Rockies

You KNOW you're going well when Adam Eaton is your last resort in the 13th inning against your closest rival, he gives up 3 hits and 5 walks, and you win on a slam in the 14th.

You read it here: the Dodgers will NOT win the west, and may not make the playoffs.

Maaddi

The title is not a misspelling. It's the name of another moron sportswriter, this one for AP. This group of morons has NOTHIGNG better to do than berate Philly sports fans EVERY time and opportunity arises. This time, because Michael Vick will attempt a comeback in front of us.

Here are his old, worn, tired, BS comments:


By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA(AP)—Michael Vick(notes) picked a tough place for a second chance.

Philadelphia sports fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus during a game in 1968. They cheered when the Dallas Cowboys’ Michael Irvin injured his neck and had to be carried off the field in 1999. They behaved so badly that a courtroom was set up at old Veterans Stadium to handle arrests.

You know, it's so old, so lame.... In St Louis a woman gets battered during a game in the ballpark and little is said. Riots in LA, beer on Victorino as he lines up a fly ball. Had these things happened in Philly it would have been front page news.

I'm gonna stop and just say this: SHUT THE F up and get off it! If you have nothing new to say, get a real job!

Lidge

You know, when I think about Charlie persisting in his use of Brad Lidge not only in non-save, but in mop up situations, like today, I can't help but think about the stubborn stupidity of Jim Fregosi in 1993 culminating in using a totally fried Mitch Williams, because "we dance with who nring us".

FACT IS, regardless of the braindead who insist otherwise, closers are motivated by the situation. Take a gander at the stats and it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that MOST CLOSERS blow up in non-save situations.

STOP Charlie, PLEASE STOP! Perhaps Lidge needs work, that's why there's a bullpen. It does NOTHING for his confidence when he goes in with a 7 run deficit and gives up three more. PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!

Dreaming

I guess the purpose of BLOGs, aside from stating ones opinion, is also to dream a bit, for everyone to read, so here's my Phillies dream.....Realistic dreams, players that not only became available, but moved, and didn't demand a king's ransom like Dr. Halladay.

Along with Cliff Lee would have come Victor Martinez. Not only would he really have fulfilled the needed righthanded bat, but he would have been a far better solution to shore up the catching than Paul Bako. Ben Francisco appears to be a suitable bat off the bench and for an occasional start, and his power seems well-suited for our ballpark, but he's no Victor Martinez and he joins a club with little room for another outfielder, right now.

Mark Derosa is my Brendan Shanahan for this year. (Flyers fans should get the reference.) Not only would he also have supplied some righthanded power, but he would have relegated Eric Bruntlett to, well, some other team, perhaps in AAA.

Lastly, George Sherrill would have not only provided a potent lefthanded arm in the 'pen, but a needed alternative should Brad Lidge continue his shaky performance heading down the stretch.

While I have to admit that aside from questionable moves trading away Jason Jaramillo (.250, 3 HRs in 47 games for the Pirates) and Ronny Paulino (.263, 5 HRs in 52 games for the Marlins), and replacing them with Paul Bako (sub-.200), and getting essentially nothing in return, there's little to quibble with Ruben Amaro's moves thus far. As a matter of fact the Cliff Lee move was the much better choice in light of Toronto's ridiculous demands. That said, the moves above wouldn't have cost a whole lot and would have solidified the remaining weak points of the team heading into another Fall bound to be as stress-filled as the last.

Lee

I am rubbing my eyes in disbelief. Can it be that Pat Gillick has been replaced by a new gerneration's Paul Owens?

Days ago I read comments from Houston GM Ed Wade saying how they couldn't afford to do anymore this year. And all of a sudden the Phils no longer seem like the tightwads we've come to hate. Can it be that it was Ed Wade all along and not the invisible management that was squeezing the purse strings?

Well, who knows, but all I can say is that I was all for forgetting about Roy Halladay and the ridiculously high price tag the Blue Jays had placed on him, in favor of Cliff Lee, Cleveland's regining Cy Young winner. Lo and behold we got him! And we're now saddled with a ridiculous wealth of lefthanded starters!

Sorry, just a little giddy at the prospects for the remainder of the season.

Now if Ruben can only find a way to trade for George Sherrill to bolster the pen...

Pedro

Um, check back with me in 3-4 weeks.... Yikes, all I can say is I hope he's still angry with the Mets and can act on that anger.... ;-)

McCarthy

Been awhile since I posted here and I think it's because of the shock of having to listen to Andy Muss.... er Tom McCarthy ramble, preach, yell, and spew every inane statistic he can find, ala Andy Musser.

Yes, he is as annoying as Wheels EVER WAS and I pray they have no intentions of making him Harry's permanent replacement! He's so unbearable I now listen to the radio broadcast to accompany the TV picture as if it was a Monday Night Football Eagles game!

Ets

So, they fixed their pen eh? How long do you suspect K-Rod will last? Wow, he doesn't throw strikes, he's got an amazingly herky jerky motion and I just don't see it. And JJ Putz, well, seems to me it's the same old choking Mets!

Hooray!

Catchers

Oh why, oh my.... Has anyone noticed that the golden slipper no longer fits Chris Coste?

It was a nice run and a great story, but he is totally overmatched in ALL regards now. So it begs the question, why did they let Jason Jaramillo (now starting for the Pirates and hitting .313), and Ronny Paulino (now playing a LOT for the Marlins and hitting .310) go.

Yes Lou Marson is probably their catcher of the future but for right now with Chooch Ruiz clearly the everyday catcher when he gets back, seems to me either Paulino or Jaramillo were a better option to back him up than Coste.

Harry

For many the passing of Harry Kalas is the end of an era. Harry's voice represents their youth, the sounds of summer, two World Championships, a number of division titles and four National League pennants.

Harry's introduction to us was cruel as those of us from my generation had a similar affection to the voices of By Saam and Bill Campbell as well as Richie Ashburn. Indeed, it was the cliché that I did spend many a night hiding my little transistor radio under my pillow listening to those three broadcast (usually another loss) the Phillies from far and near. So the announcement that this new guy was coming from Houston to replace the then-aging (he's still kicking!) Bill Campbell, was not welcome news and Harry received a traditionally cool Philly welcome.

But Harry would go on to establish himself as one of the greatest voices and personalities in the history of baseball broadcasting. Only the crustiest of fans would not admit they loved the duo of Harry and Whitey, and while Harry's best days were long since past, his legend was and is still, and probably will forever be with us.

I for one, wish he had retired a couple years ago. What I saw and heard was akin to the last years of Willie Mays lumbering out to the outfield. There's something about seeing those that are larger than life go out on top, or, like Mike Schmidt, soon after realizing they had lost their greatness.

I know this is somewhat blasphemous, but it's just how I feel and it doesn't really diminish the greatness of Harry Kalas, nor does it tarnish the shining moments and spectacular calls that are emblazoned in my memories.

We'll miss you Harry, but I'm sure you're already in the broadcast booth in the sky, a pop in hand, and Whitey at your side, calling an Angels' game.

Bravos

Does any team in baseball have a worse bullpen than the Braves?

I think not. Yesterday was as disgraceful a display of putting out fires as I've seen in a whle as the Braves pitching disintegrated and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in handing the Phils a 12-11 win in a game they led 10-3 in the 7th and would have meant a sweep of the World Series champs in their lare where they went undefeated the entire post season. Uggh, Pete Moylan, Blaine Boyer? Oh well, fortunately we get to play them like 13 more times this year.

Eaton

I was going to call this post "To Eaton or Not To Eaton" but I decided to stick to the one word titles.

So, tell me, who was the idiot that thought inviting Adam Eaton to the ring ceremony was a good idea? Now, I'm all for harmony and world peace and all that, and this was to be a celebration, but here's a guy they didn't think enough of to invite to the World Series, so why on earth subject him to the masses on this day?

And they wonder why we get the rep we have? It's the morons running the clubs who create these stupid scenarios!

Okay, okay, the fans could have just kept quiet...

Schilling

Wow, the same topic in consecutive posts....

Love him or hate him.... Not many people sit on the Schilling fence. I am one of those on the love him side. For not too many players have demonstrated that they want the ball. Not too many players have risen to the occasion on the biggest of stages and shone like Schilling has.

Whether it was going out the day after the Phils were handed a historically unpleasant 15-14 loss by the Blue Jays in the '93 World Series and shutting out the Jay, or his post season performances with Arizona or the Red Sox, Schilling has proven himself to be a money player.

The other side of Curt is his outspokenness and that is where many fans are rankled. But that too is where I appreciate the candor and honesty Curt has exhibited. When he essentially demanded his way out of Philly what he said was what many Phils fans felt, that the team wasn't committed to winning. Unlike Scott Rolen who made a similar demands not long after, Curt has a way of saying what he thinks in a mature and open way, where Rolen comes off like whiner who will take his ball and go home if he doesn't get what he wants.

Curt Schilling should be a Hall of Famer. There, I said it. For me to say that, well, I'm surprised I did. As I will point out in a future post, my opinion is that the HOF has been seriously watered down by players with "numbers", players who are not true legends of the game, who do not engender an aura of greatness, as the Hall was originally intended to house. Schilling has the aura; Schilling is a player who will long be remembered for the bloody sock, for helping to restore greatness to the Red Sox nation, and for more than 200 wins during a career tarnished by many injuries.

But the best praise I can heap on Curt is that he was and is a true Philadelphian. While he wasn't born here, he was adopted and beloved here for the qualities mentioned above. Not many players achieve that status in this city where we're more preoccupied with rating our players on the blue collar scale than their stats, but Curt has made the top five on every list I can think of, including the humanitarian one for his dedication to cause to find a cure for ALS.

Curt, please wear the right red when you are enshrined into Cooperstown. Philly is where you were given the opportunity, and Philly is where you were embraced and first glowed in the bright lights. In your heart you KNOW a red P is what should be on your head in the hallowed halls.

Curt

Now there's a name that is as meaningful in Phillies lore as almost any other.

Curt Flood? The ultimate Phillies villain perhaps? Maybe, but to many current-day fans Curt Flood is but a footnote to Phillies and baseball history even though he is one of the most transformational characters in the history of the game.

I'm trying to think of another important Curt just to pump up this Blog, but I'm not having any success. Oh well, doesn't matter much because the Curt I really wanted to write about is Curt Schilling.

Now HERE is a curious case. Here is a guy who came here and flew under the radar even while compiling a respectable 14-11 record and 2.35 ERA for a lackluster 1992 club, but then emerged in 1993 as a true clutch pitcher that would eventually go on to prove himself in Arizona and Boston as perhaps one of the great post season clutch performers in the history of baseball. Whether he is Hall of Fame caliber with 216 wins is debatable (and one of my future posts will certainly touch on my opinion of the Hall of Fame), but he certainly has made an impact on the Phils, not only in the '90s but to this day.

Yes, Curt is a lightning rod. When he stirred the pot to get his trade to Arizona in 2000 many lauded him for saying what we thought, that the team wasn't committed to winning. When Scott Rolen took the same route, we didn't quite view it in the same light even though he trotted out the same message. Perhaps it was because of the blue collar, lay it all out there personality of Schilling compared to the aloof momma's boy we had come to see Rolen as, but when Schilling loudly screamed for a trade, we applauded him for standing up. When Rolen did it we derided him as a whiner.

Since Schilling's departure he has remained in touch with the Philly community through his ALS work as well as his residence in Coatesville (now sold), but he has also been in the public eye through both baseball accomplishments including two World Series titles, a co-Cy Young Award and monumental events like the bloody sock in Boston. As if he needed more exposure Curt is an avid Blogger and often speaks his mind in print where it is difficult to retract a not-so-well-thought-out comment as it is to deny ever having said something out loud (unless it was recorded).

But I have grown even more fond of Curt over the many years since he left us for loftier achievements. I, for one, would love to see him come back for a last hurrah and perhaps to be the guy who could throw one or two more big games in the post season. I really don't understand where many Philly fans have grown to not like what Curt has to say; it seems completely out of character for us to criticize a player who speaks from his heart and backs it up, in more ways than one on the field, and off.

No, I appreciate a person like Curt who has earned the right to say what he feels, to try and influence the sports community in what he feels is a positive way, and who really does give back to the community. If many more sports personalities were Curt Schillings, I think the games we love would be a heck of a lot better off.

Charlie

How did Charlie Manuel rise to the lofty heights of Philadelphia sports scene in an environment that chews up and discards those perceived as unintelligent or "player coaches"?

Easy, he WON.

Contrary to the world's jaded perception of us Philly sports fans, we're all about two things: the over used sports cliché "leave it all on the field", and something even simpler, winning.

Just two years ago people were openly and sometimes loudly calling for Charlie's head. But now after two division championships and a World Series title, Charlie has probably forever secured himself a place in the hearts of Philly sports fans alongside those including Dick Vermeil, Bobby Clarke (and the entire Cup teams of the '70s), Wilbert Montgomery (and the entire '81 Super Bowl losing team), and most notably Dallas Green and the '81 Phils roster, as well as the great Sixers teams of the '60s and '80s.

No, Charlie won't rival Gene Mauch for toxicity or on-field strategy, but neither will he rival Mauch for his abrasiveness and failures.

Charlie came here with a solid reputation as a teacher of hitting with considerable credentials to back it up. But he also had a questionable legacy as a manager, having seemingly underachieved in Cleveland with a roster chock full of stars and even a few blossoming Hall of Famers.

But he has taken a group of emerging stars on a team with a gritty personality to the pinnacle. While the club has yet to demonstrate the ability to be consistent in the grueling marathon that is the regular season, he has captured the brass ring, and that is really what big time sports is all about (other than money, obviously).

And, in doing so, he has allowed his now-perceived-as charming personality to blossom, and the fans have eaten it, and him, up (are you listening Andy Reid?).

Whatever happens in his remaining years as Phils' skipper, Charlie has been adopted as a Philadelphian, as have the entire 2008 Phillies roster. No longer are Kim Baptiste and Dave Hollins more revered than Matt Stairs in the City of Brotherly Shove. And Charlie's oft-ridiculed IQ has now reached genius proportions simply by achieving the ultimate baseball accomplishment (for a ballclub) — World Champions.

Selig

While technically not a four letter word, SELIG has been a curse on the great game of baseball.

Indecisive, a pure yes man surrounded by more yes men, Selig is exactly what self destructive business people like Major League owners desire, a yes man who will do whatever they say without question.

Has there ever been a worse leader of this major sport? No, absolutely not. From the All Star game fiasco, to the cancelled World Series and all through the infestation of steroids, Selig has proven over and over that he is less than effective as the CEO of baseball. There are numerous way points at which he should have resigned (yea right, the owners fire him?, that's a laugh) and now perhaps he should be indicted as complicit on the steroid debacle much as Vince McMahon was in the '90s WWF steroid investigation.

Alas, it won't happen for a number of reasons. Sadly baseball will have to survive not only a recession and the sullying of its reputation and diminution of the value of its sacred statistics, but at least a couple more years of horrible leadership, er, Bud Selig.

Juice

Do you care? Do you REALLY care if players are or were juiced? If you do, why do you?

Well, I care, and a I CARED when McGwire, Bonds et al were cheating and people were cheering like there was this great "natural" event sweeping through the land! My friends will tell you I despised the home run era and recognized it for what it was, chemical-induced insanity, as it was unfolding.

As a 10 year-old I noticed from the back of my baseball cards, that almost across the board major leaguers had the best year, or close to it, at the age of 27, obviously defining that age as peak for a professional baseball player. So how on earth in the '90s did we see players having breakout and career years at 35, even 37, 38? It was as obvious as the tail that should have been pinned on the Commissioner ten years ago, but guess what, cha-ching, it rang the cash register and revitalized a sport that needed a jumpstart after years of infighting and union/management dustups.

For me, a purist, the '90s were a travesty. Oh yea, sure, it can be said that the competitive balance wasn't altered as many more players than originally suspected were apparently using, so as each pumped up, so did the opposition. And I guess in the end the stats are what they are, but what bothers me is the mountain a players like Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols have to climb to wage an attack on numbers from people like Barry Bonds and A-Fraud.

Thankfully, it's mostly over with, but the integrity of the game won't be fully restored until there is a meaningful Commissioner in place who will act for the good of the game and not just the sound of dollars flying into the tills of the ballclubs.

Cardinals

If you're an Eagles fan, that word, Cardinals, is very fresh in your mind. For Philadelphia fans, as with sports fans everywhere, there are team brands and logos that just incite passion, get the juices flowing, turn your normally rosy complexion downright tomato-ish. To most baseball fans the Yankees do the trick. To most Yankees fans, the Red Sox or perhaps Mets, or both, stimulate the negative ions. For most normal football fans, the seven-letter word Cowboys does it.

Yes, it's a time-honored tradition to have a team you hate if you're a real sports fan. Of course I despise the Cowboys, dislike the New York Giants, and have a problem with the New York Mets (although the more they choke the easier it is to like them, kind of like a mangy dog that lives at the corner ballfield). But the team I despise, no, hate most in all of sports is the St. Louis baseball Cardinals.

Now, some will read that last and wonder why I needed to insert "baseball" into their moniker, and I'll explain that shortly. But why do I hate the Cardinals so? Well, the Cowboys are deliciously in a self-imposed decline due to a deluded and dysfunctional owner. The Yankees have become irrelevent from over indulgence. The Cardinals meanwhile make smoke come from my ears just at the mention of their name. Here are but a few of the reasons:

1964
Curt Flood
Richie Allen
Mark McGwire
Scott Rolen
Tony LaRussa
Budweiser
2006

Do I have to explain each of those? Okay, I will.

The epic Phils collapse of 1964 was crowned by the Cardinals stomping on our graves and taking the NL pennant. The initial scar on my heart was chiseled deaper by watching the Cardinals celebrate, as we contemplated what had just happened in a blur of 12 games.

Then, the Richie Allen fiasco ended in Philly with our first black superstar and perhaps potentially the greatest homegrown player ever in Phillies history finally leaving after five very contentious years to go play for the Cardinals (if only for one year).

The Curt Flood mess followed, unfurling itself as Flood refused to accept a trade to the Phillies. This unleashed what ultimately became free agency in baseball. We ended up with Willie Montanez but the slap in the face that this series of events represented was very difficult to accept for a teenaged Phils' fan.

We got them back slightly by pilfering Steve Carlton for my then-favorite Phil Rick Wise but many years later the addition of Mark McGwire, the ultimate baseball fraud, and the movement of Scott Rolen, the ultimate baseball whiner, from the Phillies only piled on the tarnish and stirred my hatred for that club.

But the real crux, the true reason I despise that franchise is Budweiser and what it has meant to that team, and how it has built a fraudulent reputation for them and their fans, AND how that reputation has been used to denegrate Phils fans in particular.

Did I lose you? Well, let me go back to the St. Louse baseball Cardinals reference. You do realize that the Arizona Cardinals used to reside in St. Louis? So, in those days it was necessary to specify which Cardinals team you were referring to, similar to how it used to be in New York when they had both a baseball and football Giants team. So, what happened to the football Cardinals and why aren't they in St. Louis any longer. And while you're at it, what ever happened to the old NBA St. Louis Hawks? Where am I going with this? Well, there's this very popular notion, especially in baseball, that St. Louis is the holy grail of fandom, that St. Louis houses the best baseball fans and that they contrast us, Philly fans, with their loyalty and upbeat attitudes. I say BUNK! I say, give them our 130 years of futility, more than 10,000 losses, corrupt and inept management and then let's see how great a fanbase they are. Let's see how great and loyal they are now that Budweiser is no longer an American company. Let's see what happens when their beer money isn't flowing into the club like it used to and the commitment to winning isn't quite as fervent as the commitment to profits flowing back to Holland. Likely, the same end that the St. Louis football Cardinals and Blues met, GONE, BAM!

No, this notion that Cardinals fans are somehow superior to ANY other baseball fans is a fraudulent and as media contrived as the notion that the Cowboys are America's team. It’s easy to be “great” fans when year after year the money flows and management demonstrates a true commitment to winning. My biggest desire as a baseball fan is to see the demise of the St. Louis Cardinals.

I know, I know, such a negative desire can’t be healthy…. Did you hear, the Cowboys are moving to Las Vegas and changing their name to the “Slots”! Yea, I thought so, you’d love to see that too, wouldn’t you?

Ah, New Years

Yup, here we are another New Years, er, Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers report today and while the Phils have everyone signed and seemingly healthy, a shiny World Series trophy, a gaggle of potential Cy Young and MVP candidates, there is one thing missing: a righthanded bopper.

Much to my own amazement Ruben Amaro has done a pretty good job in his first off season as the official GM. Signing away the remainder of Ryan Howard's arbitration years was a major surprise, and while they haven't made any marquee additions, they didn't need to. I'm not one to say that Pat Burrell was a major loss as his inconsistencies at bat were only overshadowed by his lack of range in the field, but I don't see how they plan to handle left handed pitching with their very left handed-oriented lineup.

I guess we'll see as another season unfolds.

Can this team that manages to come on (with help from our blue and orange neighbors to the north) each September, out together a more consistent regular season and win the division outright? Can they actually defend their crown? Will Jimmy Rollins predict another division crown? Will Chase Utley be ready to go on opening day and can he fulfill the MVP trifecta, albeit a season late? Will the slimmed down and happy Ryan Howard put up gargantuan numbers again? Will Cole Hamels' post season swagger carry over to a Cy Young award? And when will Brad Lidge finally blow a save?

Those are some of the dramatic questions to be answered as another baseball season begins in the sunshine of Florida and Arizona.

Yawn....

Geez, could it be that the fan of a franchise that has won but two championships could be bored with one?

Nah, but I have to admit it was kind of anticlimactic. It just didn't feel like the earth shattering event it was in 1980. Maybe because the team was kind of lackluster much of the season? Maybe because getting to the postseason once again required a near epic collapse of those collapse-o-matics up in New York? I don't know but I sure felt like I should have enjoyed the run more than I did.

Maybe it was because of many years of built up angst towards this laissez-faire ownership, you know, those sandbaggers who hide behind their anonimity and collect their dividend checks? Maybe that's it. I have to admit I thought more than a couple of times how distasteful it was for Dave Montgomery to reap the glory of this team's meteoric rise. And then to have some of the organization publicly thank Ed Wade for his contributions, well, geez, I don't know about you, but I took that as a slap in the face of all the loyal fans who lobbied for Wade's dismissal to the hinterlands of Houston!

Ah well, I guess I should just enjoy what the baseball gods have bestowed on us fans and forget about the business side and the fact that those dozen or so guys who really couldn't care less about winning sure did benefit from the run in many more ways than those of us on the outside did.

In future posts I'll elaborate A LOT on exactly what it is that underscores the tone of what I've written above. Of course, if you are a lifer Phils fan I probably don't have to elaborate too much, but, I will, because THAT is what Blogs were created for! ;-)

As I used to say, before my baseball fervor was tainted by strikes, greed and general disdain for the paying customer, the REAL New Years Day is the first day of Spring Training, so enjoy the ride and here's hoping the Phils can take the division this year without the 'Ets, er Mets, having to take the big gulp again!

Baseball Been Very Very Good To Me

Sorry, couldn't resist the nasty title.

My first post in my long considered Phillies/baseball blog is just about, well, what the Phillies and baseball have meant to me over my 50+ years...

You know, it really irks me when I hear people whine about their team and how frustrated they are with them. Now don't get me wrong, if they're a Cubs fan, or a BoSox fan (prior to 2000), they've got a legitimate reason to gripe. But growing up a Phillies fan was, well, let me put it this way. When I was a kid my wildest fantasy (I was a kid!) was for the Phils to finish at .500. I couldn't even imagine that until the horrible year of '64 (when I was 9) and for a few years thereafter, but then it was back to the horrors of Billy Champion and Bobby Pfeil!

There've been many many long stretches of futility, as recently as the beginning of this century. Of course the Phils are the losingest team of any major sport on the world! Yippee!

In future posts I'll reveal my anger with management over the years, not only regarding utter stupidity with player personnel, and frugality, but also how they have generally treated the fanbase. Yes, the Phils' history is horrible and it's been earned the old-fashioned way, those 10,000+ wins....

For now though, I will end this inaugural post on a positive note acknowledging that my team starts the '09 spring training as the defending world champs, and this is only the second time in over 130 years that we can say that, so enjoy Phils fans! Especially the young ones among us.