when we rolled on the ground," said Dempsey, who ended up with a large welt on the side of his face. "After I saw the replay, I saw it was Dykstra. He grabbed me by the side of the face and squeezed every pimple I had."

"What's he mad about?" Dempsey continued. "He made an out. I make four of them a game. If I was hitting .340 I'd be kissing every player on the opposing team."

PS - Dykstra has also been known to grab girls at his carwash. But we know this isn't true, nor is the rumor that he bet on baseball, or the fact that he crashed a car after Kruk's bachelor party ending Daulton's season, or that he took steroids.

Would the guy pictured above do all that?

The Tao of Dykstra

2007-03-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Before Aaron Rowand, the Phillies had Lenny Dykstra. Before Dykstra we had Pete Rose. These are my type of ball players. These are the guys who will do anything to win.

When ever someone asks me the question: "If you could clone any 3 Major League baseball players of all time, 3 times, to field a team of 9. Who would it be?" (I usually ask the question, but anyway...)

It is inevitable that I preface my response with: "I know my guys are going to beat your guys because my guys play to win."

And then I proceed to say..."Lenny Dykstra"... I pause to make it more dramatic..."Pete Rose.." Another pause... "and Ty Cobb."

Having said that, I sometimes get funny looks like I've just named Tinkers, Evers and Chance. And sometimes, here in Atlanta, I'll get "Who's Lenny Dykstra?", which makes me want to turn South Philly on them and punch them in the face as if they've made a move on my sister... but, I regress and simply explain to them the 'Tao of the Dude'.

After my explanation of Petey bowling over Ray Fosse in an All-Star game, followed by a story about how Ty Cobb would meticulously watch every pitcher and adjust his approach to each hurler, to the timely hitting of Dykstra in the '93 post-season spotlight.

But I know my team would beat anybody's team of Ruth, Mays and A-Rod, or Aaron, Bonds and Henderson, simply because I know my guys want it more.

Which brings me to the real reason of my post. My new Lenny Dykstra t-shirt. Now there are some Phillies phans who might balk at this purchase. Still others may applaud me. But I'm happy to say that I'm now the proud owner of a Lenny Dykstra, Mets #4 t-shirt. I'm not ashamed to wear a Mets jersey because it is a tribute to my phavorite Phil of all time... 'The Dude'.

In college I was a Paul O'Neill fan and had a similar Paul O'Neill #21 t-shirt. Despite the fact that I was a die hard Phils fan, I was proud prove that was an O'Neill backer and would root for the Yanks, only to see O'Neill play deeper in the post-season.

I wore my t-shirt for the first time Saturday morning. After my wife and I sat down at a Jewish Deli/Bagel shop and ordered our selves a hearty brunch, a gentleman seated next to us comments on my shirt. He liked it and asked me where I got it. I tell him and then turn to my wife and smile. I was proud of my Dykstra t-shirt. True baseball fans appreciate his play. Dykstra brings joy to me and the gentleman next to us. Dykstra makes the world go 'round. The Tao of Dykstra.

PS - I blogged about the chronology of my phavorite Phils through the years a little while back, which of course includes Dykstra.

PSS - Kevin Curtis signed with the Eagles and plays football like Dykstra plays baseball. Check out the video of Kevin Curtis on my Eagles blog, then check out the comparison to Pinkston. It's funny.

So Long Old Pal...

2007-03-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Vuk was officially put to rest on Tuesday. And though we shouldn't make a spectacle of the situation, it is hard to ignore the cast of characters that attended the service.

The official goodbye to the Phillies' longtime coach, player and friend, John Vukovich, was held Tuesday in Voorhees, New Jersey.

It is apparent that Vuk had the ability to make friends with everyone. This is definitely prevalent when looking at the guest list.

Check out these names:

Larry Andersen, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Darren Daulton, Lee Elia, Jim Fregosi, Dallas Green, Dave Hollins, John Kruk, Greg Luzinski, Gary Varsho, Don Zimmer, Mike Schmidt, Terry Francona, Bobby Abreu, Curt Schilling, Scott Rolen, Tim McCarver, Lenny Dykstra, Mike Lieberthal and Randy Wolf.

As well as current players and coaches:

Players Eude Brito, Burrell, Geoff Geary, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, Jamie Moyer, Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Manuel and coaches Mick Billmeyer, Ramon Henderson, Davey Lopes and Milt Thompson.

And finally the front office: Team president David Montgomery, chairman Bill Giles, general manager Pat Gillick and assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Imagine the fodder that might go on had these guys met under different circumstances.

The Bull trading barbecue recipes with Kruk.

Boone and McCarver reminscing about catching for Lefty. Schmidt and Rolen gabbing about Gold Gloves.

Schilling, Ruben, Kruk, Hollins, Dutch, Uncle Milt, Fregosi and Dykstra all reminscing about '93.

Larry Anderson and Kruk in the same room... enough said. And add Zimm to the mix...amazing.

Under different circumstances this would be circus. But the reality of it is that these great Phillies took the time to pay their respects for a true Philadelphia legend. I think this shows the human side of sports and more than anything, these guys are family.

Give another shout to Whitey for us Vuke. And while your at it, give Cory Lidle a nudge too... let him know we haven't forgotten about him. Even if we poke fun, we still appreciate him. He's a Phillie.

And we are family.

JEFF STONE NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

2007-03-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

PLEASE HELP JEFF STONE!!!

The oh-so quotable Jeff Stone, does not have a quote for his Baseball Almanac stats page. And I know there are plenty to choose from.

Let's get together as the geniuses of the Phillies' Blogosphere and start a list of Jeff Stone quotes.

We'll take the best one and send it to Baseball Almanac to place on his page.

Here is one entry:

"No thanks. I don't drink."

Jeff Stone in response to the question: "Do you want a shrimp cocktail?"

There are plenty more out there... dig 'em out and post them.

UPDATE: I just found an article from 2004 giving us the low down on the where-abouts of Jeff Stone. Kind of a sad story.

John Vukovich 1947 - 2007

2007-03-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

The Phillies' beloved "Vuke" passed away today after a long battle with a brain tumor.

As both a player and coach, Vuke has accumulated 24 years in a Phillies uniform, which ranks second to Vuke's long time friend, Larry Bowa. Are there any two guys on the planet who personify the Phillies more than these two? I challenge anyone to find another duo who bleeds Phillies red like these two? Vuke and Bowa have been friends since their teens playing against each other growing up in California.

Vuke was a career utility man. He played with the Phillies in 1970 (3 games) and 1971 (74 games). He bounced around the minor leagues a bit longer and again got the call to play in 4 games with the Phils in 1976. He played a bit in each of the seasons from 1979 through 1981 but never had any significant playing time. He was a career minor leaguer who would get occasional calls to the bigs.

Here are Vuke's career statistics.

Vuke was a good infield prospect who cold play the left side. But imagine trying to crack the Phillies lineup as 3rd baseman or shortstop during that time. You guessed it. Schmidt and Bowa pretty much had those positions on lock down for a few years. Though Schmidt has been quoted as saying that Vuke was a much better fielding third baseman than he was. Schmidt doesn't usually say those types of things.

Vuke won 2 World Series rings. His first was as a utility infielder with "The Big Red Machine" in 1975, and his second with the Phillies in 1980. Even though Vuk was on the post-season roster, he became the lone Phillie not to make an appearance in either the NLCS or the World Series. Nonetheless, he deserves his ring.

In 1988 Vuke became a Phillies coach after coaching for several years with the Cubs. For seventeen years, Vuke has donned the red pinstriped #18 jersey. He's worked under five different managers, Lee Elia, Nick Leyva, Jim Fregosi, Terry Francona and Larry Bowa. Since his coaching debut in 1988 the Phillies have had 26 different coaches, two different ballparks, and one trip to the World Series.

In 2004 Vuke was honored as the longest tenured Phillies Coach in history, breaking "Irish" Mike Ryan's 16 years stint as bullpen coach/catcher. (I have to believe someone as tough as "Irish" would still squat back there every once in a while.)

The Phillies will be honoring #18 all season with a black arm band with three simple letters; "VUK".

Thanks for 24 great seasons as a Phillie, Vuke.

Say hi to Whitey for us.

Cole Hamels: The Real Deal?

2007-03-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

He looks like a pitcher. Tall, lanky, broad shoulders, long legs.

He has the name of a good pitcher. You know what I mean, right? A guy with the name Cole Hamels has a shot at doing something. Where if he were named Larry Murphy, well, that just doesn't cut it. (no offense to anyone named Larry Murphy)

He has the making of a good nickname. "King Cole".

He appears to have the head of a good pitcher. To quote General Manager Pat Gillick: "Other than the physical and natural ability, you look for presence and composure. We don't have any reservation that he'll be able to deal with a crucial part of the game."

He has the mechanics of a good pitcher. I think his high leg kick will be mimicked by kids in the school yards for years to come. I'm looking forward to that being his trademark. (see picture)

He put up decent numbers as a rookie. His K/inning ration is impressive. (145 Ks in 132 innings). He was second in the National League with 101 strikeouts after the all-star break and went 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 691/3 innings over his final 11 starts. Not too shabby.

He seems to learn quickly. Check out these charts below from last year, notice the first versus second half.

And now he appears to have the work ethic of a good pitcher. His body fat 6%. (I wonder what Lieber's is?)

And what bodes best for Cole Hamels is that he is not our ace. This is good because he will have no pressure to perform. The weight is off his shoulders. With Myers, Garcia, Eaton and Moyer around him, he's in great company to learn and to grow. That said, I expect him to do well. Very well. And half of this is due to the fact that he can relax and simply go out there and pitch.

Young King Cole, your future awaits.

Charts courtesy of FanGraphs.com

He's Still a Bargain

2007-03-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

The Phillies dutifully gave Ryan Howard a well deserved raise. The Phils have renewed Howard's contract for 1-year at $900K. Both sides were hoping to reach a multi-year deal, but were only able to agree to this one year deal which surprisingly does not have any incentives.

Howard, who made $355,000 last year, is in the history books as being the highest paid player not eligible for arbitration in league history. His contract matches that of Albert Pujols who received the same raise after his rookie season in 2003. That's not bad company.

It's encouraging to know that the Phils are now doing what this city has always wanted and rewarding their talent in an effort to keep them here.

Although Howard can't become a free agent until 2011, both sides are hoping to reach a multi-year deal well before that point.

Unlike previous administrations, this Pat Gillick team has a "goal to keep our star players in red pinstripes". With the recent signings of Utley and Howard, you know they're following through.

PS - Ryan Howard homered in his first at bat of spring training, only a few hours after inking himself a new deal. I think we're in for another fun ride.

Rollins to Remain at the Top

2007-02-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I chimed in with my thoughts on the Phillies' lineup. It was basically a retort to Bill Conlin's idea to bat Jimmy Rollins in the 5 spot.

I wanted Rollins to remain in the leadoff spot to use his speed to score runs. Conlin compared Rollins to Soriano and wanted him to use his bat to get RBIs. The jury is out... here's" a report from the Phillies saying that "leadoff is where he'll stay".

No, no and no.

Those were the answers to a line of questions that involved the
possibility of someone leading off other than Jimmy Rollins. Manuel said Rollins
will remain his leadoff hitter, with Victorino likely to hit behind him.

"Rollins could hit different places, but compare him to all the other
leadoff hitters and see how he compares," Manuel said.

Rollins finished tied for second (with teammate Chase Utley) in the
National League with 127 runs scored in 2006.

It is an obvious 1-2 punch using Rollins and Victorino at the top to get on base, when you've got arguably 2 top 10 hitters in the game batting 3 and 4.

How Weird! Howard to be renewed...

2007-02-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days when we we would wait until the last possible moment to offer our talent a desperation contract to try and keep him in the city. (see Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling). And if we did lock up our talent, it was a mistake (see Pat Burrell).

We're now in the days where we're locking up our big name talent years before we really have to worry about it. Utley received his $85 million, and now the Phils are negotiating with Ryan Howard's agent for a deal to give him what he deserves.

We're taking a page out of the Joe Banner/Andy Reid Book of "How to Run a Sports Franchise". Kudos to Pat Gillick, and I can assume Reuben Amaro should get some credit too... for keeping their talent happy.

Philly.com has the report.

Here are the details:

These are preliminary talks with Ryan Howard's agent, Casey Close.
There will be a one-year or multi-year deal by March 2.
It is expected Howard will be rewarded with more than $1 million
Howard is not eligible for free agency until 2011, and eligible for salary arbitration after the 2007 season.

It appears as if Ryan Howard's contagious smile is about to get bigger. Congrats Ryan! You deserve every penny.

PS - First full squad workout is tomorrow.

PSS - Did you know the BJ Novak character on the office is named Ryan Howard?(he was the intern)

The Phillies' Lineup

2007-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's Daily News Bill Conlin predicted what might be the Phillies' lineup. Here is what he came up with.

1. Shane Victorino - RF
2. Aaron Rowand - CF
3. Chase Utley - 2B
4. Ryan Howard - 1B
5. Jimmy Rollins - SS
6. Pat Burrell - LF
7. Wes Helms - 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz or Rod Barajas - C

It is not bad, though despite some good arguments for Rollins in the 5 hole, I'm not sure this is the best way to go.

Conlin's rationale:

Rollins had only 10 fewer extra-base hits last season than Soriano (89-79), only
12 fewer RBI than the Nationals' leadoff man and struck out exactly half as many
times while having a far superior stolen-base percentage.

Surprising numbers from Rollins for sure... but wouldn't we want some more speed in front of Utley and Howard? Don't get me wrong, it is nice to have 25 homers out of your shortstop. Especially since he's cut down on his strike outs and pop-ups. I used to beg him to be more like Juan Pierre... but now.. might we be able to will him to be more like Soriano?? Maybe I'm a traditionalist. But I want Rollins in the leadoff spot.

And for some reason, I always though someone like Rowand would be a good #6 guy. He's not quite the second leadoff guy you sometimes see in that position, but he is a veteran who I don't think is shaken by pressure. That said, if Utley and Howard are pitched around in late innings, and Burrell strikes out in pressure situations, I think Rowand is just the type of guy to surprise you with a clutch hit.

Here is my proposed lineup.

1. Jimmy Rollins - SS
2. Shane Victorino - RF
3. Chase Utley - 2B
4. Ryan Howard - 1B
5. Pat Burrell - LF
6. Aaron Rowand - CF
7. Wes Helms - 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz or Rod Barajas - C

This gives you two speed guys at the top who are going to get on base and distract the pitcher, which you can't complain about. Then back to back clutch hitters. The 5 Spot is stil manned by Burrell, who let's face it, has some power. Then the second half of the order is not too shabby, when all things are considered. Helms is a potential .285 batter, and Barajas has some pop.

I'm satisfied with this lineup no matter where these guys bat. We have the solid foundation for a winner. That, with a solid starting staff where someone like Lieber is expendable. Good things are afoot in Philadelphia. There were years when we were relying on guys like Brandon Duckworth, Terry Adams and Vicente Padilla.

So we're in a good situation.

PS - I'm still convinced that Padilla has the stuff to be an ace. But he's a head case. We'll see how he fairs with Texas.

Pitchers and Catchers Report!

2007-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

On this grand day when 3 very special words mean so much... there are still some where 4 words mean even more than those 3.

Pitchers and Catchers Report!

See the full report on the Phillies Web site.

But wait there's more... Utley, Burrell and Rowand have all reported as well. How about that? They're eager to start the season... they're eager to play. Just as we're eager to see them play.

Aaron Rowand, Chase Utley, Scott Mathieson, Jamie Moyer, Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson and Geoff Geary, filed in over the past week. Early!

Chase, who is fresh off signing a well deserved $75 million dollar contract and is a newly wed, says that "It's important to start early, You can get the soreness out that much quicker."

It will be our first time to see Freddy Garcia, Adam Eaton, Rod Barajas and Antonio Alfonseca. It's reason enough to pick up the Inquirer or The Patriot News and read about the Phils with your morning coffee.

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Baseball Season is upon us...

Philly's #1 Draft Picks

2007-02-11T02:44:00.001-08:00

Freddie Mitchell interviews Chase Utley.

There are some funny moments in the video. The VH1 Pop-video like bubbles are pretty informative and entertaining.

For more on Freddie Mitchell visit my EaglesBlog.

Hot Dog Fans and Slackers... Mark your Calendars!

2007-02-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Phillies have just released their promotional schedule for 2007. Some of the dates are filled with bobble head figurines, t-shirts, schedule magnets and the usual crap for the kids. But most importantly, we can now strategically plan our 'sick days' at work and which days we can tell the wife to forget the meal, as we can now feast our eyes on the dates for the Business Person's Specials and Hatfield Dollar Dog Dates.

Citizens Bank Businessperson's Specials:

Thursday, April 5, 3:05 p.m. (Atlanta Braves)

Thursday, April 26, 3:05 p.m. (Washington Nationals)

Thursday, May 17, 3:05 p.m. (Milwaukee Brewers)

Monday, June 4, 1:05 p.m. (San Francisco Giants)

Wednesday, June 13, 1:05 p.m. (Chicago White Sox)

Thursday, July 26, 1:05 p.m. (Washington Nationals)

Thursday, Aug. 23, 1:05 p.m. (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Hatfield Phillies Franks Dollar Dog Dates:

Wednesday, April 4, 7:05 p.m. (Atlanta Braves)...

Friday, April 13, 7:05 p.m. (Houston Astros)...

April 15, 1:35 p.m. (Houston Astros)...

Thursday, April 26, 3:05 p.m. (Washington Nationals)... Also Citizens Bank Businessperson's Special

Tuesday, May 15, 7:05 p.m. (Milwaukee Brewers)

Monday, May 28, 7:05 p.m. (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Thursday, Sept. 13, 7:05 p.m. (Colorado Rockies)

If you haven't noticed, Thursday April 26, is both a Business Person's Special and Dollar Dog Day. So plan accordingly, skip breakfast, and enjoy both lunch and dinner at the park.

PS: One week until Pitchers and Catchers report!

Chronology of my Phavorite Phillies

2007-02-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Growing up as a kid in suburban Philadelphia I longed for Sunday afternoons when I could watch my favorite professional sports team on TV.

In those days, the Phillies were pretty bad. It was the lean years of the mid-1980s. Phillies stars included Mike Schmidt, Juan Samuel, Von Hayes, Don Carmen, Shane Rawley, Steve Bedrosian, Lance Parrish, Greg Gross, Luis Aquayo and of course Lefty Carlton. I don't remember actually having a favorite Philly at that time, but I'm sure I liked Mike Schmidt because I knew he was pretty good.

As I grew older and a little more savvy about the game, I suddenly realized that our Phillies teams weren't that good. More names during this era in my life that come to mind are Ron Jones, Rick Schu, Ricky Jordan, Tommy Herr, Pat Combs, the infamous Joe Cowley, Kevin Gross, Steve Jeltz, Chris James and so on... It was about this time, in middle school when I started to realize that the Phillies were destined to be bad every year. I didn't know the business of baseball and just took the heartbreak lightly every year, because it was always assumed that the Phillies would not compete. And as a fan, it was pretty tough.

Then 1993 came. There is nothing better to a 10th grade kid then to see his beloved hometown boys of summer finally put together a squad. It goes without saying that the makeup of that club, combined with the passion of a 15/16 year old mind, makes for my favorite Phillies team and favorite Phillies player of all time. No matter what, there will never be another team that will bring me more joy than the motley crew of the '93 Season.

The season was unexpected, and greatly appreciated. It ended with heartbreak, but hey, we're Philadelphia, and we're going on 24 years of heartbreak. From this team was born my favorite Philly of all time.... Lenny Dykstra.

A true Philly type of player, his clutch hits, and all-out play will never be topped by anyone in my book. So my first official favorite player was "The Dude".

Of course, the success of the '93 team didn't carry over to the strike year or any year after that. Our boys of '93 got old, and started to fall by the wayside. But there was some hope on the horizon. We still had Curt Schilling, who I didn't learn to truly appreciate until college, circa 1996, and Scott Rolen. These two who legitimate stars on teams Philled with Phil-ins like Ron Gant and Gregg Jefferies. Scott Rolen emerged as the stand out, hustler who plays the game like it should be played. And to this day he still does. So during Rolen's tenure, he was my favorite player.

I recall the resigning of Mickey Morandini for one year after his stint with the Expos being an excellent move. He filled in at 2nd base for the year 2000 because Marlon Anderson wasn't the answer. I appreciated that, and loved the Mick for a year too.

By this time I was out of college, working in West Chester and living in Warminster. I had the Sunday season ticket package and enjoyed my Sunday outings. First with my friend Vince for a few years at the vet, and then with my sister Kristy at Citizen's bank park. I eventually passed on the tickets, for other obligations. My sister still has them. During these years, Terry Francona was at the helm and we'd often have to put up with Terry's resting of Rolen on Sundays. No matter, another of our favorites Tomas Perez would fill in... but he wasn't a true favorite, but we loved watching him in the dugout and on the field because you knew he loved playing baseball. Also, I did get to witness Kevin Millwood's no hitter, and though he was never on my radar of likable Phillies, I did enjoy that moment. It was electric.

I'm a true student of the game, I've played baseball at the college level and currently coach at the high school level, so I thoroughly enjoy guys who play the game with great fundamentals. This era of being at the game every Sunday led me to truly appreciate that play of Placido Polanco. While on standing on second base as a runner, Placido was the only player I saw who would check to see where the outfielders were, to get a better jump on the ball when trying to score on a single. He played solid defense. He would always hustle to first, and make a hard turn, and he would rarely strike out. He does not have a weakness. For many years Placido was my favorite Phillie and for a while was the only reason to watch the game. Jimmy was fun to watch too, but Placido is more my type of player. As we know Placido was

And then came Utley. Win or lose, you know that Chase Utley is going to give it his all. We always knew he could hit, but his work ethic has truly turned him into a very well rounded player. He'll be my favorite for years to come. Should Aaron Rowand stick around and keep playing the way he does, he could definitely be in the 1(A) slot.

Below is a list of my favorites in chronological order.

Mike Schmidt
Lenny Dykstra
Scott Rolen (Curt Schilling, Honorable Mention)
Placido Polanco
Chase Utley

Are Philadelphia Phillies fans too hard on their team?

2007-01-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe this question was being asked at a community site of opinions, articles, etc... (http://Helium.com)

Some people said yes... so I had to respond. Here is what I wrote:

The Philadelphia fan is informed. The Philadelphia fan knows the game. The
Philadelphia fan is passionate about his/her team. Period. If you are truly a
faithful fan, no matter the sport or the situation, you become upset when your
team does not meet their potential. This gives you, the fan, the right to
express your feelings in whatever way you deam neccessary. If it is a 'boo', so
be it. The Philadelphia athletes understand what they are up against. There is a
certain kind of athlete who we Philadlelphia fans embrace. We embrace hard
workers. We embrace Jeff Garcia, after he showed us some heart. (And a side not
about Garcia. When he took over, we weren't booing him, were booing the decision
by the coaches not to choose AJ Feeley) We embrace Brian Dawkins. To name a few
Phillies Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand, Jimmy Rollins. These are
Philadelphia type of players.

As good as Bobby Abreu was, the informed Philadelphia fan understood that
his numbers were hollow. He would steal bases down 4 runs with Jim Thome at bat.
All that does is then allow the pitcher to walk Jim Thome. A hollow stolen base.
It also took Abreu years before he achieved his first game winning hit. And this
is a guy who started almost every game for many years. It was as if Abreu was
invisible after the 7th inning. And we PHiladelphia fans noticed.

So are we too hard on the Phillies? No. Until Pat Gillick came to town, we
had a general manager who was satisfied with the status quo. We had a general
manager who was satisfied with a winning record. This attitude of not being
committed to winning drove the likes of Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen out of
town. This same general manager fired our beloved Larry Bowa, a man who bleeds
Phillies' red, because some of the players beleived he was asked too much. All
he asked is that they play hard. We now have a manager who doesn't understand
the double switch. And when we get the chance, we'll boo him.
So to ask the
question again.

Is the PHiladelphia fan too hard on the Phillies. NO.

Dear Pat Gillick, Please Don't Trade Rowand!

2007-01-27T00:39:00.001-08:00

UPDATED 2/3/07

Rumors have surfaced about the possibility of the Phillies trading Aaron Rowand for some help in the bullpen. Mostly from ESPN's Buster Olney. I know the Phils could use some arms in the later innings to finish the fine job we know our starters will do this season, but I can't bring myself to accept the trading of Rowand. I like Rowand, because he plays the game like it should be played. He plays an excellent outfield, and his veteran bat would be a nice fit in this lineup. So maybe he's not a #2 hitter, but he's a great 6 or 7 guy.

Rowand is the epitomy of the Philadelphia ballplayer. I'd like to see Gillick use Leiber as trade bate for bullpen help as opposed to Rowand. And I understand we have some outfield prospects waiting in the wings....namely Jayson Werth, Michael Bourn and Chris Roberson who's doing well in winter ball, but I just don't want to see them get rid of Rowand. When he's been healthy he's been great for us.

Pat, I know you're new to the city, and you've done great things so far... but let's keep the players that bleed Phillies red. It will pay off in the long run.

UPDATE 1/28/07 : The Phillies website has an article about our beloved Rowand.

UPDATE 2/1/07: The Trade Rumor has not gone away... Rowand for Linebrink, probably unlikely.

The catch below proves that Rowand is worthy to wear the stripes.

Rowand's Catch

2007-01-27T00:38:00.003-08:00

Is this really the Phillies?

2007-01-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe we're actually starting a Phillies season with some optimism. I'm 30 years old and I can't remember the last time this happened? The team of '93 was a complete surprise. I guess we had some buzz for the '94 season, which was a total bust, but I honestly can't think of a time when the Phillies were the talk of the town, this early in the season.

The Thome signing got a lot of buzz, but I don't think the team was touted as a favorite quite like this.

Where are the players who's name brings a wince to even the most loyal of fans? Do we have any guys like that? Pat Burrell comes to mind, but we've given him 4 seasons of amnesty, so what's one more?

Where's the dead weight? Where are the Doug Glanvilles? The Travis Lee's? The Alex Arias'? The Joe Boever's? We're missing guys like Rob Butler, Ricky Otero and Dickie Thon. Remember Kevin Sefcik, Rob Ducey, Marlon Anderson and Ricky Ledee? What about Brian Hunter (Brian R. or Brian L. take your pick)?

We don't have the dead weight!

I think we've got some gamers. We have a team of players who can perform.

Rollins says we're "the team to beat", and we have the NL MVP on our team, and a talented mix of youngsters and veterans. Is this really the Phillies? What happened the the ho-hum signings like, Danny Tartabull, Ron Gant, Todd Zeile and Gregg Jefferries? I guess we picked up some mediocre meat, but we've also added some GradeA prime choice. When was the last time we picked up this much talent in one offseason? When was the last time we had a QUALITY starter who was expendable? Are the Phillies really this good? Should history tell us not to get our hopes up?

Living in Atlanta, I'm a little far away from WIP and Comcast SportsNet, but perusing the Phillies blogosphere I can get a sense of what's going on in the town. I think we like this team.

I think Pat Gillick knows what he's doing. Unfortunately I'm still not convinced our manager does, but at least we've got some cylinders working.

So sit back, relax and wait for spring training. This might be a fun season.

Phillies Secure Utley

2007-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

The Phillies have just given Chase Utley a well deserved raise. His deal is reportedly worth $85 million over 7 years. In a few years, this will be a bargain. Chase is one of, if not the best 2nd baseman in the league.

The trade-off for Utley is that he sacrifices some earning potential for
the security against injuries or a decline in production. Had he maintained his
production level over the next three years, he likely would've earned more than
this deal's annual value, but it also could have gone the other way. He'll be 35
at the end of this contract. (from Phillies.com)

I couldn't have said it better myself. Signing guys to long term contracts is good for situations like this and a situation like Donovan McNabb, where if they continue their pace are a bargain. It backfires on guys like Pat Burrell.

I can't think of a player who personifies the philly spirit more than Chase. The Phillies need more guys like Utley and Aaron Rowand. Guys that are going to get dirty and get the fans behind them. A new era of Phillies baseball is upon us... the Pat Gillick era.

I for one and glad to have Utley in a Phils uniform for years to come. Kudos to Gillick for getting the job done. Congratulations to Utley!

PS -- 24 days until pitchers and catchers report.

Phillies Trade Conine, Acquire Barajas

2006-12-25T04:48:00.000-08:00

To shuffle. That is the english translation of Barajas. To shuffle, or to mix it up. This is exactly what Gillick has done with the signing of Rod Barajas. Our newly shuffled Phillies lineup is now a little more confusing.

First, we got rid of Conine. All the reports throughout the winter had Conine penciled in as our right fielder, right? And I wasn't complaining. Conine has always been someone that will perform. Past his prime but still quite capable, I'm sure Conine knew his role on the team and would fit in nicely with Utley and Howard doing the bulk of the work. This obviously isn't the case.

Second is the odd man out, Chris Coste. Last year's feel good story of a 33 year old rookie who finally made it, and performed superbly down the stretch is now, just another story. I'm not sure if the plan is to keep Coste around as a third catcher and use him to pinch hit. If it is the case, it is not real efficient. He does play some first base right? So maybe he's our utility guy, and our pinch hitter. I hope he sticks around, he seems like a Philly type of ball player. The type of ball player the city will love as long as he's wearing red and white.

And finally, where does this leave our outfield? Burrell, Rowand and Victorino from left to right respectively. OK. That is not that bad. I guess we did kind of have a log jam out there. And I guess this means Burrell is with us for a few more months. I think we can put up with that for a little while longer. We have Ryan, Chase and Jimmy to fill in the holes.

And now finally, Barajas. Yes, he's a name I knew. It was few years ago with the Rangers when I remember seeing his name amongst league leaders in HRs and RBIs really early in the season. He's a free swinger who hits the long ball. It appears that he's a 20 homer, 60 RBI guy. In the friendly confines of Citizen's Bank Park, that could easily be 25 and 70. Not bad. Good job Gillick! He's also here as a mentor to Carlos Ruiz, our catcher in waiting.

Let's see how it works out.

Pat Gillick - a very welcome addition...

2006-12-16T23:23:00.000-08:00

The recent acquisition of Freddy Garcia definitely begs the question; Why did it take us so long to get rid of Ed Wade.

My biggest problem with Wade was his terrible judgement of talent. Wade would have definitely held on to Gavin Floyd deeming him 'the future' of this organization. Too often Ed Wade would be satisfied with the status quo and hoping that the young prospects would eventually blossom. I have some news for you Ed... Hope is not a strategy!

It is nice as a Phillies fan to finally know what it's like to have a GM who isn't afraid to take a gamble. I like that Pat Gillick says that nobody on the team is untouchable. Let's hope htis excludes Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Here's to more exciting moves in this offseason and looking forward to a competive 2007.