Curse, schmurse!
The Phillies were not going to be denied tonight. Every time the Rays tied it, the Phils grabbed the lead right back, and fittingly, Lidge clinched the championship with a strikeout. Then the fireworks started, the champagne flowed, and the streets flooded with Philadelphians in a massive party that is probably still going strong as I write this. I've never seen anything like those crowds in the streets. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve.
What an incredible postseason the Phillies put together. The so-called experts picked them to lose every single series, and all they did in response was rack up an 11-3 record and go undefeated at home. Everybody on this team contributed at some point in the playoffs; there were no weak links. And Manuel, who I've never been the biggest fan of, deserves a lot of credit as well. He pushed all the right buttons and got this team to play like champions.
By the way, it turns out the Tampa fans were right after all when they sang "na na hey hey goodbye" . . . that was indeed the last time they were going to see the Phillies :-)
I was 12 years old the last time a Philadelphia team won a championship (and 9 when the Phillies did it). Although I have memories of those moments, they are somewhat fleeting. This championship, after 25 years of close calls and heartbreaks, is the first one that really belongs to my generation. How sweet it is!
The parade to celebrate the Phillies' heroic slaying of the city's 25-year-old demons will appropriately take place on Halloween. I plan on attending . . . hope to see some of you there!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Phils Foiled by Mother Nature
Well, we'll have to put that parade on hold for at least another day, as tonight's game was suspended due to rain. Contrary to what the broadcasters were blabbering about (more on them later), this blustery rain delay has clearly favored Tampa. There's no doubt in my mind that under normal conditions Hamels would have shut this team down.
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Phils Bats Spring to Life as they Clobber the Rays, 10-2
Is this really happening? Are the Phillies really just one win away from a championship? Are they really just 27 outs from breaking the curse of William Penn and releasing this city from 25 years of championship futility? As Philly fans whose hearts have been broken so many times in the past, we have learned to take every step toward salvation with a grain of salt, but with a 3-1 lead, the odds are overwhelmingly in our favor. If we don't win this year, we never will.
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
Two down...
The Phillies managed to scratch out a last minute victory doing what they failed to do most of the season: playing a little small ball. Great baserunning by Bruntlett (for once I was glad that Burrell wasn't still in the game) put the Phils in a position to win on what amounted to a glorified suicide squeeze by Ruiz (who has actually been one of the more valuable offensive players in this series). It was fitting that Tampa helped give away the game after that horrible call at first base in the 7th gave them two free runs. The umpiring in this series overall has been well below the standards one would expect in the World Series, though it thankfully has not affected the outcomes of any of the games.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
Baby Steps for the Eagles in Victory over Atlanta
This one was a little close for comfort but a win's a win. The Eagles caught a break with that bad muffed punt call, but I don't think Atlanta was going to score again anyway, and the Birds had their share of bad calls go against them (like the brutal roughing call on Cole). The inability to score from in close continues to be worrisome, though I think Westbrook was in on 2nd goal with his second effort (the same play as the offsides penalty), but the refs blew the whistle early. Still, Reid better figure out a way to punch it in. Stop with the fancy wishbone looks and shovel passes and just put the ball in the hands of your best players. He finally tried a sneak but he didn't spread the defense out and it failed—now we'll never see another one.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's a Series, Phils Fall, 4-2
The story of Game 2 was stranded runners. The Phillies got away with it last night with Hamels dominating, but not tonight. This was a very winnable game as Myers did not pitch badly (three earned runs over seven innings should have been enough to win the game), but the offense was woeful with runners in scoring position. Of course it didn't help that the home plate umpire was atrocious—he cost the Phils a run in the second inning with that non-strikeout call and he cost them an out in the 9th with that horrible missed call on Rollins. But the bottom line is that the Phillies should never have put themselves in the position of needing good calls by umpires. Championship teams take care of business regardless of any calls they may or may not get. If the Phils want to stay in this series, the offense better find a way to start knocking in runs. Twenty-two stranded runners in two games is a disgrace.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
Good First Win
Three to go, as the Phillies took Game 1, 3-2. I was getting nervous with all the runners the Phils were stranding, but the pitching from Hamels, Madson, and Lidge was phenomenal, as was the defense with a couple of key double plays. Utley's two-run blast set the tone, and Hamels did the rest. After a slow start, Utley is putting together one hell of a postseason.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
Monday, October 20, 2008
World Series, Baby!
I have to admit that of all the Philly teams with the potential to win a championship, I would have placed the Phillies third behind the Flyers and Eagles. That was prior to the season, before we saw how good the Phillies' pitching staff was to become, particularly the bullpen. As the season began, most people thought the Phillies would give up a lot of runs and score a lot of runs, but virtually the opposite happened. The pitching staff kept the Phillies in almost every game, while the supposedly potent offense would go through long stretches of struggling to score runs and a frustrating inability to manufacture runs without the benefit of a home run. That has continued in the postseason to some degree, but the offense has also found a way to produce runs when it counts, particularly with two outs, as they showed again in Game 5 against the Dodgers.
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Phillies Climb 'Stairs' to Victory
I know, I know, horrible pun, but I couldn't resist. The Fightins are now one win away from the world series after tonight's gut-check come from behind victory. They trailed by two and were down to their last five outs, but one thing about this lineup is that, even when they are struggling, they are never out of a game. It's always only a matter of time before they have one of those offensive explosions in an inning. Sure, you'd like to see them score in more innings, but they're getting it done when it counts--three more runs tonight with two outs.
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Well, we knew it wasn't going to be a sweep...
The Phillies fell in Game 3 thanks in part to a listless performance from the offense, which pretty much went to sleep after the Phils found themselves in a 6-1 hole. Kuroda certainly had a lot to do with it, but some of the problems with this lineup are becoming magnified in the postseason (i.e. all of the strikeouts and the inability to manufacture runs). For his part, Moyer, after being the Phillies' second best pitcher during the regular season, has been a big disappointment so far in the playoffs, though you also have to give credit to the Dodgers for jumping on him early and knocking him out.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
Eagles Finally Show Signs of Life in Victory over 49ers
Nothing to get too excited about here; they beat a team they were supposed to beat, but they do deserve credit for showing some character in coming back from nine points down in the 4th quarter, and the defense came up huge in the 4th quarter after playing crappy for much of the game (way too many missed tackles). There are still plenty of things to be concerned about (the suddenly porous run defense, the inability to kick a long field goal, leading the league in dropped passes, etc.), but in a week when Washington and Dallas did the Eagles huge favors by losing to inferior teams, it's a step in the right direction.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Brett Myers: Offensive MVP?
Just kidding, but it's pretty amazing what Myers has done with the bat—he's hitting .800 this postseason and his three-hit, three-RBI performance tonight was a big key to the Phillies victory. On top of that he pitched well enough to win in spite of likely being worn out from all the base running he did. There were many other heroes tonight as well. Victorino continues to get it done at the plate and in the field: his catch in center field may have been even bigger than the four runs he knocked in tonight.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Phillies Save My Sunday
I never thought I'd say this during football season, but thank God for the Phillies. They saved what could have been an utterly dismal Sunday in Philly after the Eagles' pathetic performance (more on them later). The Phils rebounded nicely from a poor effort last night to close out the series. Blanton delivered a stellar pitching performance and the offense (courtesy of Burrell and Rollins) finally showed signs of life. The Dodgers will be tough, but if the Phillies continue to get the pitching they got in this series, they will have a great shot. The offense still needs to pick it up more, though. Going into this game they had scored in just 3 of their 25 at-bats. Today they scored in three innings, so hopefully that is a sign of better things to come, though we still need to see more out of Utley and Howard if the Phillies hope to go deep. But today is a day of celebration. Tomorrow we can start thinking about the NLCS. Go Phils!!!
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
CC Who?
After vanquishing the mighty CC Sabathia last night the Phillies have taken control of the series. The obvious heroes are Victorino, who hit the dramatic two-strike, two-out grand slam in the second on his way to a three-hit game, and Myers, who settled down nicely after surviving a first-inning, bases-loaded scare, to hold the Brewers to just two runs over seven innings. His biggest contribution, however, was at the plate. In the second inning, the light-hitting (and that's generous) pitcher worked a two-out walk in a nine-pitch at-bat as the crowd roared with every fouled pitch and taken ball, appearing to rattle Sabathia in the process, and setting the stage for Victorino's slam that blew the game wide open. Then Myers did it again in the 4th, flying out after a 10-pitch at-bat . . . Sabathia would not survive the inning. Later in the game Myers added a single for good measure.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One Down...
Well, the Phillies made it much more interesting than they had to, thanks to Manuel's decision to not let Hamels finish the game. He had a manageable pitch count and was pitching lights out, while Lidge has been struggling recently. As much as the team is going to need Lidge in the playoffs, this might have been a good game to let him rest while Hamels finished what he started. Hamels said the right things after the game, but I'm sure he would like to have pitched the complete game. On the other hand, I can see the argument for not overworking your ace in the first game of the playoffs, and that is what Lidge gets paid for. In the end, after a few frayed nerves, it worked out, so no worries. Let's just hope Lidge's high pitch count yesterday won't have an impact on the rest of the series.
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
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