Today's News
June 30, 2007
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
5 Back
Phillies lose both games of day-night doubleheader to Mets to fall 5 games back
The Phillies had a disastrous opening to their 4-game series with the Mets on Friday by dropping both games.
The first game was really over before the 5th inning when starter JD Durbin left them in a deep hole by giving up 6 runs in 4 2/3. It's an improvement for him though because his ERA coming into the game was a 94.50.
He dropped his ERA to a paltry 21.94 with the losing performance.
Orlando Hernandez gave up 2 earned over 6 and that was enough to take care of business.
The Fightins put up 4 runs between the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings, but got shut down by Billy Wagner in the 9th and fell to the Mets 6-5.
Some unusual names knocked in runs for the Phillies in the first game. Chris Coste was brought up from the minors and homered in the 6th; it was just his 6th game of the season. Wes Helms returned from the witness protection program to get his second homerun of the season. And, hold your breath, but Pat Burell knocked in a run in the 8th inning.
The second game didn't go very well for the Phils. And, it usually can't if their ace can't even have a quality start. Cole Hamels went just 5 innings and gave up 3 earned, while striking out 5 and walking 5. It wasn't a good start at all for him. Sure, he only gave up 3 runs, but he just didn't have "it." The 10 base runners allowed ( 5 hits and 5 walks surrendered) just killed them.
John Maine on the other side had a great start. He gave up two runs (one earned) over 8 innings and struck out 6 and walked zilch. This is what the Phillies needed. Their ace had to deliver like Maine did, but he couldn't deliver.
In fact, Hamels has been anything but spectacular since his torrid start to the season. In his last 5 starts, he is just 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA, 32 hits, and 25 K's in 28 innings. His strikeout numbers are there, but he's been giving up too many homeruns and allowing too many base runners.
The offense was absent in this game just as they were in the first game. Chase Utley was responsible for the only runs when he had a sac fly in the 4th to score a run and a single in the 9th to score Jimmy Rollins.
The Phillies started a rally in the 9th, but Pat Burrell went down swinging to Billy Wagner to leave 2 on base to end the game.
Aside from the overall dreadful performance by this team, there is just no reason why they should have trotted a minor league pitcher out there in this doubleheader. The team should have shuffled the rotation and put Durbin against the Reds along with J.A. Happ who is starting today. The Reds are the worst team in the majors and they should not have used their best pitchers against them when they have such a huge series this weekend.
The Phillies are now 5 games back after dropping both games.
Things aren't starting off on a good foot today as they are down 3-0 in the first inning with J.A. Happ on the hill.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Rollin' On
Phillies win series against the Reds on Jimmy Rollins' game-winning hit in the 10th
Jimmy Rollins started off the series against the Reds like a lamb, by going just 2-for-9 in the first two games, but he left like a blood-thirsty lion as he went 4-for-6 with 2 RBI, including the game-winning single on a rain-soaked field in the bottom of the 10th.
And, now he and the rest of the Fightins head into a showdown with the Mets with some mometum, who are 3 games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East.
Chase Utley had a huge evening as well, by hitting a pair of two-run bombs.
The Phillies provided plenty of fireworks and excitement on a night when the Sixers boored the majority of the fanbase to sleep with their draft.
They pulled out a dramatic 8-7 victory despite a poor start by Adam Eaton (5 earned over 6 innings) and blown save by Ryan Madson.
And, Rollins was the one who stepped up and carried the team when it mattered most.
One has to like Jimmy Rollins' confidence. He said, "It doesn't matter who's coming into town," Rollins said. "The team in front of us, the team we're playing that day, that's the team we need to beat. This series was important. And of course, the Mets are coming into town and it's good we got the win tonight. We've seen how a devastating loss can carry over for a game or two. Hopefully a win can carry over for us."
The Phillies open up the first game in the four game series at 1:35 today. They play a day-night doubleheader against the Mets and J.D. Durbin will start for the Phillies against Orlando Hernandez at The Bank.
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Sixers throw a curveball and take Thaddeus Young with their first pick
All day yesterday we were hearing the rumors coming out. First there was the rumor with Atlanta involving the #3 pick and Andre Miller along with both of the Sixers’ top picks. Then, there was the Yi Jianlian rumor, which had the Sixers moving up to the #6 spot for their 12th and 21st picks. And, there were reports that they were high on Joakim Noah and wanted to get up into the 6-8 range in order to get him.
None of it happened. And, it’s pretty disappointing.
I don’t know enough about college basketball to say whether or not Thaddeus Young was a bad pick. From the reports I hear, he’s smart, very athletic, and has the potential to be a great scorer in this league. That’s fine and good, but the term upside has been abused in the NBA more than heroine on Kensington and Allegheny Avenue.
The Sixers also got a solid, athletic big man in Jason Smith out of Colardo State with their 2nd pick (they traded up with Miami to select him), which looks like a nice pick.
The thing is there’s just no pizzazz. No buzz. The Sixers needed to do something huge, like the Lindros trade, or the Eagles’ signing of TO. They needed to pull of a blockbuster of a deal in order to get the #3 pick in the draft. I disagree with those who say they didn’t have the ammo. They have an expiring contract in Andre Miller-a point guard who is very good in this league, and they had two decent draft picks. If that wasn’t enough, then they should’ve thrown in next year’s pick.
This team needs an injection; a catalyst, something to bring basketball back, and they didn’t do it. They are now looking at the 40-43 win plateau for the foreseeable future, unless they start breathing some life into this team. And, I say that because what elite free agents will want to come here (when they finally get rid of those awful contracts) if they see they are just a mediocre team without any plan to win a title.
Right now, they look like an organization in no-man’s land. And, I’d rather they be a horrible team for a little while then just mediocre. At least if they’re horrible they can procure high draft picks for a few years and get good eventually like the Bulls did.
Last night they came into this draft talking like they had a plan, but got backed into a corner and ended up having to pay Miami money and giving them a second round pick just to move up a spot when Miami took the guy they wanted. They were held hostage. Then, they waited too long and rather than trading their 30th pick for a future first-rounder to somebody like Cleveland who had no picks, they selected some nobody out of Finland and gave the pick up for a second rounder. Sure, that pick is just about worthless (because it's a second rounder essentially you're guaranteeing money to), but if they were more proactive a team without any picks would've given them a future first-rounder.
Just what is their plan?
It looks like don't even know.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
76ers Select...
Freshman Thaddeus Young out of Georgia Tech is the Sixers' first pick
The Sixers not only didn't move up in the draft, but they didn't take who everybody expected; Al Thornton. Rather, they selected Georgia Tech small forward Thaddeus Young. He was rated as the 13th best player on ESPN's top 100 list. He is 6-8 and 210 pounds and played just one season of college ball and averaged 14.4 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The positives on him are that he has potential to be a big-time scorer, but much of his draft stock is attributed to the most overused word in NBA scouting; upside. There are questions about his strength and body development issues.
The bottom line is nobody knows a whole lot about freshman not named Kevin Durant or Greg Oden. Young was one of the top student athletes in the country so he has the smarts. And, he has great athletic ability and works hard. Take that for what it's worth.
They also select 21st and 30th in the first round.
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Draft Coverage
Sixers said to be focusing on Yi as their first target
According to Howard Eskin, the Sixers are making a huge push to trade up to the Celtics' 5th spot so they can select Yi Jianlian. And, if they don't land him then they'll go after Joakim Noah.
610 WIP's Anthony Gargano just a few moments ago said that Larry Brown is in favor of drafting center Spencer Hawes, should he fall to the 12th pick, but they will try to trade up to the 6th to 8th range in order to pick Noah.
All indications are that they are on the move up and Noah will be their likely target. I personally can't see the Celtics trading their pick to a division rival. And, it looks like Atlanta and Boston probably won't move their picks to the Sixers. The draft is set to begin in just a few moments. So, the Sixers will be working the clock until the last second if they will make a move up into the top 8.
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Sixers trying to move up to #3, may move up between 6 and 8
I just checked it out and one of my sources is telling me that the Sixers may trade up to #3 with Atlanta. And, they won't even have to give up Iguodala, rather they'll trade them Andre Miller and most likely their 12th and 21st picks. And, the man they want of course if Al Horford.
If they can't work out a deal with the Hawks, they'll try to move up between the 6th and 8th spots to select Jeff Green.
The word is they will unlikely select at 12, but if they do they'll take Spencer Hawes (as their first choice) or Al Thornton if he's there.
We'll continue to keep you updated as we hear more.
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Sunk Again
Phillies bullpen once again costs them the game; Howard fastest to 100 homers
Last night started out on a good foot when the Moyer and Harang were engaged in a pitching duel with the score tied at 0-0 until the 5th.
And, then Ryan Howard launched a 505 foot shot (his 100th career homerun) into the upper stratosphere to make it 3-0. Ryan Howard also is the fastest player in major league baseball history to hit 100 homeruns; he did it in 325 games.
The 7th inning is where things took a more tragic turn than a snuff film. Jamie Moyer had a no-hitter going through 5 2/3 and was pulled for Geoff Geary, who has been to the bullpen what a broken condom is to preventing a pregnancy. It seemed as though this inning would never end after the bullpen gave up 6 runs before it was all said and done. The inning lasted a total of one hour once the Phillies scored 3 runs in the bottom of the inning.
But, of course the motley crew of bullpen mates couldn't keep the Phillies in this game. The Reds scored all nine of their runs in the last 3 innings, thus beating the Phillies 9-6.
Greg Dobbs had a great night at the plate though, going 3-for-3, and that shot by Ryan Howard was one for the ages. How often will you see a milestone homerun that is hit that far?
The Fightins will try and win the series tonight at 7:05 at The Bank.
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Draft Coverage
So far the word we're getting is the Sixers like Jeff Green and are looking to trade with Milwaukee. It remains to be seen if they'll get it done with just their 12th and 21st picks. The Bucks will likely try and hold out for the best deal, as any team in their right mind would do.
Yep, I'm Captain Obvious, but that's the deal. All of the teams are waiting it out for the best offers so we won't hear anything until probably later in the afternoon.
The Sixers fell in love with Sean Williams yesterday, who is an athletic shot blocker that got kicked off Boston College’s team, but come on-he’s not a lottery pick. If anything, he’s a guy you take at the end of the first round and not someone you look to draft in hopes of making a real impact on the team.
Stay tuned tonight for our draft coverage. We will keep you updated if we hear any breaking news regarding trades.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Beat Down
Phillies throttle Reds 11-4 and rookie Kyle Kendrick gets 2nd win of the year
In the first inning this had disaster written all over it when Kyle Kendrick walked the bases loaded. But, he got out of the jam and managed to only give up one run in the first inning after walking the bases loaded twice (he surrendered 2 walks overall) and throwing over 30 pitches.
How the hell did that happen?
Well, it happens with a little luck and some nice defense.
Kendrick is now 2-0 in 3 starts since taking over for the biggest Philadelphia bust since Shawn Bradley, and has gone six innings in two of those starts (including last night despite a huge pitch count after one inning).
Charlie Manuel deserves a lot of credit for one play last night when he opted for a double-steal in the second inning. Even though third base coach Steve Smith ultimately told Carlos Ruiz to not go, he kept running once catcher Dave Ross attempted to throw out Michael Bourn at second base.
It was the Phillies' first steal of home plate since Scott Rolen accomplished the feat in '97 at home against the Cubs. And, it was the first home steal by a Phillies catcher since Bo Diaz did it in Pittsburgh in 1982.
All in all it was a great night on all sides for the Phillies. They got a decent start out of Kendrick (gave up 4 runs in 6 innings) and Zagurski and Geary pitched 3 scoreless innings combined. Utley was 3-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI and Ryan Howard hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the first off Homer Bailey. Victorino also hit a homerun, his 8th of the year.
The Fightins will look to keep their streak alive tonight, same time, same place at The Bank.
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One day to go, where will the Sixers go in the draft?
Glen Macnow had Mo Cheeks on his show on WIP last night and the sense you could get from the interview is that the Sixers could move up to as high as 6th in the draft tomorrow night.
Billy King also acknowledged a trade rumor yesterday that involved them and the Bucks. He wouldn't deny the rumor that stated the Bucks would trade their 6th pick to the Sixers for their 12th and 21st picks.
Of course the Hawks rumor involving them sending their 3rd overall pick to the Sixers looks more and more like just that. Chances are they may get involved in that Kevin Garnett 3-way deal with Phoenix, which will send KG to the Suns, the Hawks' pick to the Wolves and some other players and Shawn Marion to Atlanta.
Chances are we won’t hear anything until just before the draft or during it. That’s usually the way it goes on NBA Draft night.
Don't forget to check out our NBA Mock Draft and Ron Costello's latest column!
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
$50K Question
Sixers VP Tony DiLeo confesses the Sixers have a decent shot at moving up
The $50,000 question on your mind surely isn't whether or not Kevin Garnett will end up in LA, because what true Philly fans really gives a damn about LA? Nope, I'm sure it has to do with just what the hell the Sixers are going to do in the NBA Draft, which is this Thursday night.
76ers Vice President Tony DiLeo was on the Glen Macnow show on 610 WIP last night and was unbelievably candid. When asked about whether they'll move up in the draft or not he said that there was a better than 50/50 chance that they would.
I'm sure Billy King was calling him (his phone went off during the phone-in interview) telling him to shut it and not tip their hand.
If anything the Sixers have proven to be the antithesis to the Phillies' brass in that they'll be open and honest and also spend everything it takes to win. They may not have made the best moves (and some have been terrible) but they do spend money.
Moving along, the latest mock draft on ESPN.com has the Sixers nabbing a forward with the first name of "Al" and no not Al Horford, but Florida State's Al Thornton. Horford will be long gone by then and that's why the Sixers are trying desperately to move up. Wouldn't you? Power forward is their biggest weakness and Horford has some serious skills and size, and is somebody you can plug in that spot and not have to worry about for the next 10 or so years.
Billy King has shot down rumors that he is willing to trade Andre Miller and the 12th selection for Atlanta's 3rd overall pick. And, there could be some fire to this because Howard Eskin for once didn't hang up on a caller when he suggested that the Sixers trade Andre Iguodala and the 12th pick for their #3 overall pick. He called the idea "intriguing" which suggests to me Eskin maybe knows something.
Other teams said to be looking to move down in the draft are Memphis, Boston, Charlotte, and Chicago.
When Billy King was drilled about the possibility of moving up he even admitted they're looking to move up.
"There are a lot of teams like us who are trying to aggressively get up," King said after two separate pre-draft workouts. "There are some teams talking about getting big-name players, and I think those conversations will continue. I think there will be a lot of movement."
The latest buzz has the Sixers working out Joakim Noah, but they'll have to go up to New York in order to do that since 15 of the top prospects were invited to work out up there.
The Sixers have some serious competition though as far as moving up goes. The Phoenix Suns got Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, and Jeff Green to attend a workout of theirs; they are said to be in talks with someone in the top-5 about moving up.
I checked with one of my sources and they said the Sixers historically don’t move up and don’t have a great feel for how the draft will play out, so it makes things tough on them as far as moving up.
This will be one exciting draft though. There's lots of talent and the Sixers have some ammo to make a move on up.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Bullpen Huge
Phillies bullpen saves the day after Hamels doesn't come back in game following rain delay
Cole Hamels started the game against Kip Wells and it appeared the Phillies had an easy win. Wells entered the game with a 3-11 record on the season and Cole Hamels is, well you know...Cole Hamels.
It turns out the Cards had a 1-0 lead after 3 innings and then the rains came. For over an hour and a half the game was delayed and when the teams came back onto the field Kip Wells stayed in, but Hamels wasn't brought back in.
Uh oh we were all thinking, but the bullpen came up huge. They pitched 6 scoreless innings of relief and Brian Sanches got the win. Madson, Sanches, Condrey, and Alfonseca each pitched scorless innings (Madson and Sanches had 2 each) to shut down the Cards and give the Phillies a series win.
This is just the boost this team needed after it was learned that Jon Lieber will probably miss the rest of the season due to a ruptured tendon in his foot.
Michael Bourn had a monster game by going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI's. Shane Victorino hit a 3-run pinch-hit double in the 8th to break the 1-1 tie.
The Phillies (39-36) are idle tonight and will face the Reds tomorrow night at The Bank at 7:05.
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Lieber out indefinitely, moves uncertain
With Jon Lieber on the fritz, just what can the Phillies do now?
Being that teams are going to hold out as long as possible before making any trades before the trade deadline, the Phillies will probably have to recall either J.A. Happ or J.D. Durbin from Ottawa.
Now the Phillies have $22 million and 2/5 of their starting rotation pretty much out for the season.
In Freddy Garcia's case, they probably took a step up by losing him, because he had just one win in 11 starts and was killing the team.
Although Jon Lieber has been erratic and had many games where he pitched great for 5 innings, then imploded, he still can give them nice starts here and there.
And, being that their farm system is very weak they'll be hard pressed to get somebody like Gil Meche from the Royals to help out the rotation.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Draft Time
Flyers could possibly move down in the draft tonight and move Pitkanen
With the Phillies idle last night and the NHL draft tonight you know what that means.
Yep, some hockey talk. However, I won't run the joke into the ground like Howard Eskin did yesterday on his show by saying sarcastically how this is "the most exciting day in sports all year." Sure, it's an axiom that there just aren't that many hockey fans per capita. However, there are probably more Flyers fans than there are hockey fans throughout most other markets.
I will readily admit that hockey is not my strong suit. But, it's my job to report the goings-ons so here's the scoop.
The Flyers may trade down tonight if their guy isn't there at number two. Just who is this player? His name is Patrick Kane and he played for the London Knights of the OHL. He is 5-9 and a buck 62 (pounds), and is seen as a great offensive prospect. The scoop is he has skills that can't be taught and needs to add some bulk and work on his defense. He's not somebody like Ovechkin or Crosby who will step in right away though; nobody in this draft is of that ilk.
Since the Flyers got screwed by the lottery gods and didn't win the #1 pick the Chicago Blackhawks may take Kane at that spot. And, this could result in the Flyers trading down. Some possibilities are them trading with either Vancouver (who owns the 25th pick) or Edmonton. They may also draft center Kyle Turris with the second pick or local product James vanRiemsdyk, a big kid at 6-3 and 200 pounds.
The NHL is finally making an attempt to strike up some interest by having the draft on a Friday night. You can hear draft coverage of it on the Glen Macnow show at 7:00 tonight on 610 WIP.
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Sixers looking at guards today
In other draft news I’ll turn to the Sixers.
It’s been well documented that Billy King is enamored with Chinese prospect Yi Jianliang.
However, it would take a miracle for a.) a GM to go braindead and allow him to move up into the top 6 to grab him or b.) for him to fall to number 12.
Call me crazy but I don’t see any teams banging down the doors for their 21st and 30th picks. The 30th pick is worthless. Considering it’s essentially a 2nd round pick they would have to guarantee money to that player so they are better off giving that pick away for a 2nd rounder.
At any rate, they are scheduled to look at Oregon's Aaron Brooks, Texas A&M's Acie Law IV, Boise State's Coby Karl, and Chinese guard Sun Yue. Karl, the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.
The only legit lotto pick of those four players is Acie Law, who is among the top 3 point guards in this draft class.
John Smallwood was on Glen Macnow’s show on WIP last night and thinks that the guy who will end up being the Sixers’ first pick at 12 will be Florida State’s Al Thornton, who is a big small forward with size and serious rebounding skills.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
8 Spot
Indians put up 8 runs on the Phillies in the 6th inning to win 10-6
For five innings last night Jon Lieber was cruising along and was out-pitching Indians ace C.C. Sabathia. The Phillies scored 2 in the top of the 6th to take a 4-2 lead and it appeared that they would be on their way to getting a tough win against a tough Cleveland Indians squad on their home turf.
In the bottom of the inning things went down faster than a hooker at Hunt's Point though when Jon Lieber came apart (as he does in many of his losses) by giving up 3 runs before leaving with an ankle injury. Michael Zagurski relieved him and gave up another run and exited.
Charlie Manuel then must have figured it was pointless to try winning this game so he brought in Yoel "Horrendous" Hernandez, who gave up another 4 runs. All told, the Indians had 8 runs in the inning and Jon Lieber was credited for giving up 5 of them since Zagurski and Horrendous inherited two of his base runners and allowed both to score and then some.
And, within a half an inning the Phillies went from being on top to getting blown out. On a night when the Mets and Braves both lost the Phillies failed to gain ground in the NL East.
Charlie Manuel is said to be quite upset with the bullpen. Of course that matters little to the Phillies' front office brass, unless they can figure a way to dump some payroll.
I'm in favor of trading Aaron Rowand at this point if it means they can acquire one or two quality relievers in the process. He's been one of their best offensive players all year, but it doesn't matter how many runs a team can score, if the pitching staff can't stop a team from having big innings (like we've seen all year) then they will be sitting home in October.
The Phillies are now at 37-35 and two games behind the first place Mets and 1 1/2 games behind the Braves. They head to St. Louis tomorrow night for a 3-game series.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Scalped
Phillies get scalped by the tribe; lose 10-1
It was apparent in the second inning that Cole Hamels just didn't have it. He's had many games where he has recovered from a rough first inning to go scoreless over the next 6-7 innings, but was unable to do so last night in Cleveland.
After allowing two runs in the first inning he gave up a 3-run bomb to Kelly Shoppach, which was contested by Aaron Rowand and Charlie Manuel, who felt the ball hit the front of the wall at the yellow line. However, the replays showed that the ball bounced at the top of the wall.
That wouldn't have mattered anyway because this team resembled a drunken, coked up softball team with the way they played last night. Aside from Ryan Howard's solo homer (his 15th of the year) the offense, defense, and pitching staff was hideous.
When you have all three components including your ace laying a goose egg that's when you get your ass handed to you 10-1 like last night.
They'll look to rebound tonight, same time, same place at "The Jake."
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Flyers make a splash
Yesterday the Flyers traded their second first-round pick (the 23rd overall pick) to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Kimmo Timonen and left-winger Scott Hartnell.
They are said to be close to locking both players up to long-term deals. Altthough it had been reported that both sides have agreed to deals, GM Paul Holmgren today said they aren't done yet, but they are just "formalities" so both deals are in effect done.
Provided the Flyers sign both free agents to-be to the deals it would be a boon to their team. Timonen is said to be the premier defensive free agent on the market and according to WIP's Glen Macnow and Keith Jones Hartnell is a young up and coming offensive player who has a lot of upside.
Considering that this draft is said to be the weakest in years the Flyers in effect gave up little for both players and this was the pick they received in the Forsberg deal. Therefore, the Flyers essentially got an elite defenseman, Scottie Upshall who played great down the stretch, and Hartnell for Forsberg who would have left anyway.
The Flyers' payroll is at $40 million now and the cap is said to rise $4 million to $49 million so they will likely try to move Darien Hatcher in order to make a move for a free agent center.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Thrown Away
The Phillies' bullpen implodes as Tigers win 7-3
This was the series that could have been. Yes, it's only one game, but it's a big difference between saying you could have won a series against arguably the best team in baseball and actually doing it.
And, the Phillies were clearly in a position to win this game when they had a 3-1 lead into the 7th inning as Adam Eaton out pitched Tigers' ace Justin Verlander who just came off throwing a no-hitter. In fact, Adam Eaton recorded two hits off Verlander and had an RBI single in the 6th to make it 3-1.
Then, Eaton was yanked after 6 1/3 after allowing hits to Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen.
And, it all went downhill from there. Geoff Geary allowed an RBI single to Gary Sheffield off the bat and was then relieved Michael Zagurski. Then, for some reason Charlie Manuel decided to yank Zagurski after he retired Omar Infante.
Things really went down the sewer then. Yoel Herndandez gave up 4 runs to then make it 6-3. And, what's really insane is that he was brought back in for the 8th inning.
What the hell Charlie Manuel was thinking by bringing him in the first place is beyond me. Hernandez belongs in the minor leagues and certainly not in a clutch situation against a top-flight offense like the Tigers. And, for him to be brought in after blowing the game in the 7th inning is a disgrace. Forget that he should have never been brought into the game to begin with, but he should have been yanked after giving up those first 2 runs.
Hernandez ultimately got credit for 1/3 of an inning pitched and was credited for 3 earned runs. Really, he gave up 5 runs and destroyed the series for the Phillies.
He's yet another in a long line of bottom feeders in Phillies lore to have an abominable performance.
Chalk this one up to Charlie Manuel's incompetence. They got good starting pitching and were effective against one of baseball's best in Justin Verlander.
But, incompetence by Charlie of Mayberry and a bottom feeder in Yoel Hernandez stood in their way.
The Phillies head to Cleveland today to face the first place Indians, who are 40-28 on the year and 22-10 at home.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
No Knife
Garcia opts to not have surgery; team says he may return this season
The Phillies were in spin doctoring mode yesterday when they said that Garcia will opt to let his torn/dead/shredded/shot/bum(any other adjective to describe it) shoulder heal rather than going under the knife, thus ending his season and abominable Phillies career.
Amaro stated that Dr. James Andrews and the team were in "complete agreement" that a conservative approach should be taken. In addition, they said the injury to his bum shoulder is the result of the wear and tear that occurs when a pitcher pitches as many innings as Garcia has for the past several years.
Garcia first pitched 200 innings in 1999 and with exception to 2000 (he only pitched 124 innings in 21 games) he averaged 216 innings pitched in 8 seasons.
Pat Gillick has once again blundered. At least Ed Wade got an effective Uggy Urbina for half a season before he decided to go Tony Montana on some workers on his farm. Freddy Garcia has been a bust and probably one of the top 5 busts in Philadelphia history when you consider the pedigree he had coming here. Now, he's the latest in a long line of has-been's and will never pitch again for the Phillies.
I predict he has pitched his last game and it's a good thing. This is what they call addition by subtraction because he killed the team every time he went out there. Now they'll plug the hole with whatever number 5 starter they can find (perhaps Kyle Kendrick or someone via trade) but you can be damn sure they'll be more effective then he was.
So, for Gio Gonzalez, Gavin Floyd, and $10 million the Phillies got 1 win in 11 starts. That's more money per win than what the Yankees are paying Roger Clemens.
And, Clemens could probably pitch another three years and not have a bum shoulder as a result.
The team wouldn’t say when he’ll return. They just said he’ll rest it and come back when he can.
The Phillies take on the Tigers today who were responsible for a rape trade special in snagging Placido Polanco for machete man Ugueth Urbina in 2004. Added to that, they face the team with the manager who should be guy managing this team in Jim Leyland.
But, hey the Phillies are on a roll and just 2 games behind the Mets. Like A.J. Soprano said in the final moments of the Sopranos, let’s focus on the good times.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Another Sweep
Rookie pitcher Kyle Kendrick fills in nicely for Garcia in major league debut, as Phils win 8-4
The other day Kyle Kendrick was among his other brethren, taking those long bus trips to each minor league stadium. Now, he's being called upon to take Freddy Garcia's place for what looks to be the foreseeable future. And, he did a nice job yesterday in his major league debut by allowing 3 runs in 6 innings and striking out 4, while walking just 2 batters. Low walk numbers are a key for these young pitchers. You can strike out all the batters you want, but if you walk 5-6 guys a game the strikeouts become a wash.
It certainly helped that he was facing the worst-hitting team in the majors in the White Sox, but it's big league hitting he's facing regardless. He left the game as the Phillies were losing 3-2, and the fireworks started immediately after in the following inning. After Utley scored on an Abe Nunez single, Aaron Rowand capped things off with a grand slam to give the Fightins a 7-3 lead.
Charlie Manuel wouldn't say either way whether the rook would stay up. Regardless, we're spared of the Clay Condrey experience, which was similar to eating a bowl of chili and going in an upside down roller coaster a hundred times. Condrey was sent down to the minors the other day and likely won't be back up unless the rest of the bullpen drops like flies.
Ryan Madson got the victory yesterday by default when he pitched a scoreless seventh inning before the Phillies laid the smack down on the White Sox.
After the sweep the Phillies are now at 35-31 and just 2 games behind the Mets. This is a team that certainly has it's flaws in the bullpen and fundamentals departments, but remember the Cardinals were just 83-79 last year and won it all. The Phillies ranked right there with the Cardinals last year in pitching, defense, and were first in offense. With a couple moves this team will be in a position for a playoff spot and from there anything can happen if they get hot.
They are idle tonight and will open up their 3-game series with Detroit on Friday night.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Hamels Delivers
Hamels pitches eight solid innings to win his major league-leading 9th decision
In the first inning he had a rocky start and gave up a pair of solo homers, as he has often done in his young career, but Cole Hamels went on to pitch seven scoreless innings to lead the Phils to a 7-2 win over the White Sox.
On a night when his peer (fellow sophomore) Justin Verlander threw a no-hitter Hamels put on a show of his own. He struck out eight, walked one, and now leads the majors with 104 strikeouts. He also leads the majors in homers allowed at 16, but remember most of those homers are solo shots.
When this kid figures out how not to lose focus and give up solo homers in bunches like he has, he'll be every bit as good as the Tigers' ace Justin Verlander. And, we may very well see both of them face off someday on an October evening in the World Series.
Chase Utley provided the offensive spark by going 3-for-3, hitting his 12th homerun on the year, and knocking in 4 runs to bring up his RBI total to 52 on the year.
The Phils will look to sweep the Sox today at 1:05 at The Bank.
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Freddy Garcia to visit Dr. James Andrews today and get a second opinion
It’s like an athlete is visiting the grim reaper when he goes to visit famed doctor James Andrews. Usually when they have to seek his counsel it spells doom for their season or possibly their career.
In Garcia’s case his absence will probably help the Phillies.
He’s been god-awful this year and every time he goes out there he puts the team in a hole with his poor pitching.
The other day the Phillies announced that there were indications from the MRI that showed his labrum and rotator cuff show fraying.
The odds are he’ll need season-ending surgery and the latest, disappointing former star-turned-has-been in Philadelphia will see their short career in this town come to an end.
Andrews will probably confirm what is obvious; he needs to get fixed.
Hopefully Gio Gonzalez won’t become a star and haunt the Phillies for the next 10 or so years.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Mac is Back
Donovan McNabb makes surprise appearance and practices for the first time yesterday
According to Andy Reid, he's just where they thought he would be at this stage in his recovery when asked about McNabb's surprise appearance at practice yesterday.
And, when you put into perspective how quickly Carson Palmer recovered from his torn ACL, it's not a major shock to see Donovan McNabb practicing already.
Palmer blew out his knee on a dirty hit by Kimo Von Oelhoffen in a playoff game and returned to the field for the second to last preseason game, which makes that a 7-month recovery if you do the math. McNabb blew out his knee roughly 7 months ago. Now, granted Palmer is younger, but McNabb is every bit the tireless worker he is and is regarded as a workout phanatic.
His apperance at practice caught some of his teammates by surprise, such as center Jamaal Jackson.
McNabb was quoted as saying, "It felt great to get back out there on the field with all of the guys. It's just part of the rehab process and hopefully good things will continue to come," McNabb said in a statement released by the team. "It is important to continue to monitor my progress, but also be smart about the whole situation."
What's even more impressive is that McNabb didn't wear a brace on his knee and reportedly showed good mobility in practice. Sure, it was without pads, but one has to be quite encouraged by his progress.
Training camp doesn't begin for another 48 days, which is more than enough time for McNabb to get back to 100%.
Even a 80% McNabb gives this team a good shot at winning and with a commitment to running the ball there will be less weight on #5's shoulders.
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Phillies blank the sox
For the second consecutive game the Phillies followed up an ass whooping with a shutout. This time Adam Eaton, Michael Zagurski, and Antonio Alfonseca combined to shut out the White Sox 3-0.
It certainly helps that they faced the worst-hitting team in the majors; the White Sox sport a miniscule .232 team batting average.
This is Eaton's second straight quality start and this is not a misprint, but Antonio Alfonseca has recorded his fourth consecutive save. And, he has not allowed a run since May 13th thereby lowering his ERA from 5.30 to 3.62.
I couldn't believe it either. So, with that said I will not refer to him as "El Poop" while he pitches this well. I'm putting a moritorium on the moniker.
While they won a low-scoring game last night, they still managed to only do it with solo homeruns. Rollins, Burrell, and Howard each homered.
The Phillies need to learn how to win games like this by grinding them out, because when you get into the dog days of summer and into the crucial games in September those critical games are won by pitching, defense, and grinding out runs.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Royal Beating
Phillies allow most runs in 5 years in 17-5 loss to Royals
The last time the Phillies allowed 17 runs in a loss was when Brandon Duckworth was pitching against the Houston Astros, who he was then traded to, for Billy Wagner. And, Billy Wagner gave up the game-tying homerun to Pat Burrell in the previous series, which led to a sweep. And, then Duckworth faced the Phillies yesterday and gave up a homer to Ryan Howard, who took Jim Thome's place. And, Jim Thome comes to town tonight.
Duckworth, Wagner, Howard, Thome.
See, it's all coming full circle.
Yesterday the Royals put a royal ass whooping on the Phillies with 17 runs on 14 hits, and lots of miscues by the Phillies. They were in this game at one point when Howard hit a two-run shot off Duckworth to make it 6-5. And, then it came apart.
Ryan Madson retired four straight, then allowed three runs.
Bargain basement special Jose Mesa allowed two runs on a pair of wild pitches when Alex Gordon was up to bat. Gordon, who could probably be out-hit by Gordon Shumway (the TV character Alf) was an easy out-he's hitting .187 on the year. But, Mesa threw a couple sinker balls into the dirt during Gordon's at-bat.
And, Geoff Geary allowed 5 runs in the 8th inning (two were earned) when the Phillies' defense rivaled a JV high school bench.
On a day when they could have easily taken this series against a bad baseball team, the Phillies outdid them. They and not the Royals looked like the worst team in baseball on Sunday.
The Phillies host the White Sox tonight at 7:05. This marks the return of Jim Thome to The Bank.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Dominance
Jon Lieber completely dominates the Royals with a 3-hit shutout
One day after a disappointing loss to the Royals in large part due to Freddy Garcia's shot arm, the Phillies bounced back in a big way.
Jon Lieber may have had the best start of his career last night. He opened up the game by striking out the first six batters and continued his dominance by striking out 11 and allowing just 3 hits in a 4-0 victory.
This game was sort of similar to another game he had in 2000 just after his son Jared was born. He hurried back after his wife gave birth and threw a shutout against the Giants while he was pitching for the Cubs.
This time his son was born on the 1st and he spent a few days with his wife and new-born son and pitched against the Giants on the 4th and was ineffective, then flew back to Mobile to spend more time with both of them. Then, he went to Kansas City and mowed down the Royals' hitters like a row of weeds.
I'm still kicking myself for leaving Jon Lieber on the bench on my fantasy baseball team. That's 65 points that my team could use. Oh well, such is life.
When you have pitching like this your prime-time hitters don't need to be on their game. The 1-4 combo of Rollins, Victorino, Ultye, and Howard combined for 4 strikeouts and had just 2 hits in 16 at-bats. They weren't needed though.
The Phillies did all they needed to do in the 2nd inning by scoring a run on a single by Greg Dobbs and tacked on 3 more in the 4th inning.
Today they face off at 2:10 in the third game of the series. Jamie Moyer goes up against Jorge De La Rosa.
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Freddy Garcia on the fritz
Who didn't see this coming?
Freddy Garcia has looked like a shell of his former self for much of the season.
In fact, White Sox GM Kenny Williams should be charged for rape.
I wonder if he was playing that infamous song from "Pulp Fiction" (during the Marsellus Wallace rape scene) while working the deal out with Pat Gillick on the phone. The signs were there last year that Garcia was leaking oil when his velocity was dropping on the fastball and he had the highest ERA of his career. And, this year he looks shot.
He has been horrific this season. His ERA wasn't too great to begin with when he finally started his first game on April 22nd. Now, it's ballooned like his weight to a 5.90. Aside from an 8-inning performance against the Dbacks he has stunk worse than a broken colostomy bag. And, if you take notice after his 8-inning performance he gave up 6 runs in back-to-back starts and is now on the fritz.
Freddy Garcia is a microcosm of the athletes who come to Philadelphia and languish. How many times have we seen a star or quality player come here and they suddenly become a has-been?
Lance Parrish, Glen Robinson, Chris Webber, Steve Everitt, Andy Ashby, Greg Jeffries, Levon Kirkland, Tony Amonte, Mike Jackson, and the list goes on and on. Who can forget Mike Jackson? He enjoyed 40 and 39 save seasons for Cleveland and Houston and signed with the Phillies in '99 as their big free agent acquisition only to blow out his arm like a defective condom.
Now Garcia is on the 15-day DL for what is described as a strained right shoulder.
Something tells me he'll be on the shelf for a little longer than that.
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Phils bring back Mesa
Now the Phillies have brought back Jose Mesa as their answer for the bullpen. He last pitched for the Tigers and had a 12.34 ERA. Ah, a 12.34-interesting numbers for an ERA. During his final season in Philly his innings were anything but 1-2-3, they were more like walk 2, give up a big hit, get booed loudly, blow a save, and screw up the win.
His final season in 2003 was a disaster. Mesa and Mike Williams together destroyed the Phillies' chances to reach the playoffs for the first time in 10 years when they combined to blow 9 saves. And, Mesa's numbers are misleading since he had countless games in 2003 where he gave up big runs and recorded a loss; that's known as bleeping up. There is no current official statistic for that.
Now the Phillies have done what they have done best over the years and that's grab a pitcher off the scrap heap. Look at all of the pitchers in the bullpen who are minor league pitchers (Yoel Hernandez, Michael Zagurski, Clay Condrey, and Francisco Rosario), middle of the road relievers (Antonio Alfonseca and Ryan Madson) and Jose Mesa who is a bonified bottom feeder. The only reason why Alfsonseca isn't in that category is because he's pitched well as of late.
Unless something serious is done to address this bullpen problem they'll have to rely on 7-8 inning starts by their starters and offensive explosions on a consistent basis in order to go on a run. And, in the NL they can make it to the World Series. The Cardinals are proof of that as they went 83-79 last year and nearly blew a 12-game lead in the division before catching fire just before the end of the season and the playoffs.
And, now that it's been revealed that the owners stick to a budget every year, because they don't want to risk taking a loss, they will need to dump salary before acquiring bullpen help.
Aaron Rowand appears to be the guy that will get moved since it's unlikely he'll be re-signed after the season. As far as who they can get for him is anybody's guess. I don't see the Padres moving Linebrink since they are winning just fine without Dave Roberts in centerfield (he has been on the shelf for a month). Derrick Turnbow is not the solution. So perhaps, they can go for Chad Cordero on the Nationals. He makes $4.1 million this season and currently has 8 saves a 2.76 ERA and is just 25 years old.
Since the Nationals are in rebuilding mode I'm not sure they'd want to trade within the division and get back an older position player when a team like them typically wants prospects that the Phillies don't have.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
BROOM TIME!!!
Phillies sweep the Mets with a 6-3 win despite their successful attempt to cheat in the 6th inning
Despite being railroaded by the Mets in the 6th inning, the Phillies overcame a 3-2 deficit to win this game 6-3 in 10 innings.
Cole Hamels was sailing along until the 6th inning when he allowed a solo homer to Delgado. And, then David Wright hit a ball, which was first ruled a triple, and then when the umps saw the replay on the screen. This is technically an unfair advantage for the Mets since they showed a replay before the play was decided and it changed the umps' thinking. Replays aren’t supposed to be shown until after an ump or umps make their decision. The Mets broke the code.
For the Mets stadium flunkies to do this is low rent and bush league. They just weren't good enough to beat the Phillies in this contest. So, they resorted to a cheap tactic by influencing the umps. The replay should not have been played on their screen until after the umps decided it. Then after that it was 2-2. And, then Paul LoDuca hit the third consecutive solo homer off Hamels to make it 3-2.
If there is one criticism I have of Hamels is that he is prone to giving up homers in streaks. Otherwise, he is nearly unhittable. There are certain times when he suffers lapses and gives up solo homers in bunches. This was clearly one of those times.
But, the Phillies came back anyway despite the Mets pulling some monkey business. Pat Burrell tied it up with a huge homerun off Philly fan hater Billy Wagner in the 9th. Yes, Pat Burrell people. He finally did it!
~~~You are not seeing things! ~~~
And, then the Phillies put the dagger in the Mets hearts in the 10th inning when Rowand, Utley, and Burrell each knocked in a run.
And, once again the Phillies bullpen did their job by not allowing a single run.
For the third consecutive game the Phillies:
A. Got quality starting pitching.
B. The bullpen didn't allow a single run.
C. The 1-5 all contributed mightily.
D. The Mets bullpen blew it.
E. The Phillies came back to win the late innings.
The Phillies have now swept both their division mates and have looked pretty damn impressive. For them to go to Shea and come back in all three games is huge. These types of series wins are what can start a team's run.
We shall see. They head to KC to face the lowly Royals tonight.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Rollin' Through
Jimmy Rollins has monster game in Phils' 4-2 win
In his first game against the Mets this year Rollins didn't have the game he wanted by any means. He went 0-for-3 and was booed relentlessly.
His performance this time around was the polar opposite of that game. It was all J-Roll on Wednesday night. He went 3-for-4 with 2 stolen bases and hit a 3-run homer (his 10th of the year) to seal the victory for the Phils.
It was the second night in a row one of the Big 3 (Utley last night) hit a game-winning homer.
The Phillies have answered the critic's calls in this series by getting two clutch victories off the so-called best team in the NL.
Adam Eaton was very effective in 6 innings, giving up just two runs, striking out four, and walking just two batters. This was Eaton's third quality start on the year.
And, for the second straight night it was a tale of two bullpens. The Phillies' bullpen didn't allow a single run and the Mets' bullpen blew it.
Tonight is going to be the showdown to see if the Phillies can sweep the Mets. Cole Hamels goes up against John Maine in what is going to be one of the best pitching matchups in this young season.
I'm putting my money on King Cole to deliver tonight. Don't miss it. They start at 7:10.
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Phillies looking at Jose Mesa?
Ok, when I first heard that the Phillies were looking at Troy Percival I believed they would have signed him just because he's cheap and it's their M.O.-buy somebody on the cheap who is a has-been thinking they'll get lucky.
Now, they're looking at Jose Mesa-the original "El Poop." I don't know what's more ridiculous. Percival hasn't pitched in two years and threw a ball around at a little league game thinking he could do it again. So, I'm thinking Mesa threw a bottle in an alley (he likes to drink) and probably thinks he still has it.
The word is that they are going to give Mesa a workout to see if he can join their motley crew in the bullpen.
And, then they'll unite El Poop I-Mesa with El Poop II-Alfonseca.
Mesa had a 12.34 ERA for the Tigers last year. Yep, all consecutive numbers. Now, that he's a year older perhaps he can go for a 23.45 ERA. Wouldn't that be special?!
That's the Phillies for you. Get 'em on the cheap.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Utley's Night
Chase Utley hits game-winning homer in 11th inning to lead Phils to 4-2 victory
The Phillies are back to .500 once again after taking the first game of a 3-game series against the Mets up at Shea Stadium.
The Phillies had to have it all going on if they wanted to win their first game of the 3-game set against the Mets. Moyer needed to be effective, they needed effective bullpen help, some of their hitters to step up, and not too many boneheaded errors.
Check. Check. Check. And, check-well sort of.
Jamie Moyer needed to have a quality start since they were up against Tom Glavine. Both he and Glavine were engaged in a pitching duel and each allowed 2 earned runs over 7 innings of work.
The Phillies' bullpen was very effective in yielding 0 runs in 4 innings of work. Madson, Geary, and Alfonseca allowed just 2 hits between the 3 of them.
And, Utley, Howard, and Rollins were very effective going 8-for-14; Utley and Howard each had 3 hits.
Utley had the hit that really counted though. He belted a Joe Smith pitch into the stands in the 11th inning to give the Phillies the lead. Then, Alfonseca hung on for the save in the bottom of the inning.
In the sixth inning Pat Burrell had a serious blunder that cost them a run. Utley was on third base, but Burrell ran from first to third. Actually this is a mutual effort between Burrell and Steve Smith, who is the George W. Bush of third base coaches. Steve Smith. Burrell ended up sliding into third base twice on the play as he was being run down. It even drew a comment from Ryan Howard who said it was the weirdest thing he’s ever seen in a game. If the player’s union wasn’t such an abomination perhaps the Phillies would be able to do the right thing and that’s just simply buy out Pat Burrell and cut his ass. He’s killing the team in every possible way this year.
But, hey the Phillies won right? We don't have to harp on the negative. Steve Smith is horrendous though and should be demoted or fired. Davey Lopes, who was a master on the basepaths in his career should be the third base coach from here on out.
The Phillies will take on the Mets again tonight, same time, same place-7:05 at Shea.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Truce
Donovan McNabb does "The Morning Show" on 610-WIP for the first time
Ok, now this is getting scary. First Donovan McNabb hires the Eagles' former publicist. Then, he holds his press conference at the Flyers' practice facility and does Howard Eskin's show without telling the Eagles. He's shown that he is officially his own man now and not joined at the hip with Andy Reid.
Now, he decided to go on Angelo Cataldi's show.
Whoa! All hell is gonna break loose.
Well, it certainly helped that they got Donovan a $210 bottle of champagne-Cristal to be exact.
To say the other things were a departure for Donovan is one thing. For him to bury the hatchet and go on Angelo Cataldi's show is a trip to another universe. You have to commend him. Of course, his PR guy probably had a hand in it as well.
Cataldi has been utterly ridiculous at times in his criticism of McNabb and I feel that he’s been trying to run him out of town for a few years now. But, as of late Angelo has been more open-minded and less critical of #5.
Cataldi handled the interview wonderfully and was nothing but respectful of McNabb. He drilled him about the selection of Kevin Kolb, whether he threw up in the Super Bowl, and if he felt he handled the T.O. situation the right way.
A few of the interesting tidbits included his take on the play-calling and what a leader is in his mind. He said he didn't throw up in the Super Bowl and said the delays were due in part to not knowing how much longer T.O. could be in the game. He also said that perhaps Andy Reid was at fault (no knock on him) for plays getting in late over the years. Now, that Marty Morninwheg is the offensive coordinator it's one less barrier to go through and they get in quicker.
The most interesting thing I took out of the interview was when he said he doesn't appreciate the "rah-rah" guys who yell and get in your face. He feels that as a leader he can lead by example. I interpreted this as a knock on Jeff Garcia in a way. A lot of people who were on the Garcia bandwagon felt that he was so much better than McNabb because of the way he carried himself on the field and that he "ran the offense better." It's all nonsense. Garcia did a nice job, but nobody in his or her right mind can say that he's a better QB than McNabb. It's just not true when you break down what McNabb has done.
And, McNabb said he’s willing to accept the selection of Kolb, but maintained that he’s the man and this is his job to lose. Again, saying the right things and he sounded convincing.
Moving along, Hugh Douglas added some humor when he and Donovan went back and forth about being black. And, McNabb kept saying, "This just in, Hugh Douglas is black!" It showed a side to McNabb that we haven't seen much of. He really has a good sense of humor and is a likeable person.
I never had a problem with him, but always felt maybe he could have showed more personality. He reminded me of Tiger Woods in a way with the way he would have a shield up.
Those days are over. McNabb is now the quarterback formerly known as Andy Reid's favorite son.
He's his own man now and we had better get used to it, and enjoy it.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Victory-no
Shane Victorino hits game-winning homerun to lead Phils to 9-8 victory
The Phillies are back on a winning streak now. This comes after a sweep to the Diamondbacks and hitting rock bottom against the Giants on Friday night by losing 13-0.
Cole Hamels started it off yesterday by pitching a complete game and stopping the streak. That is the mark of a good ace, to stop a losing streak. This is something the Phillies have truly lacked since the Curt Schilling era. As much as I like Brett Myers' ability, he isn't on the level of Cole Hamels. I see him more as a Brad Penny or Josh Beckett; somebody who is a good complementary pitcher to a staff ace.
And, today the fightins' were involved in a good ole fashioned shootout. This was a wild game since the fourth inning when the Phils fought back from a 2-0 deficit to make it 3-2.
Shane Victorino did what few people have ever done. He won the game on his inaugarial bobble head day. Sure, it was a rather lame bobble head doll in that the bobble head doll depicted Victorino in a Hawaiian dress, but on a day that was his day, this truly was his day. He had a game that was a once in a lifetime game, and one that he'll probably never forget.
The Phillies were dead in the water after 6 innings when the Giants packed on another 2 runs to make it 7-3.
Freddy Garcia had another lousy start, going only 5 1/3 and giving up 7 runs (6 earned) with 5 k's, 2 walks, and 2 homeruns allowed. His fastball lacked velocity at times. On the second pitch of the game when he gave up a homer, his fastball was clocked at 84 miles per hour. It's a far cry from his days in Seattle when his fastball was regularly in the mid 90's.
And, then it all changed after the 7th inning stretch.
Rowand and Ruiz each got on base and then Wes Helms came through in a big way by doubling to bring both guys in.
Giants rookie phenom Tim Lincecum was relieved and Chase Utley walked. Ryan Howard came up and delivered a 3-run shot.
And, that's what put them over the top.
And, in the ninth inning Antonio Alfconseca a.k.a. "El Poop" came in to relieve Ryan Madson. He promptly gave up a single to allow the Giants to tie the game.
The Phils wouldn't be denied though. Shane Victorino delievered another clutch hit in his young career to officially make it a winning streak for the Phillies.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
24 & Counting
Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of the title drought for Philadelphia
May 31 has come and passed. It marked the 24th anniversary of the last championship for a Philadelphia team.
The 76ers own that distinction as they swept the Lakers in the '83 Finals.
24 years, several owners, GM's, failed title runs, and disappointment after disappointment later we're left asking questions.
The Eagles are the closest of the four teams to compete for a championship. Make no mistake about it. They are well managed, have an elite quarterback (when healthy), and have revamped their defense.
The Phillies and Sixers are stuck in no-man's land. The Phillies are there because of an ownership that lacks a commitment to winning.
And, the Sixers haven't been bad enough to land an elite draft pick, but have been just bad enough to get mediocre draft picks and have been strapped by the cap.
The Flyers are a team that is starting over with a clean slate so they have all the opportunity in the world to rebuild and go for their first title in 30-plus years.
We are now looking at an aggregate 95 seasons without titles between the four franchises.
And, as much as we complain about the Phillies they could catch fire and get hot at the right time like the Cardinals did last year and make it to the World Series in spite of a rotten ownership group and in spite of a boneheaded manager and a GM who appears to be washed up. They have the talent to do so.
But, we've been there before; seeing a team go on a magical run only to disappoint us in the end.
Eventually the law of averages has to play out. The odds are miniscule that a city with four teams can go this long without a title.
Then again, this is Philly where losing seems to defy logic.
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L.J. gets sports hernia operated on, may be ready for camp
This one seemed to come out of nowhere. Eagles tight end L.J. Smith had surgery to repair a sports hernia, the same injury that happened to Donovan McNabb during the '05 season.
According to Reuben Frank he'll be ready for training camp though. The word is that it's not as severe as McNabb's sports hernia.
Smith and the Eagles had acrimony brewing several weeks ago when he said he doubted he would be back as the two sides cut off contract negotiations. The bottom line is he wants top-5 tight end money and he's just not worth it. Look at his numbers over the past 3 years after he became a full-time starter. He has a few great games a year, and then disappears in several games. He's very inconsistent.
2004: he had zero games with more than 4 catches and had 4 games with 4 catches. The other twelve games he recorded 3 or fewer catches.
2005: he had five games with 6 or more catches, one game with 5 catches, and ten games with 3 or fewer catches.
2006: he had three games where he had more than 6 catches, 4 games with 4 catches, and had 9 games when he recorded 3 or fewer catches.
When you break it all down L.J. Smith in his three years as a starter has had a total of 12 great games, 9 decent games, and 31 sub-par games.
Do those sound like top-5 tight end numbers to you? And, you can hear it already. He's talking about what some scrub in Minnesota got paid.
"I look at a guy like Visanthe Shiancoe from the Giants," Smith said. Shiancoe signed a reported 5-year, $18.2 million free-agent contract with the Vikings. "Even he got $7 million guaranteed. I think he's caught like 20 balls in 4 years [actually 35 balls]. The market's definitely changed."
I think it's highly unlikely Smith will be back unless he gets realistic about what he's worth. He's a top 10 tight end with very good skills, but has never been consistent. The proof is in the numbers. He has had poor games in 65% of his starts between 2004 and 2006.
The team has said that his status will be evaluated over the next several weeks as to whether he'll be ready for training camp.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
