Rain 2, Phillies Momentum 0
The rain once again stopped any chance the Phillies have of getting into an early season rhythm, between the championship hoopla and the passing of Harry Kalas, it seems as though they haven’t had a “normal” game at home yet.
2009: 5-6
2008: 5-6
2007: 3-8
Player of the Series: Raul Ibanez ( 7 for 11, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI)
Goat of the Series: Ryan Madson ( 2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 blown leads)
I’m going to start with the bad news, because it seems like there is a lot more of that to talk about
The Bad News
- I usually don’t let myself get worried this early in the season, but the only 2 players on this team that are absolutely irreplaceable, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge, look not only bad, but horrendous. Hamels now has an 11.17 ERA through 2 starts and would need to pitch 26 straight scoreless innings to get his ERA back down to where it was last season. He looked slightly improved, but not anywhere near where he should be. Lidge has a 9.45 ERA and has given up 3 HRs in 6.2 IP. He appears to have no control over his fastball and is leaving balls up in the zone. I think we can lose any offensive player and be OK, and obviously none of the other guys in the rotation would be missed right now, but if both these guys can’t get it done, it’s going to be a long season. Like 3rd or 4th place long.
- Right after I christened Ryan Madson one of the best 8th inning guys in baseball, he promptly blows 2 8th inning leads for the Phils. The good news is that it seems like a location issue, not an arm problem.
- Charlie Manuel said before the cancelled game today that “we’ve also some guys who, I think that they need to kind of look back and think how we got there, and what we did to be a winning team, and I think that sometimes you can do things that get away from the fact that the game is the first priority and winning the game is the first priority.” Looks like he thinks some guys are still celebrating.
- It’s hard to complain about Ibanez, but from what I read when we signed him, that play where he dove and missed the ball, letting it go to the wall, was not all that uncommon in Seattle.
- Some might see this as a good thing, but the fact that all five of our wins have been comeback wins says more that we are lucky to not be 0-11 than anything else.
- McCarthy, Wheeler and Sarge aren’t going to cut it for me. McCarthy is too much a stereotypical announcer who sounds like he is altering his voice and Wheeler is Wheeler. Franzke and Anderson need to be the TV guys. They are buddies and their on-air chemistry is far better. Not to mention Franzke is very smart and Anderson has some good dry humor.
The Good News
- Raul Ibanez is an extra-base machine, and any awkwardness of being the “new guy” is now gone with his walk-off HR on Sunday.
- Ibanez has arguably been the best hitter in the NL so far this year. He is 1st in HR, OPS and extra base hits, 5th in BA and 4th in runs. So, I think it’s pretty easy to say he wins this first comparison of him vs. Pat Burrell:
- J.A. Happ looks ready to come in and start whenever we decide to sit one of our underachieving starters. I think Park should get at least one more start before we make a move with him.
- Chase Utley, you are the man! Could this finally be the year he puts it together for a whole season? He’s got a .330, 30 HR, 115 RBI season in him.
- So far, Ryan Howard’s defense has looked much improved on several different types of plays. It doesn’t look like this was just a first series fluke.
Pete: was gonna comment on Ibanez’s swing but figured it was redundant. he’ s hitting to opposite field, blooping jamming-inside pitches, going long. its everywhere, very David Wright-ish with the compact swing. Glad we have him. he maybe our biggest offseason acquisition in terms of impact.
Wont everything just play out well if Park continues to stink, Happ swoops in and saves the day and Park returns to fortify our shaky bull pen as a 7th inning type?
Love the SARGE!! very low key and unexcited, understands enough of the game to keep you informed without sounding like a Bob-Salmi Teacher type. keeps baseball simple and less dramatic. needs an upbeat fellow next to him.
Pete…I have been completely unsatisfied lately with this announcer lineup we have after the passing of HK. Like you said Wheeler is Wheeler and we know what we are getting there. I do like Sarge for the most part as he is the guy who has been there and can answer baseball questions and provide opinion from the “inside”. I liked McCarthy for his on field/in the stands role, as he is a very likeable guy. What I do not like (and what I miss about Harry) is his unbiased approach at calling the game. If I flew in from East Jabip, turned on a Phils game, and listed to McCarthy and Wheels, I would have no clue which team these guys represent and are rooting for. McCarthy calls homeruns for the opposite team like he is happy that they just hit it. The is why Harry was so well liked here. Other than the fact that God gave him the greatest voice ever, you could tell by his calls that he was a Phils fan, unmistakeably through and through. When the Phils hit a home run, struck someone out, or won a game, you could hear the enthusiasm and pure joy in his voice. When the other team did the same, he would be pissed off and it could be heard in his tone. That is what I want from my announcer, the same thoughts and emotions that I have as a fan, pure and real. This is where I think LA may be the guy now, as he will tell it like it is on air and maybe even a little more detailed than Harry. Not sure what the plans for the future are, but I hope this current lineup we all hear day in and day out is temporary. BTW David Montgomery if you are reading this, I am available for an interview.
“McCarthy calls homeruns for the opposite team like he is happy that they just hit it.”
This drives me crazy. Same with Scott Graham when he was here. That is one thing I do like about Wheeler is he gets upset when bad things happen to the Phils.
jkay -
I think Ibanez has 2 opposite field home runs this year. Did not know he had that power to the opposite field.
also, for all the bad things I heard about his baserunning, his first to third on a base hit to CF the other day was impressive.
Franzke and Anderson are my favorite pair also. I’ve loved Anderson’s humor for years although sometimes he goes overboard as a “homer” when they don’t get the call. Still they are by far the best.
I find Sarge humorous but more in a laughing at him way. He just tries to hard to throw transitional phrases between everything and overemphasizes them. Like – Jimmy Rollins can ran to his left OR his right AS WELL AS coming in on the ball. ALSO he can go back on a ball hit to the outfield.
The way he starts most of his sentences I think it will be profound until he says something unbelievably obvious.
Has anyone else noticed this? It has gotten to the point where it has become an inside joke among my friends
can range*