All-Time Tourney Rules and Explanation
We’ve already done two series in our off-season tournament to crown the greatest Phillies’ team of all time. The third matches a team very much still on our mind, the 2009 team, against the 1993 team, one of the biggest turnaround stories in Philadelphia history. Both teams fell to AL East powerhouses in the World Series 4-2. We’ll see who prevails here.
Game 1: 2009 Phillies 9, 1993 Phillies 4 – (2009 leads series 1-0)
The Curt Schilling v. Cliff Lee showdown doesn’t exactly live up to it’s billing as the hitters take over Game 1. The clear star of the game is Chase Utley, who bashes 3 HR’s and finishes with 6 RBI. ’93 made a comeback in the 7th with RBI singles by Stocker and PH Ricky Jordan and a bases loaded walk to Dykstra, but Utley’s 3rd HR in the 7th, off Roger Mason, put the game out of reach. Schilling went only 4.1 innings, giving up 6 runs.
Game 2: 2009 Phillies 6, 1993 Phillies 2 - (2009 leads series 2-0)
The 2009 team puts the 1993 team in a hole by winning both games at the Vet. Cole Hamels puts together a quality start, giving up 2 runs in 6.1 IP, while the Phillies balanced offense provides 6 runs. 1 RBI each for Howard, Utley, Feliz, Rollins, Victorino and Ruiz. A Pete Incaviglia HR in the 7th brought 1993 within 1 run, but a 3-run 8th off Larry Anderson gave 2009 the win.
Game 3: 1993 Phillies 16, 2009 Phillies 5 – (2009 leads series 2-1)
I guess the 1993 team remembered to juice up before this one! Charlie sends Pedro out on the hill, and the 1993 team clobbers him with 6 runs in just 2 innings. Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey and Tyler Walker didn’t exactly stop the bleeding, giving up 3 runs a piece. For 1993, Dave Hollins had 5 RBI, Incaviglia had 4, and Kruk, Daulton and Duncan had 2 each. 2009 is forced to use 8 pitchers in the game.
Game 4: 1993 Phillies 8, 2009 Phillies 2 - (Series tied 2-2)
Looking dead in the water after Game 2, 1993 wins their 2nd road game and ties the series up at 2. Tommy Greene turns in the 1st solid pitching performance by a ’93 starter, going 6.2 IP and giving up only 1 run. The offense is spread out for ’93 with Kruk, Incaviglia, Duncan and Dykstra with at least 1 RBI. Blanton is rocked for ’09, giving up all 8 runs in 6 IP.
Game 5: 1993 Phillies 4, 2009 Phillies 3 - (1993 leads series 3-2)
No team has won a home game with 1993 taking all 3 at the Bank. Lee and Schilling live up to their billing a little more this time around, but neither steps up with a dominant performance. Both go 7 innings and give up 3 runs. The winning hit is delivered by Mariano Duncan off Chad Durbin in the 8th inning. Ruiz and Stairs homer for the 2009 team.
Game 6: 2009 Phillies 11, 1993 Phillies 8 - (Series tied 3-3)
The wildness continues as the 2009 team wins a must-win on the road 11-8. Hamels gives up 6 runs and Muholland gives up 7. 2009 is down 5-2 going into the 5th inning, but explodes for a 5-run inning which is capped by a Raul Ibanez 2-run HR. Victorino and Howard also homer, with Shane’s being of the 3-run variety in the 6th which puts the game away.
Game 7: 2009 Phillies 2, 1993 Phillies 1 - (2009 wins series 4-3)
The first Game 7 of this tournament takes place at the Vet. After Pedro got shelled in Game 3, Charlie turns to J.A. Happ for his first start of the series. 1993 throws Danny Jackson. Of course, after a crazy offensive series, Game 7 is a pitcher’s duel. Jackson goes 6 innings, giving up 2 runs, but Happ allows only 2 hits and 1 run over 7 for the win. Brad Lidge locks down his only save of the series. Howard and Werth give 2009 a 2-0 lead in the 6th with RBI hits, and 1993 can only manage a Daulton RBI single the rest of the way.
Summary
I’m not sure if you will ever see a series that goes 7 games where the home team doesn’t win a single game, but that is what happened here. The series was controlled mostly by the bats, which makes sense considering the make-up of both teams. The MVP of the series is Shane Victorino, who was off the charts, going 16 for 31 (.516) with 9 runs scored at 6 RBI.
The updated bracket is as follows with the 2009 team awaiting the winner of 2008 vs. 1977 in the semis
NEXT UP! The World Champion 2008 squad faces the 1977 squad that won 101 regular season games
I’m not surprised this is posted today. Being as winter has nicely set in, I heard a rumor that Bud Selig was screaming to start another post season game.
I had to laugh when I read Chase Utley hit 3 homers in Game 1. Not a World Series game that boy can’t hit in.
This 2008-1977 matchup oughta be really good. The 80 squad is of course recognized as the poster child of that era of successful Phillies baseball, but its arguable that they got better post season matchups than the 77 club. That was a terrific Dodger club that won 2 straight pennants led by the Garvey-Lopes-Russell Cey infield, and an even better Yankee club would have been next had the Phils beaten LA in 77. Factually, the Dodgers beat the Phils, but Black Friday did offer up some tricky rain, and things might have been different had Danny Ozark pulled Luzinski and inserted Jerry Martin. The 08 pen is probably the difference, but that 77 club could mash.
since this is the most recent Phillies’ post…
Beltre signed with the Red Sox. “The deal will pay Beltre a base salary of $9 million in 2010. It includes a $5 million player option for 2011 and a $1 million buyout”
Ruben’s got to learn to wait it out a bit. 3 years guaranteed for Polanco looks worse now.
I love this blog series. It thoroughly amuses me. I found myself rooting for 09 even though I loved ’93. ’93 was the team that made me a true Phils fan at 11 years old. That surprised me.
Pete,
I thought the same thing when I read Beltre took 9 mil total. You may be onto something about Ruben being muti year happy.
Saw a piece where the Mets might be interested in Smoltz. As desperate as they are for ptching, and since it would definitely be to start, that might be a good match. I’d hate seeing him in a Met uniform, but I never envisioned the Phils paying him the 5 mil he made last year, and strapped as they might be, I could see the Mets doing that.
‘93 was the team that made me a true Phils fan at 11 years old. >>
Oh brother. What a cast of characters to entrap n 11 year old on sports. I guess its better than the 61 Phillies I got hooked on. That character driven club lost 23 in a row. Thank you, Gene Mauch.
Pete you are exactly right about Amaro waiting…when I saw that news today I about flipped my lid. Not only does the Polanco deal look awful now, as it has pretty much been called the worst signing of the summer so far, but I bet it looks even worse 2 years from now when we can’t keep a solid pitcher or someone else because we are locked into a 3rd year with Polanco.
In Rube’s defense though, Beltre did apparently turn down 3 and 4 year deals from other teams to play for the Sox. So who knows what it really would have taken to get Beltre here. Either way, I think he is an infinitely better fit than Polanco.
Baez contract: 2 years, $5.25 million.
Very reasonable considering the absurd Brandon Lyon 3 year, $15 mill contract.
Not too unhappy about the 2nd year anymore.
What do you know…you wait and see and you get a deal that isn’t handcuffing in either years or dollars.
I just read that Mickey Morandini now coaches high school ball and operates a stationery store with his wife, aptly named RSVP. On a team with a now, soon-to-be-incarcerated Dykstra, the time traveling Darren Daulton and enough ‘roids to kill a small herd of buffalo it’s nice to someone from that squad living a shockingly normal life.
“Amaro said they had interest in Baez early, and it picked up when they realized they would not be able to meet Park’s price.”
So I guess Park wanted more…
http://zozone.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/01/amaros_next_move.html
Some new information on where RAJ’s thinking is on a number of subjects. I never hear of this potential 5th starter from Japan.
Morandini always struck me as a lock to be a big league manager someday. He was really steady.
I don’t know if anyone looks back on Terry Francona fondly, or maybe its turned that way from afar with the fine job he’s done in Boston, but if you like Tito, here’s an article on his son, who is in the Marines. Good, insightful piece.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=4768399
Volgelsong (the pitcher from japan) is a horrible MLB pitcher. Career ERA of 5.86. He was probably signed to pitch in LHV.
Moyer going under the knife. Again.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/80773422.html?viewAll=y
I hope RAJ and CM have a back up plan for if Moyer can’t go. It’s already looking like he’ll miss the start of the season, how far can a 47-year-old injury plagued pitcher go? At this point I’d be surprised to see him make 15 starts.
If they don’t sign anyone I wonder if we’ll see Savery or Aumont at some point.
Well, if Ryan V’s career ERA is 5.86, he will make for a fine replacement for Moyer. Paraphrasing Sid Mark, “often immitated, this time equalled”.
Additional text on Beltre. Theo Epstein’s Nw Year’s Resolution, from what I’ve gathered is to improve his defense. No doubt he will do that in Beltre. But Ben Maller of Sox Sports offers some additional numbers
that point to some potential struggles this year. We shall see.
Fenway Park hasn’t been kind to Beltre, he’s a career .179 hitter with no homers and only 4 RBI’s at the old yard…
<<Beltre has struggled for most of his career against AL East teams… He’s a .217 hitter against the Rays, .243 (Blue Jays), .251 (Orioles) .254 (Yankees)…
Boston will be the “Boo Sox” when Beltre gets off to his typical slow start…
Beltre has a history of getting of to very slow starts… He doesn’t hit many homers in April… In fact its his worst month for bombs in his career…
We all know what happens to guys who get off to slow starts in Boston… They don’t last long… At least Beltre only signed a one-year deal…>>
Sox Sports >> should read Fox Sports.
Just caught the Hall of Fame announcement. Andre Dawson was the only guy elected. The writers ignored Roberto Alomar and Larkin for reasons passing understanding. And even Dawson just barely made it.
I have become increasingly more confident in my belief that the majority of sports writers are babbling idiots. That is excluding Jayson Stark and Peter Gammons among a few others.
If Alomar has trouble getting in I’d hate to see what happens to Utley when his day comes. As it stands now, and of course there is at least another decade before he hangs ‘em up, Utley is comparable in many ways to Alomar and his per/162 OPS is 86 points higher (902-816).
Chris-
Kendrick will likely start the year at #5. My guess would be Carpenter or Savery would be next in line. My guess is that they see Aumont as a future closer.
Shocked about Alomar, not so much about Larkin. Alomar was only a couple votes shy, he’ll get in next year with Blyleven (5 votes shy).
Dawson doesn’t deserve to be in there, IMO. A .323 career OBP!!?? That’s worse than Rollins!
I’m glad Dawson is in. In no way, shape or form could I explain the voter’s thinking, every one of them says that about the constituency as a whole, and despite Hawk Dawson’s weak OBP, based largely on dreadful knees for a lengthy period, I will guess why he got a good portion of the votes he did. Not that there is anything revealing in this.
- Presence. He was a dominant player. For years, the Phils, Pirates and Expos had some great rivalries. You didn’t let Schmidt beat you, you didn’t let Stargell beat you, and you didn’t let Andre Dawson beat you. He was more than the big bat in the lineup. He was outright dangerous. He had tremendous bat speed, and his hits were vicious.
In some ways, his numbers are indeed borderline. He didn’t hit 500 homers, made fewer than 10 all star teams. But Nolan Ryan had some less than Hallish numbers, like winning percentage, but he was a presence.
- Character. This is well documented. When you see Mark MacGwire stuck at 20%, it serves as a precursor to how statistical kings like Bonds, Sosa and Raffy Palmiero will be treated. And while the steroid beneficiaries eventually accumulated numbers superior to Dawson’s, when we are able to review that in retrospect, it becomes clearer what a great player Dawson was. Not to mention that the theme of Ryne Sandberg’s Hall speech was get Andre Dawson in here with me.
If Andre Dawson didn’t have bad knees, if Ted Williams didn’t spend 5 years in the military, if Sandy Koufax had piched until he was even 35.
Take your pick of extending the ledger card. You don’t run a Hall of Fame candidacy based on that, but Andre Dawson belongs on the way he conducted himself, and performed. Particularly if Jim Rice is in.
They were similarly feared, respected and untalkative in their day.
I honestly doubt that there would be 1 player that played against him that would tell you otherwise.
Regarding Alomar, I, like Chris thought about Utley when I heard he didn’t make it. Who knows how Chase finishes up, but due respect to Alomar, Chase is a presence. I guess. Who knows with these guys.
The only thing I can say about Bert Blyleven is that there wouldn’t have been 1 club that wouldn’t have loved to have had him on its staff. It does look lke the voter’s pushed him to a 2011 finish line, and while it will be nice to see him get in, I also can’t help but feel that his eventual membership will be cheapened by the publicity of elect Blyleven chants the last several years. That aside, while I find Chris Berman hard to handle these days, when he originated his then awesome baseball nicknames on then awesome ESPN, it didn’t get any better than Bert Be-Home By-Leven.
I think Larkin’s got a serious argument:
8 Silver Sluggers
12 All-Stars
1995 MVP
3 consecutive Gold Gloves
And comparable offensive per/162 numbers to Joe Morgan when it comes to hits, runs, home-runs, OPS and batting average.
The one drag on his numbers is his 15 (or something like that) trips to the DL.
KB, I find Berman utterly, completely and unacceptably irritating. He’s like the national version of Michael Barkan.
A little off topic, but I felt the need to share that.
I looked at Larkin’s record.
I can only guess. By historic standards, its impressive enough. By the way the shortstop position has evolved, it’s more iffy. He was the best shortstop in the NL. But he played in an era of Ripken, Alex, Nomar (when he was good), Jeter. His power numbers don’t match up as stellar, obviously compared to Alex, and Cal. He only had 500 AB’s 7 times in his career (result of your DL point).
Far be it from me to sink to National Enquirer levels, but Larkin hit 33 home runs in 1996. His next best year was 20. Even the 20 year was slightly out of character. Since I am guessing at reasons, and never heard a peep other than good things about him, I’ll leave it at that and let the era and numbers speak for themselves.
Comparing his numbers to Joe Morgan seems inappropriate to some extent. Compare it by era, i.e., the American League shortstops above.
When I think of a Hall of Fame shortstop, I think of Ernie Banks. Cal Ripken. I hate to apply the seemingly absurd is he worthy of first ballot thinking, but Barry Larkin doesn’t make me think of Banks or Ripken. I guess my impression is nominally on the positive side of borderline.
Now Jack Morris, on the other hand is a Hall of Famer. He’s like Schilling. Winning showed up wherever he did. What a coinidence. That goes a long way toward outweighing some number shortages. Larkin did win a ring with the Reds in 90 but while they were good and swept, its easy to forget that since the Reds have been so anemic since MLB became Money League Baseball.