Today's News
August 31, 2006
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
Ryan Howard broke Mike Schmidt's team record for single-season homeruns tonight when he blasted his 49th homer in a 5-4 loss to the Nationals.
Arthur Rhodes' "streak" of quality appearances came to a screeching
halt when he coughed up the lead in the ninth inning. They carried a 4-2
lead in the ninth when Felipe Lopez hit a two-run single off him with two
outs. This turned out to be Rhodes' second blown save in six chances since
replacing Tom Gordon as the closer. Rhodes had pitched well on the most
part in his recent appearances, but tonight was indicative of his "Mr.
Hyde" side.
And, then the Phillies regained the lead in the 10th only to lose in the
bottom of the tenth on an Aaron Fultz wild pitch, as Marlon Anderson scored,
and so it went.
They were oh so close to tying the Padres for the wild card lead, but it
wasn't to be. The bullpen once again screwed this team like that bottle
of vodka, which catches up to you the morning after. This may in fact prove
to be the downfall of the Phillies this year as Geoff Geary has been the
only reliable option for most of the year aside from Tom Gordon. Madson,
Rhodes, Fultz, et al. have had some nice appearances and nice streaks, but
have been spotty or worse throughout the season. And, time has pretty much
run out for them as far as making trades at this point in the season.
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The Eagles' final preseason game tomorrow night doesn't figure to be full
of a lot of intrigue. Most of the roster spots are set in stone.
Reid has announced that first stringers won't play, and even Greg Lewis
won't play, which cements his status on the roster.
Some players to look for to be on the borderline include Hank Fraley, Darnerian
McCants, Jabar Gaffney, J.R. Reid, and Bruce Perry. Reid and McCants appear
to be closest to making the team from this group as Reid has seemingly recovered
much of the way from a freak injury, which involved him severing two nerves
in the back of his knee.
And, McCants has done a very nice job throughout camp and a decent job in
game situations. Gaffney thus far has been a huge disappointment, but some
feel he has an edge because of his ability to play the slot. Perry, on the
other hand is all but out as Westbrook, Moats, Buckhalter, Mahe, and Tapeh
are the likely choices at running back.
Another positional battle to look out for is between Keyonta Marshall and
LaJuan Ramsey. Marshall is the incumbent at the fifth defensive tackle spot,
but Ramsey has had such a nice camp that he may force Marshall to the practice
squad. Again, it's hardly the type of story that has the intrigue of a running
back or quarterback controversy, but it's one of the few things to look
for tomorrow night as most roster spots are written in stone.
Contact Dennis Bakay dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Cole Hamels bounced back tonight after a horrid start in Chicago to lead the Phillies to a 5-1 victory. If you take away his start in Chicago he is 5-1 in 42.1 innings with just 8 ER, 44 K's, and only 8 walks in his past 6 starts. He went 8 innings tonight and allowed one run and had just 3 strikeouts, but pitched a very efficient game as he allowed just 4 hits.
That was all they needed as the offense put up 3 runs in the 3rd behind
a Rollins single, Victorino walk, and hits by Utley and Howard-who hit a
rocket to the center field gap over Ryan Church's head to make it 3-0.
This is without a doubt a different Phillies team. Teams of Phillies past
would have lost five in a row following a nice winning streak. Or, they
would sputter behind a great pitching performance. It goes back to the Abreu
trade-the attitude, which permeated the clubhouse like a scent of rotten
garbage is gone. They are now a good team. Forget the team that was 12 below
.500; this team is the team that has played .640 baseball since July 27th.
New Phillies acquisition Jeff Conine recorded a hit in his first game with
the club. He is a welcome addition on a team with a depleted bench. They
aren't a perfect team by any stretch, but the bench is one of their biggest
weaknesses and especially so after Rowand's injury. Now, their bench went
from below average to ok. The bullpen is the other weak spot and on the
most part they have received solid production out of it as Arthur Rhodes
has performed well in replace of Tom Gordon.
These next 11 days will essentially decide the season as the Phillies have
a grueling schedule where they play 12 games in that span against Washington,
Atlanta, Houston, and Florida with no days off until the 11th.
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The Todd Pinkston and Koy Detmer eras ended today as both were cut from
the Eagles' roster. Both are not surprises as Pinkston clearly has eroded
physically and just wasn't good enough to make the team-simple as that.
In Detmer's case he probably hasn't been good enough to make the team in
the past 3 years, but he hung on because he was a favorite of Andy Reid
and served as David Akers' holder. Reid finally came to his senses and realized
maybe it's a better idea to get a younger quarterback in here and to allow
someone else to hold for Akers. It's not that important of a roster spot.
Thus, they brought back an old name in A.J. Feely who as you remember is
best known for replacing Koy Detmer during the 2002 season and going 5-1
in the final 6 games after having essentially no prior experience in the
NFL. The season seemed like it was lost after McNabb was ruled out 6-8 weeks
following his legendary performance against the Cardinals when he played
an entire game on a broken leg, tossing four touchdowns. And, then Detmer
dropped. And, Feely stepped up to the challenge and played very efficient
football for the final 6 weeks.
Let's be frank, who didn't think Feely would eventually return? He was a
fan favorite and well liked by Reid and the coaching staff. He even had
his own radio show on WIP with Anthony Gargano. It was obvious the Dolphins
overpaid for him when they sent the Eagles a 2nd round pick when he didn't
fit in their system. He was thrust into a no-win situation during the Dolphins
tumultuous 2004 season and had no chance to succeed. And, then he was shipped
to San Diego where he never really fit in. Now, he'll be groomed as the
Eagles back up following this season as Jeff Garcia is only signed for one
year.
The Pinkston move is a mercy move by Andy Reid. He was quoted as saying
he wanted to "give Todd a chance to catch on with somebody else."
He's really not in any condition to play and will most likely sit out the
season as did Freddie Mitchell following his release from the Eagles. Pinkston
will have to have a full recovery if he expects to play for another team
since his game is predicated on speed, and he is running on a pair of bad
ankles.
As I stated yesterday Pinkston will be remembered most for his failures
to go over the middle and the countless times he would catch a two-yard
pass on an out pattern only to be forced out of bounds. His most well remembered
quote occurred after the 2004 NFC Championship game when he said "he
lost focus" in a game where he was embarrassed by rookie cornerback
Ricky Manning Jr. And, of course how could you forget the "lost it
in the lights" fiasco, or countless other times when he alligator-armed
passes. I really had nothing against Todd Pinkston, but he would never last
in his town with a propensity to avoid contact. Philly fans wouldn't allow
and didn't allow it.
He'll always have a place in Eagles-lore though. Who wouldn't want a Todd
Pinkston figurine when he bails out on a deep pass with a defender headed
on a collision course toward him?
Contact Dennis Bakay dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Ryan Howard went yard again tonight, hitting his major league-leading 48th homerun to tie Mike Schmidt as the Phillies defeated the Nationals 10-6. This just in; he's really good if I may quote Chris Berman. I foresaw him hitting 40 or so homeruns in the beginning of the year. Heck, I traded Albert Pujols in my fantasy baseball league at the draft for Carl Crawford and Ryan Howard, so I had a sneaking suspicion a big year was in store for him.
I never would have thought he'd have a shot at the only legit single-season
homerun record in baseball though, which is Maris' 61. This record still
stands in my eyes, because the fugazi marks set by Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa
hold about as much legitimacy as Bush's "victory" in the state
of Florida in 2000.
Not only is Howard on a path to the magic number of 62, but also remember
he hasn't even played two full seasons yet. This type of season in such
a young career is unprecedented. And, aside from him being the best second-year
player in Philly since Wilt Chamberlain, he might be having the best season
of any second-year player in major league history. Look at how he stacks
up to some of the greats in their second full seasons (Babe Ruth mind you
pitched for several years before becoming a full-time hitter so his second
season of full at bats occurred in his 7th season as a pro).
Babe Ruth 1920 142 Games .376 AVG 54 HR 137 RBI 388 TB .533 OBP .849 SLG
Willie Mays 1954 151 Games .345 AVG 41 HR 110 RBI 377 TB .411 OBP .667 SLG
Hank Aaron 1955 153 Games .314 AVG 27 HR 106 RBI 325 TB .366 OBP .540 SLG
Ted Williams 1940 144 Games .344 AVG 23 HR 113 RBI 333 TB .442 OBP .594
SLG
Ryan Howard 2006 128 Games .296 AVG 48 HR 125 RBI 304 TB .386 OBP .635 SLG
His predecessors have him in the average department, and nobody could come
close to Ruth in a legit fashion so that excludes that guy with the initials
of BB who I refuse to include in this pantheon. Howard's numbers are pretty
compelling when you consider he's played fewer games than Ruth, Mays, Aaron,
or Williams.
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The Todd Pinkston era is coming to a close as the Eagles have reportedly
given his agent permission to seek a trade. There are said to be a few teams
that are interested. Just what they are smoking is beyond me. Perhaps, they're
doing whatever concoction of drugs the GM of the Raiders has been consuming.
Pinkston is clearly done, at least for this season. And, he may be done
period. His game is predicated on speed and he's running on a pair of twigs
for legs and very weak ankles and Achilles tendons; this is not a good combination
for a speedy receiver. He did a nice job with the Eagles and say what you
will he did lead the NFL in yards per catch in 2004 when he found his niche
in Reid's offense when Terrell Owens took the attention away from him.
Back onto Pinkston, it's no surprise that Andy Reid has gone this route,
as they'll likely cut him in the next round of cuts this weekend. I hate
to see people lose their jobs and Pinkston is a nice guy. I would like to
see him here, but he doesn't physically have it any longer. He will probably
be remembered most for being beat up by Ricky Manning Jr. in the 2004 NFC
Championship game unfortunately. And, he'll be also be remembered for that
game on Monday Night Football when he said, "he lost the ball in the
lights" when Shawn Taylor was barreling down on him.
The Donte Stallworth era began in Philly today and he's a vocal guy and
said right up front he's willing to go deep, go short, or even block if
it means helping the team win. Welcome to Philly Donte, that's what we like
to hear from our athletes.
Contact Dennis Bakay dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Eagles finally made the much-anticipated move for a wide receiver today when they sent Mark Simeneou and a conditional fourth round pick to the Saints for Donte Stallworth. The draft pick could become a third rounder, provided Stallworth signs an extension with the Eagles.
This is a move they had to make as it's well documented the troubles Todd
Pinkston has had getting onto the field. He "played" in the preseason
game Friday night, but for only a few snaps. He'll likely be put on the
PUP (physically unable to perform) list or even the IR.
Added to that, Andy Reid was set to head into the season with a second-year
wide receiver in Reggie Brown and an undrafted rookie free agent in Hank
Baskett. While Baskett has shown signs of being a steady receiver and a
gifted learner (no rookie receiver has ever picked up Andy Reid's complex
offense this quickly), they couldn't thrust him into a role like that. Defenses
would have focused on Reggie Brown thus retarding his growth as a player.
Now, they'll play Stallworth alongside Brown, and Baskett will assume the
number three roles at receiver, with Lewis and McCants at four and five.
Stallworth is not only a great replacement for Pinkston, but he's better
than any receiver on their roster. He has 195 catches for 2791 yards and
23 touchdowns in four seasons, good for a 14.3 average, and last season
he had his best year when he notched 70 catches for 945 yards and 7 td's.
He gives them a vertical threat and is willing to go over the middle.
Their receiving corps is now above average and immediately in the middle-of-the-pack,
as opposed to being among the bottom five in the league. People will clamor
for that "big running back", but Buckhalter appears ready to play
that role. They will go out and get a back up for security though, but don't
expect a major name. Wide receiver was the biggest need and Andy Reid made
it happen.
The Eagles are certainly a much better team than they were 12 hours ago.
Now, the question will be, how long before we can expect Stallworth to learn
the system and begin contributing? The clock is ticking.
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The Phillies played their third game at Shea today and laid a complete egg,
losing 8-3. Jamie Moyer had a clunker performance, giving up 7 runs (5 earned)
in 6 innings of work. And, once again John Maine shut the Phillies down,
beating them for the third time this season.
Ryan Howard hit his league-leading 47th homerun, but aside from that and
Pat Burrell's two-run shot, they generated absolutely no offense. The Phillies
were very successful against the Mets up to this point (aside from their
losses to Maine) but the last two games have been eerily reminiscent of
collapses in season's past. In 2001 it was the Braves, in 2003 the Marlins,
in 2004 the Marlins, and last year it was the Astros who kept them out of
the playoffs.
Phillies killer Jose Reyes had two hits and scored two runs, while Delgado,
Wright, and Lo Duca drove in two RBI's apiece.
They will have to regroup quickly and begin a torrid stretch where they
play 14 games in the next 13 days, with no days off until September 11.
Trade winds:
One day after acquiring Jeff Conine there are rumors abounding that they
are interested in acquiring Juan Pierre from the Cubs. Aaron Rowand probably
won't be available for the playoffs so Gillick is most likely seeking a
replacement that will help this team in the playoffs. Now, that will likely
mean the end of Rowand's career in Philly since Pierre will help them defensively
and at leadoff, where they've been weak for years-Rollins just isn't a leadoff
hitter. As a number two he'll be fine, but Pierre is the real deal at leadoff
and just what this team needs. Where there's smoke there is fire, so something
may happen this week.
Other blurbs:
The Raiders get my "What the hell are you thinking award" for
their acquisition of Jeff George.
Are you kidding me?
Here is a quarterback who hasn't taken a snap in five years and his last
action in a game was a game where he turned the ball over four times and
was arguing with Marty Schottenheimer on the sidelines. George is the protypical
headcase. He had arguably the strongest arm in the league, but his attitude
was the antithesis of that strong arm. He has always been a mental midget
in the vein of...Kerry Collins who, big shock was on the Raiders last year.
Just what is the GM smoking? He can't seriously expect George to be a back
up or even a third stringer for that matter. Or is this just another Al
Davis special?
It's no wonder that this team has been a complete train wreck since their
playoff runs of the late 90's and early 2000's. With moves like Collins
and Aaron Brooks and passing up Vince Young in this draft. The Raiders run
their organization like Sonny Bono could ski. They will be among the bottom
feeders of the NFL for the foreseeable future.
Contact Dennis Bakay dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Soggy day in Shea this afternoon as the Phillies and Mets got rained out, but there was good news abound today. First of all, the Reds lost for the third day in a row. They ran into Giants rookie hurler Matt Cain who pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 9. That means the Phils gained a half a game while sitting watching the rain come down. The Reds lead now stands at one game. Meanwhile, the Phillies are not standing pat. They added veteran 1B/OF Jeff Conine and cash from the Baltimore Orioles today for a player to be named later. While "Conine The Barbarian's" numbers have pretty much never matched his nickname, he's a legit Major League bat with a .286 career batting average. Conine will become a platoon partner for David Dellucci and serve as a right-handed pinch hitter. He's hitting .272 with 4 homers vs. lefties this year and .305 with 67 homers in his career. This isn’t the kind of move that will put a team over the top, but it's certainly a very respectable waiver wire trade. It's nice to see management show some optimism, as even when they were sellers at the July 31st trade deadline, this team has been in the Wild Card hunt all along.
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It will be interesting to see how things shake out at running back and linebacker for the Eagles as we draw closer and closer to the season opener. It looks like Correll Buckhalter is legitimately healthy and accelerating and cutting exceptionally well for someone with some serious knee problems over the last four years. It looks like, at least today, that the Eagles will be making their depth chart from the bodies currently on the roster. That puts Brian Westbrook and Buckhalter at one and two. Reno Mahe's sprained ankle will certainly push him down the chart for now. It looks like Ryan Moats will round out the backfield.
I'd like to see Matt McCoy beat out Dhani Jones for his spot at strong side linebacker. Jones has been a major disappointment in his time in Philadelphia and never seems to make the big play. Meanwhile, McCoy, on the weak side, seems to be all over the field and consistently involved. Jones was close to being released last February so why would it be so hard to see McCoy on the strong side with Shawn Barber taking over the weak side.
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"Invincible," the Disney movie about former Eagles player Vince Papale, debuted at #1 at the box office this weekend. It took in $17 million beating out the flop "Snakes on a Plane."
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USA Basketball continues to make up for the embarrassment of 2004. They squashed Australia 113-73 in their first game in the round of sixteen. The USA improves to 6-0 and it looks like we don't have anything to worry about this time around. It's amazing what can happen when you form a "team" rather than a squad of free shooting ball hogs. Letting LeBron play hasn't been a bad idea either. Next up is Dirk Nowitzki and Germany.
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies were throttled tonight 11-5 by the Mets, which is their second horrible loss in three games.
This game took many wild turns as Oliver Perez brought a no-hitter into
the fifth inning, and then he was unraveled in the 6th inning when Ryan
Howard hit his 46th homerun, a grand slam. The Phillies then had a 5-2 lead.
And, it all changed in 6th when Lieber gave up 2 runs to make it 5-4. And,
things turned worse when reliever Rick White came into the game.
Let's make it clear; Rick White shouldn't be pitching in the major leagues.
He stinks worse than a piece of rotting meat. He stinks worse than rotting
potatoes. Hell, he stinks worse than the Sunoco refinery in Philadelphia.
Rick White should probably be driving a tractor-trailer or washing dishes
at Denny's as he would do better at that, then relieving for a playoff contending
team, and he certainly looks the part. He gave up 3 runs tonight and Aaron
Fultz, who impersonates a major league pitcher, gave up 4 runs, as both
of these "relievers" essentially handed the game to the Mets.
What makes matters worse is Endy Chavez went 4-for-4 tonight. Remember,
this is the same Endy Chavez who hit .215 in 91 games for the Phillies last
year.
The bullpen has been the weak spot for the Phillies this season and with
the exception of Geoff Geary there hasn't really been a reliable option.
If this team fails to make the playoffs it will probably fall upon the porous
bullpen, which resembles a motley crew of drunken softball pitchers.
The offense and starting pitching are not the problem with this team. The
strikeouts have been truncated and the starting pitching has been solid
if not stellar, but the bullpen aside from Geoff Geary is clearly the weak
link.
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The Eagles cuts came and went and there were no surprising names in the
first round of cuts. The hype is building for Patriots wide receiver Deion
Branch who is allowed to seek to a trade by the Patriots.
Granted he is better than what the Eagles are currently sporting at receiver,
but they would be foolish to spend more than $6 million annually and a $10
million bonus. Think about it. They offered Javon Walker a 6-year contract,
which would have paid him $7 million annually along with a signing bonus
in excess of $10 million dollars. The Eagles were well prepared to pay number
one receiver money for a number one receiver, but the one problem was the
Packers didn't want to trade him within the conference. Thus, the Eagles
refused to send the Packers a first-round pick-which was a smart move. Face
it, Brodrick Bunkley could be the best defensive tackle on this team since
Jerome Brown. Now, what's more important, a number one receiver or a dominant
defensive lineman?
I thought so.
Now, the Eagles have a chance to land Branch. So, what should they offer?
The fact is he turned down a 3-year $19 million dollar contract from the
Patriots. The Eagles could offer him something in the range of 5 years and
$22 million along with an $8 million signing bonus. Sure, it may not be
a larger annual salary than the Patriots' offer, but they'll be offering
him more years and a larger signing bonus, and in the world of the NFL it's
all about the signing bonus.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Eagles defeated the Steelers 16-7 tonight, and although it means absolutely nothing in terms of what the regular season will hold, some old faces got a chance to shine.
Correll Buckhalter for one looked very impressive in his limited duty in
the first half as he ran for 31 yards on 7 carries. His most impressive
play was a 9-yard carry where he juked and slithered his way through traffic
and demonstrated the moves and quickness that were reminiscent of him in
2003. Buckhalter looks like he'll definitely make the squad. It's hard to
believe, but he has recovered. Miracles do occur-see Garrison Hearst for
proof of that.
Greg Lewis came back from the witness protection program to catch 2 passes
for 91 yards including a 61-yarder from Jeff Garcia. Of course one has to
consider who the competition was. After all, he beat 2nd string cornerback
Ricardo Colclough on the play. Garcia led Lewis to the left and threw a
perfect strike and Lewis scampered into the end zone. Lewis' only other
catch happened to be a 30-yarder so he looks like he can once again chip
in with some big plays. Last season he had no chance when he was bumped
up to the number-two receiver role, but as a number four receiver he's just
fine.
J.R. Reid didn't get too much of a chance to show what he can do on returns
as he got pummeled on a return when Dexter Wynn missed blocking assignment.
He returned a little while later and made some nice plays on defense as
he forced a fumble and got an interception. He definitely can run and can
hit, but the fact of the matter is he just hasn't shown if he can return
kicks. In what I've seen from him, he either had a fair catch, the ball
was kicked over his head, or in the case of tonight he was leveled. Chances
are he'll make the team on special teams and as a reserve on defense. He's
a work in progress, but it's clear there's plenty of football left in this
kid as he recovers.
After watching Duce Staley and his 240-pound overweight self, he probably
wouldn't be a good option for the Eagles to pursue. Not only is Staley far
from the same player in 2003, but also he's also over 240 pounds. Added
to that, he's 20 pounds heavier and looks like he's about shot. It's a shame,
because he was a player who averaged over 10 yards a reception and was very
effective in the Eagles' offensive system. Now that Buckhalter looks like
he can contribute they'll probably sit pat in the running back department.
As far as receivers go, the Deion Branch saga will begin as it's said the
agent for Branch is due to call the Eagles tonight or tomorrow. They will
likely seek a third-round pick for him. That's one hurdle. The other hurdle
is that the Patriots reportedly offered him a contract, which will pay him
over $6 million per year. It would be a long shot to see the Eagles offering
him more than that as they offered Javon Walker $7 million a year, who is
a number one receiver. Branch is a quality receiver, but is just a number
two guy. There will undoubtedly be some talks, as Pinkston doesn't appear
to be ready for the season at this juncture. Lewis, Baskett, and Greg Lewis
aren't a receiving core to head into the season with. Baskett has upside,
but would be better suited as a number three, and Lewis is just a number
4. Don't let the game he had fool you. He did a nice job, but is much better
suited for the number four role.
One thing to be assured of is this defense is going to put lots of pressure
on opposing quarterbacks. That will have a trickle down effect on the linebackers
and the d-backs. And, the defense won't be on the field nearly as much this
year. Look for them to be at least in the top 10 in team defense this year.
Mark it down.
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The Phillies won a nail-biter against the Mets tonight 4-3 behind Randy
Wolf's solid start and 4 innings of 2-hit shutout ball from the bullpen.
Ryan Howard also notched his 45th homerun this year as he comes closer and
closer to Mike Schmidt's team record of 48 homeruns. With a little over
a month to go it's not out of the question to say Howard can hit 55-57 homeruns
and that would be legitimate in this day of cheaters.
Back onto the pitching though, the bullpen namely Geoff Geary has been coming
up huge down the stretch. Geary hasn't allowed a run in his past seven appearances
and just 4 runs in his past twelve appearances dating back to July 30th,
and those 4 runs came in two consecutive games. Take that away and he's
been perfect. He has been key as a lock-down middle reliever with a record
of 6-0 and ERA of 3.30.
Arthur Rhodes has been solid as well as he's allowed just 2 runs (in one
appearance) in his past 10 appearances. After giving the fans cardiac arrest
for the first few months of the season fans can somewhat breathe a sigh
of relief when he enters the game. Hopefully it continues, as his implosions
were quite frequent early on. But, the bottom line is he's hitting his stride
along with Geary.
Madson has been up and down of late, where he'll have one nice appearance
in two innings, and then he'll follow it up with a 2 run appearance. He's
not all the way back just yet as he was pulled between the starting rotation
and bullpen all year, and that has definitely had a negative impact upon
him. Pitchers need to be in a rhythm and it's impossible to be in a rhythm
when called upon to start and relieve. He came up big tonight though; pitching
a scoreless ninth to notch his second save of the season.
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In other news Justin Gatlin seems to be taking lessons from Floyd Landis.
I know a few nights ago I said he could perhaps be a catalyst to kick the
anti-doping campaign into high gear, but that was just a pipe dream. Gatlin,
like Landis isn't a man enough to admit to cheating, which makes him come
off as a complete fraud and a joke. It's well documented that when a player
accepts a ban, they accept that they failed a test.
Now, he's backtracking?
One begs to ask if the PR people of these athletes are actually advising
them to deny in the face of such evidence. It makes them appear much worse
really. So Gatlin receives my Milli Vanilli award tonight for his absurd
statement where he said, he has "no idea how any banned substance got
into my body."
Landis and Gatlin should do a duet called, "Blame it on the food"
as homage to Milli Vanilli's fugazi "hit" entitled "Blame
it on the rain."
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies were bushwhacked 11-2 today and the game was over in the first inning.
Hamels wasn't just shelled, but nuked today as he gave up 9 runs (5 earned)
over just 2 innings of work. After working his way out of the first inning,
he worked his way out of trouble in the second. And, then it all fell apart
in the third as he didn't even record an out and it was all over when Angel
Pagan homered to center field to make it 9-1.
There are days when pitchers will just "not have it" as the old
adage goes. And, this was certainly one of those days. "They basically
hit every single pitch I threw at them," Hamels said. "There's
nothing I can do about it other than takes the positives out of today, which
are very few."
This was clearly an aberration for Hamels as he was 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA
in his previous 5 starts. He simply had nothing going today and the Phillies
couldn't manufacture any runs against the best pitcher in the NL-Carlos
Zambrano who gave up 2 runs over 7 innings to notch his 14th win of the
year on a really bad team, which is just 54-73.
Aside from Ryan Howard's RBI the offense couldn't manufacture anything and
really it didn't matter as this game was over immediately.
Ultimately this game was a throwaway and not indicative of the team which
as gone 21-10 in the past month. Hamels didn't have it and the team was
deflated right away while going up against a stud ace in Zambrano. The Phillies
fell to 2 games out now and the Reds are currently losing 1-0 in the 2nd
inning.
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Tomorrow night will be an important night for a few Eagles, notably running
backs Correll Buckhalter and Bruce Perry, wide receiver Todd Pinkston (who
came out of the witness protection program this week to finally practice),
Brodrick Bunkley, and J.R. Reid.
Since this is the fourth pre-season game for the Eagles (and they have five
total) is the equivalent of the third game, where the starters usually play
the first half, and it will be their final action until the first game of
the regular season. The fact that Pinkston has been practicing has certainly
been encouraging and tomorrow night will be the night where Reid will evaluate
whether or not he will be ready for the regular season. The downside to
this is there is really only one decent option out there and that's the
Saints' Donte Stallworth, who had 70 catches for 945 yards and 7 TD's last
season. Is he a superstar? No. But, he would provide the Eagles with a suitable
replacement for Pinkston if he can't play.
Brodrick Bunkley will get his first real test of his rookie campaign as
he has stormed to the top of the depth chart like a popped cork from a champagne
bottle. He came into camp just 2 weeks ago, and is now playing with the
first-team. And, according to the coaches and his teammates, he is showing
that he's all that with the bag of chips with the dip. He doesn't run his
mouth, but just goes out there and makes plays-as cliché as it sounds.
And, he is showing that he could be something special-perhaps a perennial
all-pro player in the interior, which would be a boon to the Eagles as they
haven't had an interior pro-bowl defensive lineman since Corey Simon who
is about two cheese steaks away from eating himself out his job with the
Colts and the league.
Buckhalter will also start tomorrow night as he looks to show the coaches
that he is worthy of making the squad. He had a great block and that great
play on a shovel pass against the Ravens, so the signs point up. He goes
up against a Steelers defensive line that features one of the best in the
business in Casey Hampton. Tomorrow night will provide us with a really
good barometer as to where Buckhalter stands. And, the same goes for Bruce
Perry. J.R. Reid will play most of the game as well as he'll get to return
both kicks and punts. He's made a lot of nice plays on defense, but hasn't
really broken anything on special teams. He looks like he can run, but tomorrow
night will be the first time where he gets extensive action in that capacity.
Tomorrow night isn't about where the nucleus of the team is at, rather it's
a chance for players coming off of injuries to display where they stand,
and for Bunkley to get a chance to display the talents that made him their
first round pick-which was cheap considering he was one of the top 8 rated
players in the draft.
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Trade winds:
The Phillies are said to be interested in the Orioles first baseman/outfielder
Jeff Conine. Sure, it's not a move that will turn heads, but it's a necessary
one that will bolster their bench. And, in all seriousness there aren't
any starting centerfielders who play great defense to be had on the semi-open
market.
Conine is 40 years old, and is hitting .265 with 8 dingers and 46 RBI. Again,
he's a guy that will help a depleted bench, thus allowing the Phillies to
start Burrell, Victorino, and Dellucci in the outfield. Victorino is still
suspect at times, so Conine can spell him on a day here and there.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Last night Jamie Moyer was very impressive in his debut as he gave up just 3 runs in 6 innings after no-hitting the Cubs for 4 1/2 innings. Who couldn't see it coming though? We have a hometown guy, pitching in the city where he made his debut, and he was fired up about joining the Phillies. The writing was all over the diamond. He delivered, as did many of the pitchers during this recent surge.
After winning tonight they went to 2 games above .500 and are just 1 1/2
games behind the Reds for the wildcard lead. Certainly 2 games in unremarkable
in the grand scheme of things, but this was a team that was 10 games below
.500 before going 21-9 since July 26th.
Tonight they followed up Moyer's great debut with a gem. Brett Myers went
8 innings and only allowed 1 run, 1 walk, and struck out 9. This is the
type of performance we've been waiting for from Myers after he had four
straight clunkers where he allowed 6, 4, 5, and 4 runs respectively which
caused his ERA to rise nearly one whole run.
Games like this are what get teams to the post-season. Sure, it was against
the Cubs, but remember the Phillies have habitually lost games like this
in years past to the so-called "easy" teams. Tonight they got
a gem out of Myers and Jimmy Rollins came up huge in the 9th with an RBI
single to notch the game. And, after Arthur Rhodes was yanked by Charlie
Manuel (a smart move I must add) Geoff Geary recorded the save. This was
the third save in three consecutive games by three different pitchers-Rhodes,
Madson, and Geary.
What does all of this mean? The Phillies are are grinding out runs and are
getting solid production from their pitching and bullpen. The Reds have
two top of the rotation starters in Harang and Arroyo, but Arroyo is just
1-4 since the all-star break. The Phillies seem to be peaking at the right
time and the Abreu trade was just the thing they needed. Now, I won't dare
compare them to the Red Sox, but the Garciaparra trade changed the personality
of the Red Sox and their lineup and look what it did for that team. The
Phillies are 16-8 since the Abreu trade on July 30th, granted they were
playing better in the days leading up to it, but it's clear the changing
of the guard has occurred.
Utley, Howard, and Rollins lead the charge while the supporting cast of
Dellucci, Coste, and et al. find ways to chip in. This team may not be a
World Series team as the Tigers are simply too strong (if you need proof
watch a game where Jason Verlander starts) but they are certainly worthy
of a playoff spot in the N.L.
--------------------------------
Rumors are swirling that the Steelers are shopping around Duce Staley and
if nobody offers anything, then he'll be released this weekend. Howard Eskin
asked Andy Reid about this today and he responded with the usual, "sure,
there's a possibility." One would argue that Staley would be an injury
risk as he only played in 10 games in 2004 and 5 games last year. Provided
Staley is healthy once again it would be a boon to the Eagles if he were
to be released.
For one he would only be counted upon to run 6-8 times and catch 4-5 passes.
This is a far cry from the 20 carry per game workload which was imposed
upon him during the 2004 season, which clearly not only hurt him, but nearly
destroyed him. It wouldn't be out of the question for him to make a contribution
to the team which is analogous to his 2003 season---remember he only rushed
96 times for 463, which is good for 6 carries per game, while catching 36
passes for 382 yards. This is the best thing about him in the right system;
he gets yards after the catch. And, he knows the Eagles system.
The Eagles are said to be waiting it out as they "have a plan."
This could very well be the plan and would be a nice pick-up. And, let's
face it, Staley is an Eagle lifer. He'll follow in the footsteps of Jeremiah
Trotter and Hugh Douglass, who both returned after signing with the Redskins
and Jaguars as free agents, only to be released. And, they came back and
contributed wonderfully in Trotter's case he went to the Pro Bowl for two
straight seasons in his return.
Stay tuned as this could very well be the running back they pick up.
As far as wide receiver options go, it's hard to say what direction they’ll
go in. Our own Jason Sapp and many beat writers, particularly the Burlington
County Times Reuben Frank feel Darnerian McCants can contribute. I saw him
at training camp and liked what I saw, but I take him for what he is-a 4th
receiver. I would like to see them acquire a speedy wideout like Dante Stallworth,
who they are said to be pursuing. Is he a world-beater? Absolutely not.
But, this team needs a replacement for Todd Pinkston who clearly can't be
counted upon at this juncture.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
I'm back people. All good things must come to an end, vacations and a dose of Ben Whitman that is. But, let's face it Ben did a hell of a job for his four-day gig (and two recent gigs when I had a family emergency). It's good to be back in the swing of things after my vacation in Arizona with my wonderful girlfriend. I must say Arizona is quite an addictive place, but the only problem is their sports teams don't hold a candle to ours. Here's a concept, take the city of Philadelphia and transplant it out there but keep the same time zone. Let's face it 1:00 kickoffs on Sundays are unmatched; it just wouldn't be the same at 10:00 A.M. I can't get enough of the "south-western motif" as they refer to it, when the houses are designed like adobes, and the bridges, and even highways have a mosaic theme to them. You just have to see it for yourself, but Arizona is an amazing place. I have to give props to the musicians from The Big Bang bar in Tempe, which features musicians on dueling pianos with a drummer and other regular performers. That was a memorable musical experience as it was an amalgamation of sound, comedy, with a punk-rock flare. And, if you ever head out to the Valley of the Sun be sure to visit Dos Gringos in Tempe or Scottsdale. That bar is a true American original. Well enough about my trip, it's time for some news.
The Phillies suffered a devastating blow last night after Aaron Rowand collided
with Chase Utley during the eighth inning last night. Rowand will miss 4-6
weeks with a broken ankle, which will all but end his regular season.
This injury affects them in multiple ways.
First, their defensive stalwart in centerfield is gone. He may not be anything
more than a slightly above-average hitter, but he's in the elite amongst
defensive outfielders and at the most important outfield position at that.
This also weakens their bench, as Shane Victorino will move to center, with
Burrell at left, and Dellucci in right.
And, most importantly with Abreu being traded the team has played with more
vigor in part to hustlers and leaders like Rowand.
Where do they go from here? Well, one option would have been to go for former
Diamonbacks outfielder Shawn Green, but he was just traded to the Mets.
Another option would be Reggie Sanders. Do you notice a pattern though?
Neither of these players are starting centerfielders, but rather just adequate
players to put in the mix.
With Tom Gordon joining Rowand on the DL this puts GM Pat Gillick in a precarious
position. He became a buyer by getting Jamie Moyer to replace Scott Mathieson
in the rotation, and Moyer who has pitched very well in his debut, giving
up just 3 runs in 6 innings tonight. Gillick will most likely look to the
Royals for Reggie Sanders to replace Rowand. And, he'll need to come up
with a plan for closer. Arthur Rhodes is a poor man's Jose Mesa, and by
poor I mean impoverished. He's a ticking time bomb and can implode with
any given appearance in a tight situation. Make no mistake about it; the
Phillies went from sellers to buyers.
This is one of the more bizarre seasons in their history, but they would
be remiss to throw it away now they're keeping pace with the Reds who refuse
to give up any ground.
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It's official two players who could have helped the Eagles are now off the
market. The Falcons, Broncos, and Redskins were involved in a three-team
trade, which sent wide receiver Ashley Lelie to the Falcons, running back
T.J. Duckett to the Redskins, and an unconditional draft choice to the Denver
Broncos.
Hold up, rewind, and back it up.
T.J. Duckett was traded to a division rival, one who has a stud running
back in Clinton Portis. And, Lelie was traded to a Falcons team who has
two wide receivers in their starting rotation who are first-round picks.
These are both players that could help the Eagles tremendously. They're
not pro-bowlers, but it appears the Eagles front office is taking a page
from the Phillies playbook by trying to fill holes on the cheap. The word
is they are going to wait and see who is released.
Great plan. And, what if those players they anticipate being released aren't?
And, what if they are offered more money by another team? That's very likely.
This is why I don't see this team competing for a Super Bowl this year.
They are an eleven-win team, but they aren't doing everything they need
to do to put a contending team out on the field.
Stephen Davis left town yesterday and it's reported the Eagles wanted to
offer him a non-guaranteed contract. They should just pony up and give him
a one-year guaranteed deal for a veteran minimum. It wouldn't break the
salary cap to do so. What they are fielding right now just isn't good enough.
Moats is struggling with the offense this year and Perry is still unproven,
although he can be an x-factor, but the fact remains he's unproven.
The Eagles are not even shopping at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Hell they aren't
even shopping at Aldi's. They're trying to scraps at Goodwill. It's really
a travesty what they're doing and yes they usually do things the right way,
but this notion of filling clearly evident holes with the likes of the Lamar
Gordons and Darnerian McCants's is unacceptable. For a team that passes
the ball as much as they do to wait for scraps to fall of the table is akin
to filling up a new Porsche with bacon grease.
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Justin Gatlin accepted his ban today and this could be the great leap, which is needed for the sports-world to address cheating. He was previously the world's fastest man and a gold-medal Olympian, but exposed as a fraud. Just 24-years old he agreed to an eight-year ban that will effectively end his track and field career; one marred by scandle upon scandle.
In a sports-world where we have Floyd Landis denying the obvious like the Bush regime denying any problems, an obstinate Barry Bonds who laughs in the faces of the fans while being an obvious freak of nature, and apologist after apoligist like former ESPN commentator Harold Reynolds, it would be refreshing to see a star in his respective sport, or any proven cheater for that matter come clean and perhaps kick-start a revolution in eradicating cheating in sports. Canseco and Caminitti started it off, but Gatlin could really help unlock the sordid web. There's no telling where that will lead.
Jason Grimsley you're on deck.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
So it remains 2.5. The Phillies kept pace with the Reds with a 6-5 victory over the lowly Cubs Monday night. Meanwhile, the Reds defeated the Astros in comeback fashion with 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th. The Phils got another strong start from Jon Lieber who went 6 shutout innings before being charged with 3 runs in the seventh. Chase Utley broke out of his mini slump with 2 hits including his 22nd homer of the year. Jimmy Rollins had a 3 hit night and also went deep for #19. Arthur Rhodes once again closed things out. He's 3 for 3 in save conversions, 2 for 2 since Tom Gordon's recent injury, though tonight he kept it interesting by allowing a two run homer to Jacque Jones to shrink a three run lead to one. He also gave up a single to Phil Nevin to put the tying run on, but got Michael Barrett to pop up to end the game. Certainly not ideal, but he got the job done. Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer makes his Phillies debut against Ryan O'Malley.
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A correction from yesterday. My imagination was running wild in last night's column and I speculated that with the Mets' pitching injuries that the Phillies Top 3 starters would match up well with the Mets limping staff in the first round of the playoffs. Well, of course, since they reside in the same division, the Mets and Phillies can not face each other in the first round (that's the Yankees/Red Sox rule). Thanks to the readers that brought that to my attention and happily informed me that I'm an idiot. So, just take what I offered yesterday as an NLCS match up. Just assume the Phillies are going to win the Wild Card and the first round and the Mets minus Pedro and Glavine will get through the Dodgers or Cardinals. No, I don't smoke crack.
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Eagles Blurbs...
Veteran running back Stephen Davis paid a visit to the Novacare Complex on Monday for a physical. The Eagles are considering Davis as a compliment to Brian Westbrook and a safety net for Correll Buckhalter. Davis has played ten years with Washington and Carolina in which he has scored 10 or more touch downs three times. The Panthers cut ties with Davis after a 2005 season in which he scored 12 touchdowns in 13 games. He missed the final three games of last season because of knee surgery and was no longer needed in Charlotte with the returning DeShaun Foster and rookie DeAngelo Williams. While Davis has been given a clean bill of health by renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews and met with Andy Reid during his visit, he left Novacare a free agent and the Eagles have said, "nothing is imminent." You'd think this would be a no-brainer for the Eagles. Davis has proved he can get it done, he's rushed for over 1,300 yards four times and has been a Pro Bowler. This would be a low risk, high potential/reward signing for the Eagles. It's mind boggling that in a league where running backs are pretty much on a non-stop revolving door, that the Eagles can't find a suitable established back up for Westbrook. As I've said, I like Buckhalter, but how can you count on him?
Some good news today as Todd Pinkston finally practiced. Pinkston has been labeled as soft, and afraid to go across the middle, but guess what? As of today, the Eagles need this guy. He's a seven-year veteran, and the long tooth of the Eagles receiving corp. He's also the most familiar with Donovan McNabb. No one has stepped up big thus far in camp at wide receiver and for better or worse (I shutter to choose) Pinkston is going to be a key player for this team.
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Little League blurbs...
I read a story on espn.com today about a coach slapping his player after the youngster uttered...well, actually screamed...an obscenity on the national ESPN telecast last night. At first I was appalled, but then, being as familiar with the media as I am, I decided I would have to see the incident before I reacted. Well, tonight I finally got to see it, and it was more comical than anything else. While the coach was amping up his team between innings someone said something to the effect of "we just need one run" and the kid in question responded excitedly "one f$%#in' run." The coach immediately smacked him in the shoulder area with an open hand. It was not a "slap" as reported. Sure, he shouldn't have put his hands on the kid, but it was more out of shock than anything esle. While reading the article, I was picturing some chubby cheeked kid getting the crap slapped out of his face as he quivered with a big red hand print forming. It was nothing like that, so remember, don't believe everything you read, or at least de-synthesize it.
This one is directly from the files of Danny Almonte. The 13-year-old (supposedly) first baseman on the Saudi Arabian team at the Little League World Series, Aaron Durley, is 6 foot 8 and 256 lbs. Durely is the son of an expatriate who works in the oil business in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He also played on the team last year and was a mere 6'4" at that time. LLWS officials claim that the ages of the Saudi team are all verified. To add to suspicion, the Saudi team also has a 6'3" 190lb pitcher and a 226lb third baseman. Did these kids grow up near a nuclear plant or what?
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
This afternoon the Phillies won a slugfest in South Philly as they held on for a 12-10 win over the Washington Nationals. Randy Wolf looked good through 5 innings and if not for Brandon Harper his line would have looked a lot better. Wolf ended up allowing 6 runs in 5 plus innings, but he struck out 8 and picked up his second win of the season. Harper's two home runs (the first two of his Major League career) accounted for 4 of the runs Wolf gave up. Rick White entered the game after Wolf allowed a 3 run homer and then walked the next batter, White compounded the situation by allowing 2 more runs on a hit and 3 walks while recording only one out. White's runs were the first given up by the Phillies' bullpen in 10.2 innings pitched. The offense was powered by Pat Burrell, Mike Lieberthal, Aaron Rowand and Abraham Nunez who were a combined 11 for 18 with 8 RBI. With Tom Gordon still ailing, Arthur Rhodes picked up his 2nd save of the season while striking out the side in the 9th.
The Phillies still remain 2.5 games back in the Wild Card as the Reds once again handled the Pirates. The bigger news is out of New York, where Tom Glavine's season is in jeopardy. Yes, I realize the Mets lead is still a robust 14 games with a little over a month worth of baseball to play, but hear me out. Glavine has what is believed to be a blood clot in his pitching shoulder that may require season ending surgery. The Mets are already without ace Pedro Martinez who as of yesterday was still in a walking boot for his calf injury. Even if the Phillies have no hope of catching the Mets, the loss of Glavine and the unknown status of Martinez makes the National League even more of a free for all than it already is. So, if the rejuvenated Phillies (14-8 since the Abreu/Lidle trade) can catch the Reds and win this Wild Card, they may be facing a vulnerable Mets team in the first round. A rotation of Steve Trachsel, Orlando Hernandez and John Maine is a favorable match up vs. Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer (see below) and Jon Lieber.
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Yesterday the Phillies made a very surprising waiver wire deal to acquire 43-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer from the Seattle Mariners. This was surprising for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Phillies just played the role of seller - in a big way- at the July 31st trade deadline by cleaning house of Bobby Abreu, Cory Lidle, Rheal Cormier and David Bell. Not even a month later, they are trading for a veteran pitcher to anchor a very young starting rotation. Secondly, Moyer was a mainstay for the Mariners, a local favorite that after a career started as a journeyman, found a home for nearly 11 seasons in Seattle. Finally, this move comes just a week or two after the Phillies endorsed youngster Scott Mathieson as a part of their rotation for the remainder of '06. Moyer will be taking Mathieson spot. To say that Pat Gillick has had a change of heart regarding their playoff hopes would probably be accurate.
Let's not fool ourselves. Moyer is what he is, a crusty, grizzled junk baller, but one that knows how to pitch. He is just 6-12 on the season, but his 4.39 ERA was more than respectable for an AL pitcher. That said, his splits do not look favorable for a stretch run in Citizens Bank Park. Moyer is just 2-7 with a 5.29 ERA this season away from pitcher friendly Safeco Field. He's an extreme fly ball pitcher that has given up 25 home runs this season, 13 of them at spacious Safeco. I would say Phillies fans should expect a hit and miss run from the old lefty, and would go as far as to prepare you to cringe for certain match ups at home.
As my cup is always half full, I would also say there are positives in this deal. The front office now sees that the Wild Card is a legitimate possibility and have made a move in reaction to it. The fans and players should respond positively to this even though it's far from a blockbuster. Moyer also waived a no trade clause to join the Phillies. Imagine that, a Phillie that actually wants to be here. He could also be a 2nd pitching coach for the glut of young pitchers on the staff. He's a guy who has gotten it done with smoke and mirrors for years and will no doubt let the young guns know that they don't need to constantly throw heat to get guys out.
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Speculation is abounding that the Koy Detmer Era will likely be coming to an end in the next couple weeks. It's hard to believe that Detmer has been with the Eagles for 9 seasons - 9 seasons! I'm not sure what Detmer has shown to stick around that long, hell, he's a back up that didn't even back up most of the time. Last year, when McNabb went down, the Eagles went with Mike McMahon, not Detmer (wisely I might add). This year, they finally brought in a legitimate #2 in Jeff Garcia and even though Detmer is the favorite holder for kicker David Akers, it looks like it's over.
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Tonight the Phillies continued their impersonation of a playoff team as Dr. Jekyll showed up at Citizen's Bank. The Fightin's won a laugher 11-2 as the offense pounded Ramon Ortiz (a guy once known as "Little Pedro" until it was found out that A) he can't pitch and B) he lied about his birthday and is roughly the same age as the Mets' Martinez) to the tune of 8 runs in an inning and 2/3rds. The Reds finally woke up against the Pirates, so the Phils still remain just 2.5 games behind them in the Wild Card race. The fading Padres lost today, meaning Philadelphia is just a half game behind them, one of two teams (Arizona the other), sandwiched between the Reds and Phillies.
For you pessimists that have already written off the Phillies' playoff hopes, optimism for the future was once again the story tonight. Cole Hamels (still just 22) looked sharp giving up just two runs on two solo homers (Hey, what do you expect, he pitches in a shoe box.). Hamels struck out 7 and walked only 1 in his 6 innings of work to even his record at 6-6. Hamels also had a 2 run single in the 2nd. Need more optimism? For the second night in a row, the bullpen was nearly flawless. Geoff Geary and Fabio Castro combined for 3 shutout innings of relief. Not ready to buy your tickets for 2007 yet? Ryan Howard went yard once again, his league leading 43rd time as he continues his game of tit for tat with David Ortiz. Howard needs just 6 homers to break the Phillies franchise record of 48 set by a guy named Mike Schmidt in 1980. Not bad company to be in. Hmm, what else happened in 1980?
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Jeremy Bloom is likely headed to the injured reserve. The fifth rounder has hardly even practiced with the team and missing an entire pre-season would likely crush any chance he saw of playing this season. How far can he be from a return to the moguls?
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Yesterday ESPN broke the news that track star Marion Jones had failed a drug test. File that under - "Really? Go figure." Jones was one of the biggest names (I seem to remember a huge headed baseball player being the key figure) linked to the BALCO scandal in which former horn blower/mad scientist Victor Conte, after years of loud trumpeting of his designer steroid exploits - gasp- was nabbed by the feds and sang like a canary. Jones denied even knowing Conte, though she allegedly signed the picture above for him and Conte even went on 60 Minutes to show off pictures that she posed for with him. So let's look at her track record (yes, I am pushing the tasteful limit of puns tonight)- Her husband, C.J.Hunter gets booted from the Olympics in 2000 for testing positive, yet she claims to be clean. A few weeks later, she becomes the first woman ever to win 5 medals and claims to be clean. Her baby's daddy, Tim Montgomery, is banned for 2 years in 2005 for being dirty and she still claims to be clean. Hunter and Conte both go on record as knowing of/watching her use drugs and she claims to be clean. Conte has photographs of himself and Jones chillin' out and she claims to never have met him or use his drugs. After the BALCO controversy, the World's Fastest Woman suddenly wasn't so fast anymore. She failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympic team in her strongest events. She still denied past drug use. Well, now she has failed a drug test...and guess what? She denies drug use. She and Floyd Landis must be smoking the same stuff.
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Dennis is on vacation, so I'm at the helm for the next few days. On to the news...
More fallout from the Eagles 20-10 loss to the Ravens on Thursday. On the bright side, it's clear that Donovan McNabb is healthy and effective and the defense looks like it could be good enough to carry the team any given week. On the other hand, it's obvious the current receiving corp needs an upgrade. Todd Pinkston is still on the sidelines, Reggie Brown has just 2 catches and Hank Baskett, while impressive at times, is still just Hank Baskett. Just look at the difference Derrick Mason makes in the Raven's offense. Of course, reuniting with Steve McNair is a big part of it, but Mason's presence, if nothing else, will definitely veer some of the attention from young wide outs Devard Darling and Mark Clayton. Things are getting frustrating for Eagles fans, it's not like there aren't quality wide receivers available. The Broncos are shopping Ashley Lelie to just about every team in the league. Lelie's production dropped quite a bit last year as he caught only one ball for a score, but he did a have a solid 2004 catching for over 1,000 yards and 7 TD's. It wouldn't be going out on a limb to say he'd be a better option than anyone on the current roster and rumor has it the Broncos have dropped their demands to a 3rd rounder for Lelie. How about Donte Stallworth? Stallworth has dropped to 3rd on the Saints depth chart after a career high 945 yards last season. Again, he'd be a better option than anyone on the roster as constituted. If the Deion Branch saga up in Foxborough continues to get ugly, why not make a play for him? Yeah, that's likely a long shot since Branch is best buddies and the favorite receiver of a guy who has quarterbacked a few Super Bowls. Finally there is Jerry Porter. I would NOT recommend Porter as that seems to have all the makings of a poor man's T.O. situation. Besides, inexplicably, Al Davis has been turning down offers left and right for a guy who has no interest in playing for his franchise any longer.
A lot of people were thrilled with the return of Correll Buckhalter. Sure he looked good blocking and had the 48 yard shovel reception that set up a score, but he also gained just 8 yards on 5 carries. Yes, I know, it's his first game action in forever and it's only a preseason game, but the fact remains, the guys has missed 3 of the last 4 seasons and just can't be depended on. You definitely need to use him, as the RB situation is a close 2nd to the WR situation on the Eagle worry list, but to think you're going to get production from him for 16 games is fool hearty.
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The Phillies dropped another home game Friday night as the Nationals beat them 6-4. Brett Myers had amassed 57 pitches after just 2 innings and couldn't survive the 4th. The game was not as close as the score would indicate as the Nats had all 6 of their runs in the first 4 innings and never looked back. While this was one of those games that seems like a back breaker, it isn't as the Reds also lost (against Pittsburgh) so the Phillies, for all their struggles, still remain just 2.5 games out of the Wild Card. The bullpen performed brilliantly pitching 5.2 innings of shutout baseball. Brian Sanches put in his best performance to date striking out Ryan Church and Alex Escobar after inheriting two runners from Myers in the 4th. He would get strikeouts on all 5 outs he recorded. It was milestone night for Mike Lieberthal as he passed Red Dooin for the most games caught in Phillies' history at 1,125. He homered and also threw out two would be base stealers. Love him or hate him, Lieberthal's 1,125 will be a part of Phillies history for quite some time.
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Some blurbs...
I'm retired, unless of course someone actually wants me. Junior Seau's retirement didn't even make it a week. Today Seau signed with the New England Patriots. This instantly reminded me of Irving Fryar's retirement where the Eagles honored him, showered him with gifts and he packed up and went on to play two more seasons in Washington. Roger Clemens did the same thing to the Yankees. There are two major differences in Seau's case. 1. He likely retired because he knew he was going to get cut and he felt there would be little interest elsewhere. 2. Clemens and Fryar actually had something left to contribute. It's too bad Seau had to look goofy, rather than just accept the cut and look for another job before "retiring."
Maurice Clarett is now being connected to an Israeli mobster who he was introduced to by a friend in the rap music industry. Guns? Bulletproof vests? Drafted by the NFL? Won a National Championship? Armed robbery? Drunk driving while listening to children's music? If somebody pitched this true story to HBO, they would probably pass because it's not believable enough.
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Although the Ravens are leading the Eagles 20-10 at the time of this writing, what really matters is the first team offense and defense led their counterparts 10-3 after the first half.
First things first, McNabb looks like he's healthy once again. There were
many plays were he was elusive and showed signs of the McNabb of old as
he zig zagged on more than one occasion to avoid being sacked. On their
second drive Buckhalter picked up the blitz in excellent fashion as McNabb
kept his poise while being rushed from the sides as he connected with L.J.
Smith on a first-down. McNabb was very accurate on many other plays and
illustrated why there should be no worries about his health.
Correll Buckhalter looks like he'll make the team after his performance
tonight. And, it comes down to that excellent block and the 48-yard reception,
a play in which he displayed tremendous burst and open-field running to
make it to the one-yard line. His runs on that drive were rather meager,
but much of that could be attributed to a stout Ravens run defense.
Reno Mahe had a few nice runs on the first drive, but other than that didn't
show much tonight. He is what he is, a punt-returner who holds onto the
ball and a fourth running back on the roster. He'll most likely make the
cut.
The Eagles kept Jamal Lewis in check for the most part and in fact they
had more trouble with Musa Smith. Their pass rush was a little shaky at
times as Steve McNair had plenty of time to find Derrick Mason on several
strikes. McNair to Mason have rejoined after a two-year hiatus and should
McNair remain healthy, they'll be one of the better QB-WR combos in the
NFL. McNair may not have that rifle of an arm, but he sure has timing.
All in all I give the first teams a B for their performance tonight against
one of the elite defenses in the NFL, and a much-improved offense, which
includes a rejuvenated Jamal Lewis and newly acquired Steve McNair.
--------------------------------
The Phillies wrapped up an impressive series against the Mets today with
a 7-2 loss. Scott Mathieson again had a rough start as he gave up six runs
and eight hits over just four innings, and this is the fourth time in seven
starts in which he failed to reach the fifth inning. Despite another poor
start Charlie Manuel said he's not in danger of losing his job.
One number that stands out is 45,775, which is the largest crowd in the
three-year history of Citizens Bank Park. Many of the fans in the crowd
were Mets fans, which further proves why Phillies fans need to inundate
the stadium when they infest it.
Even a layman in Philly sports can see that Mets fans are as bad as Cowboys
fans.
The Phillies looked like they were starting a rally in the seventh innings,
but Chase Utley struck out looking with bases loaded and two outs. It's
pretty clear that he needs a few nights off after playing at such a high
level for a few months now. One night off won't do him any good.
Ryan Howard hit his league-leading 42nd homer today as he tied David Ortiz
for the major league lead in dingers.
The Phillies failed to reach the .500 mark, which would have been their
first time at the level mark since June 19. They are now 3 games back in
the wild card.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Don't look now but the Phillies have beaten the Mets for a third consecutive game to come to within a game of .500 and 2 games of the wild card spot. Ok, it's hardly the mark of a great season, but considering this team was left for dead just a few weeks ago and have gone 19-6 in the past 4 weeks, it's an achievement.
And, they are playing meaningful baseball. This season is different than
last year. Yes, they had a better record at this point a year ago, but they
are a younger team now and a team playing with a fire and hunger we haven't
seen in recent years. They are a team that bucks the trends and can score
double digits in consecutive games.
And, now Jon Lieber has shown some life. I'm a little angry I didn't start
him in my fantasy money league, one in which my team "The Phillies"
(all of our teams are actual MLB team names) is sitting at 10-9 and one
game out of the division league. I could've used Lieber's shutout, but I
benched him in favor of Mark Redman of the Royals who imploded to give me
-11 points and Lieber's masterpiece would have netted me oh...43 points.
Argh!
The bottom line is it was encouraging to see Lieber pitched the first full
game shutout for the Phillies this year. Remember Gavin Floyd had a five
game shutout in a rain-shortened game earlier this year. Lieber has been
horrendous lately and maybe just maybe he'll be the fourth dependable starter
on this staff behind Hamels, Myers, and Wolf.
Chris Coste came up huge in the 2nd inning with a 2-run homer off Glavine
and that's all they needed.
Tom Gordon reportedly is only out for a few days and it makes sense the
arm troubles were there since he imploded in two consecutive games last
week. Look for him to make a return over the weekend or early next week
as his MRI showed no damage.
Tomorow they face off with the Mets for a chance at a sweep at 1:05.
--------------------------------
Todd Pinkston is now being held out of the game tomorrow night and that
seals the deal. There is just no way he can be counted upon as a contributor
in this offense.
For a pass-happy offense like the Eagles to ignore this glaring need would
put this team in a serious situation. Reggie Brown is set to become the
number one receiver and he should handle that role just fine. But, on the
other side an unproven and undrafted rookie free agent in Hank Baskett is
the starter. They have no number three yet. McCants, Lewis, and Gaffney
are said to be competing for that job. Aside from Brown, the receivers are
among the worst in the league. And, that's no way to go into the season
when the offense is predicated on passing; they pass 60% of the time.
Many will say that Westbrook will catch 70 balls and they'll run lots of
two tight-end sets. Ok. Fine and good. Now, go out and replace Pinkston.
This receiving core is completely unacceptable at this point as Greg Lewis
a.k.a "Mr. Softee" is on the fence, as is Jabar Gaffney who according
to WIP's Garry Cobb has been standing on the sidelines for much of the recent
practices. He just isn't grasping the offense and it's painfully obvious
Andy Reid is phasing him out. This leaves them with Darnerian McCants as
a definite "make." I saw McCants in practice and was impressed
with his concentration in traffic. How this will translate to regular season
games is a different story.
Andy Reid should be working the phones like a phone-sex girl all night long
until he lands somebody Ashley Lelie or Jerry Porter. I don't care if Jerry
Porter has character concerns. I don't care about Jeffrey Lurie's so-called
"character standards." There are many NFL players who are anything
but choirboys and if I remember correctly Corey Dillon is a pain in the
ass. There is only one T.O. in the NFL; he's in a class of his own as far
as classless acts go. Jerry Porter is no T.O. If you can get him for a second
round pick then do it. Otherwise, they'll be putting this team on the shoulders
of McNabb and the defense again and we saw what the results were in 2001-2003,
and oh yeah they had a better running game in those seasons.
This is not to say I don't think they'll be an eleven-win team as that is
my prediction. However, they'll be knocked out in the playoffs again in
disappointing fashion for a lackluster running game and mediocre wide-receiver
play. And, the same story will play out. It's time for Reid to step up and
make a play for a replacement to Pinktson.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies once again have shocked the populace by throttling the Mets 11-4 tonight to come within 2 1/2 games of the wild card. This comes after a 13-0 romp on Monday night. In back-to-back nights the Phillies have done the unthinkable. They have scored over 10 runs and have defied the "Phillies letdown factor" as I call it.
This happens whenever they pile on a lot of runs; the offense will score 11 runs one day, and then follow it up with 3 to 4 clunkers in a row when they only score 1-3 runs. We've seen it time and time again.
I'm not going to fully commit myself yet, because I am still suspicious of the pitching staff. However, 24 runs in two games, with two marvelous pitching performances against the best team in the National League is impressive.
It's been well documented that the firesale had an opposite effect. Rather than making this team weaker it changed the chemistry and has made the team better. The old adage goes, it's addition by subtraction.
Randy Wolf went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs and 2 walks, while striking out 2. Sure, he only had 2 K's, but the key number here is the walks and he notched his first win in over a year.
Think about this. The team carries a $60 million dollar payroll after the contracts of Mike Lieberthal, David Delluci, and Randy Wolf expire. It's a foregone conclusion they should resign Delluci. But, it would really behoove them to sign Randy Wolf to a 3-year deal for about $20 million. That would be a bargain, as he is looking more and more like the Randy Wolf of three years ago, the one who had 2 consecutive shutouts in 2004 and who was an All-Star in 2003. He's still shaky at times, but it's clear he has turned the corner in his recovery and would be a good number 3 starter behind future ace Cole Hamels and number 2 starter Brett Myers.
--------------------------------
Here is my message to the Donovan McNabb haters.
SHUT THE HELL UP!!!
I've had enough already. I am losing my mind people. On the one hand, these so-called know-it-alls and Angelo Cataldi want Donovan McNabb to be a leader. Then, on the other hand they want him to shut up when he steps up and exudes his leadership.
Huh?
And, I would be remiss to just call out Cataldi. There is a loud minority of fans who are McNabb haters. They never liked him. They never will like him and he could win a Super Bowl MVP and they'll still bitch about how he could've thrown a fourth touchdown. Or, they'll bitch about how he could've attempted 8 rushes in the Super Bowl as opposed to just 4 rushes. McNabb could throw for 300 yards, 3 TD's, and 0 INT's in the Super Bowl following two electric performances after a 15-1 season when he throws for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns and these same haters will destroy the man.
McNabb could cure cancer and these same people will rip him.
Even in his 2004 season they would complain how he wouldn't run. Who the hell cares if he runs? Seriously. If he wins games that's all that matters. He didn't need to run in 2004 because the offense averaged over 30 points a game in the first 12 games and last season his abdomen was shredded like an accounting record at World Com.
I really find it appalling, no not just appalling, but abominable that these fans would criticize him for saying they have a chance to be a Super Bowl team. What do you people want him to say; that they suck? Do you want him to say this team will win 6 games again?
This is the most ridiculous logic (or lack thereof) since Ronald Regan's declaration that forests are bad. Yes, he actually did say that. Look it up.
--------------------------------
Other blurbs (this is Ben's idea and a damn good one so I'll start using it)
Thursday night....
The Eagles will face off against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night and we'll probably see the offense for the better part of the first-half. Some players to watch out for are Todd Pinkston and Correll Buckhalter. If Pinkston lasts one series and limps off the field then his season will probably be finished and look for the Eagles to strike a deal with Denver Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie. And, we'll get to see once and for all if Correll Buckhalter can make the team.
Dallas Green replaces the umpire...
Charlie Manuel didn't take too kindly to Dallas Owens calling him out on the carpet during the Phillies' June swoon. What did he expect the greatest manager in the history of the Phillies to say? It was clear they were laying down like a bunch of dogs as they have in other seasons. Manuel reportedly went on a verbal tirade near the dugout when Green stopped down to say hi to the skipper. This was the first time the two have spoken since Green all but ripped him on Howard Eskin's show in June. Manuel gave Green the type of tongue lashing he often gives umpires. Manuel came out and said he didn't like what Green said and conversely Green said the team was playing "lousy fundamental baseball" at the time and he'll never hold back from speaking his mind. Both seem to have cleared the air, but it's clear that the team is light years beyond that dreadful team earlier in the season and Dallas Green acknowledged that.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies throttled the Mets tonight 13-0 in a classic romp. This game was bizzare, shocking, and typical of the Phillies of recent memory.
The bizarre:
Pedro Martinez lasted as long as a mayfly, while giving up six runs in just
one inning of work. He threw just 35 pitches and it was evident something
wasn't right with him tonight. Was his arm sore? Or, did Willie Randolph
decide on yanking him because the Mets have a commanding lead, making this
game all but an afterthought?
On the flip side Cole Hamels dominated the Mets going 8 innings striking
out 9, and allowing 0 runs. Nobody would have thought Hamels would have
been the one to dominate while Pedro was his antithesis tonight.
The shocking:
On the other side of the plate Ryan Howard went 1 for 5 with 4 strikeouts.
And, as if this wasn't enough Chase Utley didn't even play tonight.
Typical:
The Phillies have been known to have offensive explosions like this over
the years. There is no rhyme or reason. Usually they struggle (lost 2 straight
games) prior to an offensive outburst like this. Then, they'll go on to
score an aggregate five to six runs in two to three subsequent games. Over
the years the numbers are compelling.
What makes this game a delight is that Hamels is clearly progressing. Rookies
often have growing pains and this year's rookie class of pitchers is in
a league of it's own if you read Ben Whitman's rookie pitcher article you'll
see that it's probably the greatest collection of rookie pitchers in major
league history. Now, Hamles is catching up in this pack. The Phillies look
to possibly have their ace provided he stays healthy. It's a prerequisite
that we attach that caveat to any pitcher these days after seeing the likes
of Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and even Francisco Liriano hitting the DL with
arm troubles.
--------------------------------
Beep...beep...beep...beep...
That my friends are the sound of the 76ers trade talks once again having
a pulse. And, this one is said to have legitimacy.
It involves Chris Webber and his $20 million horrendous contract.
It involves master-bafoon Isiah Thomas.
And, it involves two players on the Knicks who happen to be Maurice Taylor
and Quentin Richardson.
Sorry to spoil your day with that, but the good news is that Maurice Taylor's
contract is for roughly 10 million and expires after this season. There
goes half of Webber's money after one year. Good step. The downside is they
take on a player in Quentin Richardson who is owed $33 million over the
next four years. Even at that though, it's a hell of a step up from Webber's
gargantuan contract which pays him over $40 million over the next two seasons.
And, in the world of the NBA Richardson would be much easier to dump off
on a team as his contract counts 6.9, 8.1, 8.8, and 9.3 million over the
next four years.
It's been said that the Sixers turned down this trade because they want
to keep Webber.
Is Billy King having brainwave activity? I'm beginning to wonder if he's
alive in his office in the Wachovia Center.
It's been well documented that he pulled the hook on the Iverson talks after
he was disappointed with the offers he was receiving. What did he expect
to get for Iverson? You're not going to get Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson,
and a first-round pick. The best you can hope for is contracts or a contract
with fewer years, and less money in other deals-just like Isiah Thomas'
offer for Webber.
Billy King is the worst GM in Philadelphia now. I gave him a free pass for
far too long and I'm stepping up to the plate now to say it. The King must
have his crown taken. For him to turn down a deal like this is horrible
for the rebuilding of a team.
Is there an outside shot this goes back to the possible sale of the team?
Perhaps, there's a slimmer of that chance, but I'd bet on King being afraid
to make deals where he gets nothing in return.
That's how one rebuilds a team in the NBA. You find a brain dead GM like
Isiah Thomas who thinks he can assemble a winning team with overpaid has-beens
like Chris Webber with probably the worst contract in the NBA per-capita.
Then, you get back less years and ultimately less money in contract. It's
not a new blueprint; just take the page from Brian Colangelo's playbook
from when he rebuilit the Phoenix Suns in a two-year period, thus putting
them in a position to become a major player in the Western Conference.
I'm beginning to wonder if King has the guts it takes to make it in this business. He claimed there would be a culture change and changes would be made. We're still waiting.
Tick...tock...tick...tock...
Wake up Billy, you're on notice.
--------------------------------
This just in Jerome McDougle stinks.
He's horrible and will never be a contributing factor on the Eagles. And, I'm fed up with it. The wasted a second round pick and a first-round pick to trade up for him and I was duped. I was among the many college football observers who said this kid would be the heir apparent to Hugh Douglas.
I was duped and will admit it. And, when I'm duped I'm pissed! McDougle's aggregate career numbers go like this: 23 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pass deflections in his three-year career, one in which he plaid just 8 games in his rookie campaign in 2003 and 11 games in 2004.
Yeah, I know I'm being two hard on a guy who missed his rookie season because he couldn't get on the field for suffering a litany of leg injuries. I'm being hard on a player who was more absent than a dead-beat father in his second campaign. But, last year wasn't his fault of course as he was shot. But, and there's a big but here...he tried to return but suffered and infection in his abdomen. And, now he once again got the injury bug and will be out three weeks with broken ribs.
Are you kidding me? He makes Marcus Camby look like Cal Ripken.
Some players never have any sort of impact in this league because their bodies won't allow it. For some in the case of Tony Mandarich or Brian Bosworth they consume more juice than tank at a Tropicana plant. Or, in the case of players like Andre Wadsworth (Cardinals fourth overall choice in 1998), Steve Emtman (Colts first overall choice in 1992), Trev Alberts (Colts fifth overall choice in 1994) or Courtney Brown (Browns first overall choice in 2000) they can just never get on the field because of a variety of injuries. It's clear now that McDougle falls into that category.
The good news out of this is that he wasn't a top five draft choice, but he was a 15th overall pick in a draft where Troy Polamalu went directly below him at 16, Willis McGahee went to Buffalo at 23, and Larry Johnson went to Kansas City at 27.
Ah yes, we're at that juncture when it's time to evaluate what could have been. McDougle is expected to be a contributor this year, but truth be told he probably will have another injury while recovering from the ribs, or get an injury upon his return. If he does play this year it won't be for more than a handful of games, then he'll be gone.
There are reports that the Broncos might be interested in his services for Ashley Lelie or Tatum Bell. I'd pull the trigger on that in a picosecond. That trade would be more lopsided than my recent trade in a fantasy baseball league where somebody offered me Phillies killer Juan Pierre and the Kansas City Royals outfielder David DeJesus for Josh Willingham. I was happy to get rid of Willingham who had much trouble getting on the field for me after I acquired him.
McDougle is damaged goods at this point. For him to make an impact would be gravy, but if the Broncos want him then they should get him out of here.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Just two days after I sang the praises of the Phillies, after I deemed
them playoff ready and playing with heart, they drop two straight to the
Reds and fall back to 4 games out of the Wild Card. Don't get me wrong,
there are still reasons to be optimistic, they once again fought their way
back to tie it in the ninth when Ryan Howard singled in Jimmy Rollins. Earlier,
Howard hit his NL leading 41st home run of the season in the 6th off Eric
Milton. Unfortunately, they couldn't comeback after Ryan Madsen gave up
two runs in the top of the 10th.
While I certainly think the Phillies still have a shot at the N.L. Wild
Card and why not? The NL is not particularly strong outside of the
Mets. Even the most hard-boiled, pessimistic Phillies fans have to see this
team is headed in the right direction. Even if you don't recognize that
this team has played with more character since the trade deadline, (Was
Abreu's leaving a kick in the butt? Maybe deleting Cory Lidle's daily opinions
has something to do with it.) you have to see the bright side here. Ryan
Howard is the real deal, Dennis and I went back and forth about Howard during
the off-season. Dennis insisted he was a legit stud, while I warned him
to be cautious and to be wary of the sophomore slump. Well, I was wrong,
Howard is a monster in the mold of David Ortiz. He hits 'em far and he hits
'em when they need it most. Chase Utley and Aaron Rowand play with as much
heart and fire as you're going to see in MLB. Brett Myers, Gavin Floyd,
Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Scott Mathieson are a nice collection of young
arms. If the Phillies could just add a veteran ace (I know, easier said
than done) and a veteran #3 starter, they can contend in 2007.
Some blurbs…
37-year-old linebacker Junior Seau will be announcing his retirement Monday
morning. In a way, it was tough to watch Seau as half the player he once
was the last few years after being such a dynamic player while in San Diego.
He's a sure thing Hall of Famer.
USA Basketball is actually looking like something to be proud of again.
They crushed Lithuania 111-88 to move to 4-0 in exhibition games leading
into the World Championships. This team is designed so much smarter than
our last Olympic effort. It's not a collection of ball hogs with a similar
skill sets. They pass, they defend and the shoot the ball. Thank goodness
someone came to their senses.
Today Floyd Landis announced that his testosterone level was elevated during
the Tour De France because he placed a freshly microwaved bag of popcorn
on his crotch while resting between stages. OK, maybe I made this one up,
but damn, can that guy come up with anymore lame excuses?
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies followed up their thrilling 14-inning victory with a disappointing 9-7 loss to the Reds. The usual suspect in this defeat was the Phillies’ pitching staff.
Tom Gordon once again came up lame for the Fightins’ as he blew his
second consecutive save.
A few things were prevalent when watching this game, one: Chase Utley gets
a free pass whenever he strikes out, as does Ryan Howard.
The main reason behind this is that Utley and Howard are Philly players,
who exemplify what it means to be a passionate player for the Philadelphia
franchises. They are extremely talented, gutsy, leaders, and willing to
lay it on the line to win games.I got into an interesting discussion with
Ben Whitman who mentioned that the Philadelphia fans weren’t reactive
to a few strikeouts in the fourth inning in last night’s game.
Well, Howard and Utley get free passes because they exemplify what it means
to be an athlete in Philly. Added to that, they are the antithesis of the
likes of Abreu and Burrell.
--------------------------------
Many football observers are nervous as to what Andy Reid, et al. will do
once the NFL season begins.
Will he come to his senses and get a wide receiver to replace Todd Pinkston?
It’s very unlikely.
Will he find a running back to fill the often-vacated shoes by Correll Buckhalter?
It’s even more unlikely.
And, will Big Red ensure that Donovan McNabb has a capable back up?
Jeff Garcia seems to be the man in that department.
All in all, it’s a stressful preseason for not only the casual Eagles
fan, but the garden variety “Johnny come lately.”
The reason why this team stands to win 11 games is the very reason why they
won that much in 2001; their defense stands to be a top five defense with
a dominant pass-rush and top-notch pass defense; remember the two work hand
in hand.
There isn’t much to be worried about in Eagles nation. If there’s
a worry it’s that Correll Buckhalter was relied upon in this training
camp, which is almost inhumane considering the troubles he’s had in
recent years.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
As you can see Dennis Bakay didn't do Today's News today. This will be my first time doing this so fear not nothing is wrong, it's just that Dennis went to the Phillies game tonight which turned into a marathon 14-inning affair. So yours truly has taken the reigns today. Think of it as Fidel Castro handing power over while gravely ill...well, maybe it's not that important, but here goes!
After just two pre-season games, optimism has engulfed the city in regards to the Eagles. Now of course the optimism is tempered since the team is coming off a train wreck of a 2005 season in which they finished 6-10. Following the 20-7 victory over the Browns yesterday, a few things are evident. Donovan McNabb is back, and as Dennis mentioned yesterday looked sharp in his two series of work, but the talk of the town today has been undrafted rookie wide out Hank Baskett. It's amazing what one diving catch in a pre-season game can do for a city, but the kid has got people talking, and talking positively. After the T.O. debacle, and a team desperate for a receiver to step up, it's certainly a welcomed topic. Most importantly, the defense pressured Browns quarterback Charlie Frye effectively and recorded three sacks by Darren Howard, Jerome McDougle and LeJuan Ramsey. Jevon Kearse was a presence and Brodrick Bunkley, fresh off his two-week hold out, came close to a sack on just his third play. If there were concerns, it certainly starts with rash of injuries in the backfield that Dennis touched on yesterday. Four, count them four Eagles Running backs are now injured starting with the top three of Westbrook, Moats, and Perry who missed the game and starter Reno Mahe. Penalties also cost the Eagles a score on their second drive. A double-penalty on Reggie Brown countered L.J. Smith's first down catch, thus stopping their drive.
The oddest story coming out of the game was a report that Pro Bowl long snapper Mike Bartrum had suffered a heart attack. While Andy Reid denied the report, the Eagles also said he didn't play because of an "undisclosed illness."
--------------------------------
Do you hear that sound? It's a faint pulse emanating from South Philly.
The Phillies 6-5 win in a 14-inning marathon brought them within two games
of the N.L. Wildcard. That is worth repeating, the Phillies…2 games
below .500, still stinging from the embarrassment of the Brett Myers incident,
whose GM buried the 2006 season publicly just a few weeks ago, the team
that had a mini fire sale before the trading deadline…are just 2 games
from the N.L. Wildcard. This was a goofy game, but these are the games that
playoff bound teams win. Pitchers pinch hitting for pitchers, starters coming
in during extras, benches completely drained and 16 pitchers throwing nearly
450 pitches. Besides this being a fun game to watch, maybe the most entertaining
Phillies game of the season, it was a game that showed the Fightins still
have a little fight left in them.
They were shut down the first 6 innings by a guy the Twins could barely
give away with his 6.85 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. But then they did something that
the good teams do, once they ran Kyle Loshe and got into the pen, they made
things happen. Speaking of pens, Arthur Rhodes and Rick White showed great
poise getting out of a jam in the top of the 8th. Bottom 8 the Phils put
a beating on Bill Bray and take the lead. Flash Gordon comes in to close
it and blows the lead but the Phils come right back in the bottom of the
9th to tie it. In extras, the bullpen once again gets out of a huge basses
loaded jam and of course, Aaron Rowand makes them pay for walking Ryan Howard
to load the bases. All of the things I just listed are things that playoff
teams do. These are things that keep you in the hunt. Not folding under
adversity and never giving up will get any team a long way. Who were these
guys tonight? Are these really Cory Lidle's Phillies? The Phillies looked
like a playoff team…for one night anyway.
A couple other things caught my attention. While I'm sure Chase Utley's
wide turn at first that ended up with him getting thrown out from right
field early in the game had many people groaning, it's actually a good sign.
Utley personifies hustle and that is one thing this team needs. Sure, we
know Utley is a gamer and certainly Rowand is, but if they could get 1 through
25 to play that way every night, the Phillies could be looking at their
first trip to the post season since…well since when? I also respect
the fire that we saw from Pat Burrell tonight. The big fist pump after he
legged out a triple (although horribly played by Ken Griffey Jr.) was nice
to see from a guy who gets a lot of flack in this town.
Finally, is there any wonder the Phils have the third worst home record
in the National League? The first six innings of the game I had a better
chance of hearing 41,000 crickets than I did of hearing some noise from
half the 41,000 in attendance. Yes, it has been a tough season, yes it sucks
to be shut down by a pitcher that throws slop, but c'mon people, believe
it or not, you are in a playoff race. It's great that you fill the park,
but flipping the remote from Fenway Park to Yankees Stadium to Citizens
Bank it was obvious that 2 of those 3 buildings have a distinct home advantage.
Don't react to the Phillies, make the Phillies react to you.
--------------------------------
Some blurbs…
The English national soccer team will be "bending it without Beckham."
The jet setting pretty boy stepped down from his captaincy following the
World Cup and today was shockingly left off the squad as they finalized
their roster for an exhibition game vs. European Champion Greece. Beckham,
while not as bad a soccer player as Anna Kournikova was a tennis player,
I always viewed him as the male version of her. He is more famous for his
looks, his wife and his high profile lifestyle than for anything he's done
on the field.
ESPN reported today that buck wild former running back Maurice Clarett was
court ordered to under go a mental health evaluation. Who didn't see that
coming? I mean, I like to load up my guns and slip on my bullet proof vest,
guzzle down half a fifth of the goose and ride down the wrong side of the
road while listening to children's songs as much as the next red blooded
American male, but this is a guy who signed an all incentive contract because
he wanted "first round" money after be drafted in the third round.
He's lucky he got a first chance, if he ends up getting a second chance,
I'll just give up on life.
Contact Ben Whitman at bwhitman@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Donovan McNabb was once again sharp tonight going 7 for 9 for 78 yards in the first quarter against the Browns. Even though their offense only put up 3 points in the first half, there were some impressive plays made by Hank Baskett and Matt Schoebel. And, Jeff Garcia threw a perfect touchdown strike to Darnerian McCants-who I must say can no longer be referred to by yours truly as "Darnerian McCant Catch." He's having a fine training camp and should make the team.
Baskett made an acrobatic grab at the 2-yard line, which set up a field
goal a few plays later after Reno Mahe left the game with a mild concussion.
With Mahe leaving the game that makes it a total of five running backs to
be out of action; Westbrook (sprained foot), Moats (knee), Buckhalter (every
knee ligament known to man), Perry (concussion), and now Mahe. To say their
running backs have been snake bitten by the black mamba of injury Gods would
be an understatement of the utmost degree.
Again, it's preseason, but one should be concerned if this pattern continues
into the end of August.
The defense played exceptionally tonight and it's as clear as a Caribbean
ocean that Darren Howard, et al. is no joke. And, that defensive end named
Jerome McDougale made an appearance tonight. Sure, it was against third
stringers, but the explosiveness was quite prevalent as he bull rushed his
opponent to take the quarterback down within a matter of seconds.
Remember my rules on preseason games.
You want to see the first team offense and defense play well.
Check.
You want to see some of the young players play well.
Check.
And, you most certainly want to see the key players leave unscathed...or
relatively unscathed.
Check.
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Today Eric Desjardins announced his retirement and it marks the end of a
great 17-year career. He was considered one of the greatest Flyers in team
history, and was a constant on a Flyers team, which has made the playoffs
every year for the past decade.
He won a cup with the Canadians in the 90's then went on to play with the
Flyers for eleven seasons.
Desjardins was the glue that held the defense together during his tenure;
he provided speed, leadership, and scoring from the defensive position.
He was maligned with injury upon injury the past few seasons and especially
the past season, so even the non-hockey expert such as myself could see
his career was coming to a close. He was limited to just 93 games in the
past two seasons.
The 1997 team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals is now officially in the
rear-view window.
So it goes, another career comes to a close by a Philadelphia great.
The Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 9-3 today to come within 3 games of the wildcard. They ended their road trip 6-3 against the Cardinals, Mets, and Braves-who they happen to be 3 games ahead of in the wildcard race. It's amazing considering the Phillies had a fire sale and the Braves acquired pitchers Danys Baez and Bob Wickman to bolster their bullpen to make a run at the wildcard.
Remember these are the same Phillies that have played well in recent years
when they were out of it in 2004 and 2005. They have broken the hearts of
the populace only to hook them back in and crush them again time and time
again.
Is this team different? Probably not.
The facts are they are three games below .500 and their pitching staff is
average at best, while their offense still as a whole has too many strikeouts
while leaving too many runners on base in scoring position.
And, the fact remains that they are very much in the wildcard race. And,
it's a testament to the heart of the players like Utley and Howard who carry
this team despite the fact that the team has been blown up. They are 8-4
since the fire sale began.
What does all of this translate to? They are a team lead by younger players
now. And, they will be in the thick of things in a weak N.L. until at least
late-September. There isn't a snowball's chance on Mercury of this team
winning a World Series title against teams like the Tigers or Red Sox, but
they have as good of a chance to make the playoffs as any team in the N.L.
Yes, even the Reds who have Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo at the top of
their rotation.
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The Eagles head into tomorrow night's game against the Brown with a litany
of injuries.
Brian Westbrook will be held out with a foot sprain, although it's not a
Lis Franc sprain, and not a sprain to the foot, which caused him to miss
the latter part of last season.
Reggie Brown will play though, who was held out of the past few practices.
Other notables to be held out of the game tomorrow night include Darwin
Walker who has a slight fracture in one his ribs, but it isn't as serious
as the rib fracture Donovan McNabb suffered in the NFC Championship game
against Carolina on that dirty hit we all remember.
Brodrick Bunkley will play for a few plays though. It will be nice to see
him get into some action and assess what he can do, but it must be taken
with the proverbial grain of salt (see my rules for watching preseason games
from Monday). He has only practiced for two days and missed an aggregate
28 days of practice. It would be shocking to see him play more than a handful
of plays in one quarter.
The game tomorrow night will be more for the backups and another tune-up
for McNabb, Hank Baskettt, Reggie Brown, and L.J. Smith.
Another player to watch for will be J.R. Reid. Having seen him at training
camp it really appears that he is on the road back. And, after watching
him make some hits and returning kicks he belongs on the team.
--------------------------------
Maurice Clarrett get my Eddie Griffin award for the biggest F-up. As you may know Eddie Griffin was arrested for a DUI and admitted that after crashing his SUV he was masturbating to porno.
Well, Clarrett topped Griffn. He was arrested in a high-speed chase and hit with mace after the officers failed to subdue him with stun guns as he was wearing a bullet proof vest. And, oh yeah he was packing some major heat...to the tune of 4 loaded fire arms in his vehicle.
One has to wonder, was Clarrett on his way to avenging a drug deal gone wrong? Or, was he prepared to pull off a major heist? Or, was he was ready to broker a deal for a slew of brothels?
The possibilities are endless, but this Act of Clarett's sordid life is about to get very interesting.
Can you say TV movie?
Ugh. I hope not. When everything comes out, his story deserves to be told by Larry Clark or Paul Haggis.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The injuries are piling up for the Eagles as Brian Westbrook missed practice
today with a left foot sprain. The bad news is he had a foot sprain last
year, which sidelined him for the final 4 games of the season. The good
news is this was the opposite foot of the one he injured last year. It doesn't
appear to be very serious since he is questionable for Thursday's game against
Cleveland.
Reggie Brown left practice today with a calf strain and this comes just
a week after he missed time for a hamstring injury. And, Bruce Perry of
course is out of action with a concussion. On a positive note Ryan Moats
has returned to practice.
The offense is without a doubt the weakness on the Eagles and they can ill-afford
to have any more injuries since they'll need time to gel in the preseason.
Above all, it's a long season after an extended training camp. It's safe
to say Todd Pinkston isn't getting much better and they'll need to start
negotiating with the Broncos for Ashley Lelie's services. Word is the Bears
offered a fourth round choice, so it wouldn't take much to give Reggie Brown
a compliment on the other side. Hank Baskett is a great story, but it's
a lot to throw on the shoulders of an undrafted FA rookie.
If there is cause for optimism it's that the defense is healthy and devoid
of any injuries, save for a missed practice by Jevon Kearse. Their pass
rush looks to be devastating with a healthy Kearse, Howard, and Jerome McDougale.
And, oh yeah the former holdout by the name of Brodrick Bunkley will only
give their defense more push and depth up the middle.
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The NFL named Roger Goodell as it's fourth commissioner in history tonight
after being unanimously elected by the league's 32 owners.
There really was no suspense with this election as Goodell was the clear
favorite from the time Tagliabue announced he would step down following
his negotiation of labor peace which would stave off what many feared as
oncoming "Great Labor War of '07."
There were rumors that some prospective candidates would include people
with political backgrounds including Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice,
who is a huge football fan and former provost at Stanford University.
The early favorite Goodell prevailed as he beat out four other finalists
including Gregg H. Levy, Partner of Covington & Burling Law Firm; Frederick
R. Nance, Partrner of Squire Sanders & Dempsey law firm; Robert L. Reynolds,
Vice Chairman and COO of Fidelity Investments; and Mayo A Shattuck III,
Chairman, President, and CEO of Constellation Energy.
The prevailing wisdom here is that Goodell is the safest choice and has
been involved with the NFL for 24 years, since he served as an intern in
1982. He has worked closely with Tagliabue having served as his top assistant,
while holding the title of Chief Operating Officer since 2001.
The selection process was the antithesis to the selection of Pete Rozelle's
successor in 1989 following his death, when it took seven months to finally
elect Tagliabue to take over the head post.
Goodell inherits the most powerful job in professional sports and will have
many challenges in the coming years as agents will surely look to get the
salary cap bastardized much like the NBA, which would doom the sport. As
more money is injected into the sport through television revenues that will
only complicate matters with many owners. The game couldn't possibly be
in any better shape after the latest CBA, which was settled nearly 5 months
ago. He inherits the torch from the greatest commissioner in professional
sports and a man who was the architect of a new NFL, which is as competitive
as it is addictive, and as well run as it is an intense viewing experience.
G