World Series Game 1: Dependab-Lee

One of the biggest things in sports is being dependable. Knowing your offense will always put up runs; in football, knowing your team can run; knowing your team plays defense. Being able to count on something in sports is a key to winning. Cliff Lee is exactly that, dependable. Should we be surprised that he shut the vaunted Yankees down when that’s what he’s done in every big game since he’s come to the Phillies?

Let’s also give credit to the Phillies offense – they did what they did against all of the teams prior to the Yankees. The Dodgers (twice), the Rockies, the Rays, and the Brewers – each series the Phillies won game one and in each series the Phillies offense made those teams pay. They outlasted C.C. Sabathia, got to the Yankees’ bullpen (a bullpen that seems to be more of a concern than the Phillies’ bullpen), and exposed them.

Onto Game 2. Wondering what we’ll see from Pedro. The dispassionate observers want a good series – I want the Phillies to destroy the Yankees. Let’s hope this is the beginning.

Phillies NL Champs – bring us the Yankees

I am getting used to having a winner in town. We were at the game on Wednesday and seeing your team clinch is got to be one of the coolest things for a sports fan. The poor Dodgers didn’t know what hit them – after Monday’s crushing loss – the win on Wednesday was a formality. Now I want the Yankees.

The Angels are a good team, and if they come back to win the series, they would have big momentum on their side. My choosing the Yankees has nothing to do with that though. I want the Yankees because beating them with make the rest of the league stand up and take notice. I have no doubt that the Phillies are the best team in the majors. We have what everyone else wants, even the Yankees. They have a couple of guys that were around in 2000, but most of them weren’t. The Phillies walk with a swagger and a confidence that reveals a true champion.

Bring on the Yankees. Let’s see if the Phils can bring “mystique and aura” down a peg.

Phillies crush the Dodgers hopes in the 9th

Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS. Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. Game 4 of the 2009 Division Series. I want to say that tonight’s game was the best walk-off victory I’ve seen considering the importance of the game – but I realize it’s only the best until they do it again.

Jimmy Rollins has always been my favorite player on the team – he plays the game with a swagger; he not only excels in the big moment, he looks forward to it and embraces it. I can’t say I knew Rollins was going to hit that game winning hit, but I wasn’t surprised. (My neighbors will probably tell you I was – but was jubilation and excitement – not surprise.)

These Phillies are something special.

About that 9th inning: the opposite of red light player is Jonathan Broxton. He pitches around Matt Stairs, a .194 hitter. Before this series Broxton stated that he was looking forward to getting Stairs again – and this was what he does? He’s throwing 101 MPH, and he pitches around a guy that has done nothing, nothing except embarrass Broxton. On the other extreme let’s give Brad Lidge a ton of credit. He comes in and keeps that game in check, giving the offense a chance to come back. Six closers have blown saves this postseason – not one of them is Lidge. Who’d have thunk?

As for Wednesday’s game – bring on Vincente Padilla. He is in no way Cliff Lee, someone who you fear seeing a second time in a series. I don’t think Padilla can repeat last Friday’s performance. Give me Padilla at Citizens Bank Park and we’ll see what happens.

If the 11-0 loss Sunday night was hard to forget for the Dodgers – how do they put tonight’s loss out of their heads?

2009 MLB Playoff Scheduling Screws Phillies and Rockies Fans Again

In scheduling the Phillies vs. Rockies Division Series games to start with two 2:37 PM games only to be followed by a 9:30 PM night game that won’t end until around 1 AM EDT, Major League Baseball has told us fans don’t matter. When Major League Baseball, Fox, and TBS signed the last television contract, they essentially decided that for money, the MLB will do whatever the networks want regardless of the concerns of the paying fan. We’re that annoying gum on the sole of the MLBs shoe.

At some point someone needs to represent the paying fan. 3.6 million fans supported the Phillies fans this year by buying tickets for this team. This is despite a recession, escalating unemployment rates, and an economy that doesn’t look to get better for some time. The Phillies sold more tickets that at any point in their history even though though Veterans Stadium held 17,000 more fans per game. Someone needs to represent us.

It’s never a good idea for businesses to entirely disregard the wishes of their customers. When times get tough, businesses rely on loyal customers to get them through. All it would have taken is just one evening game to satisfy most fans – but the fact that both games come during the work day on the east coast is a slap in the face.

Hopefully the MLB will hear their customers/fans on this and make changes going forward.

Done with Brad Lidge

I’m a reasonable and patient fan but I’ve given Brad Lidge as much as I can give. September is around the corner and the Brad Lidge that’s running out there every day is more like the 2005 Lidge not the 2008 Lidge. This Brad Lidge is doomed to failure.

I keep hearing how the Phillies have to keep him as closer because they don’t have a better option. Wrong. Right now Lidge is the worst option. It’s time for the bullpen by committee. Maybe Ryan Madson can’t do it day in day out – but one day at a time Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee can select a pitcher based on the situation. When Romero and Myers are back – forget the “Bridge to Lidge” – that bridge goes nowhere. Here’s another crazy idea – how about Chan Ho Park?

The Phillies are too close to another World Series to let it slide away because of misplaced loyalty. We have enough time to figure something out and at least patch things together for the playoffs – but sticking our heads in the sand isn’t going to work. The worst thing we can do is nothing.

Eagles sign Michael Vick. Fans revolt.

Michael Vick signed with the Eagles. Why? Let me start here – if I were an NFL owner, I would not have hired Michael Vick to my team. That would be my right. I think what he did was reprehensible, and I wouldn’t want to associate him with my team and my brand. It seems that year after year the Eagles give me more reasons to like them less and less. They don’t seem to like their fans and and they treat their employees like shit (see Brian Dawkins).

Thank goodness the Phillies have come back to their rightful spot as #1 in my sports heart.

That said.

There’s a lot of talk about how he shouldn’t be allowed back in the NFL, that he was given his chance and he blew it. Well that isn’t how this country works. I can see preventing him from taking jobs that are related to his offense – so he can’t work at a kennel or at a pet store, but the NFL is a sports league, and I think a lot of people forget that. Each NFL team is their own company and makes the decision on their own. It seems somehow un-American for people to be saying that the NFL should have prevented the teams from making this hiring decision. I don’t know if that is a country I want to be part of.

I think that people want him to pay and pay and pay again. That again is not how this country works. If you want that type of legal system, move to Iran – I think we all see how people are treated there.

I do wish someone else had signed him – I don’t want my team associated with a thug like him. We now have the most hated man in all of sports. It kind of sickens me, but that said – he’s done his time, I see no need to punish him further.

Happ to the bullpen? Are you kidding me?

How do you take J.A. Happ out of the rotation? He hasn’t pitched poorly all year and tonight was just lights out. Charlie Manuel said the only way he could have done better was the throw a no-hitter. Let me state this right now – J.A. Happ needs to stay in the rotation. How do you take Happ who is 8-2 out of the rotation with an ERA of 2.74 and a WHIP of 1.12 and keep in Jamie Moyer (10-8, 5.55, 1.47)?

Add to the mix that Pedro Martinez struck out 11 in 6 innings and while he gave up 3 runs, looked like a guy that could help this team now. I don’t know how you do it, but if there is a 5 man rotation, it should be Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and Pedro Martinez.

Another thing – I really think if the Blue Jays had said they’d take either Happ or Kyle Drabek instead of both, that deal could have been made. They must be kicking themselves.

I don’t envy Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Rich Dubee – but they better get this right.

Take a deep breath Phillies fans

I want to point Phillies fans back to last August 11-14 when the Fightens visited Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. They were swept in four heart breaking games; Jimmy Rollins gave an interview criticizing Philly fans and we were headed to New York to face the Mets. We all know what happened afterwards. It’s a long season and over the course of the season a team is going to lose a series like that, even eventual World Series Champs.

This past weekend’s games with Giants were demoralizing for many, not for me. The Giants played well in San Francisco, in a series that at the end of the day, doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot. The Giants are a good team, but what they’re not is playoff tested, and they can’t hit their way out of a wet paper bag. The other thing to remember is that unless the Phillies falter over the next month, their road will be easier than the one the Giants face to get to the playoffs. The Phils need to play strong down the stretch to make sure that they can set up their rotation going into the playoffs.

Folks – the season only just beginning. You won’t remember what happened prior to today, you’ll remember what happens between now and October 4th.

Take deep breaths, buckle your seat belts – it’s going to be  a bumpy ride.

Trade: Phillies bolster the rotation with Cliff Lee

Let me come out first and say this right off, I love this trade. The Phillies traded Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, Class A righty Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson and shortstop Jason Donald will be sent to Cleveland. Carrasco is behind J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, Knapp is a stud, but is 18 and 2-3 years away, Marson is behind Carlos Ruiz, and Donald behind either Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies didn’t lose any crucial parts for their future. Whereas Drabek could be in the rotation next year and Dominic Brown could be in the outfield in the next year or so.

That said…

There is a little less than 48 hours left in the trade deadline an the Phillies have some major tradable pieces to go out and strengthen the bullpen. Hell, Cito Gaston even joked that the Phillies could still get Halladay – they still have the pieces to get him.

Cliff Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has been pitching really well, and is half the price of Halladay. Everyone in this city has been going crazy demanding only one player thinking that this was a guarantee of the World Series but remember this – the Brewers got C.C. Sabathia last year and the Cubs got Rich Harden and neither team made it past the first round. Roy Halladay guaranteed nothing.

Outstanding questions:

• Who is the odd man out of the rotation? Pedro Martinez or Happ?
• The Phillies picked up Ben Francisco, a right handed batting outfielder, so who’s out? John Mayberry Jr or Eric Bruntlett?
• Are there other trades in the offing?

It’s a great time to be a Phillies fan. Not only are we buyers, but we’re buying five star properties and have minor league prospects that other teams covet. Gotta love it. Great job Rueben.

R.I.P. Jim Johnson

This has been a tough year for the Philadelphia Sports community – first Harry Kalas, then Danny Ozark, Gary Papa, and now Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Johnson lost his battle with cancer yesterday less than 3 months after taking a leave of adsense with the team to focus on his health. The loss is a big one. I have faith that Sean Mcdermott  will follow in the footsteps of other Johnson disciples such as Ron Rivera, Steve Spagnuolo, and John Harbaugh, but Johnson brought 50 years of experience to his role. While the others may be able to match intelligence, they can’t match the experience.

sNever has a coach been a better match for this city. While Buddy Ryan was beloved, his teams were short on results. Ryan also had better talent. Johnson had the knack of understanding the strengths of his players, and maximizing those strengths. Year after year, Johnson made do with whatever talent was provided to him, and year after year Johnson posted one of the leagues best defenses, and that consistency led to results that Ryan could only dream of.

The only regret is that the Eagles couldn’t pull it out for him last year. Instead his in his last game, the defense let him down. Regardless – it’s those 10 years of consistently outthinking the opposing offenses that I’ll remember.

Thank you Jim, you’ll be missed.