WE'VE MOVED!

We have moved to www.baseballrevival.blogspot.com. Please follow and join our new blog. It is bigger and better than ever. We have hired new writers that will not only cover the Mets and Phillies, but the rest of the MLB! We are very excited to start the new year with each other and we hope you follow along. Articles will be posted on a daily basis once the season rolls around. Enjoy!  Read more!

Phillies Keys to Offseason Success

As the 2009 national league champions Philadelphia Phillies turn the page to 2010, many questions remain up in the air. Though the Phillies made it back to the World Series in ’09, (the first time a national league team has accomplished that since the ’95-’96 Atlanta Braves) it all went to waste losing to the New York Yankees in six games. As Ruben Amaro Jr. enters his sophomore year as the Phillies general manager, he has many questions to answer and options to explore. The pressure is on, and Philadelphia is once again hungry for another championship.

Brad Lidge had the perfect season in 2008, going 41 for 41 in save opportunities during the regular season. Unfortunately, 2009 was a completely different story. Brad Lidge had 11 blown saves, as well as a 0-8 record with an ERA above 7. Going into the ’09 postseason, Lidge seemed almost back to his form when he began the playoffs 3 for 3 in save opportunities, but a crucial lost to the Yankees in game three of the world series proved that Lidge wasn’t himself. Going into the offseason, fans are worried what Lidge we will see in 2010. Also, how will the Phillies coaching staff deal with him if he doesn’t start off on the right foot? The option of acquiring a new closer is out of the question since there are multiple pitchers already on the team roster who are eligible to close, but it may take a while before the role is set in stone. Aside from the closing role, the Phillies also look forward to strengthening their bullpen. If lefty reliever Scott Eyre decides to retire (which he said is a possibility before the start of 2009 season), then a bullpen specialist will be needed. Reliever Chan Ho Park is also a free agent.

Pedro Feliz may not be the most clutch performer on the Phillies, (.254 career batting average) but he is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. Feliz’s contract with the Phillies expired after the end of the 2009 season, so he his eligible for free agency. The Phillies will try to upgrade their bat at third base, even if they have to sacrifice defensively. Some of the 2010 free agent third basemen that the Phillies may be interested in include Mark DeRosa, who attended the University of Pennsylvania, Chone Figgins, the long-time LA Angels third baseman, and Joe Crede, who previously played for the White Sox. DeRosa is the likely fit for Philadelphia, but many fans are intrigued by the speed and consistency of Figgins, who was a productive bat for the Angels in the leadoff spot hitting .298 in 2009.

It seems as though going into every offseason, the Phillies have no idea how their starting pitching rotation is going to shape up, but somehow, they manage to figure it out during the regular season. Probables for the Phillies starting staff include Cole Hamels, Cliff new (the Phils new ace), and Joe Blanton. Other options include J.A. Happ, who had a superb rookie season, three-time Cy Young award winner Pedro Martinez, or any of the dozens of free-agent pitchers. The Phillies might want to look into acquiring another ace-type pitcher since that’s what the Yankees did last offseason, and coincidentally, they won the World Series. Some free agent options include Angels’ ace John Lackey, Jarrod Washburn, Ben Sheets, and Erik Bedard. If the Phillies decided to resign Martinez, which most likely will happen for a one-year deal, the Phillies would only have one spot left. They could either pick up a free agent, or place Happ in the rotation, rather than the bullpen.

No matter what the Phillies decide, they are going to have to make some tough decisions. If the Phillies want to make it back to the World Series for the third straight year, they are going to have to plan some holiday shopping and explore what’s out there on the market. Hopefully it will be an eventful winter season, but it’s going to take some hard work and time, so it definitely will not be easy.
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Here's Hoping Omar Has Deep Pockets This Offseason

Now that the 2009 baseball season is officially over, Mets fans everywhere have their fingers crossed that Omar Minaya is able to fill the many holes present on the team's roster. So with the GM meetings now underway in Chicago, I leave you with the official list of free agents available. So unless (or should I say, until?) there is some big news for the Mets on the free agent or trade front, I'm signing off for now. Here's to Omar and the Wilpons having deep pockets! Read more!

Always Next Year

It all happened right before our eyes, and we couldn’t do a thing about it. It only took one at-bat. It only took one at-bat for the Yankees to change Philadelphia’s mindset that they would never lose again. With two outs and no one on base for the Yankees in the top of the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Game 4 of the World Series, “closer” Brad Lidge gave up a single to leftfield off the bat of Johnny Damon. With power hitting switch-hitter Mark Teixeira up at the plate against Lidge, Damon stole second, and then proceeded to steal third in the same play when he realized that no one was covering third base because of the shift the infield was playing for Teixeira. After Teixeria was hit, the Yankees followed up with a total of three runs in the inning to put them ahead 7-4.

How quickly moods can change. One second the Phillies felt like they were at the top of the world, and the next they felt like they were at the bottom of a hole, trying to dig themselves out before time ran out. Just the half inning before in the bottom of the eighth, Pedro Feliz surprisingly smashed a fastball right down the middle off reliever Joba Chamberlain for a home run to tie the game at 4. Lidge needed just one more out to put the game in the Phillies bats, but everyone knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially since Lidge’s track record hadn’t been the greatest during the regular season. From that point on, everyone knew that it was over. Even though there was plenty of baseball to be played, everyone realized that it just wasn’t meant to be.

Two games later, the Yankees easily defeated the Phillies 7-3, clinching their sports record 27th championship title. The lack of offense and clutch pitching for the Phillies cost them their second championship in as many years, and made Phillies fans revisit their pre-2008 motto, “there’s always next year”. Maybe the Yankees were a better team, but I am sure that Philadelphia expected much more out of their ballclub. Every game, no matter what the Phillies were able to put onto the scoreboard, it seemed as if the Yankees had the momentum, and wouldn’t lose it.

Through all of the World Series struggles for the Phillies, Philadelphia must tip their caps to the champs. The Yankees deserved the title. With over 100 wins during the regular season, and skyrocketing their way through the playoffs, the Yankees were probably the best team in baseball. Oh, and did I mention they had four or five possible hall of famers? With one of the most professional players in the game Derek Jeter, the all-time post season wins leader Andy Pettite, and the all-time post-season saves leader Marino Rivera, the Yankees were destined to win before the series even started. With those types of caliber players on their roster, and the addition of players such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada, it was obvious that the Phillies were just overmatched.

It will take a few weeks to overcome the disappointment and disgust Phillies fans are feeling right now. Losing is something that seems foreign to Philadelphia since it hasn’t happened since 2007. With some work over the offseason, and hopefully some free agent signees and the addition of a few new players, the Phillies will enter the 2010 season even stronger.

Yes, the season is over, and I must admit that it hasn’t even hit me yet, but one phrase will keep me going strong through the offseason; “there’s always next year”.

- Brennan Weiss (Look for a Phillies Offseason Keys to Success article coming out soon!)
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Words to die by

Words often come back to haunt you, just like this series will come back to haunt the Phillies.The Phillies have now justified every Yankee fan that felt last year was a fluke, and that they are the rightful holders of the decade's throne.

From a Mets fan's perspective, as hard as it is to see cross-town rivals win, it doesn't hurt to see division rivals lose. Up in the Phillies Executive Suites, someone right now should be writing the rule: "If you ever utter the words "team to beat" or "choke artists," your waived."

How many days till pitchers and catchers report? Read more!

Hoping for a Game 7

For the first time since 2004 I can honestly say that is has been a very entertaining World Series thus far. With the exception of the Phillies’ game 1 win, every game has been close and it is pretty clear that the two best teams from both leagues are rightfully facing off.

As a Mets fan, I can’t really be thrilled with the prospect of either team being crowned champion. However, I am hoping the Phils can pull out a miracle in the Bronx so that I don’t have to deal with the media hoopla of a 27th Yankees championship. It would also put a wry smile on my face to listen to frustrated Yankee fans calling in to sports radio crying about the loss.

In reality, though, odds are that the Yankees will manage to win one more game as the series returns to their home field. This Yankee team has that special something that champions are made of. Sure, they have the highest payroll in baseball, but they also play good fundamental baseball. They get clutch hits and key outs. They play solid defense and pay attention to the game so that when opponents make mistakes, they take advantage of them. Even down by a few runs, you always get the feeling that this team can come back to win it and they have proven that they can.

In short, as much as it pains me to admit it, these Yankees have that intangible quality that winners are made of. This is the quality that psyches their opponents out to the point where they almost forget how to play the game. We’ve seen this throughout the playoffs with the various mental mistakes made by the Twins and Angels. Now, the Phils have made a few as well; most notably in allowing Johnny Damon’s double steal in the 9th inning of Game 4. Credit goes to Damon and the Yankees for seeing an open window of opportunity, but the onus is on the Phils for letting something like this happen in the first place.

If the Phils hope to make it to a seventh game in the Bronx Zoo they are going to have to play as solid a fundamental game as they have ever played in their lives. This means a solid start from Pedro, good defense and no mental mistakes on the field. Andy Pettitte is hittable, but if the Phils get him on the ropes like they had him in Game 3, they need to knock him out before he gets up and figures out what he’s been doing wrong. And most importantly, if the Phils have a lead, they need to protect it. They cannot leave the door open even a crack for these Yanks because as they have proven repeatedly, they can and will rally for a come back. So on that note, good luck Phillies. You have your work cut out for you, but as every Mets fan knows, collapses are possible. Now get out there and get me to a Game 7!!
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Big Ifs and Whiffs

By Chris Pollay

Well, a lot can change in a week.

Last Monday I was charged with optimism, expecting a seven-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. Now, I'm just hoping to see a Game Six. The good news is that the Phillies have the right man on the mound tonight. Cliff Lee is the best pitcher in the 2009 postseason and IF the Yankees can find a way to beat him tonight, then all you can do is tip your hat to them. They will certainly earn their rings.

But, I have a feeling they won't do it tonight. Lee has been so dominant that he should stop the bleeding tonight. Even IF he does, however, then the Phillies have to win Game Six in the Bronx. Then, IF Pedro can defy his age once again and get the better of Andy Pettitte, there could be a classic Game Seven.

That's a lot of big IFs, and the prospect remains more daunting if you consider Game Seven would likely feature C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees' best pitcher, against Cole Hamels, the Phillies' struggling southpaw who has not looked good at all for most of the 2009 postseason.

Honestly, I can't envision all of that happening right now, but I also have seen enough sports to know that one game can turn things around. Today is that time for the Phillies.

Now, IF they can just make contact with the ball, or at least, show a little more plate patience. In the 2009 World Series, Philadelphia has whiffed 36 times in four games (compared to only 29 hits and 15 base on balls). In particular, Ryan Howard has 10 whiffs and Raul Ibañez has nine. If that doesn't change, then the offseason will start tomorrow for the defending champs.

A lot of those whiffs have come at painful times, too.

It seemed like all season the Phillies relied heavily on a "three-run homer" offense but in this series, it's been another story entirely. How many times have they had runners on first and second with no outs, then proceeded to follow with a "fly out, strikeout, groundout" offense that is much less effective?

Despite it all, I still want to believe the Phillies can do it. Admittedly, I wasn't too surprised when Brad Lidge struggled and imploded last night. I wasn't shocked to see A-Rod come through in the clutch with a key ninth inning hit last night. What baffles me, however, is that the Phillies haven't found a way to win after Game One. This team is a resilient bunch that always seems to find a way to come back when they absolutely need to.

Unfortunately, this time the hole they have to dig themselves out of may be just a little too deep. They have to win three straight against the Yankees including two in the Bronx. With A.J., C.C. and Mo on the mound, that is a tall order indeed.

I'm a Phillies fan, so I will foster a lot of doubts that this can actually happen, but I also know that IF by some miracle it does, it would be something quite special indeed. Read more!

At least for tonight...

...I'm rooting for the Phillies.Or is it that I'm rooting against the Yankees?This might be a sign of the Apocalypse. Or merely the disdain of an envious Mets fan. Let's go with the former. Although a good Apocalypse right now would mean no one wins.

I have no more words. Well, at least not until next time. Read more!

The Lesser of Two Evils Pt. 2

Last week before the Yanks and Phils locked up their respective World Series appearances I was convinced that if this ultimate Mets nightmare matchup occurred, I would be rooting for the Yankees. Now, after a week of non-stop Yankee media glorification, I may be ready to jump this ship before it even leaves the dock.

As explained last week, my reasoning behind pulling for the Yankees was three-fold. 1) Being cross-town rivals with Mets really has no impact on my team’s standings unless it is in interleague play. 2) The Yankees operate with class. They do not partake in the same Mets trash-talking and dirty play as the Phillies have over the past few years. 3) Despite the bone-headed nature of Yankee fans, this Yankee team is a fun group to watch. I like that they look like they are having fun. They have a good chemistry that I wish could somehow rub off on the Mets. You would think two teams with similarly bloated payrolls would have similar chemistry, but no such luck.

But despite this reasoning, the fact remains that rooting for the Yankees is a tough proposition because if they do win, I will have to deal with all of the hoopla right in my backyard. This includes relentless media coverage, a ticker tape parade and an onslaught of obnoxious Yankee fans everywhere I go. The past eight years without Yankee post-season glory have been the sole bright notes in an otherwise mediocre decade of Mets Octobers. A 2009 Yankees World Championship will only serve to remind me that the last time our cross-town rivals won it was at our expense.

At least if the Phillies repeat, their success won’t be right under my nose. Sure, there will probably be some anti-Mets player or media comments made, but I know I’ll be able to watch television, listen to sports radio and read the newspapers more than I would be able to if the Yankees take the crown. Plus, the bonus is that the majority of New York media coverage of a Phillies victory would be about the Yankees choking. That is kind of appealing now that I think about it!

So what is a die-hard Mets fan to do in a situation like this? Well, I could just start a media blackout immediately, pop in some 1986 Mets highlights and pretend the apocalypse is not upon us. But instead, I think I’ll adopt a policy of neutrality and watch without any vested interest in who takes the crown. As a Mets fan, this is an unwinnable situation in every respect so I might as well just sit back and watch. All I can really hope for is that it is an entertaining series and that it goes a full seven games before winter baseball withdrawal kicks in. May the best team win.
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Hopefully, A World Series for the Ages...

By Chris Pollay

The Philadelphia Phillies may be the defending world champions, but they still feel like the underdog to me. Let's face it, the New York Yankees are the most impressive franchise in all of sports. They are the measuring stick that all other dynasties and champions compare themselves against, and they are the perfect opponent for a team that wants to cement its place in history as one of the all-time greats.

Though the Phillies were established 18 years before the Yankees, they have won 24 fewer World Series titles. The Yankees have won 26 World Series while the Phillies have won only two, including last season's victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Philadelphia is extremely proud of all seven of its National League Pennants during its over 125-year history. Meanwhile, New York has notched 40 American League Pennants in only 108 years (and, incidentally, have reached the playoffs 14 of the last 15 years). Philadelphia is a very good team, but the Yankees are the team to beat, always. As a Philadelphia fan, this is the World Series I wanted. You want to beat the best in order to be unquestionably the best. You want to go for the guys with the biggest payroll and the most expensive ballpark.

Of course, I probably should be careful what I wish for.

When I look at the Philadelphia roster, I am impressed on every level. They have the ultimate slugger (Ryan Howard), the all-star veteran that sparks the team (Jimmy Rollins), the intimidating pitching ace (Cliff Lee), the (recently) devastating closer (Brad Lidge), and a packed roster that is truly stacked at every position. How can these guys NOT be favored?

Then, I look at the Yankees and see more of the same: Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, C.C. Sabathia, Mariano Rivera, etc. Some of these guys will go down as the best ever to play the game. How can these guys NOT be favored?

For that matter, how can either of these teams lose?

I wouldn't want to bet against the Phillies because they look like the same poised, confident team that came together at the right time and stormed through the 2008 playoffs like predestined champions. They have only lost one game in each of their past five playoff series. They simply know how to win it all and they won't be satisfied until they do so again.

Then again, the Yankees are no different. Many of these guys have already won it all, several times over, and the rest are hungry to experience a championship for themselves. I definitely wouldn't want to bet against the Damn Yankees ever.

Do we even need the so-called baseball experts to offer up predictions? What's the point? These teams could play 100 series and both teams would likely win 50.

This one will go the distance. The teams are too evenly matched for it to end any sooner than Game Seven. This should be one of the greatest Fall Classics in MLB's long history.

As a baseball fan, I can't wait.

As a Phillies' fan, I know that I will be ready to bite my nails off and cover my eyes come Wednesday night. I can honestly say, I have no clue what is going to happen. I just know it's going to be amazing and exciting. Play Ball! Read more!

It Took A While But We Made It...

Another year has passed and the Phillies, for the first time in franchise history, find them selves back in the World Series for a second consecutive year. After essentially running away with the division and taking the National League Division Series three games to one over the Rockies, the Phils just about dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that many saw as the powerhouse of the National League, yet Philadelphia made them look average at best. After all of the celebrations of 2008, the tragic death of Harry Kalas and the six-plus months of regular season, here we are. This is what we’ve been waiting for.

It’s not that we’ve just been waiting for this team to get back to the World Series in 2009. It’s not that we were waiting for them to trounce the Dodgers or even to potentially play the New York Yankees in the World Series. It’s that we, as Phillies fans, have been waiting for a period of time when the Phillies could assert themselves as one of the best franchises in the game.

This is not your typical New York Yankees as the face of major league baseball or Boston Red Sox injecting their way into international stardom or even your Los Angeles Dodgers filling their stadium with celebrities. This is the franchise with more losses than any other franchise in the entire world of sports. This is the franchise that could not hold on to their players because they didn’t want to play here. This is the franchise that was almost forgotten about by its own fans not all that long ago. This is the Philadelphia Phillies.

This isn’t just a “flash in the pan” or “lightning in a bottle” team like the 1993 team; this is quite possibly true greatness. Through all the years of dreadful baseball from the mid-1980’s into the early 1990’s and then again from the mid 90’s into the early 2000’s, through all of the Danny Tartabull’s, the JD Drew’s, the Andy Ashby’s, the young and, at the time, somewhat clueless Terry Francona and all of the other names that have passed through the Phillies’ locker room, this is finally it. Not just one chance to celebrate, but many chances to celebrate.

None of this is to say that the Phillies will defeat the Yankees, or Angels, in the World Series in 2009. It is to say, however, that just getting there two years in a row is an incredible feat. It is also to say that the end is far from over. This is a team with a sensational core group of players that has been built for the long haul. This is a group that will, at the very least, be highly competitive for at least another three or four years. This is the team that the late-70’s and early 80’s Phillies tried to achieve but couldn’t quite get over the hump. This is the franchise that all of the others in the league aspire to be and we, the fans who have been there through it all are finally able to say, with absolute and unwavering pride that we are Phillies fans. It won’t last forever, so enjoy it and try to soak up every single piece of it. Go Phils!
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Flushing's Schadenfreude

If you're a Mets fan, right now you're sitting at the edge of the baseball version of the perfect storm. Yankees to the left of you, Phillies to the right, and here you are, stuck in the middle with a plate full of gotchas. Faced with the overbearing conundrum of "if I'm going to watch, what do I wish for?", what's a fan to do? If all goes at it now appears it probably will, Flushing's Faithful are facing a sports apocalypse. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Back the boys from the Bronx because their winning beats down the Mets' division rivals and primary taunters? Back the Phillies in the hope the Mets' cross-town rivals and fan base are denied Big Apple bragging rights? If you're a believer that the season lasts until someone's won 4 in the Grande Finale, choosing to watch "Dancing with the Stars" simply isn't an option - you've gotta make a choice.

I'm proposing one based on geography. For Mets fans within the confines of New York, it seems that the lesser of two evils is to stand behind the Phillies. Why? Beginning next season, will there be any real significant change to the landscape fans realize? Whether a division rival is a single season or double season champ really has no great bearing on how a Mets fan experiences his or her season. But a Mets fan in New York becomes a second citizen when the Yankees win, not just next season, but each and every day between now and then. Whether 2 banners hang in Philly doesn't matter, but 28 hanging in the Bronx will forever be cause for a taunt.

What if you're a Mets fan out of the confines of NYC? Go for it, I say. Scream and holler for the Yankees as much as you want. You don't have to live with the consequences of a Yankee win on a daily basis, and if you're looking to simply support a New York team, so be it.

Come next year, it'll be a whole new ballgame, literally and figuratively. For Mets fans, what matters is whether they can fulfill a promise they've been hanging in front of us for 4 years. If that can't be done, whoever comes home with the ring in the end really doesn't matter. Read more!

The Lesser of Two Evils

While last week’s post-season drama made for exciting baseball for Mets fans, this week’s early league championship action has left much to be desired results-wise. This is not to say the games have been boring because aside from yesterday’s Phillies blowout of the Dodgers, all of the games have been close. They just, for the most part, haven’t had the final outcome most Mets fans would have hoped for.

Let’s face it folks, the two teams right now that Mets fans least want to see advance to the World Series are the Yankees and the Phillies. This puts us in an extraordinary pickle of who to root for. While we can admit both teams are good and well deserving of a potential Fall Classic appearance, seeing one or both make it just turns our stomachs – especially in light of the Mets debacle 2009 season. So if it comes down to these two teams, how will we decide whom to throw our “support” behind?

It’s really not a remotely simple decision…First you have the ever-present jealousy and disdain Mets fans have towards the Yankees. Our cross-town rivals lead a charmed existence. Winning comes easily for them. They have a huge payroll but unlike the Mets, they spend wisely and it shows on the field. Their fans are arrogant and possess a sense of entitlement that drives us completely insane. And the truth is, no matter how good the Mets ever hope to be, they will always be the “other” New York team. Plus, if the Yankees win another World Series, I will have to deal with the ridiculous amount of media coverage and fanfare that will be showered upon them for weeks on end. Thankfully, I no longer work in Manhattan so I won’t have to deal with morons enroute to a ticker tape parade, but avoiding television and print news is a huge inconvenience.

Then you have the Phils…Truthfully, I never had anything against the Phillies until they became competitive over the last 3 years or so. Now, while I can love the scrappy brand of baseball they play, I honestly am annoyed by the fact that over these past three years they have taken every opportunity to slam my Mets in the press. I also don’t care for some of the shady rough plays in the field, such as deliberately trying to hurt Mets players on slides. Add to the fact that the one game I went to at Citi Field when the Phillies were in town was a miserable experience of Mets fans being completely outnumbered. The fact that Phillies fans turned out in droves was not upsetting but the level of belligerence exuded from even before the first pitch was deplorable. It created an atmosphere where if you had taken small children to a game you would want to get them out of the stadium as soon as possible. For now, I will try to believe that what I saw that night was the exception and not the norm.

So with this in mind, if it comes down to a Yankees / Phillies World Series, I’m going to have to root for the Yankees to take it all. I rooted for the Yankees against the Braves in the 90’s so this is a somewhat similar situation of picking the lesser of the two evils. And truth be told, this 2009 Yankees team is definitely a more likeable bunch than those of the “stick-up-their-butts” late 90’s dynasty teams. Call me cheesy, but I kind of like those shaving cream pie in the face antics. Reminds me slightly of the ’86 Mets in a non-inebriated way. Regardless of who I root for, though, a Yanks / Phils World Series could make for a very exciting World Series if both teams play up to their potential. And the best part is, neither team is my team so I’ll be sitting watching from my warm, heated living room rather than having to brave 40 degree stadiums. See, Mets fans? There’s a positive in every situation. Sometimes you just have to look especially hard for it. Now enough with all of this crap…Go Dodgers and Go Angels (wishful thinking).
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The Dodger Blue Flu and the Red Hot Phillies

By Chris Pollay

It’s early Monday morning and I haven’t slept eight hours overall since Friday night. I should still be in bed, but my weak body aches too much, the room keeps spinning and my stomach feels like Ryan Howard used it for batting practice last night.

I don't know which strand of flu I am inflicted with, but I do know that no matter how lousy I feel right now I probably feel better than anyone wearing Dodger Blue.

Last night was simply awful for Los Angeles and its baseball fans. In fact, awful is too weak of a superlative. How about beaten and left for dead?

I can’t imagine any Dodger fan feels good about their teams chances against the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies at this moment.

After all, they should feel lucky to only be down two-games-to-one because they needed an error in the field from Chase Utley and an error in judgement from Manager Charlie Manuel (who took a smoking hot Pedro Martinez out after only 87 pitches) just to squeak by with a win in Game Two.

That setback has only made the Phillies more focussed in their drive to repeat. For evidence, I submit Game Three of the 2009 National League Championship Series.

First off, I am not even sure the 11 to 0 score conveys just how lopsided the game was.

It was so bad that the Phillies outscored the normally high-powered Eagles’ offense by two points!

It was so bad that every single Philly starter, including pitching ace Cliff Lee, scored at least one run. The Phillies garnered eleven hits altogether, more than half of which were of the extra base variety including long balls by Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino.

It was so bad that the same Dodgers’ pitcher (Hiroki Kurada) who secured the team's only win in the 2008 NLCS against the Phillies left the game after only recording four outs. His ERA was over 40!

Meanwhile, it was all good for the Phillies. Starter Cliff Lee went eight full innings without an earned run, striking out ten and only giving up three hits. He turned the series around faster than you can say “the best mid-season acquistion in baseball.”

So far, he has only given up two earned runs in 24.1 postseason innings, which translates to a postseason ERA of 0.74. That is not a typo. Cole Hamels was utterly fantastic last year in the playoffs, but Lee seems poised to be even more brilliant this October.

Looking ahead to this afternoon, I expect an angry and embarrassed Dodger team to give the Phillies a tough game. Regardless, I don’t see how they can actually win this series unless the Phillies completely crumble, which I just don’t see that happening, (especially since their biggest bat continues to be on a tear through the playoffs).

Last year, Ryan Howard was only 8 for 31 (.258) with five runs and three RBIs during the entire first two rounds of the playoffs (a total of nine games), yet the Phillies still managed to go 7 and 2 in those outings because they certainly don’t need to rely on one bat, even the mighty bat of Howard.

However, when he’s hot, he can carry the team for quite some time, and he’s definitely running a fever right now (along with the rest of the team).

In 2009, after only seven playoff games, he is batting 10 for 26 (.385) with six runs and 12 RBIs. That is downright lethal. He's had at least one hit in every postseason game, and at least one RBI to boot.

As long as the Big Guy continues his hot streak, the Dodgers will suffer from the terminal Blue Flu that currently plagues them. That’s OK, though. They can have all the bed rest they need after two more losses.

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Despite Game Two, Phils Right Where They Want To Be...

Tonight, with the Dodgers tying the National League Championship Series at one game a piece, the Phillies seem to have taken a step backward. The team and fans hope it is only a small step, however. The legendary, albeit aging, Pedro Martinez pitched an incredible game, allowing only two hits while shutting out Los Angeles over seven innings. Unfortunately for him, a victory was not to be as the Phils’ poor offensive performance, a questionable managerial decision and a second baseman who appears to have completely forgotten how to throw a baseball made sure that Martinez’s effort was, in the end, completely meaningless.

It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Phillies' normally potent offense was shut down by Vicente Padilla in game two. At times during the season, the offense looked horrible at best during certain stretches. Tonight, unfortunately, looked like one of those nights. Aside from a solo homerun from Ryan Howard in the fourth inning, Philadelphia was only able to muster four hits, a tough spot for any pitcher, including Martinez.

From there, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made a highly questionable decision by pinch hitting for Pedro Martinez in the top of the eighth inning. At that point, Martinez had thrown only eighty seven pitches and had completely dominated the Dodgers. Regardless of that Charlie felt that it was time to take his one run lead and put it into the hands of a bullpen that the Dodgers probably couldn’t wait to get their hands on. A booted groundball by normally fantastic third baseman Pedro Feliz and a perfectly placed bunt by Dodger second baseman Ronnie Belliard later, the Phillies came to realize their latest problem: Chase Utley and his arm from hell.

Instead of going into a play by play on what transpired next, as it’s already been seen, heard, reported and dissected by every “expert” in the country, let’s just say that the normally superb defensive second baseman, Chase Utley continued an interesting defensive post season. For the second game in a row he completely threw a double play away, one that nearly cost the team a game and one that did cost the team a game. A closer look, however, shows that Chase Utley has been having a problem throwing to first base this entire post season. Many of his, what are normally routine plays have resulted in some pretty interesting throws to first. Often, Ryan Howard has had to stretch as high as he can to catch Utley’s floaters to first. While it is possible that some have noticed this, surely no one thought it to be a problem until now. Either way, something as simple as Chase Utley throwing a baseball to first base has become a major concern.

All in all, the Phillies can’t be too upset about what transpired in Los Angeles. They still come away having won one of the games on the road, which was their main goal in the first place, they were able to hit, what most consider to be LA’s best starting pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, very hard in game one. Pedro Martinez has shown that he can still pitch and furthermore, aside from a strange fluke of an eighth inning the Dodgers did absolutely nothing to the Phillies offensively in game two. With the series tied at one and coming back to Philadelphia, the team and the fans should have their heads high knowing that this is exactly where they hoped to be at this point; having brought home field advantage back to Philly.
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Post-Season Coincidences

Despite what happened in the 2009 MLB playoffs, watching baseball for Phillies fans must have been an extra special treat this year. Not only did the Phillies clinch their third consecutive Phillies post-season appearance, but the players and coaches of other teams in the playoffs also reminded fans of fond memories. The Angels and Dodgers happened to have some of the most notable ex- Phillies players and coaches in franchise history. The amount of Philly related people on opposing post-season teams proves how much teams change year from year, and why there may occasionally be some rivalries or tensions between certain teams.

The Angels, who have been one of the top teams in all of baseball this decade finally beat the Boston Red Sox in the National League division series for the first time in four years, embarrassingly sweeping the Sox three games to none. Without the help of longtime Phillies hero Bobby Abreu, and Norristown native Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager since 1999, the Angels might not have even made it to the post-season! Mike Scioscia attended Norristown High School and spent most of his career on the west coast, but being a Philadelphia native is something especially fascinating. Bobby Abreu, who was originally drafted by the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was immediately traded to the Phillies in 1997. Abreu played eight seasons with the Phillies (1998-2005) before being traded to the Yankees in 2006. Abreu was elected to two all-star games, won the 2005 homerun derby, won one gold glove award and one silver slugger with his time with the Phillies.

The Dodgers, who had a plethora of ex-Phillies entering the NLCS for the second straight year against the Phillies, looked for redemption against the ’08 champs. Vicente Padilla, Jim Thome, Larry Bowa, and Randy Wolf all played for the Phillies in their career (just to name a few). On the contrary, Phillies’ Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Pedro Martinez, and Davey Lopes were all apart of the Dodgers’ franchise at some point in their career as well.

Also, interestingly enough, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel coached Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez in Cleveland in the 90’s. Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre had a brother who played for the Phillies. Shane Victorino and Pedro Martinez were brought up in the LA’s organization, but the Dodgers declined both players, saying that they either were too small or weren’t good enough. Also, Dodgers first base coach Marino Duncan played for the Phillies after playing with the Dodgers for four years. Lastly, Phils first base coach Davey Lopes played for the Dodgers while Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa played for the Phillies in the 1980 NLCS, in which the Phillies won and went on to become 1980 world champions.

The interconnections and coincidences in baseball is what make this great game so fun and exciting to watch. How much you think these familiarities affected the 2009 playoffs?
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Enjoying a Metsless Postseason

Now that the post-season has taken my focus off the Mets I find life as a baseball fan so much more peaceful. Truth be told, I actually quite enjoy the playoffs when my team isn't in them.

Perhaps this is a matter of being conditioned that more often than not, the Mets are not playoff bound, but part of it also involves relishing the supreme lack of stress when your team is not in it. Instead of fretting over every pitch, you are a merely a bystander enjoying the game itself. Sure, you pick a surrogate team to root for but it’s all very casual. If they win, that’s nice. If they don’t, they’re not the Mets so it really doesn’t matter. Another perk is that you are not chained to the television for bizarre start times. You also can flip the channel if a game is boring without any guilt.

Yes, there is definitely something to be said for the detachment factor of a Metsless postseason. After a miserable effort in 2009, I can now watch the Yankees and see what kind of team can be built with a large payroll if the people spending the money do so judiciously. I can also proudly claim that Carlos Gomez, the Twins player who had the most impact on Yankees sweeping the A.L.D.S., is a product of the Mets’ farm system; a system where clearly base-running fundamentals are not on the current curriculum.

Or how about taking secret pleasure in the fact that there are other teams out there that can’t find a way to score with the bases loaded and no outs? Similarly, what about teams that head into the 9th inning with a lead only to blow games in the same ridiculous ways that I watched the Mets blow them this whole season?

Yes, fellow Mets fans, thus far the 2009 postseason has been a delight, even if only to make us feel better that at least our team wasn’t committing their heinous baseball crimes on the playoff stage. And with that I salute those players responsible for putting a small wry smile on my face this October. Matt Holliday, Jonathan Papelbon, Huston Street, Carlos Gomez, Joe Nathan and all the rest, a round of applause is in order! Keep up the good work and maybe, just maybe, at some point you’ll come to the Mets where bad fundamentals at exorbitant salaries are part of the culture. Read more!

C-C-Crazy in Colorado!

By Chris Pollay

It was a cold game.

I was half surprised to see that none of the players in Game Three of the Colorado-Philadelphia series were wearing ice skates. Nobody seemed to suffer from frostbite, either. In fact, the bats somehow remained incredibly hot even in the most frigid of temperatures... 35 degrees at the START of the four-hour game, which tied for the coldest game-time temperature in postseason history.

The game featured 18 hits and eleven runs, an extremely high number considering that the dugouts were nicely heated and the base paths were downright chilly.

It was a close game.

The Phillies struck first with a Chase Utley solo shot in the top of the first and I found myself smiling because rookie starting pitcher J.A. Happ has been a scrooge with earned runs all season long.

Well, until last night anyway. He didn’t hold the lead long. He gave up two runs in the first and another in the third and left the game after only three innings.

He allowed five hits and two walks altogether and most of that damage came from the bat of Garrett Atkins, a man who I never had any beef with before yesterday but suddenly found myself cursing his name loudly and often as he seemed bent on giving the Rockies a one-game lead single-handedly.

But, the seesaw battle changed tone in the top of the fourth when the Phillies exploded for three runs (without a long ball, for once). When Raul Ibañez drew a bases-loaded walk I felt the momentum change. I knew the Phillies were going to win. I just knew it.

Well, until the bottom of the same inning when #%@!ing Carlos Gonzalez went deep and tied the game at four. It hurt, don’t get me wrong, but I would be remiss if I did not point out that the Phillies’ bullpen (considered its biggest weakness) came through as its biggest strength last night, giving up only two runs in six innings!

Fortunately, another Carlos (Mr. Ruiz) came through in the clutch again for the Phils with an RBI single in the sixth. I was able to ramble on about how much he improved this season (and, how this crucial hit ACTUALLY LEFT THE INFIELD) to anybody who cared for a full inning before the blasted Rockies showed their resilience yet again and knotted the game up at five a piece in the bottom of the 7th.

That’s when I looked for the Rolaids. R-O-L-A-I-D-S may spell “relief” (as the old ad slogan goes), but I knew that a late-inning tied game favored the Rockies.

It was a crazy game... and a loooong one, too.

There were 12 pitchers in the game altogether, and it didn’t even go to extra innings.

I certainly couldn’t have predicted the 9th inning, to be sure. I certainly didn’t see Utley get hit by the ball in his “Excuse Me” single, and I’m guessing he actually didn’t feel it since he had probably been numb from the baseball hat down for about four hours before it happened.

That was a big play and a blown call, but it didn’t cost the Rockies the game. After all, they faced the shakiest closer in postseason on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, and had men on first and second.

Yet, despite the all-too-familiar scenario for Philly fans, Brad Lidge came through when it counted most, proving you can blow eleven saves and go 0-8 for the year with a 7.21 ERA and it means nothing if you can come through in the playoffs.

Now, he’s one-for-one in saves with an ERA of 0.00 and the Phillies have taken a lead in the only truly exciting first round playoff series in baseball. No chance for a sweep in this series, just one crazy game after another. I can't wait for Game Four.

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Where Have You Gone Cole?

After a superb six-hit complete game performance by Phillies’ ace Cliff Lee in the opening game of the NLDS on Wednesday afternoon, Cole Hamels wasn’t at the top of his game even before he took the mound for first pitch the next day. .

The Phillies, who are hungry for some revenge against the Rockies since they swept them in the 2007 NLDS, posted five runs on the board and defeated the Rockies 5-1 in game one. Phils manager Charlie Manuel then gave Cole Hamels the nod for the start in game two.

Philly fans definitely had to be feeling good about their chances after hearing this. Though Hamels has struggled throughout the course of the 2009 regular season, he is no stranger to success in the post-season. In the Phillies 2008 championship run, Hamels went 4-0 and earned NLCS and World Series MVP honors. Without Hamels’ clutch post-season performance last year, the Phillies would not have won the title.

Before Thursday’s 2:30 afternoon start time, Cole Hamels voiced his displeasure about the game time start to the media saying, “Being the defending world champs, I think it’s kind of a little weird that we get both games at 2:30.” Unfortunately, game time was not the only thing wandering around in Hamels’ head.

After Hamels was pulled out of the game after throwing just five innings and only 83 pitches, Hamels was notified that his wife was in labor. Hamels immediately left the stadium and headed for the hospital. Asked if this affected Hamels on the mound, Manuel told the media, “I know he was concerned about his wife – and his child too. That’s an exciting time. You’d have to ask him if it affected him. I don’t know exactly what was on his mind and what he was thinking.”

Though the Phillies put up a fight, they weren’t able to pull off another victory as the Rockies finished them off, winning 5-4 and splitting the series. This momentum for the Rockies is definitely a threat to the Phillies. With the series tied 1-1 and now the Rockies with home field advantage for the next two games in Colorado, the Phillies are going to have to step it up, especially in the pitching department.

Veteran Pedro Martinez, who will start game 3, brings promise and hope to the Phillies, but who knows how 30 degree temperature and a few flurries may affect him.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but if the Phillies can get past the Rockies in the NLDS (which will not be a walk in the park), then that means that Cole Hamels will start game one of the NLCS against either the Dodgers or Cardinals. If the Phillies want any chance of winning back to back championships, they are going to have to find where Cole is because if he doesn’t come out of his hiding soon, it will be too late.
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Thank God It’s Over!

The 2009 Mets season mercifully ended on Sunday with a three game sweep of the equally putrid Astros. In what has become a yearly event following the Mets regular season close, management addressed the media yesterday to both apologize for the putrid season and to reassure fans that they will do their best to fill the holes for 2010 and field a winning team. But after three years of the same talk and little action, are the fans even listening anymore?

In yesterday’s press conference, Omar Minaya, Jeff Wilpon and Jerry Manuel all addressed the media in yet another attempt at damage control for this disastrous season. Considering the past bungling press conferences this season, I guess Mets fans can take some solace in that none of these three musketeers suffered from the rampant “foot-in-mouth” syndrome that had previously infected their dealings with the media. But on the other hand, they really said nothing new or worthwhile. They attempted to assure fans that 2009 was a fluke and that they will make the changes necessary so that this won’t happen again in 2010, but so far, the only changes made were some minor ones with the coaching staff. And for whatever reason, third base coach Razor Shines and pitching coach Dan Warthen, the two who most deserved the ax, were spared. Though stripped of his horrendous third base coaching duties, Shines, a close friend of Jerry Manuel, will remain as a coach in some capacity.

They also mentioned reaching out to recently fired Toronto and San Diego GM’s J.P. Ricciardi and Kevin Towers about possible positions within the organization. Again, this is a smart path but pretty insignificant when trying to placate an angry fan base for the third year in a row. If anything, it just puts two qualified individuals in contention as Omar’s replacement if the team doesn’t improve in 2010.

Sadly, most Mets fans at this point are angry enough after the failures of 2006 through 2009 to require drastic moves this off-season, both on the field and in the front office. This translates to bloodlust and a justifiable obsession with bringing Bobby Valentine back on board. Valentine is the type of manager who makes average players shine and is a stickler for fundamentals. Valentine would not stand for the shenanigans of base running and mental errors this season brought forth from both veterans and rookies alike. And the truth of the matter is, some time in early August, Manuel completely lost control of the ship. Even with all of the injuries, there is no excuse for the Mets to have lost 90 games and to lose many of them in embarrassing fashion. For this, Jerry Manuel needed to be the sacrificial lamb of the 2009 season. For fans, that would symbolize a fresh start for 2010 even if Omar Minaya remains.

But Jeff Wilpon is either an incredibly benevolent man or the Madoff scam is a factor in giving Jerry and Omar one last shot to turn things around. So as fans, we will wait and see what this off-season will bring. I somewhat trust Omar’s ability to fill the holes at catcher, first base, left field and in the starting rotation. He has pulled off some good deals during his time here and knowing his job is on the line is probably extra incentive to do whatever it takes to turn things around. But the question is, will whatever is done in the off-season be enough to turn this team into a winner in 2010? Only time will tell, but here’s hoping Bobby V. is still biding his time ESPN when we need him.
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