Phils Land Lee in Trade

Well the Phillies had their eyes set on Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays would not budge so the Phillies went straight to plan B. They nabbed another former Cy Young award winner in Cliff Lee from the Indians for a package of prospects. In the trade, the Phillies got the 2008 Cy Young winner and outfielder Ben Francisco for four prospects: Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp.

Cliff Lee is 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 6.34 K/9 this year. He has come back to form in his last five starts, pitching at least six innings and allowing no more than three runs. He also has thrown two complete games in that span. In four games versus the NL this year, he went 1-0 and didn't allow more than three runs and went at least six innings, nothing four quality starts. He also had a complete game shut out versus St. Louis.

The Phillies were likely frustrated with the Blue Jays' demands and gave up on Halladay so they went with the next best guy. Not only is Lee a great pitcher but he will add to the Phillies already solid rotation. The Phillies also succeeded in getting a great pitcher without coughing up Kyle Drabek and JA Happ.

I love this move for the above reasons. The Phillies now have a rock solid rotation along with Pedro Martinez and Rodrigo Lopez as back up plans. Also Brett Myers could be back but a bull pen spot is more likely than the rotation. With the addition of Lee, the rotation now probably looks like this going by when each respective pitcher has thrown:

Hamels
Happ
(Lopez is scheduled for tomorrow)
Lee
Blanton
Moyer

Overall this is a great trade and the Phillies are now instantly the best team in the National League in my opinion.

Phillies Sign Martinez

Todd Zolecki's tweet:

Pedro is locked down. One year about $1 million, plus $1.5 million in incentives. News conference tomorrow.

Pedro Martinez is officially a Phillie. The 37 year-old righty signed a one year deal worth $1 million with another $1.5 million in incentives. There will be a news conference tomorrow but no time has been made yet.

This is a good move seeing it's a cheap low risk/high reward deal. He will likely become the the Phillies' fifth starter, adding great veteran experience and team leadership. He loves the spotlight and has great chemistry with all of his teammates.

Ruben Amaro said that Martinez will need to pitch a few minor league starts before he sees time in the majors.

We're still trying to assess where he is," Amaro said. "He would need some time [in the Minors], absolutely."

Amaro also said Martinez's arrival would not preclude them from making other moves, including the pursuit of Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay.

Welcome and good luck, Pedro.

Phillies Close to Deal with Pedro

Todd Zolecki wrote that the Phillies are down in the Dominican Republic and they are nearing a deal with Pedro Martinez, reports say. Ruben Amaro Jr. has declined comment. The report came from this site, which unfortunately is in Spanish. It reports that he signed a $4 million deal but that's not know if it's with incentives or for how many years.

"We are trying to do what we can to add to our club, and if we feel at the end of the day Pedro is going to help us than we'll make a run at him," Amaro said Wednesday.

So what does Martinez bring to the table? Well if he is the only move the Phillies plan on making then Amaro is a complete jack ass. If Martinez is going to be the Phillies fifth starter and JA Happ will be the prime piece in a trade for Roy Halladay, then Amaro is a genius. A move like this is leaning hard on the latter and with Toronto scouting Happ and having interest in Jason Donald can only lead to good news.

Martinez is 214-99 lifetime with a 2.91 ERA. He last pitched in 2008 with the Mets, going 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 80 K's in 20 starts (109 innings).

Jays Shopping Halladay

The thin market for pitchers just got thicker. Though I could see Halladay moving fall through, there will be a long line of teams with offers interested in former Cy Young pitcher. The Phillies will be one of those teams. I will show the Philly Inquirer article written by David Murphy with the details and then I will break down each part:

First, let's take a look at what a team would be getting on the field:
1. Halladay is 32 years old.
2. From 2006-2008 he averaged 17 wins, 7 losses, a 3.22 ERA, 6.2 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings.
3. This season, he is 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA. Opponents are hitting .250 off of him.
4. Halladay is 17-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 35 career interleague appearances.
5. Halladay was on the disabled list twice with shoulder problems in 2004, and missed the second half of 2005 after breaking his leg. But he has been mostly healthy since, although he did spend time on the DL in 2007 after an appendectomy.
6. The Phillies coaching staff likes Halladay a lot.

Second let's take a look at his contract:
1. Halladay is in the second year of a three-year, $40 million contract
2. He is scheduled to early $14.25 million this season, which means the Phillies would be adding roughly $7.125 million of payroll for the rest of this season.
3. Halladay is scheduled to earn $15.75 million in 2010, after which he will become a free agent.

Third, let's take a look at the Phillies' bargaining chips:
OF Dominic Brown: Rated by Baseball America as the organization's top prospect, he is currently on the disabled list with a broken finger, but that shouldn't limit his value. The 21-year-old left-handed hitting corner outfielder was hitting .299 with a .379 On Base Percentage with nine home runs, 38 RBI and 14 stolen bases at Class A Clearwater.

RHP Kyle Drabek: He has been tearing up Double-A Reading, and at just 21 years old may be on the verge of surpassing Carlos Carrasco as the organization's top pitching prospect.

LHP J.A. Happ: Happ recently recorded his first career complete game shutout against the Blue Jays and has been fantastic the last two seasons. Scouts don't think he has the upside of a Buchholz, but with five more years of club control and an impressive start to his career, he has value.

INF Jason Donald: He has battled injury and performance issues since his promotion to Triple-A, but he is still viewed as one of the Phillies' better prospects.

C Lou Marson: Like Donald, has had a so-so year at Triple-A. But, also like Donald, he is the closest thing the organization has to a major-league-ready bat, and he plays a premium position.

OF Michael Taylor: You know all about him already. If you don't, check out his stats at Double-A Reading.

RHP Carlos Carrasco: Kind of in the Gavin Floyd mold. Great stuff, but he still does not have the major league makeup. Then again, he is only 22 years old.

OF John Mayberry: Has drifted back and forth between the Phils and Lehigh Valley. Big-time power, but won't be an everyday player in Philly for at least another year-and-a-half.

So here are some packages I'll throw out there. You tell me which ones wouldn't make sense for the Phillies:
1. Dominic Brown, J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick, John Mayberry Jr.
2. Drabek, Jason Donald or Lou Marson, Andrew Carpenter, Player TBA
3. Drabek, J.A. Happ, John Mayberry Jr., Player TBA
4. Drabek, Michael Taylor, J.A. Happ, Player TBA
5. Dominic Brown, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Kyle Kendrick

First Murphy broke down Halladay. Halladay is 32 but that doesn't seem to be a factor at all. He will instantly become the ace on this team, making Cole Hamels the #2 which I think Hamels or anyone else on Philly's side will have no problem with. His 10-2 record and 2.79 ERA will instantly be leading the Phillies. His numbers the last 3 years are also incredible. His numbers versus the NL (17-8; 3.02) show that he should have no problems switching to the National League. Halladay and the Phillies will be a match made in heaven.

Now looking at his contract, money should not be an issue here. The Phillies have the ability to pay the remaining $7.125 million for this season and $15.75 million for next season. He will be a FA after the 2010 season and if he and Philly see another ring during the next two seasons, I could see a contract keeping him here for more years to come.

Now to the players Murphy feels the Phillies should use in the trade. Based off Toronto's needs, Lou Marson could be a target. And I can't see any team not wanting the talented outfielder Dominic Brown. As far as pitching, the only player I do not want to part with is JA Happ. He is pitching well and will continue to pitch well. Though sacrificing him will instantly make the top of the rotation better, their back end will be tremendously weak. I have no problem with coughing up either Carlos Carrasco or Kyle Drabek as long as it isn't both. Throwing Andrew Carpenter's name in the mix is also not a bad idea.

Murphy throws in some good ideas for packages and the one I agree with the most is the second. The first thing that attracted me to that idea was that there is no trading of Happ. I thought the fifth was more of a dream option as it is the weakest proposed. Back to his second option, Jason Donald or Marson are going to be the offensive kickers in that deal. Both have great potential offensively. Now the deal breaking piece will be Drabek or Brown. I liked him choosing Drabek because it will allow Philly to hold onto Carrasco, who has already shown good potential. Drabek is their top pitching prospect and therefor will help counter the loss of Halladay for Toronto.

He also threw in Andrew Carpenter which was not a bad move as an insurance piece. Now he added a player TBA and I would make that John Mayberry. Mayberry strikes out too much but shows great offensive and defensive skill. Brown is probably going to be the better all-around player than Mayberry and Mayberry's major league experience could be a plus for Toronto.

There are a lot of options out there in going for Halladay. As long as he keeps his Cy Young form and the Phillies don't give up too much, I will have no problem in bringing him here.

Join Liberty Bell Sports forums and discuss with other fans your opinions on trading for Halladay.

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)

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!

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)

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.

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

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.

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.

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

FIM #2: Joe Carter....

...That's all I needed to really type for a title. You say his name and every Phillie fan will instantly remember 1993 and the Phillies being one out away from forcing a game 7 with Toronto. Instead, Joe Carter belts a game winning 3-run homer that won the World Series. He became the 2nd player in the history of baseball to win the World Series for his team via air mail. The first being Bill Mazeroski of the 1960 Pirates when he hit "The Shot Heard 'Round the World."

After taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, Curt Schilling stepped on the mound for Philadelphia in game five and shut out the Blue Jays 2-0 to pull Philadelphia within one game. Terry Mulholland took the mound for Philadelphia and Dave Bush pitched for Toronto in Game 6. After being down 5-1, Philadelphia scored five runs in the top of the 7th.

It’s the bottom of the 9th of and Mitch Williams stands on the mound. The Philadelphia Phillies, trailing 3-2 in the series, are leading the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in Toronto. All Williams needs is three more outs and the Phillies take Toronto to game seven.

It’s now the 9th inning. Ricky Henderson steps in and is walked. Devon White comes up to the plate next and hits a pop fly for out number one. Paul Molitor then singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Joe Carter steps up to the plate and has a 2-2 count on him.

Carter has been ineffective all series, and is looking to get a hit off of Williams. Williams knows Carter is a dangerous hitter, despite his cold spell. He also has Henderson standing on second, waiting to take third at any given moment. Carter steps in. The 2-2 pitch, and Carter hits a shot deep to left field that made the city of Philadelphia moan and mumble to themselves, "maybe next year."

The Whit: Which Moment in Sports History would You Change?

I had a small clip in this semester's final issue of the Whit. I want to thank Cody Crusciel for being my first sports editor and congratualtions to Kate Harman for taking his role for next year. Here is my clip. Enjoy:

1993 World Series
Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays
By John Russo

After taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, Curt Schilling stepped on
the mound for Philadelphia in game five and shut out the Blue Jays 2-0 to pull
Philadelphia within one game. Terry Mulholland took the mound for Philadelphia
and Dave Bush pitched for Toronto, after being down 5-1, Philadelphia scored
five runs in the top of the 7th.

It’s the bottom of the 9th of game six of the 1993 World Series and
Mitch Williams stands on the mound. The Philadelphia Phillies, trailing 3-2 in
the series, are leading the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in Toronto. All Williams needs
is three more outs and the Phillies take Toronto to game seven.

It’s now the 9th inning. Ricky Henderson steps in and is walked. Devon
White comes up to the plate next and hits a pop fly for out number one. Paul
Molitor then singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Joe Carter
steps up to the plate and has a 2-2 count on him. Carter has been ineffective
all series, and is looking to get a hit off of Williams.

Williams knows Carter is a dangerous hitter, despite his cold spell. He
also has Henderson standing on second, waiting to take third at any given
moment.

Carter steps in. The 2-2 pitch, and a swing and a miss! Williams
strikes out Carter to bring up John Olerud, who will ground out weakly to end
the game and the Phillies hold on to win game six, sending the series back to
Toronto for the final game of the World Series. Williams could potentially
become a hero in Philadelphia.

We all wish that was what happened that late October night in the
SkyDome. Instead, Carter infamously hit a three run home run and Williams was
practically run out of town.