Today's News
April 30, 2007
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
Blown Again
Phillies blow another save and fall to the Braves 5-2
Scene of the crime: Citizen's Bank Park
TIme: Bottom of the 9th inning
Assailant: Andruw Jones (repeat offender)
Once again Charlie Manuel has refused to bring in Brett Myers as the closer. It's becoming a comedy of errors at this point. Tom Gordon wasn't relieved of his duties and at the same time he very well could have been brought in to pitch tonight. It was a save situation, but Charlie Manuel decided to bring in Antonio Alfonseca who retired one batter before giving up a hit and a walk.
And, then it was history when he served up the gopher to Andruw Jones.
Game. Set. Match.
Rather than going for what is the obvious solution, he once again had Myers pitch the 8th inning.
And, so it goes. Myers is wasted in a set-up role, while another game is flushed down the toilet.
This marks the Phillies' fourth consecutive losing April.
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Donovan's dad speaks out about Kolb being drafted
For you McNabb critics out there, you were probably waiting for Wilma McNabb to blast the Eagles for drafting Kevin Kolb. If it isn't McNabb's facial expression on the sideline, or the fact that he overthrows a receiver (as if Peyton Manning never does such a thing), or he brought up the booing at the '99 draft again (one of the biggest myths in pro sports considering I've only heard him bring it up once), you blast his parents for being vocal.
Well, Sam McNabb didn't give you any ammo this time. Sorry.
All he said is that the draft pick doesn't bother him and that he wishes people in Philly would appreciate what they have.
"I'm not concerned about [the decision to spend the first pick on Kolb]," Sam McNabb told the Daily News. "My son works for the Philadelphia Eagles right now and when he doesn't any longer, there are 31 other NFL teams he can play for."
And, I agree 100%. Without going through all of the reasons, McNabb is not only the best quarterback in franchise history, he's one of the top 3 QB's in the NFL when healthy. End of story.
Sam McNabb went on to say, "Having been around Philly, no matter what happens or what he says or does, it doesn't stop people from talking," Sam McNabb said. "I just wish people would appreciate what they have while they have it. You have to enjoy the moment.
"I love this talk about how he's been injured. If it were up to him, he wouldn't be injured. If he played 20 more years, he may never be injured again, so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything."
Of course the McNabb haters will probably try to find a way to spin his comments. It wouldn't shock me one bit.
The bottom line is they went to Plan C and decided to pick Kolb when their other options were exhausted. I don't agree with the pick, but it doesn't mark the end of McNabb's career here by a longshot. Kolb won't play for at least 3 years and most likely 4 years as long as McNabb is healthy and plays at a high level.
Mark it down.
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Dhani Jones era is over
The Eagles have finally cut Dhani Jones today. Be prepared to fly your bow ties at half mast tomorrow. I just know you're in mourning over this. No more banjo celebrations on the field.
It couldn't have come soon enough. In fact, it was a mistake to bring him back after the '05 season.
Jones' stats were piss poor in his 3 seasons here. He had a total of 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 0 forced fumbles during his 3 seasons here, while averaging 73 tackles per season.
Nope, that's not a misprint. He had a total of two take aways in three years.
Here's some food for thought. What's worse, having endured James Thrash's celebrations after catching three yard passes and pointing to the sky, or seeing Dhani Jones yuck it up after making one of a few tackles in a game?
It's like choosing between colon cancer and brain cancer.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Birds go big
Eagles go big with their other first day selections
The Eagles will no doubt be maligned for their inability to make the big moves like New England has.
Despite making the unpopular move for QB Kevin Kolb, they did break some of their old habits and draft a big defensive end, linebacker, and running back.
How many times have we seen this team draft undersized players at all three positions?
They may not have made sexy picks or drafted any big name players, but they certainly bucked the draft trends of seasons past by going big. Yesterday they took Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri with their second selection in the second round. He is a 6'4" 267 defensive end with above average quickness. And, with their first selection in the third round they selected linebacker Stewart Bradley out of Nebraska, who is 6'4" and 254 pounds. And, of course their fourth selection of the day (their other third round choice) was running back Tony Hunt out of Penn State.
Finally, the Eagles have drafted the big back we have been screaming for.
The bottom line is all of these picks could be duds or they could be studs. It's a crapshoot unless you're drafting a wide receiver named Calvin Johnson this year. There are really no sure shots.
We can disagree with the selections until we're blue in our faces, but they did finally draft players with size at these three positions where they previously had a propensity for drafting undersized players.
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In the 5th the Eagles go cornerback and tight end
With their first 5th round selection, the Eagles have selected cornerback C.J. Gaddis out of Clemson. He is a 5'11", 203 pound corner, with 4.45 speed. He's seen as someone who could possibly convert to safety or eventually become a starter in the league at corner. Many see him as an immediate contributor in special teams and as a tweener defensive back.
And, with their second selection in the fifth round they drafted Brent Celek, a tight end out of Cincinatti. He is 6'3" and 248 pounds. The scoop on him is that he's not much of a downfield threat, he has average size, and he's just not fast. He ran a 4.75 in the 40. He started 13 games for Cincinatti last year and caught 35 passes for 481 yards and 3 TD's. He was projected as an undrafted free agent so it's certainly a reach.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Breaking News!!!
Eagles select Houston QB Kevin Kolb
The Eagles have selected Houston QB Kevin Kolb with the 36th overall selection in the second round.
This pick was a hideous pick. The Eagles needed help along their front seven. They already have three quarterbacks on their roster. Donovan McNabb has probably four or five good seasons left. And, they just committed to A.J. Feely for the long term.
The Eagles could have grabbed him in the third round.
Can you say reach?
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Eagles make draft-day deal with the Cowboys
The Eagles have traded their 26th overall pick in exchange for the Cowboy's second round pick (36th overall) that they received from the Cleveland Browns, the 86th overall pick in the 3rd round, and their 5th round pick.
The Cowboys then used the 26th pick to select defensive end Anthony Spencer out of Purdue.
The indications are that since safeties Brandon Meriweather, Reggie Nelson, and Michael Griffin were off the board that the Eagles didn't deem it necessary to spend that high of a pick on one of the available defensive ends or linebackers. They also would have selected linebacker Jon Beason out of Miami according to Howard Eskin and since he was gone as well they feel they can get a player of value at 36.
They are due to pick early in the second round and we will keep you updated.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Blown Again
Gordon blows 4th save this season, but Phils hang on to win 6-5
This time the Phillies wouldn't be denied after Gordon blew another save, this his 4th blown save of this young season.
First they came back from a 4-3 deficit behind back-to-back homeruns from Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. And, when they carried a 5-4 lead into the 8th inning Gordon blew it again.
If this doesn't prove to Charlie Manuel that Brett Myers should take over closer duties than nothing will. Tom Gordon has been blowing saves like call girls bl...oh wait gotta keep it clean here.
At any rate, Gordon has been directly responsible for three losses this season. The Phillies improved to 10-12 with the win tonight-thanks to a game-winning single by Carlos Ruiz. However, they could be 13-9, which would be their best April record in three years.
Freddy Garcia had another mediocre outing for the Phillies. He only went 4 2/3 innings (he's yet to pitch more than 5 innings in his 3 starts) and gave up 4 runs, but struck out 8. His pitch count was awfully high; he threw 106 pitches.
The Phillies will take on the fish tomorrow night and look to improve to one game under .500. At 10-12, it's not out of the question for them to finish April above .500 as they have three more games in this month.
Now, that would be quite a feat considering the awful 4-11 start, but with the way they're playing in the past week it's not a crazy proposition.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Streak ends at 5
Hamels gets stung by the Nationals, Phils fall to them 4-2
The Phillies ran into a wall on that end. Lately they've been getting quality starts and banging out the runs on offense.
Aaron Rowand continued his hot streak though by hitting another homerun. He now has a career high 14-game hitting streak.
The Phillies' 5-game winning streak came to a halt and they are now 9-12. They will look to make it 10-12 at 7:05 at The Bank tonight.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Jerseys unveiled
The Eagles have unveiled their throwback jerseys that will honor their 75th season
Today the Eagles have unveiled the throwback jersey that they will wear September 23rd against the Detroit Lions. The hideous blue and yellow jerseys are being unveiled ostensibly of course; it's all about selling some more merchandise.
I won't knock anybody for purchasing one of these jerseys, but I am a jersey connoisseur, and these jerseys are uglier than the Sixers' 65-66 throwback jerseys (which they wore on throwback nights in the past few years), and that makes the blue and yellows fugly.
One thing that seems rather odd is that the Eagles didn't wait for the 75th anniversary, rather they wanted to unleash these rags on their 74th anniversary, but putting it under the guise of the 75th season celebration.
I mean really, couldn't they just wait another season to put these things out there?
What is most annoying about this is that they are disregarding what the fans really want, and that's a jersey with kelly green in it. It doesn't matter if they unveil the 80's jerseys with the flying eagle on the sleeves, or the late 70's/early 80's jerseys with the silver and white piping on the arms, or even the kelly green throwbacks from the 70's or 60's.
Fans have been pining for kelly green throwbacks for years and when it comes time to do something special they put out this slop.
Sure, one can argue that it's about paying tribute to the inaugurial season, but I look at it as a disconnect Lurie and Banner have with the fans. They have done some great things in their tenure in Philadelphia in terms of putting together a very good football team, but they don't really connect with the fans.
This jersey doesn't mean anything to the fans. One would have to be in their 80's to even remember that jersey. These colors may mean something to San Diego Chargers fans or UCLA fans, or Swedish citizens, but not to the majority of Eagles fans.
This jersey will sell though. Youngsters and people in the hip hop crowd will wear them. I have no problem with that though. This is a free market and you can buy and wear what you will. I wouldn't wear it. But, I have a problem with Lurie and the braintrust dissing the kelly green.
You can purchase an authentic McNabb 1933 throwback jersey for $274.99 on Eagles.com. Replicas go for $79.99.
Think I'll pass.
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Brandon Meriweather the Eagles' choice? Not so fast.
Brandon Meriweather, the safety from Miami, who is best known for his participation in an on-field brawl is the hot name being thrown out there as far as who the Eagles will draft.
I don't see it though. The Eagles are one of the last teams who will take on an individual with character issues in light of the Pacman situation. And, Meriweather was front and center in one of the uglier on-field incidents in the past several years. Added to that, he was involved in an incident when an assailant shot his teammate Willie Cooper. He wasn't charged with anything since he was defending himself, but there's smoke where there's fire.
If you're a team thinking about drafting Meriweather you have to ask yourself, "why did the guy he was hanging out with get shot at?" And, maybe he and his teammate were minding their own business. Nobody really knows except for he, Willie Cooper, and the perp.
However, the Eagles are a risk-averse team when it comes to drafting players with any sort of off-field issues. And, if you don't think Andy Reid's recent drama involving his sons has to play into his decision-making then you're kidding yourself.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
4 in a row
Phils take down the Nats to win their 4th in a row
Maybe it was that team meeting.
Maybe it's the warmer weather.
Maybe the team got that funk out of their system and are playing at the level they're capable of.
Whatever the maybe is, this team is a world apart from the one that took the field for the first two and a half weeks of the season.
Chase Utley is starting to come around, and don't look now, but Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell are both hitting above .330. And, Pat Burrell continued his great start to the season with an RBI double in the 6th, with runners in scoring position.
Tom Gordon also had his first decent appearance this season by allowing just one baserunner, no runs, and getting the save.
The Phillies had a nice, gutsy win tonight though. Through the first 5 innings, they had just 1 hit, and then got things rolling once Utley doubled to left-center.
Jon Lieber will take the hill tomorrow night against Nats' ace John Patterson.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Pouring it on
The Phillies have won their past two games by a combined score of 20-7
On Sunday afternoon the Phillies poured it on against the Reds in their ballpark, by winning 9-3. Everything went right in all three phases; pitching, offense, and defense.
Freddy Garcia gave them a good start. Matt Smith didn't throw any balls 5 feet over the catcher's head, Geoff Geary was money in 1 1/3 inning pitched, and Alfy had a scoreless inning.
The offense put up 9 runs, including a 4-run 9th inning when they poured it on. Utley, Howard, and Helms combined for 5 RBI.
And, for the second consecutive game the Phils had zero errors.
Most importanly, Ryan Howard returned to the starting lineup to go 1 for 3 with 1 homer, 1 walk, and 3 RBI.
Tonight, they took on the Astros and won 11-4.
This was another victory where they poured it on. The Phillies often go on runs like this where they win games 9-3 (last night for example), 11-4 like tonight, or 10-2, or 8-1, and so on and so forth. But, then they'll lose a stretch of games 2-1, 3-1, or 4-2 when they can't manufacture runs.
The Phils appear to be in the middle of another one of these runs. They may very well win 8 out of the next 10 games and be back in the thick of things. It doesn't surprise me one bit. They have the talent to do it. Now, the manager and the front office are what hold them back from really joining the elite teams in the majors.
They once again had all three facets working. Adam Eaton settled down after a rough opening 3 innings to go scoreless over the next 3 innings, while recording 7 strikeouts.
The Phillies had 20 hits tonight with Jimmy Rollins leading the charge by going 4 for 5 with a homer, triple, and 2 RBI.
After opening the season 4-10, the Phillies are 3-1 in their past 4 games and will look to make it 4 straight wins against the Nationals at The Bank tomorrow night at 7:05.
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Brian Leonard a possibility for the Eagles
According to a source of ours, the Eagles have some interest in Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard. However, they are most likely going to pick a defensive back in the first round.
They are also interested in picking a QB early on-most likely in the 3rd round since they have pressing needs at defensive back, linebacker, and running back.
Even though Andy Reid was technically away from the team for a month, Tom Heckert maintains that he wasn't that far away from personnel matters.
A few mock drafts show the Eagles drafting defensive end Jarvis Moss out of Florida, safety Brandon Meriweather out of Miami, and safety Michael Griffin out of Texas in the first round. Although, it wouldn't shock me to see them trade into the top of the second round for multiple picks.
The word is that after the top 10 players go off the board, the next 30 players are said to be on the same plane in terms of value.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
King Cole
Hamels fans 15 in complete game 4-1 victory over Reds
For the second time in three games the Phillies got a masterful pitching performance out of one of their front-line starters. Saturday night Cole Hamels delivered with a career game.
Hamels became the first Phillies pitcher to record 15 K's since Curt Schilling in 1998.
The Phillies held a pow wow for nearly an hour and a half before the game started last night. So far the meeting appears to have gotten them on track. The Phillies got 4 runs and for once won a low-scoring game. However, most of it came from one player; Chase Utley. He had a 2 run double in the first, and homered in the 6th. The other run came off an Aaron Rowand homerun.
The team certainly played smarter though, with no errors, and they had the first triple play in the major leagues this season, and their first one since 1999.
This was easily the Phillies' best played game all year though.
The Phillies will look to ride some of that momentum today as Freddy Garcia has a favorable matchup against Matt Belisle.
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Eagles interested in a cornerback?
According to Hugh Douglas, the Eagles have been trotting a lot of cornerbacks in and out of the NovaCare complex the past few days. Douglas stated that on the show he co-hosts with Rob Charry on 610-WIP yesterday afternoon.
At first glance it seems more likely that they could get a safety of good value at their slot. And, there aren't really any cornerbacks worthy of the 26th selection aside from Arkansas' Chris Houston. Remember, they surrendered a 4th round choice in the Donte Stallworth trade.
And, there are a couple cornerbacks who are projected to go around the top of the second round in UNLV's Eric Wright and Fresno State's Marcus McCauley.
Andy Reid was asked about this and said, "yeah, we'll see how it goes." Just kidding, he didn't really say that and we didn't ask him, but he probably would provide that response if asked. In all seriousness though, it's a foregone conclusion that the Eagles are looking to upgrade their secondary at the top of the draft this year.
Tom Heckert wouldn't say either way if they would favor drafting a defensive end or d-back.
"From a starting standpoint, I don't think we have any needs," Heckert said. "Obviously, if we think we can do better at a position, we will. Obviously, we have three safeties on the roster and four are probably going to make [the team]. As far as corners, if we get somebody who can beat somebody out, then we're in good shape."
Regardless as to whether they select a corner and move Shelden Brown to safety, or if they get lucky and have a defensive end like Jamaal Anderson fall to them, it would be a long shot for the Eagles to trade up. They only have 6 picks this year. It's their fewest amount of picks since the 2001 draft when they had 6 draft picks.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Heartbreaker
Tom Gordon blows another save, Phillies lose 2-1 in 10 innings
On the night that Jon Lieber returned to the starting rotation, the Phillies pitching staff combined for a gem in 8 innings. Lieber pitched splendidly and gave up just 1 hit in 5 2/3 innings. And, Alfonseca and Brett Myers did their part to hold a 1-0 lead into the 9th inning.
And, then Trash Gordon came into the game. With 2 outs left he served up a homerun to Scott Hatteberg. And, from there it was impossible for the Phillies to walk out of the Great American Ballpark with a win.
For some reason Brett Myers couldn't pitch two innings even though he was the staff ace and has pitched for 200 innings the past two seasons. Tom Gordon on the other hand, with an arm about to fall off, after blowing yet another save, was brought into the game in the 10th inning.
One has to ask themself, "Is Charlie Manuel trying to throw this game?" Why in the world would he have Gordon go back into the game after blowing another save? Added to that, he's an aging pitcher with an arm about to fall off at any moment.
And, so it goes, Charlie Manuel's piss poor game management has resulted in another throw-away loss.
This was a game they should have won.
And, Charlie Manuel was just interviewed moments ago and said Tom Gordon will remain the closer of the team.
For Brett Myers to be taken out of the rotation and be used in any other role than closer is a travesty of travesties.
And, piss poor decisions like this are the reason that this team has made it to the playoffs just once in the last 23 years.
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Sixers lose draft tiebreaker
The Sixers will now have a .7 percent chance of winning the #1 overall pick. That means they have 7/1000 chances of winning.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Hanging on
Phillies hang on in the 9th innning for a 4-2 win
Jamie Moyer tossed eight shutout innings today and the Phillies needed every one of them in order to get their first victory in 6 days.
Moyer allowed just 2 runs in 8 innings and both of those came in the 9th inning when he was brought in to go for a shutout. On the one hand, you can't fault Manuel too much because the bullpen is shakier than a boxer's knees after taking an upper cut to the jaw. And, on the other hand Moyer is 42 years old and threw over 100 pitches, so 8 innings was more than enough. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Moyer was the difference maker today though, because this team needed a pitcher to finally go more than 7 innings. He left in the 9th after allowing 1 run and leaving a base-runner. Tom Gordon once again provided some suspense (or nearly caused the collective viewers to have strokes) as he hit a batter, allowed a hit, and ultimately got the Phillies out of a bases loaded jam. Once again the bullpen nearly blew the game.
Alfonseca has been stellar this year, but other than he or Brett Myers (who should be the closer tomorrow if he's in the bullpen) there are no dependable arms in the pen.
And, if Brett Myers isn't made the closer than this is the biggest waste of talent in years of Philadelphia baseball. For a team to take their ace out of the starting rotation is bad enough, but to put them in middle relief is a travesty. Make Gordon and Alfonseca split the duties of set-up and hand off the reigns to Myers for this season. I'm not entirely in favor of it, but it's better than what they have if they can't land a viable closer like Brad Lidge.
Of course they wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for the utter incompetence of Pat Gillick.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Breaking News
Phillies send Brett Myers to the Bullpen
The Phillies are attempting to shake things up on a day when they are facing another PR problem-in light of Charlie Manuel's tirade towards 610-WIP's Howard Eskin. They have announced this afternoon that Brett Myers will be sent to the bullpen.
Jon Lieber will head back into the starting rotation.
Charlie Manuel said they feel Myers will make the pitching staff better by appearing in "75 games" as opposed to "35 starts."
It would be a waste for Myers to be used in a middle relief role. He is the type of pitcher that could be explosive for an inning or two and that role is reserved for a closer.
The Phillies apparently are ready to hand over the reigns of staff ace to Cole Hamels.
This will most likely be a temporary move though until the Phillies can land a closer via trade with experience like Brad Lidge or Derrick Turnbow, who both have been demoted from the role of closer, but are still young, talented arms that would be a huge step up from the likes of Tom Gordon and Ryan Madson.
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Aftermath of Manuel vs. Eskin
Howard Eskin acknowledged on his show today on 610-WIP a lot of the writers tried to make him out to be the bad guy last night. Some of the spin coming out was that he went into the press conference with the intentions of stirring Charlie Manuel up.
This couldn't be further from the truth. Even when you hear the audio of the press conference, Eskin asked a legit question in regards to getting on his players. This comes on the heels of Lou Pinella challenging his team.
And, then when Manuel answered the question, Eskin responded by asking him if the players have a sense of urgency since he doesn't get angry at them that often.
And, Manuel was out of line from that point on. Manuel asked Howard if he wanted to come see him in his office. Eskin stated he went back there because he wanted to make his rounds and speak with a few of the Mets players and Freddy Garica.
On his way there Manuel asked him to come into the office and then he started going off on Howard. This all boils down to the fact that he has criticized Manuel for the past three seasons and rightfully so. Manuel is the worst manager in Phillies history. To defend his managing would be like defending Ted Bundy's relations with women.
While Howard was in his office, Manuel had to be restrained by two coaches and threatened Eskin by saying he'd kick his ass and he was tired of the comments he was saying about him over the past three years.
It's pretty clear who was in the right here. Eskin asked what needed to be asked after a dreadful game. Charlie Manuel got set off because he probably listens to WIP and has had enough of Howard's criticism of him.
In that line of work if you can't take the criticism then you should get out of the game. It's part of the job. Manuel has shown his true colors-enough with the "nice guy" label. Last night he came off as a jerk and a cry baby. Say what you want about Howard Eskin, but he did his job and was nothing but professional. Charlie Manuel was about as professional as Allen Iverson.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Charlie Attacks
Phillies get romped 8-1 and Charlie Manuel goes off on Howard Eskin after the game
The Phillies were exploited like a low rent bull fighter tonight. They were manhandled in every aspect of the game, getting wasted 8-1 by the Mets.
Believe it or not, the game was actually close in the early-going; they were down 2-1 in the 4th inning. And, then it started to come apart at the seams in the 5th when Freddy Garcia left the game after just 4 2/3 innings. And, Geoff Geary gave up a run after Garcia exited.
The Mets poured on 5 more runs over the next three innings. The game was just an afterthought though. The real fireworks started after the game when 610-WIP's Howard Eskin asked Charlie Manuel about his being angry and if that "creates some kind of urgency for the players" since people don't see him angry that often.
Charlie Manuel retorted, "I'll show you I can get angry if you want me to. Why don't you drop by my office?"
And, when Howard went back towards the office is when Manuel started dropping F-bombs and challenged Howard to a fight. He also apparently tried to throw a punch at Eskin.
Howard was nothing but professional in the press conference and did nothing to warrant this sort of response from Manuel. This is what happens when nothing goes right for a team.
The Phillies have officially hit rock bottom.
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Sixers lose home finale
What a world of difference a year makes. The Sixers have rid themselves of a pair of albatrosses in Allen Iverson and Chris Webber and fan appreciation night was really "fan appreciation night."
Andre Iguodala, who has missed the better part of the last 2 weeks has been on the bench in a suit, which is something you'd never see Iverson do in a million years. The Sixers are an organization that has clearly turned the corner.
While they didn't deliver as many ping pong balls as we wanted, they have shown a lot of heart in the second half of the season, having gone 17-12 since the break. With a little luck in the draft (i.e. Roy Hibbert becomes a legit NBA center), some added veterans, and a stud free agent after they finally lose the bad contracts after next season this team will be primed for contention.
They lost tonight 98-92 to the Cavs, but there certainly some positive things in the game. For one, Bobby Jones proved he belongs in the NBA at least for his defense when he held Lebron James way below his season average. James had just 18 points tonight and was guarded by Jones for much of his 29 minutes on the court. Willie Green had another good game, finishing with 24 points. Louis Williams pitched in with 13 points and 7 assists. And, Joe Smith had 17 points and 13 boards.
It was the rest of Cleveland's squad which proved to be too much for the Sixers. The Sixers will go up to Toronto to wrap up the season tomorrow night.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Washed out
Phillies-Mets series will now be a one-game series
You know it's a slow news day in sports news when the biggest story is the growing criticism towards the Phillies' college night fiascos.
Upon having two consecutive games rained out the Phillies will look to finally play tomorrow night when Freddie Garcia makes his season debut against the Mets.
Back onto "college night", this is has become a nightmare for the average fans, the ones who go with their wives or girlfriends, or who take their kids there. The geniuses in the Phillies' front office came up with this idea to try and generate more revenue at this time of the year when a lot of people stay away from the games due to colder weather.
So, what better to do than to have a "college night" when you offer discounted tickets to college students? Of course, they didn't think it through that a lot of the kids who took advantage of this special would turn Citizen's Bank Park into a frat party.
I'd be a total hypocrite if I said I frowned down on partying. I love the sports bar scene. However, I have a problem with clowns and jackasses who get drunk to show off in front of their friends, and clowns and jackasses who look for trouble. Such was the case with many of the students who attended both college nights. There were 16 ejections on Friday night and there were countless citations issued.
The epitome of the moronic behavior occured when a fan ran onto the field towads Jimmy Rollins. This same turd called into Howard Eskin today and bragged about his experience and said the $3,000+ fine is worth it since he's famous.
Did I say I have a problem with clowns?
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33 confirmed dead after Virginia Tech shooting
Lastly I'd like to send out my condolences to the family members of those who lost loved ones today during the deadly shootings on the Virgina Tech campus.
A lot of information about this "person" (I use this term loosely) will come out in the ensuing days, but it takes an especially sick and selfish person to commit an abominable act like this.
All I really can say is my heart goes out to the loved ones of those who died today. Today is a terrible day in U.S. history.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
2 to go
Sixers finally get eliminated from post-season Saturday night, come back with win tonight
The Magic provided the Sixers with reason #1 why they should have lost a few more games this season; Dwight Howard. If you recall, he was the #1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft; the year that the Magic were beyond hideous.
Last night he had another career game against the Sixers by scoring 35 points on 14 of 15 shooting. Suffice it to say it was his career-high in points. Last year he set a career-high in rebounds against the Sixers with 26.
It's all about having the big man in the NBA. The rest falls into place and the Magic will be a title contender in the very near future.
The Sixers played one of their worst games in recent weeks against the Magic, by shooting just under 40% from the field, resulting in their elimination from the playoffs.
Now, they are lottery-bound, but being that they won against the Pistons tonight they are the 11th worst team in the league and have a .9% chance of winning the #1 pick.
While watching the game tonight I was stupified that the Sixers were able to rout the Pistons with a skeleton crew. The Sixers have shut down Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver in the past few games, yet they have found ways to win in 3 out of the 4 games.
They play with a vigor that has been absent from this team since-dare I say...the early 2000's teams that went deep into the playoffs and to the NBA Finals.
Case in point, rookie Louis Amundson, whom the Sixers got off the scrap heap. He had 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks, including two separate blocks that were reminiscient of the Pistons' Tayshawn Prince. Yes, they were that impressive. He epitomizes the tough, gritty play that has infected the team.
And, that's an element that's been sorely missing for years. Kudos to Mo Cheeks for getting the players to buy into the "right way" system.
The Sixers now have 2 more games left.
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Phillies get rained out
The Phillies finally notched their first home win last night against the Astros on a frigid late-afternoon.
Today a monster rain storm hit the area and washed out several east coast games including the Phillies-Astros game.
Give the Phillies some credit for cancelling it in the morning. There have been times in the past when they forced the fans to sit through rain delay after rain delay while trying to get games in.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
BWest paid twice
The Eagles are making Brian Westbrook bring back the Brinks truck
Strange things happen on Friday the 13th and this is one of the stranger things to occur in Philly sports nation in quite some time. The Eagles actually overpaid a player on their team and not intentionally.
Brian Westbrook was paid a $3 million bonus twice and the Eagles have been forced to file a grievance with the NFL in order to get him to return the money.
And, so it goes...Westy and his agent Fletcher Smith have to back up the Brinks Truck at the offices at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles are blaming this on an accounting error and haven't been penalized by the league just yet. There is a fear within that another team may challenge the NFL to levey a penalty against them, because they could be hit with a cap charge.
The league isn't saying anything about what could happen just yet.
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Phillies get smacked around
Brett Myers barely made it three innings last night before getting pulled.
And, that's never a good sign. The Fightins fought back though and made it an 8-6 game, but they could never recover from the Carlos Lee grandslam.
The sellout crowd of 44,336 ultimately was treated to a 9-6 affair. And, the Phillies are now 2-8 for the first time since 1987.
The Phillies are setting new standards by their own measure for a sloppy April. They play stupid, their starting pitching sans Cole Hamels and one start by Adam Eaton has been woeful, their bullpen is (insert 4-letter word that begins with "s" and rhymes with hit here), and they play with the life of a cadavar in a morgue.
Would someone in the front office or managerial staff tell this team that the season began on April 2?
Here's who deserves the blame in order.
Dave Montgomery
Pat Gillick
The players
Charlie Manuel
One can make an argument that Charlie Manuel needs to be replaced in order to put this team on notice. I don't think that's necessarily the remedy. I think there needs to be a systemic change within the organization. They can't come into the season with the likes of Antonio Alfonseca and consider that an improvement in the bullpen. They can't spend $8 million on a #5 starter when they could've allocated that money to Danys Baez, Joe Borowski, or Justin Speier. And, they sure as hell can't allow these players to feel complacent. And, that should fall on Charlie Manuel and his coaching staff.
Despite their inefficiencies in the bullpen, there's no reason in hell that a team with this much talent should be dwelling among the bottom feeders of major league baseball.
Jason Stark just reported that only one team in the past 30 years (the 1995 Reds) made it to the playoffs after starting 1-6. And, no team since 1948 has made it to the World Series let alone won one after such a start.
The numbers certainly aren't on the Phillies' side.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Imus fired
Radio talk show host Don Imus has been fired by CBS
Today I'll start off with a non-Philly sports story. To ignore this story would be like ignoring a tractor trailer that has just crashed into my living room.
Unless you have been living in a cave you probably are aware that Don Imus has been under fire for his comments regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team. He referred to them as "nappy headed hoes" and was initially suspended for 2 weeks by CBS.
After a lot of pressure by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson MSNBC first decided to yank the simulcast of his radio show. And, today CBS followed suit and fired Don Imus after Mr. Sharpton and Mr. Jackson met with the Leslie Mooves-the CEO of CBS.
I feel that a suspension was certainly in order for Imus and this isn't the first time he uttered a comment like this over the years. With that said, there was no malicious intent on his part now or then. Just like there's no malicious intent when Howard Stern makes racial jokes. Even comedian Patrice O'Neal who is a black man came out in defense of Imus on the Hannity and Colmes show, stating that he was joking.
This issue has become the biggest story in America and CBS buckled to the pressure, much like they buckled to the pressure when the Catholic Church pressured them into firing Opie and Anthony for a radio stunt when a couple allgedly had sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral, although it has never been proven. That's neither here nor there though.
While Imus did go brain dead in my opinion and said something that is beyond foolish, he should not be fired for this remark. If you hear the rounds of the news you'd think he commited a hate crime. And, I'm not in any way minimizing what he said. I do think this statement pales in comparison to racial issues that should be focused upon in this great nation of ours.
Just where is the outrage with the decaying public schools in the ghettos of America?
Where is the outrage when teachers are being beaten in public schools in Philadelphia?
Where is the outrage when young, black men are being targeted by military recruiters, (who specifically target citizens in low-income areas) and thrown into a senseless war?
Where is the outrage when the murder rate in Philadelphia skyrockets, as more and more black men are murdered in senseless fashion?
Where is the outrage as the divide between the rich and poor widens more and more with each passing day?
I feel that the economic opression inflicted on a culture of people should be focused upon rather than the moronic comments of one Don Imus. We're talking about a culture here that has been economically devastated over the course of decades by white men in power. And, these same people in power would prefer people debate over a radio talk show host's comments, rather than focusing on their system.
I respect some of the things Reverend Al has done. I really think he could do wonders for not just black people, but the nation if he focused his energy on getting the national debate started about the root of the economic problems, which beset many black men and women in this nation.
Would that need some sort of catalyst though?
It would be kind of hard when nobody speaks about it.
Hurricane Katrina was nearly that catalyst, and while it brought to surface a lot of issues, eventually the debate faded. Unfortunately it may take another tragic event like that before America really listens.
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Phillies get win #2
Hallelujah! The Phillies have won another ballgame.
I was joking around with a guy at work yesterday and said I should have bet on the Phillies to lose last night because Adam Eaton was pitching. Really, I thought there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of them pulling out a victory.
Well, I stand corrected. Adam Eaton pitched a nice game, by giving up just two runs and the Phillies picked up a 5-2 victory in Shea.
It certainly helped that Oliver Perez and the bullpen walked 9 Phillies batters.
The Phillies continued their dreadful hitting with runners in scoring position, going 1 for 9 last night.
They are now 14 for 78 on the season in that department.
They will look to get their third win of the season tonight against Tom Glavine. And, he most certainly won't walk the Phils batters at the alarming rate that the other Mets pitchers have.
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Short-handed Sixers defeat the woeful Celtics
The Sixers, playing without Kyle Korver and Andre Iguodala once again came up with a victory.
Of course it came against the Celtics who are tanking games like Tommy Chong takes bong hits.
They defeated the C's at the TD Banknorth Garden 102-94.
The Sixers will face the Magic Saturday night to decide their playoff fate. If they win, they're still alive, but if they lose tonight they will be officially eliminated.
And, then those of you who are rooting for ping pong balls can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Schedule out
The Eagles are set to open at Green Bay
It's become another holiday; the day the NFL schedules come out. It's that time of the year when you gaze over the schedule and see how your team will match up against their foes.
And, in the case of the Eagles, they are in great shape. They open up on the road against Green Bay and face Washington the next week on Monday night. Those are two easy wins. Then they face the Lions who are a bonafide ham and egger. And, then they head to New York to face the Giants on Sunday night before the bye. At worst they'll go 3-1 since they often don't play well on the week before a bye.
But, they should be able to run the table on their first 8 games when you think about it.
After the bye they once again head to the Meadowlands to face the Jets a.k.a the most over rated team in the NFL last year. The Jets were a nice team, but nothing special. Come on. After that they host Chicago who I feel will suffer the Super Bowl loser jinx-another win. Then, they head to Minnesota to face a young Vikings squad that isn't there yet. And, then they face Dallas in week 9. They can easily be 8-0 after beating them.
Then, they go on the road against Washington to open up the second half of the season. This is one of those games that they should win, but could lose. I still have them winning here to go 9-0. The let-down game I see is against Miami who they face here the following week. And, then they head to New England.
At that point the 10-1 Eagles come back home to play Seattle and then the Giants in a two-game homestand. They should handle Seattle with little problem, but the game against the Giants will be a problem since they'll look ahead as they face Dallas the following week. At this point the Giants will be out of it and I see the Eagles letting down. They'll go on the road to face Dallas and then the Saints and will wrap up at home against Buffalo on a three-game winning streak.
And, there you have it, 14-2. Some may say I'm on drugs. I say it's only April (thus these predictions can change), but the Eagles will be the best team in the NFC. Yes, that's what the Takeo Spikes acqusition has done for them. And, we haven't gotten to the draft yet.
Again, a lot can change between now and training camp, but with a rejuvenated McNabb, healthy Jevon Kearse, and a much better D, and an easy schedule, this team will be a force in the NFC.
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Flyers come up with second overall pick
This right here is proof to people like me who have been bitching about the Sixers "blowing the lottery" that being the worst doesn't guarantee one the spoils of the draft lottery.
After the Flyers endured the worst season in their history, and being the worst team in the NHL by a landslide they came up with the second overall pick.
The good thing here is that there won't be an NHL ready impact player like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Alex Ovechkin. In fact, there isn't really a franchise player in this draft according to the experts.
Added to that, any player the Flyers do select won't be ready for another year or two.
Don't get down in the dumps though. Good players are picked at the top of drafts in all major sports and the Flyers do have the second overall pick. They also will have $25 million under the cap.
Can you say a new team is in order for next year?
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Bullpen implodes
Phillies bullpen gives up 7 runs in 8th, they lose 11-5
You remember the "this is your brian" anti-drug commercials from the 80's don't you? You know the ones where they'd say "this is your brain on drugs" and they would show an egg frying in a frying pan.
Well the above photo shows the Phillies bullpen on the cheap. This is what happens when the GM signs the likes of Adam Eaton for $24 million-who they didn't even need. They could have signed relievers like Danys Baez, Justin Spieier, or Joe Borowski, but for some unforeseen reason decided to sign Adam Eaton for the price of two relief pitchers.
This is your bullpen on a low rent budget; it implodes. Geoff Geary was the one reliable bullpen arm they had last season as he had a 7-1 record, 2.96 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and 15 holds in 91 innings.
Today Mr. Geary didn't have his best stuff though and left some runners on base (after giving up two earned runs) before Charlie Manuel brought in Jon Lieber to attempt to bail them out of the jam. The results were disastrous as he allowed 5 runs (2 earned), thus giving the Mets an 11-5 lead in the 8th. When your one reliable relief pitcher doesn't have a good game and the rest of your bullpen is a motley crew then your odds of survival don't bode well.
The big story heading into the game was how the Mets would react to Jimmy Rollins who said the Phillies were the team to beat before the season. I didn't have any problems with the comment before or now. He wanted to fire up his teammates and it's easy to point a finger now when the team stinks. And, we would boo an opposing player into the stone age as well if they came into our stadium after calling the Phillies out.
Rollins was dreadful today going 0-3 leaving 3 runners on base and making a key error in the 8th inning. While he could have lamented about it he didn't. He was amused by it.
"I like it. I do. They say something, you wave at them. Give 'em thumbs up," he said. "They were cracking on me pretty good. I've been booed, but not like this. It was kind of fun."
This is a team in disarray and they need to make a trade happen for some relief help pronto.
Just who can they trade though? Lieber? Rowand? Michael Bourn?
It's anybody's guess at this point.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
No start
Phillies lose 2nd straight to Marlins, fall to 1-5
So much for that fast start we were pining for. The team that needed to start off like a Ferrari Spider out of the gates has instead failed to pull out of the lot.
So much for good starting pitching.
So much for efficient base running.
So much for clutch hitting and knocking in runners in scoring position.
So much for an efficient bullpen.
So much for cuttting down on strikeouts.
These first six games are a tale of so much's.
These are the 2007 Phillies who resemble the Phillies of 2001 through 2006. Today they left 14, count 'em 14 runners on base. They failed to capitalize on the 11 walks yielded by the fish as well.
There was no difference between this weekend's games and their series in the final week against the Washington Nationals in '06.
One bright spot on this team right now ironically is Pat Burrell, who has been on a tear-hitting .381 with 5 RBI and 1 homer in the first week.
And, to be fair Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Chase Utley have hit very well in the first week.
And, Brett Myers had a great opening-day start, which was wasted like a Vietnamese villager. Cole Hamels had a great first start, which again was...you get the idea.
The early prognosis is we are probably going to look at another 10-14 April and hope the Phillies catch on fire for three months and not just play very well.
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Sixers come back to defeat Hawks
The 76ers knocked off the Hawks 109-104 in overtime
Andre Iguodala had another banner game, scoring 25 points on just 11 shots to go along with 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and a steal.
The Sixers are now 31-45. They don't give a damn if you want them to get a better draft pick.
They are doing everything they can to get that final playoff spot, which would make many of us nauseous since they would be cannon fodder for the Pistons.
They still don't care. On the one hand this winning business is good, because they are developing as a team and with that developing a winning attitude.
And, who knows? Perhaps, they can package that 9th overall pick with their 16th (likely where the Nuggets' pick will fall) and move up a few spots to get Al Horford. Or, they can sit pat and pick Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown.
The bottom line is if they aren't getting one of the two can't-miss studs there are plenty of players that can be had, who will make them a better team.
And, remember they will see their payroll go down into the mid-$20 million range after next season.
Better times are ahead indeed.
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Flyers win season finale against Buffalo
Remember it was the Sabres who ended their playoff run last season, and they were also the ones who handed them a brutal loss in the beginning fo the season, which resulted in the firing of Ken Hithcock.
Today the Flyers got a little bit of vengeance in thwarting the Sabres bid to earn the most points in their team history.
Simon Gagne finished with his 41st goal of the season.
With what is projected to be $25 million in cap space this summer, the Flyers are expected to be major players in the free agent market. One such acquisition could be Chris Drury.
Make no mistake about it, this will be a transformed team next year and not the motley crew, which took the ice this season.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Coming through
Pat Burrell comes up big and helps Phils get their first win of the season
It started in the beginning of spring training; Pat Burrell said he wasn't bothered by the trade rumors and accepted that it comes with the job sometimes. And, he said he'd do what it takes to improve. It's a fact that he's a tireless worker. Nobody can knock his effort. It's always been the end result that's bothered fans and the media.
If last night is any indication then Burrell has turned the corner. The word around the grapevine is that he has made a slight adjustment to his swing, so it's not so elongated.
The end result was eye popping last night. He went 2 for 4 with a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs in the romp last night. And, he went 2 for 2 with runners in scoring position.
Jamie Moyer was his usual efficient self going 6 2/3 innings, while yielding just 2 runs and 2 walks.
It's still early in the season, which is why we can't get too critical of the Phillies, nor can we say Burrell has completely turned the corner. He'll have to put together a few months of consistent play before we come to that conclusion.
But, last night was a great start, now they'll look to duplicate their success as Brett Myers faces the D-Train tonight at 7:05.
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Sixers fall to Raptors at home
The Raptors headed into the Wachovia Center last night with one thing on their mind, to wrap up the Atlantic Division title.
They did that with a 94-85 victory, behind Chris Bosh's 23 and 13. And, thus the Raptors locked up the first division title in franchise history.
GM Brian Colangelo, who was the architect of the Phoenix Suns, has completely transformed this team from an also-ran former playoff team into a young run-and-gun team that is on the rise. Just last year they had the #1 overall pick and now they're a legit contender in the East.
Andrea Bargnani, who was the #1 overall pick last year isn't the reason either. It's been the play of T.J. Ford and Chris Bosh, along with their fast-paced style.
They showed last night that they and the Sixers aren't in the same class.
Iguodala led the way with 20 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists.
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Flyers lose to Islanders 4-2
The Flyers are down to two games left in this dreadful season and it couldn't come soon enough.
Today they lost their franchise-record 40th game to the New York Islanders, which is their second to last home game of the year.
Simon Gagne, one of the loan bright spots for this team had his 40th goal of the season today.
Tomorrow, they'll play their season-finale at 1:00 against Buffalo.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Swept
Braves complete the sweep on the Phillies with an 8-4 romp this afternoon
The $8 million man Adam Eaton continued his shoddy pitching from spring training with a horrendous effort today, yielding 7 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. And, that was all the Braves needed as they jumped to an early lead and never looked back.
And, the Phillies are 0-3 for the second consecutive season. So much for the fast start they needed.
It's been well documented that the Phillies are habitual slow starters, having gone 10-14 in both 2005 and 2006. At least they won their home opener in 2005 though.
Already there is a "Charlie watch." I've been extremely critical of the Phillies' skipper, but none of this should be blamed on him.
How can you blame him for Ryan Madson's bleep-ups from the first two games when he served up a game-winning homerun to Renteria in the opener and a game-winning single on Wednesday night?
How can you blame Manuel for Tom Gordon serving up a game-tying homerun last night?
How can you blame him for Shane Victorino going brain dead and attempting to steal third and getting thrown out by a mile last night?
A manager can only do much and the bottom line is the Phillies' motley crew bullpen would be lucky to get drunk people out in a community softball game.
And, today Adam Eaton, who is the new whipping boy of the fans (and rightly so because they should've put that money into the bullpen) single handedly blew the game.
Again, pitching was the culprit.
Charlie Manuel should be left entirely out of the discussion. He deserves no blame for their hideous 0-3 start.
Lay the blame on Pat Gillick and Dave Montgomery. One man made the moves and the other holds the purse strings and refuses to expand the budget beyond the $95 million mark.
And, when you're a big market team like the Phillies you should be able to spend in excess of $100 million to compete with the big boys.
End of story.
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Mike Doss cancels trip and signs with Vikings instead
Free agent safety Mike Doss, who was scheduled to visit with the Eagles yesterday decided to take the offer from the Minnesota Vikings.
Doss is a former second-round pick who made major contributions for the Indianapolis Colts in Tony Dungy's cover two scheme. In the past few years his stock has dropped precipitously, especially last season when he came of ACL surgery.
Doss would have given the Eagles solid depth at the position, but was hardly a long-term solution.
With Brian Dawkins turning 34 and Sean Considine getting abused by bruising running backs like a low-rent WWF wrestler (remember the 80's when they'd pit a scrub up against a star) the Eagles will most certainly spend their 1st round pick on a safety.
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The Phillies get "bullpen help" today
The Phillies went bargain basement and picked up deposed relief pitcher Francisco Rosario off the scrap heap.
Doing his best Fred Sanford impersonation Pat Gillick acquired Rosario from the Toronto Blue Jays for "cash considerations", which means jack (expletive deleted). He had a 6.65 ERA in 17 appearances last year.
I can see everybody celebrating this acquisition now. Expect the Phillies to make a roster move by sending down Clay Condrey or Joe Bisenius to make room for their prized acquisition.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Deja Vu
Phillies lose another one in extra innings to the Braves
Once again the Phillies are off to a slow start. Not only that, but they're committing the same bone-headed mistakes as the teams of Phillies past. And, they figured out a way to lose another extra inning game to start the season.
It's quite spooky.
After Cole Hamels tossed 7 strong innings with 8 strikeouts and no earned runs, even the most casual observer had to hold their breath as the bullpen took the reigns.
He left the game with a 1-0 lead and the Phillies put another run on the board, but left two runs on the board when Shane Victorino was picked off when attempting to steal third base and Ryan Howard was thrown out at home plate.
Had they made it 4-0 we wouldn't be breaking down the crime scene, as is usually the case after a tough loss involving one of our teams.
And, so it went as Tom Gordon served up a gopher to Brian McCann in the top of the 9th, thus tying the game.
Was there anybody who really felt the Phillies would win at that point?
They hung in there for a few more innings, but the blimp was deflated and slowly crashed down to the ground. The blimp was burned to molten rubber in the top of the 11th on a Scott Thorman homerun off Ryan Madson.
It's the same old Phillies. Failure to manufacture runs. Losing a close game. Losing in extra innings. Losing at home. Losing in April.
But, surely the Sixers would deliver for us a win in the form of a loss right?
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Sixers defeat the Knicks 92-90
As I clicked over from the Phillies game to watch the final shot of the Sixers game Ryan Madson gave up the game-winning homerun.
And, the Sixers couldn't give us a loss. Even at the end of the season when they should be in full tank mode, they are foolishly winning games.
The Phillies can't buy a win if it's handed to them.
And, the Sixers will do anything to win just to spite us, just to try and convince us they're a step away from being a playoff contender. Even if this stupid little second-half run of theirs means they won't get a potential franchise-changing player, they'll still do everything to win.
It's meaningless and epitomizes the frustration with this teams of this city.
Just like Smarty Jones served as a microcosm for the litany of disappointments when he lost the Triple Crown by a hair the Sixers are that team that smiles in our face.
We actually want this team to lose in their best interests, and they can't even do that right.
Such is life as a Philadelphia fan.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Reason to panic?
After a disappointing home-opener many are panicking
The sky is falling after a lackluster 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Braves.
Too many strikeouts in the lineup?
Check. 11 to be exact.
Inability to manufacture runs?
Check. The top of the order (Rollins, Victorino, and Howard) had 7 strikeouts and 1 RBI between them, which was a homer by Rollins.
Allowing the starting pitcher to stay in too long due to lack of faith in the bullpen?
Check. Edgar Renteria made them pay.
The bullpen blowing the game for them?
Check. Ryan Madson had the honor.
These are all reasons why this team hasn't won in past seasons. The warning signs are already there. At the same time we're just one game into the season so it's hard to get a gauge on what this team is just yet.
Like I said a week ago, we'll need to see this team for a month before making that assessment. There's no reason to hit the panic button after one game.
The sky isn't falling, but when breaking down the game it's hard to forget Phillies of seasons past.
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Flyers fall to Toronto in OT
The Flyers fell to the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime despite putting up a fight.
They will now finish with 12 road wins on the season, which is their fewest in 12 seasons. However, they only have 9 at home.
Thank God. There's just 3 games left in the hockey season.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
0-1
Phillies lose home-opener on a pair of bombs by Edgar Renteria
The Braves bested the Phillies 5-3 at "The Bank" in 10 innings this afternoon.
Edgar Renteria has become an official Phillies killer. In fact, he is to the Phillies what Tiki Barber has been to the Eagles over the years; a thorn in the side of their posterior.
Today he belted homeruns out of the park in consecutive at-bats. One was off Brett Myers, who was left in for a little too long, and the other was off Ryan Madson in the 10th. The result was what seems like the Phillies' umpteenth consecutive loss on opening day.
The Phillies aren't as bad as you would think though, on opening day that is. They've won 2 out of their last 7 opening day games.
If you heard the callers into WIP you'd think the Phillies started out 0-10 as opposed to 0-1. I don't want to echoe the company line of the Phillies, but it's true. There are many, many, many more games to be played.
I have them winning 86 games currently. However, a lot can change in 6 months. And, I have them winning 86 games if they don't make any moves; this is with their team as currently constituted.
If they make some moves and add some middle relievers then it's a different story.
If. If. If.
If seems to be attached to the Phillies every year. There's no "IF" in their team name, but there might as well be.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Charles to coach?
The Sixers are reportedly in talks with Charles Barkley to bring him in as their next head coach and GM
Over the weekend the braintrust of Ed Snider, Tony DeLeo, et al. have been in talks with former 76er Charles Barkley to bring him in as the coach of the team.
If such a scenario takes place, they will make Billy King the President of Basketball Operations, Larry Brown the GM, and Mo Cheeks will be retained as a member of the coaching staff.
Stay tuned for more breaking news on this story.
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Pat Burrell to be traded?
The Phillies are in talks with the Yankees to pull off a blockbuster deal that will include the embattled Phillies slugger. They are offering up prized prospects J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Michael Bourne, and Burrell for Alex Rodriguez.
Neither the Phillies or Yankees would comment on it, but one thing is clear they are talking.
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Eagles to pursue former NFL player Rae Carruth
Rae Carruth is on his way to being pardoned by the governor of North Carolina Michael Easley due to new-found reports on his case which have exonerated him as an accomplice in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.
He is expected to be released from prison on Monday.
The former NFL receiver was sentenced to 19-to-23 years for killing his baby momma in 2001.
The Eagles have been in talks with the former Panthers wideout and will give him a full workout on Tuesday. He will be expected to challenge Hank Baskett for the third-receiver spot.
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McNabb rumors false
The reports of Donovan McNabb's imminent retirement are false. Eagles officials shot it down as an apparent April Fools' Day joke. You've been had, just like you've been had if you believed any of the aforementioned stories.
April Fools!
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
