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

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!

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!

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

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

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...

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!!!

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.