The Phillies did what they were supposed to do, and beat a lesser team 2 out of 3 at home. Granted, they needed some more late game dramatics to do so, but the bottom line is all that matters.
2009: 11-9
2008: 10-10
2007: 9-11
Player of the Series: Raul Ibanez (6 for 10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 4 R)
Goat of the Series: Joe Blanton (1 GS, 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 HR, 3 BB)
The Good News:
- We have made 3 errors as a team, the next best team in the MLB has more than double that (Houston, with 7). The worst teams have 7 times that (WAS and STL with 21).
- How about that Pedro Feliz? 1st among NL 3B in BA and RBI, while still playing outstanding defense at 3rd.
- How about that Raul Ibanez? 2nd in the NL in OPS, HR and SLG%, while playing better defense and showing better baserunning that I expected. Didn’t think Pat the Bat would be this quickly forgotten.
- Jayson Werth has been patient and not over anxious to prove he’s a full-time player at the plate. He is 2nd on the team with 12 walks.
- Our offense is 1st in the NL in HR , SLG% and Runs/G.
- Hamels again looked good prior to his most recent freak injury. He continues to be the most important player on this team.
- Campo’s on Ashburn Alley has a new sandwich called “the Heater” which is a cheesesteak with hot sauce and buffalo blue cheese. Count me in.
- Only 30 games until J.C. Romero returns.
- Jason Knapp. Making the Phillies’ prospect watchers go crazy. 37 K and 12 H in 24.1 IP. Loooong way to go, but he probably has the best power arm this system has seen in a long while.
- I took the above pic from my seats on Tuesday.
The Bad News:
- Our pitchers are dead last in the NL in ERA and quality starts. Opposing hitters are hitting .282 against us, 2nd to last in the NL behind Colorado.
- Combined numbers of all 3 catchers: .212 BA, 0 HR, 4 RBI.
- Joe Blanton, who I thought we could count on for at worst, a 4.50 ERA, has let up almost a run an inning, and looks horrible.
- I don’t think our bullpen could withstand a long term Brad Lidge injury. However, Mike Koplove and Gary Majewski are pitching well enough in AAA to combat a short DL stint.
- People found out about the Schmitter, and the line is ridiculous all the time now. For the first 2-3 years of the park, this was my go-to sandwich because people hadn’t discovered it yet.
Pre-Series Post: Phils try to keep momentum going against Nats
It seems like finally, after the glitz and glam of the World Series ceremonies and the sadness of Harry’s passing, the normal routine of a baseball season is kicking in. With all the distractions, coupled with a 6.48 ERA out of our starters, and only 2 non-comeback wins, it’s quite amazing that the Phillies sit in 2nd place at 9-8 through the first couple weeks of the season. Baseball is a strange mistress.
Probable Pitching Match-ups
Monday: Blanton vs. Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11 ERA)
Tuesday: Hamels vs. John Lannan (0-2, 4.43 ERA)
Wednesday: Myers vs. Scott Olsen (0-3, 7.29 ERA)
Three Questions for the Series
- Can the Phillies maintain their first uninterrupted momentum of the season?
- Will Hamels look as good as he did in his first 3 innings vs. Milwaukee?
- Will somebody pinch Jimmy and inform him the season has begun? Or maybe convince him that Martis is still pitching for the Netherlands and this is still the WBC?
Prediction
For the last couple series, I’ve been predicting the opposite of what should happen, and of course the predictably unpredictable Phillies proved me right. For this series, I’m thinking they actually do what they are supposed to and take 2 of 3. They’ve already seen the hittable Martis, and that should help them tonight. Hamels looked poised for a dominant start before it was cut short last time around and the totally crazy Scott Olsen will probably have too much of a hangover to pitch well on Wednesday. 2 of those 3 things will happen, and they will welcome the Mets into town at 2 games above .500.
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Scott Olsen will be smoking cigs between innings. That dude is a complete headcase, he will likely be heckled mercilessly in Philly. What an angry guy. Pete, you should know that a soft-tossing righty like Martis handles the Phils, you just wrote about it!
just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier with this team…
knee inflamation for Lidge. he’s day to day.
stat on sportscenter….
in the words of Harry Kalas; “are you kidding me’.
2, 2-out Grand Slams in one game, to tie and to go-ahead.
u know what; I’m IN! I’m on board this phillies team, if its gonna have to be a crazy ride like this all the time, well thats how we are gonna win. No starting pitching, no problem. Bullpen walks a million in, we put up a million and one.
If we ever do get the arms right, this team could put a tear on. Ibanez may become more poular than Rowand before the year is done. think we should drop the Phightins and stick with the Amazing Phillies. the annoying, yet-Amazing Phils.
Just no rhyme or reason with this team. Hopefully (fingers crossed) the offense has finally arrived and will be staying in town for the next 6 months. I am praying that Hamels gives us our first pitching gem tonight in an 8-1 rout of the Nats.
I think jkay just came up with a fitting new nickname for the Phillies: The Annoyins! Annoying yet still amazing. On one hand the championship hangover might have distracted the team a bit. On the other hand, they still have “it” – that uncanny ability to pull out a win even if they make you want to bang your head on the wall sometimes. Regardless of whatever ups and downs they go through this year, I think their “it” makes them legitimate contenders for another championship. Gotta love ‘em. Have Advil on standby, but gotta love ‘em.
Anybody still upset about replacing Pat the Bat with Raul Ibanez?
Not me, Stu. We’re only one month in, but Ibanez has been even better than advertised. He is just a much better hitter than Burrell. That, plus the lineup in which he finds himself, plus the park in which he will hit for 81 games should add up to a lot of production. Could we possibly get 3 years of this? (I don’t mean what we’ve gotten this April of course, that’s unrealistic. I mean a solid, professional hitter who gives us consistent production on a daily basis.)
I don’t know if anyone saw this, but ESPN is giving no love to Larry Andersen. I watched the highlights of last night’s game. While ESPN was showing our two grand slams, they used the calls from our radio broadcast. They had the announcers names in a box at the bottom of the screen listed as Scott Franzke and BARRY ANDERSON. Yikes! Seeing as how he’s been broadcasting Phils games for around 14 years now, you’d think ESPN might know who he is.
What a game it was, too. Now I know what it’s like to be a Texas Rangers fan. If this keeps us we may be asked to move to the AL. Can’t see us winning 90+ games this way. The starters have got to get it under control ASAP.
Raul plays like he means it. Pat played like had to.
Passion versus punch the clock.
bski-
saw “Barry” Anderson too. pretty funny.
agree that the crazy finishes are taking attention away from horrible starting pitching. real anxious to see what we get from Hamels tonight.
I’m surprised that no one is talking about Romero’s lawsuit. He is suing the manufacturer of 6-OXO Extreme, Ergopharm, the Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC. Here’s his statement:
“Testing positive and being suspended from baseball was one of the most painful experiences in my life and robbed me of the joy of winning the World Series and damaged my reputation in the process,” Romero said in a statement. “I purchased an over-the-counter supplement that I was told and believed would not cause me to test positive. These events have hurt me deeply and placed a cloud over my career, accomplishments and family. It is my hope that I can finally start to put this event behind me and protect the interests of others who rely on manufacturers and retailers to be honest about their products. I look forward to rejoining the Phillies and my teammates at the end of my suspension.”
I’d say he has a case against them. Romero brought a bottle of the supplement to his hearing to show MLB execs that androstenedione was not listed as an ingredient in 6-OXO Extreme. That’s negligence on their part and they should be held responsible for that. This lawsuit is a totally separate issue from his suspension by MLB, however.
Here’s the way I look at it. Romero has repeatedly stated that he had no intention of cheating by using a banned substance, MLB agrees with his assertion, and I believe him. However, even though he had no intention of cheating, there was defintely intent there and I’d like to know what his intent was for taking that particular supplement? What beneficial effects was he after? I mean, this is not simply a multivitamin, so why did he need this? For example, was he looking for something to decrease his recovery time to help him make 70-80 appearances this season and be stronger in the process? If so, and I expect this was the case, that is a performance enhancer (red flags and blaring sirens).
This doesn’t strike me as a situation where Romero was wandering through the mall and stopped into a GNC to browse the shelves. I highly doubt that Romero happened upon 6-OXO by chance. I’m sure he knew exactly what he wanted and why he wanted it. Why would he ingest some random supplement that is completely unknown to him? It is more likely that he was told by other players, trainers, etc… what a great product it is, what great results he’d get, and that it was safe and legal before he purchased it. Again, I’m sure Romero did not intend to take a banned substance, but he knew he wasn’t taking Centrum vitamins either.
My point is this, if you are thinking about taking ANY type of performance enhancing substance, even if it is an OTC product, you had better get the ok directly from MLB headquarters. With all the new policies and the way MLB is making examples of everyone that gets caught, it’s the only sure way to protect yourself. Romero did not do that, he tested positive, and he got suspended. That’s on him.
Hamels in another life: a shepherd or Romantic poet, where throngs are sheep or imaginary readers.
Romero probably confused the product with a liquid pickerupper -”Vitameatavegamin” – that was highly recommended by Lucy Ricardo.
“Extreme” being on the label of a purchase to be ingested would tip a reader off.
bski: even though ther was some intent, Romero shouldnt be blamed for that. Blame them for not having their dumb rules straight. blame them for being ineffecient and ineffective for the last decade. blame them for just rushing to salvage the image of baseball. Romero attempted something dishonest. he didnt break any rules. thats fair game to me. if they want to charge him with using. then they should charge themselves with negligence.
on Hamels: Ok Cole; you remember that mysterious old lady that you knocked down on ur way to your very hot girlfriend’s photo shoot, yeah you might wanna apologize and make amends cos that Voodoo doll she’s using on you is money so far.
Ohh and watch ur step in the tub. dont wanna slip and fall there too. like Pedro.
See post #6 for my almost dead on prediction. Hamels was looking good last night until his injury magnet self got taken out of the game again. Thats 2 straight promising outings cut short but crappy luck. Hopefully it was just your simple roll of an ankle and he will be back in there for his next start.
As far as the offense goes, this team is clicking right now. Utley and Ibanez are both forces to be reckoned with. Both are just seeing the ball and driving it. Let’s keep the momentum going!!!!
ibanez and utley are out of control right now. They are 2nd and 3rd in the NL in OPS and ibanez is 1st in the majors in SLG%.
for all the love Ibanez is getting, Pedro Feliz is getting overlooked a little. Right now he is tied for 1st in RBI for NL 3B (ahead of Wright, Jones and Zimmerman) and is 3rd in OPS
Feliz looks much more comfortable at the plate this year. This has to be b/c of the offseason surgery. I bet he was at less than 100% for much of last season, as was Utley. Hopefully now he can play ot his potential for a couple years before Jason Donald kicks him outta there.
jkay…….I’m not blaming Romero for his intent. I have no problem at all with him using performance enhancers. It’s only natural for everyone to want to get the most out of what he’s got. I’d do it. As a matter of fact, I do do it through my use of multivitamin supplements, protein powders, recovery drinks, etc….(which are performance enhancers, albeit to a lesser degree) to aid in my training (running). It’s also difficult to draw a clear line that indicates when you’ve crossed beyond the boundary of acceptability when it comes to performance enhancers. When you get right down to it, my intent is the same as Romero’s. That’s not my issue with him.
My issue is that you need to be responsible for what you use. When you are in a situation like Romero’s, where your employer has a drug testing policy, you simply must be 100% certain that any supplement you use does not violate that policy. Romero did not do his due dilligence. That’s my problem with him.
One more thing. This article in the Daily News has to make you wonder. We are suppposed to believe that Romero was completely unaware that 6-OXO Extreme contained a banned substance (androstenedione) because it was not listed on the label. Fine, I’ll go along with that, but answer me this: If Romero read the label well enough to check for any banned substances, how did he miss the warning ( “Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations [including military].”) on the label?
jkay………I’m not blaming Romero for his intent. Virtually all athletes, including recreational ones, use performance enhancers of some sort, whether it be multivitamins, protein powder, recovery drinks, or beyond in an effort to maximize their training and conditioning. I have no problem with that. Also, it’s difficult to establish the exact point at which one crosses the line that separates acceptable from non-acceptable performance enhancers, not to mention which ones would violate the specific policies of each particular sport’s governing body.
My problem with Romero is that he did not do his due diligence to ensure that the particular supplement he was using was acceptable under MLB drug policy. It is his responsibility to be 100% certain that he is not using a banned substance.
One more thing. Romero is adamant that he was unaware that 6-OXO Extreme contained a banned substance, androstenedione, because the product’s label did not list it as an ingredient. Fine. However, this article in today’s Daily News states that this warning——“Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations [including military].”——has been printed on every bottle of 6-OXO ever made. This brings up two questions. If Romero read the label so carefully looking for any banned substances the product may contain, how did he not see the warning? Second, if he did see the warning, why would he even consider using the product before he—–not a trainer, not a teammate—–got confirmation from MLB that it was acceptable?
Jerry Crasnick has an article about 2B up, and had this to say about Utley:
It’s hard to tell what’s more impressive: Utley playing 159 games and the entire 2008 postseason on a hip so sore it required surgery, or his ability to come back so quickly from an injury that was supposed to keep him out until May or even June.
Utley’s fast start comes as no surprise to the Phillies’ people, who saw him arrive at Citizens Bank Park each day at 9 a.m. and stay until 2 or 3 p.m. during his winter rehab sessions.
After hitting only eight of his 33 homers last year after the All-Star break, Utley is slugging at a .671 clip. His swing looks as compact and explosive as ever.
Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia’s new left fielder, got a glimpse of Utley’s mechanics when he received a copy of the team’s World Series video after signing his three-year contract. Ibanez is a connoisseur of good hitting, and he was so impressed with one of Utley’s postseason homers that he put the at-bat on “pause” and replayed it two dozen times.
Still, Utley’s swing ranks down on his list of attributes in Ibanez’s estimation.
“Hands down, it’s the way he works and prepares,” Ibanez said. “He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. There are no surprises for him when the game begins. His intensity and focus in all of his activities is really impressive. I had no idea.”
I love that Ibanez was breaking down Utley’s swing
from a Baseball America chat…
Drew (Philly): Hey Ben, Is there anything to be excited about in the phils farm system these days?
Ben Badler: (3:27 PM ET ) I don’t think there’s a trio of pitching prospects off to better starts than Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp and Kyle Drabek.
all the innings our starters are leaving on the field is bound to take a toll on our bullpen late in the season. something needs to change.