Tuesday, June 30, 2009

News 6/30

J-Roll returns to lead off: article

Jimmy Rollins is back in the lead off spot tonight.

Charlie Manuel is freakin' stubborn. Your offense has found a spark with the absence of Rollins. Even though Shane Victorino has struggled leading off (.133 AVG; .235 OBP in four games), I would have still kept him there.

"I felt it was very important to let him sit over there and kind of get a clear mind when I put him back there so he's fresh," Manuel said. "He's starting all over."
Utley, Ibanez All Star bound: article

It looks as if the Phillies will have two starters in this year's mid summer classic in St. Louis. Chase Utley is blowing away all second basemen in voting while Raul Ibanez still holds his outfield lead and it is 99.99% unlikely he will fall out of the top three vote getters to earn a starting spot.

Rollins is now in second (thank God), Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz are in fourth in their positions and Victorino is in fifth in outfielders. All four of them likely will not be playing in the All Star game unless Manuel, who is managing along with Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa decide to take on Ruiz as a back up catcher. He is very deserving of an all star bid.

Ibanez probably missing Mets series: article

It is doubtful whether or not Ibanez will be back by Friday's game versus the Mets. He is to be re-evaluated by the Phillies trainers. Ibanez injured his groin 2 weeks ago and even though he's feeling better, the Phillies want to take another look before they start him on his rehab.

Romero could face battery charges: article

If someone gets in your face and accuses you of using steroids, you would shove him out of your face too. The fan was upset JC Romero wouldn't sign anything so he started to curse at Romero and said something along the lines of "how about you go get me some juice," in reference to his 50-game suspension. Romero then hit him with an opened-hand.

"Remember, this is a simple battery," (George) Kajtsa said. "No weapon was used. There were no injuries to the victim whatsoever, except as he says in the report he was embarrassed because it happened in front of other fans and his family.

"This is a very minor incident so the state's attorney will probably concentrate on more serious matters, but it will be up to the state's attorney to make the determination."
What Kajtsa basically means is that the fan is a little bitch and he got what he deserved. Embarrased in front of strangers and family? What was he attemptiong to do by being vulger to another person. Athletes are people too so this nothing more than the fan being an asshole to someone on the street and getting bitch slapped.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Phils Take Series in Toronto

It took 15 games, five series, and 17 days for the Phillies to finally take a series from an American League team during this stretch of inter league play. After dropping the first game to Toronto, the Phillies piled on two big victories to win consecutive games for the first time since the beginning of June.

It started out rocky like the previous four but the Phillies took control in the second game and sparked their offense when they needed it in the rubber match. After a terrible debut in the first game, Brad Lidge notched his first save since June 1. He is 14-20 now.

Friday: It was just one of those days. Hamels got whacked around a bit and then ejected, Chan Ho Park left with a right knee contusion, and the offense had to break up a no hitter in the seventh and couldn't score until the ninth off Jayson Werth's sacrifice fly. Lidge made his return, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1/3 inning pitched. The Phillies lost this one 6-1.

Saturday: Happy birthday to me as JA Happ earned a complete game shut out, only allowing five hits, no walks, and striking out four. Werth ripped two homers, going 4-4 with three runs and three RBI's. Pedro Feliz also added a homer and two RBI's and Ryan Howard had three hits. Phillies won 10-0.

Sunday: Toronto jumped out to a 4-1 lead but in the fourth, the Phillies piled on four runs to take the permanent lead, 5-4, and wound up winning on that same score. Chase Utley had a double and triple, driving in two runs. Utley's triple in the fourth drove in the tying and go ahead runs.

Before I cap off the series recap, I want to know where Jimmy Rollins is. I think he has been punished enough for sucking. It's time to put him back in the line up in the sixth spot. Rollins was benched after his June 24 start and hasn't played in four games. I think Charlie Manuel let him know that he needs to find himself and I hope that when he makes his return, he'll be a smarter hitter.

Series MVP's:
PHI: Jayson Werth: 6-8, 4 runs, double, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's, 5 walks , .846 OBP
PHI: JA Happ : 9 IP, 0 runs, 5 hits, 0 BB, 4 K's
TOR: Aaron Hill: 4-14, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (39-34; 26-12 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (35-40; 18-21 at home)

The Phillies will continue their road trip after their Monday off as they travel to Atlanta. The are going into July, the month they usually heat up. With a 2 1/2 game lead on the Mets, this is when the Phillies will hopefully pull ahead for good. After the Braves series, they come home for 10 games that start versus the Mets.

Atlanta leads the season series 4-2 but the Braves have been struggling as of late. The Phillies hopefully seemed to have found their niche for a bit. The offense is still a bit inconsistent but they have always figured out how to put up runs in bunches on a regular basis.

Pitching Probables:
6/30: Blanton (4-4, 5.06), Lowe, D (7-6, 4.53)
7/1: Hamels (4-4, 4.44), Jurrjens (5-6, 2.93)
7/2: Carrasco (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Vazquez (5-7, 3.04 ERA)

Saturday, June 27, 2009

No Updates Today

Today is my 21st birthday and I still have to work... oh well. I'm still a bit hung over but that's typical for a 21st birthday. Hopefully the Phillies will win today for a change. I didn't even watch the game last night because I wasn't home but I saw on my phone that they broke a no-hitter in the seventh and scored their first run in the ninth. Wow!

And Brad Lidge sucked in his return which didn't surprise me. I'm the glad the Phillies let him pitch when the mood already sucked, screwing up his confidence. JA Happ takes the mound tonight versus Toronto and he does not eat up innings. Get ready to see three-four bull pen pitchers.

Well I'm off to work and then play some pool at the bar later. Go Phils!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Farewell Timmy

Tim Malcolm left the Phillies Nation blog today. Here is his fare well post. He was a good writer and I enjoyed reading everything he posted daily. Keep reading the Nation. It's still a good site and source for Phillies news, recaps, and previews.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Phillies Lose 4th Straight Series

This day totally sucked (outside of my softball team kicking some serious butt to go 7-0). We lost the King of Pop and Ferrah Fawcett and now the Phillies lost their fourth straight series. They are just "Bad." They're no "Thriller" on the field. This skid is starting to get "Dangerous" as the Mets won again today to improve to 1/2 game out of first. OK I'm done with the MJ puns. The Phillies lost the series 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.


Tuesday: Coming off their 1-8 home stand, the Phillies offense exploded and Jamie Moyer pitched stellar en route to a 10-1 victory. John Mayberry Jr. and Chase Utley hit homers and Moyer only allowed a solo homer to Pat Burrell.

Wednesday: JC Romero and Chan Ho Park got beat up when the Phillies were only down 2-1 in the eighth. But I won't put the blame on them as the offense completely disappeared despite Jayson Werth's solo homer. Phillies lost 7-1.

Thursday: The first inning looked like the Phillies would bust out of their slump when they plated four to start the game. But that was it as Antonio Bastardo got shelled, giving up six runs on seven hit before leaving the game in the fourth inning with a strained shoulder (severity unknown). Phillies lost 10-4.

This series was just plain ugly. My confidence was restored for one whole game and one whole inning on Thursday. The offense was just dead and the pitching was shotty. Despite great starts by Moyer and Joe Blanton, the offense could not support. I really have nothing more to say because I would just be redundant.

Series MVP's:
Phillies: Joe Blanton: 7 IP, 6 Hits, 2 runs, 10 K's
Rays: Carl Crawford: 5-11, 2 runs, 3 doubles, 2 RBI's
Rays: Matt Garza: 8 IP, 3 hits, run, 7 K's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (37-33; 24-11 on road) @ Toronto Blue Jays (40-34; 23-14 at home)

Jays lead series 3-0. The Phillies suck. The Jays are playing solid ball. The Phillies are still good on the road and the offense is also showing some life in areas. I always expect a series win with this team but right now, I'm not too sure. With the Mets 1/2 a game back, I am afraid the Phillies may be the 2nd place team they are playing out to be. Pick up your game or the magic will run out.

Probables:
6/26: Hamels (4-3, 4.24), Romero, R (4-3, 3.59)
6/27: Happ (4-0, 3.47), Mills (0-0, 9.82)
6/28: Moyer (5-6, 5.97), Tallet (5-4, 4.36)

Twitter Fest

Here are a few things from David Murphy and Todd Zolecki's Tweets today.



Manuel: Jimmy Rollins will sit at least two days. But when he returns he said he probably will be in the leadoff spot.

Tonight's lineup in TB: Victorino CF, Dobbs 1B, Utley 2B, Howard DH, Werth RF, Stairs LF, Feliz 3B, Bruntlett SS, Ruiz C.
This is partial good news. I think everyone wanted J-Roll to be benched or knocked out of the lead-off spot. Though it's likely Charlie Manuel will put him back in the one-hole when he returns, I believe that when Shane Victorino does what needs to be done in the lead off spot, I think Manuel will come to his senses and drop Rollins to the six or seven spot.


Scott Eyre likely to start rehab assignment Monday. Will likely be activated after Braves series
Good news. I can't wait for the return of our dominant lefty. Though JC Romero is our best lefty reliever, Eyre has been good this year. With Brad Lidge returning today (Sergio Escalona sent down) and Eyre coming back soon, our bull pen should be completely ready to return to dominance.

Drabek, Flande in Futures Game

Kyle Drabek and Yohan Flande are the top two pitching prospects in the Phillies organization. Their efforts will be recognized when they represent the Phillies organization in the USA vs the World's prospects. The All Star game will be at 2 PM ET in St. Louis on July 12.


Drabek pitched for Single A Clearwater and AA Reading. He went 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) in Clearwater. He was then promoted to Double-A Reading, where he entered Thursday 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four starts.

Flande, the 23-year-old left-hander from the Dominican Republic is 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 starts for Clearwater. Flande has walked 22 and struck out 64 in 77 innings.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Lidge to be Activated Tomorrow

Via David Murphy's Twitter:

(Brad) Lidge will definitely be activated tomorrow, GM Ruben Amaro Jr says

Good news for a Phillies bull pen that gave up five runs in the eighth to the Rays tonight.

Road Is Where the Heart Is

The Phillies busted out of their six-game losing skid with a six run first inning off phenom pitcher David Price. They then roughed him up in the fifth for four more runs and ultimately beat the Rays 10-1.

Chase Utley got the scoring going with a two-run double in the first which was followed up by Ryan Howard's RBI double. Later in the innings, John Mayberry Jr. crushed a three-run homer to left field. Jamie Moyer pitched six innings, giving up a run on five hits and three walks and striking out four.

The win snapped an ugly drought during a 1-8 home stand. The 10 runs was also the most Philadelphia had scored since they put up 11 versus Boston on June 14. In other news, the Mets got shut out 3-0 to St. Louis, allowing Philadelphia to increase their lead to 2 1/2 games. The Mets could only muster two hits.

The Phillies must find comfort in the grey jerseys or they just have been feeling a bit pressured in the constantly packed CBP after winning their championship. Right now they are boasting a 24-9 record on the road (13-22 at home). They need to settle down and get comfortable at home. You can't rely on the road constantly as your scape goat. If this team starts winning at home, they will be unstoppable.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Manuel's Odd Lineup

Charlie Manuel did a little bit of a line up shake up but not the one I was hoping for. As I stated in my other post, I wanted to see Jimmy Rollins drop down to sixth. After Todd Zolecki posted today's line up versus Tampa Bay, I was left a bit confused. Here are his Tweets within the past hour:

Tonight's lineup in TB: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Feliz 3B, Mayberry LF, Coste DH, Ruiz C.

Howard will DH. Coste will play 1B. Manuel changed his mind.

I like the nine hitters we put in but I still don't want Rollins, who is sporting a .261 OBP, to get things started. I am officially starting the "Lead Off Shane Campaign." I also think Manuel's choice of putting Chris Coste at first was interesting but smart. David Price is pitching tonight and as a lefty that throws some serious heat, Greg Dobbs would be more ineffective than Jamie Moyer. Coste can play the corners and catcher. Having Paul Bako also allows the Phils to use both Coste and Carlos Ruiz in the line up.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Clay Condrey to the DL

Ryan Howard gets hit with the flu bug. Clay Condrey gets hit with the injury bug. That little pest has been plaguing the Phillies clubhouse the past two weeks, starting with Brad Lidge and being passed on to Scott Eyre and Raul Ibanez. Now it's Condrey's turn.

Condrey was put on the 15-day DL after a strained oblique. He had a 3.71 ERA, 22 K's, and 14 walks in 34 innings. Though these numbers aren't awesome, he's still been very solid for a bull pen struggling to find an answer anywhere. Sergio Escalona was called up in his place.

10 Phillies Commandments

A funny column written by John Gonzalez of the Philly Inquirer. He let's us in on a 10 simple rules when attending a game at CBP. Some of his commandments included starting the wave, using cell phones, and waving to the camera. Click here to read all 10.

Howard Had Sinusitis, Improving

Ryan Howard was diagnosed with acute sinusitis. The club stated that his 104-degree fever is gone and he's at home resting. Howard could possibly be in the line up as early as Tuesday when the Phillies go down to Tampa Bay to face the defending AL champion Rays.

In other news, Brad Lidge could be activated this week. He will make his second rehab appearance in Class-A Clearwater and could be activated Wednesday or hold off and pitch on Friday for a third rehab outing. Lidge allowed one hit and struck out two in a scoreless inning in a rehab outing with Double-A Reading on Saturday night.

Red Pinstripes and Liberty Bells

As I wrote in my introduction post months ago, I used to write for a blog titled We Hate To Lose which was run by my friend Justin Evans. I was a writer their along with Evans and Dan MacNeal. Well we all have our own separate sites with mine being this one. I want to use this post to advertise their two young sites as well.


About a week ago, Evans wanted a fresh start on his blogging so he switched to Word Press and created Red Pinstripes Are Cooler. WHTL is still floating around on cyber space but I think it's officially dead. Evans' blog is dedicated to the Phillies only after changing the theme of his blog from Philly sports to just the Phillies. Like me, his true passion is the Phillies and his knowledge of baseball is very credible.

MacNeal decided to start a forum instead. Titled Liberty Bell Sports, it is sectioned into Philadelphia Pro sports, amateur sports in the Philadelphia area, all major leagues, and a community forum where you can take a break from the sports world. There is constant game night chatter for the Phillies and that trend will continue when the Eagles, Sixers, and Flyers start up. This is a great place to express YOUR opinion and debate with other die hard Philadelphia sports fans.

Both sites are great places to get news and opinions from along with the blogs I have posted on the side of the page. I am a frequent poster in the forum so you will be able to see more of my opinions there. Read up or join the forum and continue to support our sites.
To show that the forum has a great sense of humor, here are my two favorite threads:

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Photos: 6/21/09

Phils Swept; Go 1-8 on Home Stand

On th 45th anniversary of Jim Bunning's perfect game, you would expect a special game from Cole Hamels. Well he did indeed deliver, going eight innings, striking out 10 and surrendering two runs on seven hits. Surely one of the best offenses can give Hamels the support. Wrong. After Greg Dobbs solo home run in the second, the Phillies offense could only manage two hits as they lost 2-1 to the Baltimore Orioles, capping another sweep and a 1-8 home stand.

Hamels was just fantastic despite giving up the two runs. His change up was deadly and his fastball was hitting all the spots. Just shows how good a pitcher does when the game is being caught by Carlos Ruiz. He also showed more promise at the plate than most of the Phillies offense as he almost doubled down the line during one at bat and almost hustled out a grounder in another.

I don't like to play the "if card" but seriously, if the umpire made the right call in the eighth when Jimmy Rollins was "tagged," Shane Victorino's double would have driven him in. Rollins hit a slow grounder to first basemen Ty Wigginton who then flipped the ball to the pitcher who clearly missed the tag. The umpire called Rollins out, forcing Charlie Manuel to argue the call and get ejected. Victorino doubles and then Chase Utley grounded out to waste the opportunity.

Unfortunately for Jimmy, that does not excuse him for the ripping he's about to get. He sucks, plain and simple. Ever since his MVP year, he has tried to be better than the player he truly is. He's a great fielder and a 6-8 spot hitter and nothing more. A lead off hitter should not have a .260 OBP. Once Raul Ibanez is back, Victorino should be the lead off guy with Utley and Jayson Werth flopping in the two-spot depending on the opposing pitcher. Rollins should sit in the six or seven spot, swapping with Pedro Feliz now and then. I understand he's trying to draw more walks but he's hitting fly balls and not getting on base.

Friday: The pitching got knocked around en route to a 7-2 butt kicking to the lowly Orioles.

Saturday: It was a very exciting game. Down 3-0, the Phillies got two runs in and had two men on. The sick Ryan Howard pinch hit, and drove a ball deep into the bull pen to give the Phillies a 5-3 lead. In the top of the ninth, Ryan Madson surrendered a solo home run, allowed a base runner, and then Brian Roberts took his two-out, 1-2 fast ball deep to right to give the Orioles the 6-5 lead. They held on and won.

Series MVP's:
Shane Victorino (PHI): 5-9; 2 runs; 3 doubles; stolen base
Brian Roberts (BAL): 5-13; 3 runs; double; game winning HR; 5 RBI's; SB

Nex Series: Philadelphia Phillies (36-31; 23-9 on the road) at Tampa Bay Rays (37-34; 21-12 at home)

This is the World Series rematch MLB has been waiting for except for both teams aren't as hot as they were when they last met in the fall classic. For the Phillies, this will be the first real rematch versus Pat Burrell. We also will have to listen to those damn cowbells all series.

This is a huge series for the Phillies, who are currently on a six game losing streak. The Rays took two of three from the Mets, helping the Phillies. The Phillies are 3-9 versus the AL while the Rays 8-4 versus the NL.

I expect to see some shaking up of the line up during this series. I don't know if Manuel will stick with Rollins at lead off but I certainly wouldn't. If I could chose the line up, it would look like this:

Victorino CF/Utley 2B/Feliz 3B/Howard 1B/Werth LF/Rollins SS/Stairs DH/Ruiz C/Dobbs RF

Rollins will not be swinging out of his slump so I want to drop him to six. As for my 3-4-5 pitch, Feliz has done a great job at getting on base. Howard could use the RBI opportunities with Victorino, Utley, and Feliz in front of him while Werth can protect Howard. This line up will also force the Rays to dig into their bull pen in late innings.

Probables:
6/23: Moyer (4-6, 6.35 ERA); Price (1-1, 3.46 ERA)
6/24: Blanton (4-3, 5.28 ERA); Garza (4-5, 3.83 ERA)
6/25: Bastardo (2-2, 5.21 ERA): Sonnanstine (5-7, 6.60 ERA)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Howard Hospitalized; Line Up Skake Up

Andy Martino of the Philly Inquirer reported that Ryan Howard was hospitalized today with flu-like symptoms. Charlie Manuel had a fever clocking in at 104 degrees. The line up will also see a bit of shaking up as the birthday boy Paul Bako will start at catcher, Matt Stairs in left field, and Greg Dobbs will replace Howard at first base. Howard is at the field but it isn't know whether or not he can or will pinch hit tonight.

Line up:
Rollins SS
Victorino CF
Utley 2b
Stairs LF
Werth RF
Dobbs 1b
Feliz 3b
Bako C
Happ LHP

No Updates Today

Another Saturday where I'll be gone all day and what else is new... it's raining here in Atlantic City (or the entire east coast so the Phillies game has a shot at being in danger). I'll be working from 12-5 then hitting up the Jimmy Buffett concert in Camden (at least my seats are in the covered area).

So the Phillies are currently on a four game losing streak and with a Mets win, are now only two games up. This is f*cking sad. 3-7 versus the AL and 13-20 at home. At HOME! How is a first place team seven games under .500 at home? Luckily they are 23-9 on the road. I mean the Phillies are pretty healthy compared to the Mets, who are putting up a AAA baseball team at the moment, but are barely holding them off.

The Phils just got swept by the Blue Jays and got dominated 7-2 last night versus Baltimore. Granted he gave up four runs, Antonio Bastardo's seven-inning effort was the lone bright spot. Bastardo only gave up five hits and struck out five. Jack Taschner pitched the last two innings and gave up three runs to end any chance at a comeback for the Phillies. At least the cream of the bull pen was preserved.

The Phillies should hold a promotion at home: "Boo the Phillies Night." If we can convince the Phillies they're playing on the road, maybe they'll play better. This incompetence at home is really bugging me and the rest of the fans out there. If this doesn't right itself, the Mets will only get healthier and we'll be seeing a Philadelphia wild card race.

If the weather holds, the Phillies will play tonight at 7:05 ET.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Ugliest Phillies Hats I've Ever Seen

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Phils Swept By Jays

This is the same team that took a series versus the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers in their parks. Surely they could come home and take a team that hasn't beaten a National League foe yet all season. Coming into this series with a 13-16 record at home, should we really have been surprised the Phillies got swept by the Toronto Blue Jays?


The Phillies were struck out 31 times during the series and 89 times the past nine games, a number that has to drop immediately. As far as scoring, they went into today's game with only four runs. They scored seven today which still kept their RPG for the series at 3.75.

Tuesday: Cole Hamels pitched solid but needed to go past six innings. As the team's ace, you need to go deep into a game every start. His six innings, two runs on seven hits and six strike outs may have been enough to earn him a win but there is no reason he couldn't have gone deeper. Ryan Madson blew the game in the ninth and the game went into extra innings. Clay Condrey imploded, giving up five runs in the top of the tenth.

Wednesday: See my recap I wrote earlier today.

Today: It was a see saw battle as the Jays jumped out to another early two-run lead. The Phillies clung on and took the lead in the fourth, 4-3 after a two-run Rollins homer. They added another in the fifth off of a John Mayberry Jr. homer and then let the Jays tie it up in the seventh. Toronto took a two-run lead in the eighth and Philadelphia then tied it up. But Rod Barajas took Madson deep to put the Jays up for good, 8-7.

Series MVP's: Former Phillies Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas
Rolen: 6-14, 3 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 4 RBI's, .394 OBP
Barajas: 4-9, 2 runs, 2 HR's (one game winner), 4 RBI's

Next Series: Baltimore Orioles (28-37; 8-20 on the road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (36-28; 13-19 at home)

This is another the series the Phillies should sweep or at least win but with their current home record and lack of competence versus AL teams, I don't know what to expect. They play tonight at 7:05 versus the Mets so these numbers are prior to then. They are 5-3 in inter league play (Phils are 3-6) but are 4-6 in their last ten. With a putrid record on the road for Baltimore, this should be cake for Philly.

Probables:
6/19: R. Hill (2-1, 5.81), Bastardo (2-1, 5.25)
6/20: Bergesen (4-2, 3.79), Happ (4-0, 3.53)
6/21*: Guthrie (4-7, 5.42 ERA), Hamels (4-2, 4.48 ERA)
*attending

BREAKING NEWS: Ibanez Put on DL

Todd Zolecki Tweeted that Raul Ibanez was placed on the Phillies 15 Day DL with a left groin strain. John Mayberry Jr. was called up today and will start in right field. Jayson Werth will play left field tonight.

Zo's Tweets:

Ibanez placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin. Mayberry takes his place.

Today's lineup vs. TOR: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Werth LF, Feliz 3B, Mayberry RF, Ruiz C, Blanton P. (Ibanez on DL.)

Richmond Dominates Phils (recap)

The Blue Jays were unsure up until yesterday who they would throw against the Phillies. Scott Richmond became the choice but it could have secretly been injured pitcher Roy Halladay the way he pitched. Richmond pitched eight strong innings and allowing only one run on five hits, one walk, and struck out 11 en route to a 7-1 victory for the Blue Jays

The Phillies managed to get a run out of Jayson Werth's solo homer in the fourth. After being roughed up in the first two innings, Jamie Moyer settled down nicely until the seventh where he gave up a hit and then a two-run blast to Aaron Hill. He got yanked for Chad Durbin who saw Scott Rolen's solo homer go out to left to cap the scoring.

Jimmy Rollins, Chase Ultey, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez are all considered to be the pop in the Phillies line up. They were nothing similar to that as they went 1-13 with six strikeouts. The only hit came from Howard's single which was followed up by a double play ball hit by Ibanez. It was that kind of night. The Phillies could only muster six hits and struck out 12 times.

Now it's time for a little rant...

Jimmy Rollins is a terrible lead-off hitter and we know this. But at that same time, he is the best guy on this team for that. Rollins should be dropped back to the six-spot, not for a few games, but for an extended period of time until he starts hitting and getting his confidence. The reason I say this is because that's how Shane Victorino got into a hitting role late last year and sparked the Phillies' World Championship run. He batted behind Pat Burrell and made the most of it.

The line up should be:
-Victorino/Werth/Utley/Howard/Ibanez/Rollins/Feliz/Ruiz or Coste/pitcher vs RHP.

-Victorino/Utley/Werth/Howard/Ibanez/Rollins/Feliz/Ruiz or Coste/pitcher vs LHP.

Ever since Rollins hit 30 homers during his 2007 MVP campaign, he has tried to hit home runs. As a lead off guy, that's not supposed to be his game. He needs to wait on pitches, hit line drives, get walks, work the count, and just be smart. My new slogan for him is "Be smart, Jimmy." Once he establishes himself as a line drive hitter and does it on a constant basis, then I want to see him moved back in the lead off spot where he can be the catalyst he once was two years ago. Hopefully Charlie Manuel sees the light.

Be Smart, Jimmy.

Photos: 6/17/09

I just got home from Philly. Phils lost 7-1 to Toronto. Here are the photos from tonight's game. I'll post the recap tomorrow morning. Goodnight all.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Phillies Nation Likes Halladay

So the Phillies need a big-time pitcher. Who would sell and has valuable pitching?

The Indians, Orioles and Mariners figure to be sellers in the American League. The National League is harder to gauge, but I’ll predict Ed Wade’s Astros will at least think about it. As will the Rockies, Padres, Pirates and Reds. The Nationals, obviously, will be in selling mode, but have no pitching to sell. The Marlins do have pitching to sell, but likely want to hold onto their young staff.

Add the already-known quotients of Roy Halladay and Brad Penny, and we have some names with which to work. They are:

Roy Halladay, Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt, Erik Bedard, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang, Jarrod Washburn, Jeremy Guthrie, Wandy Rodriguez, Chris Young, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Aaron Cook, Jason Marquis, Bronson Arroyo and Brad Penny.

Let’s look at this list quickly. If I’m general manager of the Phillies, I need an arm that can pitch at the expected level of Cole Hamels. As we know, Ruben Amaro Jr. even said that — he wants a top-level arm. So say goodbye to Penny, Arroyo, Marquis, Cook, Maholm, Duke and Young. The latter three were a tough elimination, but to me, Maholm is comparable to Joe Blanton, Duke’s success is of a short sample and Young hasn’t been very effective in a few years.

To be short, the Phillies need a big-time performer. Here’s who remains:

Read the rest here.

I agree with everything Tim Malcolm said. With the sudden falter of the Blue Jays (despite beating Philadelphia last night) I see them losing faith in this season and wanting to retool for a serious run in a few years. I don't see the Yankees and Red Sox keeping up their dominance with the age of their teams for more than a few more years.

Halladay is my favorite choice with Oswalt and Harang my second and third choices. Peavy just won't cut it here in Philadelphia because he's a fly ball pitcher and CBP is a hitter-friendly park.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Sosa Joins A-Rod in Not So Elite Club

The New York Times reported that Sammy Sosa was on the list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. 2003 was the first year that steroid tests were conducted. The list of players was supposed to be anonymous. New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was also on that list. At that time, Rodriguez was with the Texas Rangers.


Sosa's main concern: being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The only club you'll be joining is the one Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, and Rafael Palmeiro are in.

"I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don't I have the numbers to be inducted?"
Sosa played a majority of his career for the Chicago Cubs. He famously raced with McGwire in 1998 when McGwire shattered Roger Maris' home run record at the time of 61. McGwire hit 70 while Sosa hit 66. Sosa would go on to hit over 60 home runs two more times in his career, a feat only done by Babe Ruth, Maris, and Barry Bonds once. McGwire did it twice.

Was I shocked? Not one bit. He was a decent player who did a little bit of juicing to turn into a super star. He's fallen off the face of the earth and no one really cares. As Matt Stairs said about Manny Ramirez: "Another on bites the dust."

The Return of Rolen

I am very excited for this three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. For the sixth time, I will get to see my favorite Phillie return home to with stand the boos and idiots who didn't appreciate what he brought to this franchise. Scott Rolen is still a true Phillie in my book.


Rolen had a remarkable career in Philaldelphia, batting a career .281, 150 homers, and 559 RBI's in seven seasons. He won the rookie of the year in 1997 and tallied four of his seven Gold Gloves while here. He was also an all star in his final year in Philly and added four more in St. Louis.

After his feud with the Phillies front office, mainly Dallas Green who said he was trying to be better than he really was, and was upset at the Phillies lack of urgency to win, Rolen refused to sign a contract extension in his final year. He wasn't being greedy and he wasn't sticking it to the city he loved to play for, he just hated his boss and the situation he was in. Rolen was traded to the Cardinals along with a prospect for Placido Polanco, Bud Smith, and Mike Timlin.

Rolen went to St. Louis from 2002 until 2007 and won a World Series there in 2006. Along with Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds, he helped form a dangerous 3-4-5 spot in the lineup. He was then traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Troy Glaus.

Rolen has had to battle injuries he sustained while playing in Veterans Stadium for most of his career. His aggressive play, tenacity in the field, and amazing skill with the glove at third base wore him down as he would dive along the rock-hard surface in the Vet. He would continue to struggle with injuries after leaving Philly with the torn shoulder labrum he sustained in Philly along with his constant sore lower back.

Rolen has played some great baseball this year for Toronto, hitting .320 in 54 games. His power numbers have dropped as he has only three homers and 18 doubles with 19 RBI's.
I'll be at Wednesday's game wearing my Rolen #17 Phillies jersey and cheering hard for him in full force.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Vote Pedro, Chooch, Vic



Chase Utley leads the entire National League in All Star Game voting. Second is Albert Pujols and third is.... Raul Ibanez? He is getting so much recognition for his incredible play this season. Jimmy Rollins is also miraculously leading all NL shortstops. Now all we need to do is get Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz, and Shane Victorino some more votes.

Here are the other current standings posted on Phillies Nation:

First base: Ryan Howard remains in second, some 1,000,000 votes behind Pujols.

Third base: Pedro Feliz keeps fourth place. He’s 400,000 votes behind leader David Wright.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins still leads shortstops, but is only 80,000 votes ahead of Hanley Ramirez.

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz moves to fourth place, a doable 200,000 votes behind leader Yadier Molina.

Outfield: Shane Victorino is in fifth place, just 200,000 or so votes behind third-place votegetter Carlos Beltran. And Jayson Werth is now in ninth place, about 300,000 votes behind Victorino.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Photos: 6/14/09

Phils Win Big Today (Recap); Lose Series

I just got home from the Phillies/Red Sox game today. What a thrilling win as I got to see the Phillies beat the Sox for the first time in three games I've gone to. The Phillies looked so lost until they exploded for four run in the fifth inning and then poured on six more in the seventh enroute to a 11-6 win to avoid being swept by the Sox.

JA Happ got the start versus Josh Beckett. He overcame a bad first three innings where he threw 85 pitches, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks. He settled down in the fourth and fifth, pitching 1-2-3 innings. He then got yanked in the sixth after allowing a solo homer to Beckett, waling Julio Lugo, and forcing Jacoby Ellsbury into a double play. He finished going 5 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits and six walks, striking out three.

The Phillies bats were practically dead up until the fifth. Pedro Feliz and Chris Coste hit singles and Happ bunted them over. Jimmy Rollins then grounded out, scoring in Feliz. Shane Victorino hit an RBI single and Chase Utley followed that up with a single. Ryan Howard then cranked a two-run double to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.

After Beckett tied it up with his solo homer, it came around to the seventh inning. Rollins led off with a solo homer and Victorino followed with a single. Beckett got yanked by Terry Francona but that didn't stop the bleeding. Utley walked and Howard hit into a fielder's choice that scored Victorino after a throwing error. Jayson Werth ripped a double and Feliz drove him and Howard in with a double. Four walks later, including two runs, and the Phillies were at a commanding 11-5 lead. The Sox added a run in the eighth but couldn't come back and the Phillies dominated the series finale.

Friday night: Phillies lost 5-2 in 13 innings after Kyle Kendrick's poor outing in the top of the 13th.

Saturday night: Phillies lost 11-6 after trailing 5-0 after the first inning's rain delay. They would bring the game in close but the Sox would pull away.

Series MVP:
Boston: Ellsbury (5-13; 2 runs; HR; 4 RBI's; 2 SB's)
Philadelphia: Feliz (5-12; 3 runs; double; HR; 5 RBI's)

Next Series: Toronto Blue Jays (34-31; 13-18 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (36-25; 13-16 at home)

The Blue Jays have cooled down tremendously. They have lost four straight and seven of their last 11. I can't see the Phillies losing this series at all and I expect a sweep, especially with the pitching coming up.

Probables:
6/16: Ricky Romero (3-3, 3.71), Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.62)
6/17*: TBA, Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.11 ERA)
6/18: Casey Janssen (2-3, 6.23 ERA), Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.17 ERA)
*attending

Saturday, June 13, 2009

MLB News 6/13/09

Peavy out for month:

Well this could hurt the Phillies chances at trading for Jake Peavy. He will be out for a month with a strained tendon in his right ankle he sustained on June 8th. His injury occurred while he ran the bases.

The Phillies were seriously considering trading for Peavy, who originally refused to wave his no-trade clause due to Citizen's Bank Park not being pitcher-friendly. Not only does this hinder his value for the season for the Phillies but could also hinder his confidence. If he was fully healthy, he would have considered a trade to Philadelphia but with a possible return to pitching before the trade deadline, he may not have the confidence in his ankle if he were to move to a hitter's park in Philly. Peavy is a fly ball pitcher and could get shelled here as opposed to the spacious Petco Field.

Peavy is 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 13 starts.

Castillo gets sympathy:

Boo hoo. Louis Castillo dropped a pop fly that would have ended the game for the Mets. Instead, the Yankees, who were trailing by one, scored two runners to earn the walk-off win. I laughed while reading this. Players were giving him sympathy and he lost sleep over it. Grow up, man. You made a mistake, life goes on.

Kendrick sent down, Escalona up:

This is what the Phillies should have originally done as Kyle Kendrick was sent back down to AAA (via Todd Zolecki's Twitter). In return, the Phillies brought up Sergio Escalona. Kendrick gave up three runs in his season debut in the 13th inning, costing the Phillies the game versus the Red Sox.

No Updates Today

Just like every Saturday, I'll be working all day from 12-10. If anything big occurs, I'll post about it later tonight when I get home. In the mean time, I want to talk about a few things from last night's loss to the Red Sox.

First I just want to know why Sergio Escalona wasn't called up when Scott Eyre went down. I don't care how well Kyle Kendrick was doing in the AAA. He is not a strike out pitcher and there is nothing special about his stuff. He should really have been sent to Japan.

I know Ryan Howard tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a home run but there is no excuse to strike out four times in a game.

Jimmy Rollins is starting look a little more comfortable at the plate. As the lead off, you have to make pitchers throw strikes. He is not known for that and isn't a true lead off hitter but when he's on, he sparks the team. He almost had a game winning shot last night that fell a few feet short.

Now this is where I will go off. How the hell do the umpires NOT review the home run hit by Greg Dobbs that was called foul in extra innings. That ball appeared to be fair and the umpires didn't even budge to give it a look. I think if a manager wants a review, it should be mandatory that the umpires look it over. That is complete bull sh*t and the league should do something about it.

Friday, June 12, 2009

News 6/12/09

Eyre DL'ed, Kendrick Called Up:

Todd Zolecki reported that Scott Eyre was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right calf. In his place the Phillies called up Kyle Kendrick, the former starter. Eyre was hurt last night versus the Mets. Kendrick will be available for tonight's game versus the Red Sox.

Bullpen to Be Featured:

Starting Sunday, the Phillies bull pen will be featured on the MLB Network in a show called "The Pen." The six-episode series, which debuts at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday on MLB Network, follows the Phillies bullpen on and off the field, with microphones recording everything along the way. Cameras are everywhere, too, including one attached to the catcher's mask in the bullpen. Read more details from the link provided.

Too bad we won't be seeing Eyre building sand castles in the pen.

Mets Choke Away Series

It's like a reoccurring theme for the Mets. They have the Phillies right where they want them and then they fall flat on their face while the Phillies walk away laughing. From the 2007 collapse to last year's World Series run, the Mets could have easily taken a three-game sweep from the Phillies but instead, lost the series. It was an odd series as only one starter got the decision.


The Phillies starting pitching is still on it's dominating tear (despite Cole Hamels getting hit hard in the second game). The bull pen really picked itself up as the Mets' faltered once again versus Phillies. The offense struggled for the first six innings of each game and then exploded to over come the early deficit.

In the first game, JA Happ took the mound versus Johan Santana and both pitchers got whacked around. The Phillies were able to hit four homers off of Santana (three of them lefties) and Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez became the first pair of lefties to go back-to-back versus Santana.

After the Phillies took the 4-3 lead, the Mets put up two runs in the sixth, and added one in the seventh. Despite the Phillies getting one back in the eighth from Chase Utley's solo homer, the Mets held on to win 6-5 with Santana earning the win.

On Wednesday, Utley used his bat and Jayson Werth used his glove to beat the Mets. Utley tied the game up at one with his solo shot in the fourth but the Mets got a three-run inning in the bottom half off of Happ, his only hiccup of the game to take a 4-1 lead.

The Phillies then exploded with three runs to tie the game up. Both teams were scoreless all the way to the bottom of the 10th with the Mets threatening. With a runner on, David Wright hit a ball that looked like it would clear the gap in right center but instead was robbed with a diving catch by Werth to end the inning and save the game. Utley lead off the inning with another solo homer, his second of the night, to put the Phillies ahead for good. Ryan Madson pitched a clean 11th to earn his second save of the year, replacing the injured Brad Lidge.

Thursday's game had a similar scenario with a similar result. After the Phillies tied the game at three in the seventh, the game found itself going into extra innings once again. With runners on first and second in the top of the 10th, Ibanez ripped a homer into the Mets bullpen to take a commanding 6-3 lead that Ryan Madson closed out for his third save.

Series MVP: Utley (5-13, 4 runs, 5 hits, double, 2 homers, 5 RBI's)

Next Series: Red Sox (36-24; 15-16 on the road) vs. Phillies (35-23; 12-14 at home)

The Phillies are coming home for an American League East home stand (I'll be attending one game in each series and I'll post pictures from each) that is starting tonight versus the hot Boston Red Sox. They are riding a series sweep versus the Yankees and have had the Phillies number the past few years.

Probables:
6/12: Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.46) vs. Jon Lester (5-5, 5.09)
6/13: Antonio Bastardo (2-0, 2.45) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4, 7.33)
6/14*: J.A. Happ (4-0, 2.98) vs. Josh Beckett (7-2, 3.77)
*attending

Thursday, June 11, 2009

News 6/11/09

I just got home from playing softball and I quickly checked the Phillies headlines and I saw a couple of noteworthy things:

Dugan Agrees Financially:

Kelly Dugan, the Phillies first pick in the draft (#75) agreed financially to sign with the Phillies. An amount hasn't been determined yet but that's good news as they locked him up right away.

Ozuna Suspended 50 Games:

The Phillies got their second player suspended for 50 games this year. Pablo Ozuna was caught with an "elevated testosterone/epitesterone ratio," according to a statement from Major League Baseball. He was the starting 2nd baseman for AAA Lehigh. He's batting .294 with no home runs and 15 RBIs in 187 at-bats this season for the IronPigs.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ibanez Angry at Accusations

Raul Ibanez is not happy at all right now.

I saw this today on ESPN and it just really got to me. There was a column in the Philly Inquirer about a blogger who claimed Ibanez could be using some sort of performance enhancing drug.

"I'll come after people who defame or slander me."

"Unfortunately, I understand the environment we're in and the events that have led us to this era of speculation," he said. "At the same time, you can't just walk down the street and accuse somebody of being a thief because they didn't have a nice car yesterday and they do today. You can't say that guy is a thief."

"You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool - anything you can test," Ibanez said. "I'll give you back every dime I've ever made."

"I'll put that up against the jobs of anyone who writes this stuff," he said. "Make them accountable. There should be more credibility than some 42-year-old blogger typing in his mother's basement. It demeans everything you've done with one stroke of the pen."

Are you kidding me? First I just want to say that Ibanez is playing half of his games in the hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as opposed to the spacious SafeCo Field. Before coming to Philadelphia, Ibanez has been a 20 home run guy who bats in the .290's and has averaged 85 RBI's. He has had one year where he hit 33 homers and has topped 100 RBI's 5 times.

Yea we're in an era where players are getting caught using performance enhancers such as Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and the Mitchell Report list but that still doesn't justify speculating every single player who has a good season. Should Ibanez be pissed? I think yes. But all you have to do is just show up every day and play the game hard and just say that "If I'm clean, then screw the critics."

Introducing the Phillies Draft Picks

The Phillies took two outfielders in this year's draft.

With the 75th pick in the MLB draft, the Phillies took switch-hitting power hitter Kelly Dugan. The 6'3" 18-year old out of California has decent speed on the bases and a decent arm in the field but features some pop from both sides of the plate. The Phillies lost their first round pick to the Mariners when they signed Raul Ibanez to his three year deal.

In the third round (#106), the Phillies took Washington native Kyrell Hudson, 18, another outfielder. The 6'2" Hudson is more of an athletic type who has a good presence in the field and dangerous speed on the base paths. He also has power potential but scouts say he needs to develop more consistency at the plate. Sounds like another Michael Bourn in the field and Jimmy Rollins at the plate.

In local news, Mike Trout from Millville, NJ was drafted 25th to the Los Angeles Angels. I wish him the best of luck in his road to the bigs.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Lidge Put On 15-Day DL

Tom Singer of MLB.com reported the details of the Brad Lidge injury. Lidge was placed on the 15-day DL today with a right knee sprain. In his place, the Phillies recalled catcher Paul Bako and he is expected to dress tonight versus the Mets. Bako is batting .357, with 10 RBIs in 42 at-bats.

Lidge (0-3) has been the exact opposite of his perfect regular and post season form a year ago as he is sporting an ugly six blown saves. He has 13 saves and an ERA of 7.27 in 28 appearances.This move will likely make set-up man Ryan Madson the closer until Lidge's return.

I have to ask one quick question before I talk about the recalling of Bako: why him? I know we want to have another bat on the bench since there are only four bench players but of all people why not bring back John Mayberry Jr. or try out another hitter to take advantage of the opportunity. But maybe Bako has something to prove. Another logical reason for this is so that Chris Coste will get more pinch hit AB's and the Phillies will still have a reserve catcher in Bako.

Now I'm glad they gave Lidge a 15-day rest. He hasn't been himself at all this year. It's not known whether or not his knee really is bothering him or if he is just getting a reality check so he can get his head on straight. If the knee is the case, that's at least a bit of a relief knowing that it's a physical problem and not a mental problem. Remember, this is the same guy that got abused by Albert Pujols in the 2006 NLCS.

Whatever the reason is, good luck Lidge in getting back on track and I'm confident Madson will hold down the fort nicely.

BREAKING NEWS: Lidge Put on DL

Dave Murphey's Twitter:

Lidge placed on DL with sprained right knee

I'll post more as I find out....

Monday, June 8, 2009

Bastardo Gets NL POW Consideration

Not bad for your debut week, Antonio Bastardo. Pitching 12 innings, going 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA, surrendering three runs and striking out nine earned him a National League Player of the Week nominee. Ian Stewart of the Colorado Rockies took the honors. He earned his wins against the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the midst of all his success are a couple observations I've made. He can't keep trying to blow it by the batters. One thing that's been talked about was his gripping of the baseball too tight and there for losing control of his change up. I think with 2 starts under his belt and the rookie jitters out of the way, he'll be mixing in his pitches a helluva lot more.

But other than those, I congratulate Bastardo and I hope he cements a starting role for the near future. Keep up the good work.

Phils Offense Comes Alive to Split Series

After failing to score more than three runs in the first three games of the series, the Phillies offense powered its way past the Dodgers last night to split the four-game series. After winning the first game, Brad Lidge blew the next two games, wasting good starts by Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer.

In the first game of the series, Cole Hamels went to work once again, this time shutting out the Dodgers on 97 pitches. He got runs from Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly, Raul Ibanez's RBI double, and Jayson Werth's RBI single.

Hamel's game was such a thing of beauty. He went the distance, striking out five and surrendering four hits and a walk. He also only allowed one runner into scoring position as he got plenty of help from his defense with a pair of double plays early in the game. He mixed his deadly change-up well with fastballs and curveballs to keep the Dodgers hitters off balance.

In the second game, things didn't go so hot for the Phillies. Moyer was fantastic, going seven innings and giving up two runs on four hits. He also struck out three. Up 3-2 going into the ninth, Lidge put two men on but had two outs. He forced a groundball to Pedro Feliz who booted it to load the bases. Next batter was Andre Ethier who hit the shot over Eric Bruntlett's head in right field to win it for the Dodgers.

The third game, as Yogi Berra would say it, "was deja-vu all over again." Holding a 2-1 lead in the ninth, Lidge gave up a home run to pinch hitter Rafael Furcal, his sixth blown save of the season. The ball just barely got past Werth's out-stretched arm. Chad Durbin would surrender the walk-off homer by Andre Ethier in the 12th.

Last night's game was a show as the Phillies dominated from start to finish. Antonio Bastardo took the mound for his second career start and pitched a good follow-up performance. He went five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and fanning four. He got the win, starting his career 2-0. He is doing an excellent job at petitioning to the Phillies that they do not need any other help until the deadline.

Charlie Manuel shook up the offense by leading off with Shane Victorino and dropping Rollins down to sixth. It worked well as the offense featured some fire works from homers by Victorino, Carlos Ruiz, and Howard. Chan Ho Park pitched three strong innings in relief, giving up only one hit.

Series MVP's:
Dodgers: Ethier - 6-16, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBI's, 2 walk-off hits
Phillies: Hamels - 9 IP, CG, SHO, 5 K's, 5 hits

Next Series: @ New York Mets
6/9: Happ (4-0, 2.48); Santana (7-3, 2.00)
6/10: Hamels (4-2, 4.40), Pelfrey (4-2, 4.85)
6/11 Moyer (4-5, 6.27), Redding (0-2, 6.97)

Saturday, June 6, 2009

No Posts Today

Like every Saturday, I won't be posting much today unless something big happens and I write about it when I get home. I work from noon until ten at night at the family liquor store so my ability to watch today's game will be hindered as well. I will say a few things I've noticed the first two games of this series.

In game one, I just want to say nothing but praise for Cole Hamels' outing. He stepped onto the mound in LA and absolutely dominated the Dodgers, who own the best record in baseball. His complete game shut out was a thing of beauty, from the five hits he allowed to only needing 97 pitches to get the job done.

Now last night's game is something I don't want people to start worrying about. This is what I call a fluke loss that ended the Phillies 7-game win streak. Even though it was Brad Lidge was in the game and got hit with the loss, he did not get stuck with a blown save because it was not his fault nor were the two runs allowed as they were not registered as "earned."

Sure he put two runners on base but that 2-out ground ball to Pedro Feliz should have been an easy third out. Feliz is still on of the best fielders in the game and I am not pitting this loss on him but at the same time, I'm taking most of the heat off of Lidge. He's still one of the top closers in the league.

Game is on at 4 PM EST today. Go Phils.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Non-Phillies: Congratulations Randy Johnson


I just wanted to congratulate Randy Johnson for earning his 300th win yesterday against the franchise he started it all with (sort of). Johnson won his first game with the Montreal Expos in 1989, who later became the Washington Nationals only a few years ago. Johnson pitched six scoreless innings and struck out two as the Giants won 5-1.

Phillies Injury Update

Brett Myers had his right hip surgery and the future looks grim. Myers had arthroscopic bony spur and labral debridement and will begin his rehabbing on Saturday. This rehab will extend for about three months. This means he will be allowed to start throwing in September. The only way he plays is if the Phillies make another deep playoff push and he pitches in the bull pen. Myers was 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA in 10 starts this year. He will be a free agent in the off season.

In other news, Shane Victorino is listed as day-to-day with a left hip strain. He didn't play last night versus the Dodgers as Eric Bruntlett played right field while Jayson Werth filled the Flyin' Hawaiian's absence in center. Charlie Manuel said that he wants Victorino in the line up still for his bat but he doesn't want to have him do any running or playing the field.

From Todd Zolecki's article:

"That's why I did what I did," [Victorino] said of leaving the game in the sixth inning on Wednesday. Victorino also said he has had soreness on the right side of his lower back for much of the season. "A little sore, but nothing that I really have to worry about," he said. "I had a problem on the right side. Now all of a sudden my left side."

I know this may be a hasty idea but why not put Victorino on the 15-day DL and call John Mayberry Jr. back up to start the games Victorino is out? It would be huge experience for Mayberry as well as allow Victorino to rest up his hip and lower back.

Todd Zolecki reported both injuries.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Padilla/Glavine on Phillies Radar?

Tom Glavine and Vicente Padilla were recently released from the Braves and Rangers respectively and should not be on the free agent market for too long.

Rumor Mill on Baseball Digest.com:

One NL exec said... "The Phillies have been waiting for just this type of opportunity; take a veteran starter for a test drive for the next month or so before having to make any hard decisions about (San Diego’s Jake) Peavy or (Houston’s Roy) Oswalt.”

Glavine, who spurned the Phillies for the Mets back in 2003, is said to be “furious” with how the Braves handled the situation and “can’t wait to stick it up their a**.” Signing with the Phillies would go a long way towards fulfilling that goal.

The Phillies are said to prefer Glavine (and the NL exec said the veteran southpaw’s agent made an immediate call to Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. as soon as the release was requested by Glavine, who chose to get cut rather than retire a Brave), but would gladly take a flier on the former Phillie Padilla if they fail to come to terms with Glavine.

I honestly would take Glavine in a heartbeat just because he is better than Padilla, who played for the Phillies from 2000-2005. Glavine, a 305-game winner is also a future Hall of Famer and would be fun to watch on the mound. The only argument I can make for Padilla is that Glavine would give the Phillies four lefties and Padilla would atleast give them two righties.

I know this is not a permanent replacement for Brett Myers, who's season is done after hurting his right hip. The Phillies are said to make a play for a big time starter at the trade deadline on July 31. Antonio Bastardo impressed everyone in his Major League debut but will and should not be starting every five days until the trade deadline. Glavine or Padilla just be a fill in for that span and if they pitch well, could compete with Jamie Moyer or Joe Blanton to stay on as the 5th starter.

Glavine has not pitched at all this year as he couldn't make the Braves starting five. Padilla is 3-3 this year with a 5.57 ERA. He has gone 53.1 innings in nine starts (that's just under six innings per start) and has struck out 27.

I could see the Phillies rotation looking like this for the next two months and be comfortable (in current pitching order):
-Hamels
-Moyer
-Blanton
-Happ
-Glavine

Phillies Sweep Friars

Coming off of a sweep versus Washington, the Phillies started their little West Coast trip as they played three games in sunny Southern California versus the Padres. The Padres came into this series on a 10 game home winning streak. That came to a screeching halt as the Phillies starting pitching dominated all three games and Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez sparked the offense at key times.

Joe Blanton took the mound Monday in the Phillies weakest start of the series. He threw seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits with five strike outs, earning him a quality start. Chase Utley and Howard went back-to-back in the fifth to make it a 4-1 game and then Adrian Gonzalez and Scott Hairston mirrored that feat in the sixth to make it a 4-3 game. The Phillies would tack on another run and Brad Lidge made his only appearance of the series, earning his 13th save in 17 chances as the Phillies won 5-3.

Tuesday's pitching match up was very interesting as Antonio Bastardo was making his major league debut in place of Brett Myers and facing Jake Peavy, a player who the Phillies have interest in acquiring before the trade deadline. Peavy only lasted one inning as he got rocked for four runs in the first. Bastardo went six innings, giving up a solo home run and four hits total and striking out five. It was also Ibanez's birthday as he gave the rookie Bastardo a present, going 3-5 with two homers, a double, and five RBI's. The final was 10-5 as Ryan Madson earned a rare five-run save.

Last night's game was utter dominance from JA Happ, making his 3rd start of the season. He improved to 4-0 and dropped his ERA to a 2.48 after throwing seven shut out innings, giving up four hits and striking out four. Howard hit a two-run bomb in the first inning to get the scoring going. JC Romero made his season debut, going 1.3 innings, giving up the only run (which was unearned) on two hits and one walk and striking out a batter. He was having trouble locating his pitches which usually comes with a first appearance. He will be fine and I am far from worried. The Phillies won 5-1.

Series MVP: Ibanez (6-15, 2 HR's, 2 doubles, 6 RBI's)

Next Series: @ Los Angeles Dodgers
6/4 - Hamels (3-2, 5.21), Kershaw (3-3, 4.34)
6/5 - Moyer (4-5, 6.75), Milton (2-0, 3.14)
6/6 - Blanton (4-3, 5.86), Kuroda (1-1, 2.53)
6/7 - Bastardo (1-0, 1.50), Wolf (3-1, 3.21)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A Few Notes and News

Bastardo impresses in debut:

I'm still tired from watching these 10 PM starts but hey, that's what a true fan does. Besides, I didn't want to miss Antonio Bastardo's debut. And boy did he put on a nice little show. He went six strong innings and threw 101 pitches, eclipsing the 75 pitch handicap Charlie Manuel and set for him. In his six innings, he surrendered four hits and one run, a homer hit by Adrian Gonzalez in the 6th, and struck out an impressive five batters.

Another impressive fact about his first start was that he threw 77 strikes (out of 101 pitches), just under 80%. Now that number will decrease as he should be mixing his stuff up with more sliders and curve balls. A 4-0 head start was also a nice touch which definitely boosted the 23-year old's confidence. He'll face the Dodgers

The return of JC:

No not Jesus Christ, but JC Romero. Romero is officially off his 50 game suspension for "substance abuse," and will be activated for tonight's game verses the Padres. I found this out when perusing the Phillies Nation like I always do as PN writer Tim Malcolm got the news via David Murphey's Twitter page that with the activation of Romero will be the sending down of Sergio Escalona back to AAA.

Eyre talks retirment:

Scott Eyre is about 90% sure he'll retire after this season. The 37-year old lefty has been dominant for the Phillies this year in the absence of Romero. Eyre is 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings this year. He is 26-30 with a 4.33 earned run average in 632 innings lifetime.

A snippet from Philly Inquirer writer Andy Martino:

"My wife is probably ready for me to be home," said Eyre, who has two sons, ages 8 and 10. "I've been playing for 13 years, and it's basically all she's ever known. We'll talk about it at the end of the year, but as of now I would say, yeah, I'll retire."
OTHER NEWS: Johnson seeks 300:

One of my favorite players to watch growing up, Randy Johnson, will be chasing history tonight. He is set to take the mound versus the Nationals to try (well not really) to win his 300th game, becoming the 24th player in baseball history to do so.

Johnson, currently with the Giants, is 299-164 with a 3.29 ERA and 4843 strikeouts. His strikeouts numbers are 2nd all time and 1st among lefties. His k/9 is a historical 10.7, which leads every player to ever step on a major league mound. He started his career in Montreal and then played in Seattle, Houston, Arizona, and New York (AL).

That game versus the Nationals is at 7:05 ET tonight.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Howard Co-Wins Player of Week; Mayberry Sent Down

A couple weeks after Raul Ibanez wins NL Player of the Week, Ryan Howard split the honors with Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres. Howard hit 4 homers last week including his monstrous grand slam. He also totaled 10 RBI's and a slugging percentage of 1.000. This was Howard's 4th career honor and first of the season.

In other news, John Mayberry Jr's tenure ended for now in the majors as the Phillies sent him back down to AAA Lehigh. That move will make room for Antonio Bastardo, who will be making his major league debut in a start versus Jake Peavy and the Padres tonight. This was a smart move since Mayberry wasn't being used much at all in his tenure and was losing the valuable at bats he would be getting in Lehigh. We'll see him again when the Phillies travel to AL teams.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Vote, Vote, and Vote Some More

Good job Phillies fans in making your voices heard. We currently have two starters if voting ended today for the all star game. Vote here on MLB.com and here is what the standing look like for some notable guys:

1B - Ryan Howard is third with Albert Pujols leading.
2B - Chase Utley is running away with this one.
3B - Pedro Feliz is in 5th.
SS - Jimmy Rollins is in second behind Hanley Ramirez.
OF - Raul Ibanez is in 2nd behind Ryan Braun. Shane Victorino is seventh and Jaywson Werth is 11th.