2006 Philadelphia Phillies thread

[Kyle]

Spring Training is upon us, buddays...opening day roster projects as:

1. SS - Rollins
2. 3B - Bell
3. RF - Abreu
4. 2B - Utley
5. LF - Burrell
6. 1B - Howard
7. CF - Rowand
8. C - Lieberthal

SP - Myers
SP - Lieber
SP - Lidle
SP - Madson
SP - Franklin

CL - Gordon
SU - Rhodes
MR - Tejeda, Santana, Fultz, Cormier, Geary

The battles to watch in Spring Training are:

3B - Bell vs. Nunez vs. Gonzalez vs. Perez
5th Starter - Franklin vs. Floyd vs. Tejeda vs. Brito vs. Hamels

Most likely Bell will platoon with Nunez all year at 3B, while Gonzalez will spell Howard against the Dontrelle Willises (extremely tough lefties) of the world at 1B. Perez the pieman could be cut.

And I really think Floyd will beat out Franklin and start the year in the rotation moving Franklin to the pen which is good for all.

The team looks good. The lineup's the best in division, and the starters will be decent. If they can hold the bullpen together they'll have a shot at winning the NL East this year.

[flyerfan116]

The team looks good. The lineup's the best in division, and the starters will be decent. If they can hold the bullpen together they'll have a shot at winning the NL East this year.
please tell me you were being sarcastic....this team stinks on ice...Pat Gillick himself said they are not good enough to win the division. They are saddled with these long term deals and no-trade clauses that tie gillick's hands...Lieberthal, Abreu and Burrell have to go, bell has to retire and we need a #1 starter, this lineup is already in the hole..the best we can hope for is injuries to the aformentioned players making it necessary to make some moves....division is going to either the Mets or the Braves unless something is done and done soon to boost this lineup

[Kyle]

please tell me you were being sarcastic....this team stinks on ice...Pat Gillick himself said they are not good enough to win the division. They are saddled with these long term deals and no-trade clauses that tie gillick's hands...Lieberthal, Abreu and Burrell have to go, bell has to retire and we need a #1 starter, this lineup is already in the hole..the best we can hope for is injuries to the aformentioned players making it necessary to make some moves....division is going to either the Mets or the Braves unless something is done and done soon to boost this lineup

No, I'm not being sarcastic. I hope you were kidding about Abreu and Burrell. Yeah, we sure don't want guys who will hit 30+ HRs each every year, drive in around 100 runs, with one (Abreu) stealing 30+ bases a year and the other (Burrell) annually among the league leaders in outfield assists. :icon_roll

And the #1 starter argument is one of the stupidest around and yet every psuedo-Phillies fan makes it. Please tell me who are the LEGITIMATE #1 starters in this league, because there's like 10 tops. I can tell you right now the Braves don't have one...and whether or not people still consider Pedro a #1 (I have a hard time doing that for a pitcher that can't throw more than 6 innings most nights) could decide whether you think the Mets have one.

But, oh, I forgot, in Philadelphia we fucking haaaaaaaate baseball, so we need to piss on the team every year:icon_wink

[weakside]

Utley is going to be a superstar. Howard looks good as well. It will be interesting to see if Rollins can set the record...

[Mick32]

I just want the Pieman out. That's a step in the right direction, in my opinion. He can't hit. He can't run. He can't field.
He stinks and I don't like him, to steal a line.

[flyerfan116]

No, I'm not being sarcastic. I hope you were kidding about Abreu and Burrell. Yeah, we sure don't want guys who will hit 30+ HRs each every year, drive in around 100 runs, with one (Abreu) stealing 30+ bases a year and the other (Burrell) annually among the league leaders in outfield assists. :icon_roll
Stats are nice but don't mean shit if the team isn't winning, i'll take someone who plays hard and plays consistantly over players who run hot and cold at the drop of the hat...Abreu is such a commodity that there was absolutely NO interest in him when Gillick was shopping him around..and that is coming off a golden glove year...whats that tell you?

And the #1 starter argument is one of the stupidest around and yet every psuedo-Phillies fan makes it.

OK fine you don't want a solid #1 fine how about a decent rotation? the pitchers currrently making up our rotation had the highest collective ERA in the division last year with very little improvement..oh yeah and our new closer, while he was a great setup guy in NY last year... hasn't closed full time since 2001....somehow i don't feel warm and fuzzy about that

But, oh, I forgot, in Philadelphia we fucking haaaaaaaate baseball, so we need to piss on the team every year:icon_wink
no i love baseball which is why i continue to watch, and when the team stops pissing on us i'll be happy..all i ask is they put the best possible team out there that they can..thats all i ask whether they win or lose..whatever as long as they put the effort to have the best team they can and this organization doesn't do that plain and simple

[askewcore]

Please tell me who are the LEGITIMATE #1 starters in this league, because there's like 10 tops.

Just in the NL? There's about 10 or 11 out of 16 teams. And the Braves do have a guy named Tim Hudson. He's a #1 no doubt. And how many teams have won the World Series recently without one big time pitcher?

Oswalt and/or Clemens, Schmidt, Peavy, Sheets, Prior, Tim Hudson, Carpenter, Dontrelle, Pedro, and I'd put Livan Hernandez in there becuase he's a horse, but I can see the arguement against him.

[Kyle]

Just in the NL? There's about 10 or 11 out of 16 teams. And the Braves do have a guy named Tim Hudson. He's a #1 no doubt. And how many teams have won the World Series recently without one big time pitcher?

Oswalt and/or Clemens, Schmidt, Peavy, Sheets, Prior, Tim Hudson, Carpenter, Dontrelle, Pedro, and I'd put Livan Hernandez in there becuase he's a horse, but I can see the arguement against him.

These are the legitimate #1 ACE starters in MLB:
-Pedro Martinez
-Dontrelle Willis
-Andy Pettite
-Roy Oswalt
-Chris Carpenter
-Roy Halladay
-Johan Santana
-Bartolo Colon
-Barry Zito
-Rich Harden
-Jake Peavy

Schmidt had a terrible season last year. Sheets has never won more than 12 games. Prior has only played one full season, he's been hurt the last two years. Hudson's numbers were comparable to Brett Myers's numbers last season...that means he's good, but not a #1, and Hudson's only been a good #2 since 2000 or 2001 when he won 20. And Clemens is retired.

Now, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson could end up back on that list but I wouldn't throw them on there now until they proof they're both healthy and can still pitch neither of which are guarantees. And there's guys like Felix Hernandez, Scott Kazmir, Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buerhle who could potentially be #1s down the road, but they aren't now.

So that's 11 legitimate #1 starters out of 30 teams, and two teams (Houston and Oakland) have two each, meaning there's nine teams in MLB who have #1 starters. Absent from that list are perennial playoff teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, as well as the World Series champion White Sox (Buerhle's close, and I probably wouldn't object if he was added...Garland, Contreras, and Garcia need to put together more than one year).

The bottom line is the #1 starter is overrated in terms of determining how good a team is. It'd be great to have one; you'd be insane not to want one, but most teams don't have them, and you can win without them. It's more important to have consistently good pitching up and down the staff (like the White Sox did last year).

As far as the Phillies rotation goes...Myers and Lieber are #2s, Lidle's like a #4, and the rest are young guys who we'll have to wait and see on. I'm not totally against that plan. Too often the Phillies bring in retreads (like Ryan Franklin who I hope won't be in the rotation opening day) who suck. Let's see how much potential guys like Madson, Floyd, Hamels, Tejeda, Gonzalez, and Haigwood have. All young guy with potential to be anywhere from solid to very good MLB pitchers.

And unlike Ed Wade, if it doesn't work, Gillick will make the necessary moves...his track record proves that.

[domelogic]

'no i love baseball which is why i continue to watch, and when the team stops pissing on us i'll be happy..all i ask is they put the best possible team out there that they can..thats all i ask whether they win or lose..whatever as long as they put the effort to have the best team they can and this organization doesn't do that plain and simple'

I agree with these statements but will say that gillick is hobbled by wades inability to be a general manager. 2006 will be a make or break year for gillick and the phils. fans are starting to get a little pissed off at mediocre teams especially since they fed us a bunch of bullshit about our farm system.

having abreu and burrell in the same lineup is devasting. it is hit or miss and when its good its great but when its bad its really bad. that is why i was so pissed they traded polanco who is consistent. that is something this team sorely needs.

getting a number one pitcher wasnt possible this past off season. every team wanted utley and thank god we had the common sense not to trade him. even though i am sure wade was tempted in the past. i am a little concerned with long relief or a setup man in the bullpen since madson is going to start. i personally think it is a mistake since the team era from last year was not the greatest. time will tell but i hope we get off to a good start for a change.

[Kyle]

I agree with these statements but will say that gillick is hobbled by wades inability to be a general manager. 2006 will be a make or break year for gillick and the phils. fans are starting to get a little pissed off at mediocre teams especially since they fed us a bunch of bullshit about our farm system.

having abreu and burrell in the same lineup is devasting. it is hit or miss and when its good its great but when its bad its really bad. that is why i was so pissed they traded polanco who is consistent. that is something this team sorely needs.

getting a number one pitcher wasnt possible this past off season. every team wanted utley and thank god we had the common sense not to trade him. even though i am sure wade was tempted in the past. i am a little concerned with long relief or a setup man in the bullpen since madson is going to start. i personally think it is a mistake since the team era from last year was not the greatest. time will tell but i hope we get off to a good start for a change.

I'd agree with most of that, I guess. You're right about Abreu/Burrell, although in terms of wins and losses, I think it all evens out in the end. It just makes it painful to watch some nights. And the bullpen is concerning. And that Polanco trade looks especially bad now that what we got back is not only not on the team anymore, but in Venezuelan prison.

I'd take issue with one thing, though...saying that this is a make or break year for Gillick is insane (but then again, many Phillies fans are insane so it's probably going to end up being true).

People clamored for Ed Wade to fired (and rightfully so) because he did a poor job and fans didn't like the direction of the team. They got what they wanted, but people can't Gillick to undo all the wrongs Eddie did in one offseason. I think this team can win this year, but Gillick should have until at least the end of 2007 before people start judging whether this guy's done a good job or not.

[Kyle]

In case anyone's interested, the reports from spring training on the pitching go like this:

Myers, Lieber, Lidle and Madson are locks for the rotation
Gordon, Rhodes, Fultz, and Cormier are locks for the bullpen.

Manuel's keeping 12 pitchers out of spring training leaving one rotation spot and three RP spots:

Franklin's the front-runner for the rotation spot, but he has to beat out Floyd, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Robinson Tejeda...Cole Hamels and Eude Brito have very outside shots at it.

For the three bullpen spots, Julio Santana's almost a lock for one...Geary's almost a lock for the other...that leaves Rob Tejeda, Rodriguez, and Chris Booker (rule 5 draft from the Nats), with Brito and Yoel Hernandez having outside shots. If Floyd beats out Franklin for the rotation spot, then Franklin will land in the 'pen.

Most likely, Rodriguez (who would go on waivers if not) or Booker (who would go back to the Nats if not on the team) will nail the last bullpen spot, and Franklin will at least start the year in the rotation.

That would leave Floyd, Tejeda, and Brito to work as starters in AAA along with Dan Haigwood (talented prospect gotten from the Thome trade) to start the year, and be ready to fill in case pitchers get hurt, or perform badly. Hamels could also pitch his way to AAA but will most likely start the year in AA with Scott Mathieson (uber-talented Phillies pitching prospect) and Gio Gonzalez (also a pretty talented prospect from the Thome trade).

Got to give them a little credit...for the first time in a long time they'll have some real pitching depth in their minor league system.

[Kyle]

Anyone read Bill Conlin's article today (2/23)

He said that the Phillies organization next year is planning on changing up the broadcast team with Wheeler doing 9 innings on TV, Kalas doing 6, Scott Graham doing 3, and Graham, Larry Anderson, and some new guy doing the radio broadcasts.

What the fuck? Wheeler for 9 innings. If ever there was fucko, it's that guy. I don't care if Kalas is 120, he's a Philly legend, and deserves that spot...not some jizzbag kiss ass.

[domelogic]

Anyone read Bill Conlin's article today (2/23)

He said that the Phillies organization next year is planning on changing up the broadcast team with Wheeler doing 9 innings on TV, Kalas doing 6, Scott Graham doing 3, and Graham, Larry Anderson, and some new guy doing the radio broadcasts.

What the fuck? Wheeler for 9 innings. If ever there was fucko, it's that guy. I don't care if Kalas is 120, he's a Philly legend, and deserves that spot...not some jizzbag kiss ass.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? wheeler is the biggest dickhead announcer the phils have ever had, ok maybe muncer is right there with him. this no nothing is an apologist for the front office and the team. he never has anything remotely bad to say about how they are doing. did they leave wade in charge of this decision? fucking idiots. well it looks like radio for me boys.

as a side note, i do agree with you on the gillick thing. i should have said it is a make or break year for the team but his trades and drafting for all of 2006 will be his most important year. this will be his time to rid us of some trash and bring in some fresh blood who will put an effort out every single night. i have no problem giving him through 2007 to see what he can do.

have you read anything about our catching prospects? that is one situation that really disturbs me and needs addressing. yes i know it wasnt high on the list since our pitching problems werent solved under wade but it is the next highest priority in my opinion.

[Kyle]

have you read anything about our catching prospects? that is one situation that really disturbs me and needs addressing. yes i know it wasnt high on the list since our pitching problems werent solved under wade but it is the next highest priority in my opinion.

They have a guy named Jaramillo that is supposedly really impressing them down at Spring Training...so much in fact, that they're saying he'll skip A ball and start in AA this year. He projects as a seven-hole hitter (.275 15-20 HRs) at the major league level, but is pretty good defensively, supposedly.

Lieberthal's contract expires after this year, so they'll sign someone off the market next year. Depending on who they sign, post-Lieberthal will kind of show where they're going with the position. If they sign a guy to a short, 1-2 yr deal, then they believe Jaramillo's the real deal, and it's just a stop gap to bridge the position until he's ready to take over. Unless he advances very quickly (which I guess is possible), he probably won't crack the major till late 2007, or 2008. My guess, though is that Gillick will try to make a semi-big free agent signing next season to take care of the position long term, and if they have to, will trade Jaramillo if he shows MLB capability.

[flyerfan116]

Got to give them a little credit...for the first time in a long time they'll have some real pitching depth in their minor league system.
sounds like it...now if only we had the same thing for the majors

[domelogic]

got a chance to watch the phils game today and we finally have some speed in the minors. and these guys play hard. should be interesting on who they keep up and where they place some of these guys.(all lefties though which is kind of strange)

[Mick32]

It seems like the whole team bats lefthanded. (I know this is an overstatement, to all you Lou Literals out there.)
That was some of the reason that so many people were OK with Abreu being the guy moved for a pitcher.

[Kyle]

It seems like the whole team bats lefthanded. (I know this is an overstatement, to all you Lou Literals out there.)
That was some of the reason that so many people were OK with Abreu being the guy moved for a pitcher.

The problem was that Wade was counting on Bell and Lieberthal to hit about 20 HRs a season each and drive in between 70-80 runs. We know how that's turned out...

Rowand should help balance out the lineup a little more this season. He hit 24 HRs in 2004, before dropping a little last season. In Citizen Bank, he could hit between 20-25, and down in the lineup could drive in between 80-90. Alex Gonzalez also has a little bit of right handed power if he sees some playing time for Bell at third, although his average stinks (which is why he's a bench player and not a starter).

As long as Manuel doesn't bat Utley, Abreu, and Howard back to back to back, it should be fine. It should probably go:
1. Rollins (switch)
2. Utley (left)
3. Abreu (left)
4. Burrell (right)
5. Howard (left)
6. Rowand (right)

[domelogic]

i didnt realize they had that many lefties in the minors. i guess that makes a ton of sense why it was abreu. good point. i was a little amazed at the size of rowand, he is built more like a catcher. gonzalez will definitely see some time at third and will hit no worse than bell plus he has made some nice fielding plays this spring already. have him hit 8th oh wait that spot has been cemented by lieberthall

[Kyle]

Looks like David Bell could miss the start of the year. He's out with back spasms and his status is uncertain. Bell's better defensively, but at this point, I'd say Nunez and Gonzalez are as good if not better offensively.

As far as spring training's gone, it's pretty safe to peg the NL East as a three horse race between the Phils, Mets, and Braves. Washington and Florida don't have much of a chance at all. And honestly, of those three, the Braves look the weakest on paper, although, there's always that "don't bet against the Braves" historical factor when it comes to the division, so I won't put the nail in the coffin just yet.

Bodog.net has set the Phils over/under on wins at 82.5. I'd go way over on that. They'll at least match the 88 they won last season.

[domelogic]

Looks like David Bell could miss the start of the year. He's out with back spasms and his status is uncertain. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

now lets hope it lasts the entire season

[flyerfan116]

Looks like David Bell could miss the start of the year. He's out with back spasms and his status is uncertain. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

now lets hope it lasts the entire season
now lets see if someone can take out Burrell, Lieberthal and half the pitching staff & we might have a half decent shot

[Kyle]

now lets see if someone can take out Burrell, Lieberthal and half the pitching staff & we might have a half decent shot

What's with the Burrell hate? Guy was one of the best players on the team last year.

[domelogic]

yeah i dont know about the burrell thing but lieberthal could go as well. anyway lets talk about something exciting like the way ryan howard is playing this spring. this is the type of prospect that i have been waiting for. an everyday player(hopefully they give him a chance) who makes you want to watch the games. maybe he will turn into the leader they desparately need in the clubhouse. season is but a mere two weeks away!

[Bob]

Got my tickets for opening day, going with a shit load of people and I'll end up not remembering the game. I'll probably get to see Jimmy Rollins end his hitting streak.

The Phils have had a great spring training and Ryan Howard is absolutely crushing the ball.

And did anyone see Howard go after Beckett and talk shit, Josh is a cocky mother fucker who’s going to be even cockier in the AL because he doest have to bat. Good to see Howard have some fire and passion in a spring training game.

[Johnny Manf]

i'm going on saturday to the fake home opener which is just an exhibition game against the redsox but its the first game in CB park this year.

then i am going to the REAL home opener on monday too. should be a good time.

[Bob]

pic of the new left field wall..
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1156/cbpwall6uw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
wall raised from 8ft to 10.5 and pushed back 5ft from 369 to 374, however the left field foul pole remains at 329.

[Kyle]

Gavin Floyd has just been announced as having won a rotation spot. Ryan Franklin most likely bumps to the bullpen leaving a rotation of:
-Myers
-Lieber
-Lidle
-Madson
-Floyd

[ProfessorAnt]

The Inquirer reportes the following

-Phils release Ricardo Rodriguez (Traded from Rangers for Padilla), Robinson Tejeda and Eude Brito to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

-May move Madsen to Bullpen and Floyd into # 5 spot in rotation
Barring a trade or sudden change of heart, Floyd has seized the No. 5 starter slot, since the Phillies have no intention of using him in the bullpen. That sets off a chain reaction where one of the Ryans -- Madson or Franklin -- moves to the pen. Both have had success in relief, though Madson's came more recently, as in the previous two seasons in Philadelphia's bullpen.

While Franklin's last significant relief stint came in 2002, the veteran is 8-1 with a 3.83 ERA in his career as a reliever.

Conventional wisdom suggested that Madson hit the 'pen, but two team sources indicated that Franklin is the choice because the team believes he can play a vital role in relief, much as Madson did.


-Bell will likely be the Opening Day 3B starter

[ih8Uboo-boo]

$3 million is a lot of money for a guy to sit in the pen...

I want to know who is going to emerge as the "leader" of the team.

[Kyle]

$3 million is a lot of money for a guy to sit in the pen...

I want to know who is going to emerge as the "leader" of the team.

I think Utley and Rollins have taken on the role towards the end of last season. Both guys leave it all out on the field, and both game up with a ton of clutch hits down the stretch.

I haven't seen him play a lot, but Rowand is suppose to be a similar type of player.

[ProfessorAnt]

i just heard it announced that Ryan Madsen and Gavin Floyd will start the season in the rotation and Ryan Franklin will be in the bullpen.

Its official we have a rotation with two #2s and three #5s...do you hear that?

The bandwagon is starting up and its ready to roll. I'll be the first one on and I'm not getting off until we beat the fucking Braves. That's all I want this year. Next year, we'll talk.

[Kyle]

i just heard it announced that Ryan Madsen and Gavin Floyd will start the season in the rotation and Ryan Franklin will be in the bullpen.

Its official we have a rotation with two #2s and three #5s...do you hear that?

The bandwagon is starting up and its ready to roll. I'll be the first one on and I'm not getting off until we beat the fucking Braves. That's all I want this year. Next year, we'll talk.

I agree that Myers and Lieber are #2s, even though Myers has the talent to be a low-level #1.

But three #5s? That's a bit harsh. #5s are guys that can barely stay in the majors. Lidle's better than that. And how do you typecast Madson and Floyd as #5s when neither's really gotten an extended shot at the rotation in the majors.

Madson's always projected as a middle of the rotation, #3 type. Floyd's a former first round pick, and projects as a future #1.

I'm not saying they may not perform like 5s, this year...it's possible, but you've got to be a little more optimistic than that at the start of the season at least.

And at any rate, it's better than what the Mets are throwing out there these days.

After looking extensively at the league this year, I've got the Braves winning the East (again), the Cardinals winning the Central, the Dodgers winning the West, and the Phils penciled in as the Wild Card, edging out New York and Houston.

In the AL, I've got the Yanks, Indians, and Angels, with the Blue Jays as the Wild Card.

[Ballbuster1]

Jimmy Rollins is starting the new season looking to extend his hitting
streak of 36 games. I hope he can keep it going. It would generate
some more excitement for the team early in the season.
Phillies.com story here (http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060117&content_id=1296934&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi)

[askewcore]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2393648

The Phillies aquired Dave Dellucci for Robinson Tejada and minor league outfielder Jake Blalock. I dont know who the two guys they traded were, but Dellucci is a nice ballplayer, can fill both corner OF spots, doesnt need to play everyday, decent speed and a little pop....Philadelphia looks to be shaping up to be pretty good.

Oh, and I dont think Rollins has much of a chance to keep his streak going, its gotta be incredibly hard to go through the offseason and start off that hot.

[Kyle]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2393648

The Phillies aquired Dave Dellucci for Robinson Tejada and minor league outfielder Jake Blalock. I dont know who the two guys they traded were, but Dellucci is a nice ballplayer, can fill both corner OF spots, doesnt need to play everyday, decent speed and a little pop....Philadelphia looks to be shaping up to be pretty good.

Oh, and I dont think Rollins has much of a chance to keep his streak going, its gotta be incredibly hard to go through the offseason and start off that hot.

Tejeda has a really nice arm, but his potential as a starter is questionable because he has control issues. Dellucci is a nice pick up. Already, it's got me wondering if this means they're going to start shopping Abreu again. Dellucci's a capable starting OF. Seems like they could put Abreu on the block again and see what kind of pitching may be out there.

[Bob]

For those without ESPN INsider heres Buster Olney's take on the trade.


The Rangers again turn to the Phillies to make a deal that could help with their depleted rotation. It's the Philadelphia part of this thing that is intriguing.

Some open-ended questions: Why would the Phillies surrender a pitcher -- a chip they admittedly need -- for a proven outfielder like David Dellucci?

Is it merely out of the need for depth?

Is it because of something they've seen, maybe in Pat Burrell, who is not completely healthy?

Is it to set themselves up in the event they find a trade partner in a Bobby Abreu deal down the road?

Phillies GM Pat Gillick knows Dellucci from his days as GM of the Orioles, and I don't think he'd be picking him up knowing that David would only be pinch-hitter type. There's more mad scientist in Gillick than any general manager I've covered; he always thinking two or three moves ahead, and he won't always tell you what he's doing. You have to think, on the face of it, that the acquisition of Dellucci is merely the first domino to fall.

[domelogic]

i dont think you can say madsen or floyd are better than #5's until they prove otherwise. this team has a nice offense (a few too many lefties) and a little better than marginal pitching at the start of the season. hopefully the pitching will be better than expected and we can get off to a nice start(something we havent done in a while)


kyle, i agree with you that abreu is the one to be traded if that is gillicks plan. if he starts off hot we could end up getting a solid #2 who is at the end of a contract and the team needing to drop payroll or out of the playoffs. i will wait and see if the phils can get by houston for the wild card cuz i still believe that clemens will be pitching there in july.

[Wilmington WOW]

Ready to watch Rollins keep the streak alive
I can't wait to see the NY media downplay the feat
Dimagio is over rated. give me Ted Williams any day

Also, excited to to watch Howard crush the long ball

[ProfessorAnt]

the day is here! i will be tailgating starting @ noon today. i hope the weather makes a turn, because yesterday would have been perfect for a home opener. the stadium was hopping with sox fans but it was still a good time.

if anyone is looking for a good party, the philly sport and social club is having a tailgate party in section F2 of the spectrum parking lot.
http://www.phillysportandsocialclub.com/events/index.cfm?content=eventdetail&calid=778
20 bucks to join the party and drink for a few hours prior to the game.

see you there.

here is a preview of the fun from last year. my fat ass even made the gallery.
http://www.phillysportandsocialclub.com/photogallery/index.cfm?content=viewgallery&galtypeid=332&gal_folderpath=http://dev.sportandsocialclubs.com/photos/&page=viewgallery

[flyerfan116]

4:20 p.m. St. Louis 10 Philadelphia 0 after 4 innings.....so we go 161-1 no big deal

[domelogic]

welcome to opening day as it is 10-0 in the 4th. worst part is lieber gave up a slam to that fucker rolen. ugh i need to puke

sorry you had to witness that live professor

BATTING
2B: Edmonds (1, Lieber), Taguchi (1, Santana).
3B: Miles (1, Lieber).
HR: Pujols (1, 3rd inning off Lieber, 0 on, 2 out), Rolen (1, 4th inning off Santana, 3 on, 2 out).
TB: Eckstein; Encarnacion; Pujols 4; Edmonds 2; Rolen 5; Taguchi 2; Molina, Y; Miles 4; Carpenter.
RBI: Edmonds (1), Pujols 2 (2), Miles 2 (2), Carpenter (1), Rolen 4 (4).

[domelogic]

4:20 p.m. St. Louis 10 Philadelphia 0 after 4 innings.....so we go 161-1 no big deal

guess we both realized we now had free time

[flyerfan116]

yeah..forgot my antenae so i can't listen at work..keep checking the updates on yahoo sports...now 13-1 top of the 5th and phillies are already on their 3rd pitcher

[Redding]

they never seem to start the season off strong, they need to get that early momentum they are always in a uphill battle, also so far rollins hasnt got a hit, could it be over already?

[Redding]

Pujols 2-2 2 hrs 4 rbis, fuck bonds pujols is easily the best hitter in the game

[Ballbuster1]

Jimmy did get his hit, so the streak is alive at 37 games. They are too
far behind to win this one, but they never seem to look good on opening
day for some reason.


Just finished.........13 to 5.

[ProfessorAnt]

sad

[Mother Shucker]

We where talking NL East in the office Friday, and I have a big Phillies phan telling me how good his/your team was. I said I liked the lineup, but the pitching was weak. He told me they would have a better staff then the Mets. To that I say: Good luck Bro/s.

[Kyle]

We where talking NL East in the office Friday, and I have a big Phillies phan telling me how good his/your team was. I said I liked the lineup, but the pitching was weak. He told me they would have a better staff then the Mets. To that I say: Good luck Bro/s.

The guy was right...the Phils have a better lineup and rotation than the Mets...not much better, but better. The Mets have a better bullpen, though, which may win out in the end.

Anyway, I was at the game today. Sucks to lose on opening day, but nobody should be too upset about it. I actually had a ton of fun tailgating and what not, and it was great to see Jimmy get his hit. Hopefully Myers comes out strong tomorrow.

[Mother Shucker]

A better rotation? I do not think they win ANY match up through the rotation.

The Philly offense is a bit better, but the stats are misleading due to the fact you play in that retarded ball park that makes pop flys homers. Then again, maybe that is why are pitching stats are better. Either way it should be a good NL East race with most teams sticking around to the end.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

A better rotation? I do not think they win ANY match up through the rotation.

I think that the only starter that is a clear cut advantage at the "#1 starter" because of Pedro, but the gap is closer because of Pedro's gimpy toe.

Both staffs have a TON of question marks as far as the 2-5 positions go...

The Phils have had success against Glavine, while Traschcel when healthy seems to own them. Lidle and Zambrano are a wash... If Madsen/Floyd/Bannister come through as decent prospects, it will definitely be an interesting race...

But I don't think that either team has the pitching to make enough noise in the playoffs...

[Wilmington WOW]

how about that last bat by jimmy rollins yesterday.
I saw the beginning of the game and was able to turn it back on just before his at bat. clutch 0-4 for the day so far
he had 3 balls and no strikes, in danger of being walked
then he rips a screemer down the first base line, just past Pujols, for a double

break dimagio's record J-Rol

[ih8Uboo-boo]

break dimagio's record J-Rol
Unfortunately, there would be an asterisk or a different record altogether because it is over 2 seasons...

[Kyle]

Unfortunately, there would be an asterisk or a different record altogether because it is over 2 seasons...

I think they are considered two seperate records:
-Longest Hitting Streak
-Longest Single-Season Hitting

If Rollins were to do it, and we're still a long way away from that at this point, I think his feat is actually tougher than DiMaggio's. To come in cold, mid-streak, at the beginning of a new season seems a lot tougher, then a guy who's in mid-season form and has found some sort of groove.

[Wilmington WOW]

I think they are considered two seperate records:
-Longest Hitting Streak
-Longest Single-Season Hitting

If Rollins were to do it, and we're still a long way away from that at this point, I think his feat is actually tougher than DiMaggio's. To come in cold, mid-streak, at the beginning of a new season seems a lot tougher, then a guy who's in mid-season form and has found some sort of groove.

exaclty, do ya think the NY media will knock Rollins acheivement?

yo, kyle from Wilmington

[askewcore]

I think they are considered two seperate records:
-Longest Hitting Streak
-Longest Single-Season Hitting

If Rollins were to do it, and we're still a long way away from that at this point, I think his feat is actually tougher than DiMaggio's. To come in cold, mid-streak, at the beginning of a new season seems a lot tougher, then a guy who's in mid-season form and has found some sort of groove.

They're not considered two different records. The fact that he hit in September and then again in April doesnt make his streak longer, he's still only played 37 games. That being said, if he can break 56, which I dont think he has a chance in hell at, it would be more impressive, because I dont see how it wouldnt be harder to pull off after waiting the entire offseason to get it going again.

[Kyle]

yo, kyle from Wilmington

yo

exaclty, do ya think the NY media will knock Rollins acheivement?

They were already on PTI yesterday asking the question whether the streak is tarnished because Rollins swung at a 3-0 pitch down 10 runs yesterday. Thankfully, neither Kornheiser nor Wilbon agreed with that.

But if he gets into the mid-to-late 40s with this, of course they will be all over it as being fake, needing an asterik, and not being as impressive as DiMaggio. Faggity homers.

It's MORE impressive. It's much more difficult to come in, cold, to a brand new season, and continue it IMO.

[askewcore]

ESPN is not the NY media. They're the New England media, based out of Bristol, CT. And they haaaaaaaaaaate the Yankees. The only reason they air a bunch of our games is because they know there's a bunch of national bandwagon jumping, phony Yankee fans. If Rollins beats Pete Rose's NL record (44 or 47 I think, I'm not positive either way) they'll make a big fucking deal about it and they'll probably try to undermine his acheivement. Trying to discredit what he did because he swung at a 3-0 pitch is retarded, if your down 10 runs in the 2nd game of the season and chasing a record most people think will never be broken, you should have the right to hack at a 3-0 pitch. He got a base hit off the 3-0 too I'm assuming, right?

Doing it over two seasons has got to be harder then getting in a 56 game groove. Not to diminish the great Joe D's accomplishment.

Joe D also got robbed by a sick catch in CF in his last at bat in game 57, not making any excuse or anything, just he came sooooo close to extending it even more.

[ProfessorAnt]

i could care less about Jimmy Rollins and his streak. i just want those guys in the red pinstripes to win a fucking game. there's a lot of baseball left, but let's get some fire under their feet.

Burrill and Abreu need to wake up in the outfield. Where's the hustle? D. Bell should just be on the DL until he's closer to 100%. We auditioned half a dozen guys for third base. Let's use one of them. I don't care if people have had good stats in the first 2 games. They lost them both and both were sad.


http://media6.uploadjar.com/file.php?file=uploads/3200_1198.pdf

I have the press pass again this year and will post the game notes for you guys if i have them when i'm online. Mr. Graham loves to interject with the prepared notes, so listen closely and you will surely hear at least one of these "fun facts" ...Mike Lieberthal is not just the longest-tenured active athlete in Philadelphia sports, he is also tied for the 4th-longest active professional tenure with one team in the major leagues and 2nd-longest among National League players...Nine members of the Phillies’ current 25-man roster (36%) were originally drafted by the club

[domelogic]

anyone read what mr wagner had to say in tsn. apparently he didnt resign with the phils because of the nastiness of the fans. "its a no win situation. oure out there busting your tail and when youre having a good season you dont want to deal with fans who arent knowledgeable and are constantly riding you" he also said the phils arent committed to winning a championship. that fucking excuse is getting old. i didnt hear to many people giving wagner shit last year, now the prior year yeah since he was always hurt. just because you show interest in how your team is doing doesnt mean you know nothing or arent knowledgeable. i might now have to get tickets for a mets game and harrass this stupid in the outfield bullpen.

forgot more of this dumbasses quote "they want you to know when you step into that ballpark that it doesnt matter who you play for... home team, visiting team. they look forward to the opportunity to ride you. itll be interesting when i go back"

i guess the 4 yr 43 mil contract had nothing to do with it.

[flyerfan116]

i could care less about Jimmy Rollins and his streak. i just want those guys in the red pinstripes to win a fucking game.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Thank you...I agree 100% I don't give a shit about streaks, records or individual stats...the only stat i care about can be found under the column with the big W on top of it....i don't give a shit if Rollins hits for 70 games straight, Abreu hits .450 and Burrell has 60 HR..if the team isn't winning none of that means shit bottom line

[Kyle]

anyone read what mr wagner had to say in tsn. apparently he didnt resign with the phils because of the nastiness of the fans. "its a no win situation. oure out there busting your tail and when youre having a good season you dont want to deal with fans who arent knowledgeable and are constantly riding you" he also said the phils arent committed to winning a championship. that fucking excuse is getting old. i didnt hear to many people giving wagner shit last year, now the prior year yeah since he was always hurt. just because you show interest in how your team is doing doesnt mean you know nothing or arent knowledgeable. i might now have to get tickets for a mets game and harrass this stupid in the outfield bullpen.

forgot more of this dumbasses quote "they want you to know when you step into that ballpark that it doesnt matter who you play for... home team, visiting team. they look forward to the opportunity to ride you. itll be interesting when i go back"

i guess the 4 yr 43 mil contract had nothing to do with it.

Well, there is some truth to it, for anyone who goes to the ballpark. There are some great Phillies fans...there's also a lot of dickhead Phillies fans, who get off on trying to be as huge an asshole as they can be.

But you're right, Wagner was one of the most popular guys on the team, and didn't really get it at all last season. The only specific instance I've heard him quote about the fans is that when he would throw fastballs and they'd register at 98 or 99 MPH, they'd boo him for not hitting 100. I've been in the stadium for that, and he obviously didn't get the sentiment at all. It wasn't nasty, it was a joke, in which the fans where poking fun at their own reputation, and all the fans understood that...but apparently he didn't get...stupid Virginia hayseed.

But the bottom line is Wags left for the money. Had he got it from the Phils he would have stayed. Him and his wife were quoted numerous times as saying they love the Philadelphia area. All he says now is for show, to build up the Phils/Mets rivalry.

[blinkdmb]

o-3 Start, Rollens streak is over 3 games into the season....Eugh what an awful year its going to be.

[Kyle]

o-3 Start, Rollens streak is over 3 games into the season....Eugh what an awful year its going to be.

Ah yes, I was waiting for the first guy to proclaim this season over.

Because three games into 162 generally gives you a good feel of how a team's going to shake out. :icon_roll

[Ballbuster1]

o-3 Start, Rollens streak is over 3 games into the season....Eugh what an awful year its going to be.
Damn, that was quick! I think I'll hang in there for awhile before
I decide how the season's going. Tough break for Jimmy. The streak
was a bright spot in the news so far. Maybe he can restart it. There's
plenty of games left to play.

[flyerfan116]

I'm kinda glad the streak is over. I mean yeah it would have been cool for him to get it but the reality is baseball should be about winning games and playing as a team, not concentrating on individual acheivements...i'm not giving up on the team but they need alot of work and being in the national spotlight when they are playing like shit wouldn't be good for morale...it would be different if they started strong and were playing well, but to turn on Sportscenter to hear yeah the Phillies suck but at least Rollins is still hitting is bad i think.

[domelogic]

it is way to early in the season to write it off. i think everyone just wishes they would get off to a fast start just once instead of the poor starts that have happened over the last several years. everyone knew the pitching was going to be a weak point and so far they are proving us right but again the season just started and they did play a team that expects to be in the world series

look at the schedule, they have 7 games against colorado, 3 against pitt and 3 against the nationals at home this month. that is alot of winnable games this month. i am curious to see how floyd starts out tonite. he needs confidence and if he gets it he will be fine, so here is hoping to a strong start.

[Kyle]

40-45 games into the season is the first mark where you get a feel of how good a team might be.

The All-Star Break is the second.

[Mother Shucker]

40-45 games into the season is the first mark where you get a feel of how good a team might be.

The All-Star Break is the second.
Well, there is an old saying: "You don't win penents in April, but you can lose them."

[Kyle]

Well, there is an old saying: "You don't win penents in April, but you can lose them."

True, but despite the sluggish start, I don't really see the Phillies finishing any worse than .500 for the month...after St. Louis and LA, they've got a fairly easy schedule the rest of the month.

[Bob]

i went to the double header yesterday, the second game Uncle Charlie put out a minor league team, anyway i sat out in right feild for the second game and J.D. Drew was just getting killed. Fake money was being thrown, J.D. Jew chants, it was just brutal and non stop.

[domelogic]

i went to the double header yesterday, the second game Uncle Charlie put out a minor league team, anyway i sat out in right feild for the second game and J.D. Drew was just getting killed. Fake money was being thrown, J.D. Jew chants, it was just brutal and non stop.


good i hate that fuck anyway. as long as batteries or something else that could injure him wasnt thrown, then he deserves it

i was thinking the same thing about their lineup in the second game. i am sure lieber was thrilled and he pitched well. i did get a kick out of the crew in the outfield who were wearing fasano mustaches.

[Kyle]

good i hate that fuck anyway. as long as batteries or something else that could injure him wasnt thrown, then he deserves it

i was thinking the same thing about their lineup in the second game. i am sure lieber was thrilled and he pitched well. i did get a kick out of the crew in the outfield who were wearing fasano mustaches.

I didn't quite get the B-team lineup either. Managers usually do it to rest guys, but they're five games into the season...it's not like they're worn out. The only thing I can figure is they're getting ready to go on the road this week and he didn't want to over-extend them, but they have an off day on Tuesday, so even that doesn't make sense.

Just a stupid Charlie decision...that's #1 of the season...there'll be many more, I'm sure.

[Mick32]

I think he went all-out with the game one lineup, figuring Little would rest people across the two games, because they HAD to win one of those games yesterday. If they lose both yesterday, we might be watching a press conference on CSN about him being fired today.

[onepickdaily]

Kyle-All of my scumbag friends are Phillies haters. They all give you the same BS (I love the Phillies, but I just don't see them doing anything. I want them to win, but I don't think they can, there pitching stinks...blah, blah, blah). It's the same story from each one of these idiots...and take a wild guess who they all worship?? Jew-face Eskin!!! They are all Eskin puppets!!

About Charlie-I Don't think there will be too many more screw ups this year. He will be gone very soon!!! Trust me.

BOB-I was behind homeplate, so I didn't see them throwing money, but I heard them crushing J.D. Jew in the outfield. It was hilarious, the 5000 people that stayed for the 2nd game sounded like 40,000+ every time he came up to bat.

Dome-Yesterday definately started FASANO-MANIA in Philly....They booed Ryan Howard when he was announced as the pinch hitter for Fasano in the 9th.

Been checking out this site for a few years now, fan of the boys since before day 1 at YSP. Never thought I would join WACKBAG to post a message about the Phils.

[domelogic]

i liked the way meyers pitched last nite except for a couple of fastballs he grooved(and paid for it). the double to the pitcher killed him but his curve ball was sharp. i was a little disappointed in rowan's ability to bunt.

professor as the season goes on if you could link up the game stats again that would be great

[ih8Uboo-boo]

i was a little disappointed in rowan's ability to bunt.


It's not just him... nobody can bunt in baseball anymore. Its a frigging disgrace. I went to a game in Baltimore last year and 3 or 4 players tried lay bunts down. All of them were unsuccessful...

[Bob]

The Phillies are hitting, well everybody but Utley and Bell. The problem is the whole team isn’t hitting with runners in scoring position. They are an NL worse .160 with runners in scoring position.

1-6 is a bad start and 4.5 games behind the Mutts, got themselves into an early hole. It’s a Long season hopefully they can turn things around. Uncle Charlie needs to figure out that lineup; Howard should not be in the six spot with BELL protecting him? Fuck that. Here’s my line up.

Rollins
Abreu - works the count enough to get Rollins Steals
Howard
Burrell - gives Howard protection and breaks up all the Lefties.
Utley- Doest need the protection
Rowland - too many strike outs not a 2 hitter.
Bell - Good for a base hit or random HR
Liberthal - piece of shit, the pitchers supposedly don’t like throwing to him. And supposedly he doesn’t prepare for the batters he's facing. He plays with ZERO Heart and emotion....

The pitching is another story, Madson looked good and that’s it. And the bench seems to be the best in the East if Uncle Charlie uses it correctly.

I have some pics from the double header, the walk off celebration I’ll post them later when I get home, if anyone’s interested in drunken pics....

[Kyle]

The Phillies are hitting, well everybody but Utley and Bell. The problem is the whole team isn’t hitting with runners in scoring position. They are an NL worse .160 with runners in scoring position.

1-6 is a bad start and 4.5 games behind the Mutts, got themselves into an early hole. It’s a Long season hopefully they can turn things around. Uncle Charlie needs to figure out that lineup; Howard should not be in the six spot with BELL protecting him? Fuck that. Here’s my line up.

Rollins
Abreu - works the count enough to get Rollins Steals
Howard
Burrell - gives Howard protection and breaks up all the Lefties.
Utley- Doest need the protection
Rowland - too many strike outs not a 2 hitter.
Bell - Good for a base hit or random HR
Liberthal - piece of shit, the pitchers supposedly don’t like throwing to him. And supposedly he doesn’t prepare for the batters he's facing. He plays with ZERO Heart and emotion....

The pitching is another story, Madson looked good and that’s it. And the bench seems to be the best in the East if Uncle Charlie uses it correctly.

I have some pics from the double header, the walk off celebration I’ll post them later when I get home, if anyone’s interested in drunken pics....

I'd go:
-Rollins
-Utley
-Abreu
-Burrell
-Howard
-Rowand
-Bell
-Lieberthal

[domelogic]

this is where having all those lefties hurts. if burrell was more consistent than he would have to bat 4th but leaving howard hang out to dry at 5th is no good. he hits for not only power but his average will be good as well which means he needs more at bats. i think you need utley in the 2 or 3 hole and the same with abreu. that means that burrell has to bat 4th to break up the lefty combo which really only makes a difference in the late innings or if the starter is lefty(like every 4th day). now the problem is who will be good enough to hit 6th and give protection to whoever hits 5th. lieberthall, yeah not likely, bell, might as well sign me to hit for him and that leaves rowan or delucci if he spells for someone.

i couldnt believe that stat they showed on monday it was .179 with runners in scoring position which i am sure dropped to your .160. i think i have to go back to 1993 to get a phils team that hit in the clutch. weird but this team has some things it does regardless of who is managing them. long season and it can only get better, so lets take a wait and see attitude.

[Mick32]

Abreu should lead off. He's a left handed Rickey Henderson at the top of that lineup. He would score runs like Lenny Dykstra in the early 90s. He walks, hits for a high average and steals bases. Rollins doesn't get on base enough for a leadoff hitter, in my opinion.
Abreu
Rowand
Utley
Burrell
Howard
Rollins
Bell/Nunez
Lieberthal

[SnuggleBug]

A 2-6 start so far, who wants to predict when the team starts blaming everyone but themselves for stinking up the field yet once again?

[Kyle]

The funny thing is that 2-6 has them in 3rd place in the division.

[SnuggleBug]

yeah how sad is our division? It looks like this could be the year the Braves FINALLY do not win the division, of course with all the sucktacular teams in the division anything is possible, but im gonna go with the Mets this year. On paper their team looks good enough, but we'll see if this paper team can finally produce on the field.

[Kyle]

It's good to see them finally starting to round into form. Floyd had a decent start last night. The bullpen looked shaky, but Gordon was able to close it down. 2 out of 3 in Colorado would be a nice way to cap off, because after that they get Washington for three, Florida for three, and the Rockies for four all at home. All of those are series that they should would win, and it'd put them on pace to finish the month above .500, which after their start would be a pretty nice accomplishment.

The head-to-head games with the Mets this year are going to be crucial, and they have no September games against them this year, which means that the games in May, June, July will be much more meaningful then they should be.

[domelogic]

floyd definitely looked better last nite but he still looks uncomfortable out there. i think getting the run support early was something he needed and might need again until he feels comfortable. for the first time this year and not the last cormier sucks balls! get rid of him. i asked politely last year. yesterday franklin grooved a couple of pitches and the braves took advantage. i havent seen him pitch enough to rail on him but going into colorado(who is playing well) you cant let that happen. they need to take 2 or 3 from the rockies that would put them at 5-7 and back home against the nationals.

did anyone hear the stat for the braves that they have played 11 games and dont have a starting pitcher with a win. that is amazing

you are right kyle they cant slack when they play the mets especially early in the year. i am suprised that they play a division foe like them in september.

[onepickdaily]

Phillies will be fine, however, I still think Charlie is going to lose his job. It's going to be tough, but I am looking for a Phils Sweep in Colorado.





www.onepickdaily.com

[domelogic]

great game by meyers today. this was only the second 1-0 game in coors field history. this is the second start in a row meyers has had good control of his pitches. i hope that rowan who is hitting well gets his head out of his ass for some of the base running and fielding mistakes he has been making. this is the type of game the bullpen needed with the way things have been going. i will be seeing the rockies next thursday and hopefully the momentum from this road trip will continue.

[domelogic]

things have gotten so bad in the bullpen that they left floyd in the game last nite til sometime in the 7th inning. the running joke is the phils pitching staff is like a donut, big hole in the middle. that win last nite was huge cuz i wouldnt have wanted to be a player in that stadium for the weekend if they were 1-8 or 1-9 at home

[SnuggleBug]

things have gotten so bad in the bullpen that they left floyd in the game last nite til sometime in the 7th inning. the running joke is the phils pitching staff is like a donut, big hole in the middle. that win last nite was huge cuz i wouldnt have wanted to be a player in that stadium for the weekend if they were 1-8 or 1-9 at home

that win last night was a joke, our pitching sucks, (Hernandez going 3-4?!?!) and our bats are streaky at best. When are they going to get it through their heads that they have to stop swinging for the fences at home? Whatever happen to playing some small ball and playing it consistently? I love the players interviews after the game too, "As long as we win, it doesn't matter how we get it done". This is why i hate this pompous, stubborn team, they know they aren't playing the right way, but they refuse to own up to it. "We'll do it our way and ONLY our way whether you like it or not, even if it means we suck year in and year out"....AWESOME GUYS, I would give anything to have those 91-93 Phillies back. Yeah they sucked then too, but at least they knew they sucked, a bunch of degenerates that went out and played their heart out and owned up to everything. "yeah we suck, but we're trying" MEMORIES........

[dirtypennyhole]

what do you guys think of rowand so far? I don't know if he is living up to the hype so far. I've seen a couple deep fly balls that he hasn't gone all out for. I thought he used to run into walls and shit to catch balls

[ProfessorAnt]

that win last night was a joke, our pitching sucks, (Hernandez going 3-4?!?!) and our bats are streaky at best. When are they going to get it through their heads that they have to stop swinging for the fences at home? Whatever happen to playing some small ball and playing it consistently? I love the players interviews after the game too, "As long as we win, it doesn't matter how we get it done". This is why i hate this pompous, stubborn team, they know they aren't playing the right way, but they refuse to own up to it. "We'll do it our way and ONLY our way whether you like it or not, even if it means we suck year in and year out"....AWESOME GUYS, I would give anything to have those 91-93 Phillies back. Yeah they sucked then too, but at least they knew they sucked, a bunch of degenerates that went out and played their heart out and owned up to everything. "yeah we suck, but we're trying" MEMORIES........

First off, Hernandez is a freak. He's an animal and they should be glad they got what they did off of him. He'll usually throw a couple of homers, but typically doesn't walk a ton or allow "small ball." His speed changes are frustrating and its amazing that he's got the control he does at this point in the season. He must have had a healthy off season because threw like that in his rookie season. He won the WS MVP that year.

So the pitcher hit two doubles and a homer (see above. He's a freak). It wasn't a pretty game, but they didn't give up when they were down 3 in the 8th. If you were to look at that game in a bubble without considering the beginning of the season you would like the fact that Manuel went all out with their subs to get them back in the game. Its a bit harsh to call them pompous and to me it looks more like a confidence that they'll get back a few of those losses that were disappointing in the first homestand.

You can't win championships in April, but you can lose them. A team that panics in April and starts to get desperate for a win can really damage the whole season. Confidence/pompousness is what it takes to stay the course even when things are rough. Its still early. Think of this as a poker game. If you lose the first few hands you are not eliminated, but you have to play smarter and more consistent to get back to a place where you can take a few risks. I've played with the fools who lose their first two or three hands and go all in on the fifth hand. The results are never good. (Using that analogy you could also say that you'll be at the table all night and just fizzle out because you'll never get the perfect hand. I'm ok with that as long as they don't go out on the fifth hand.)

I'm not always this optomistic, but I like their chances this year, so don't ruin it.

what do you guys think of rowand so far? I don't know if he is living up to the hype so far. I've seen a couple deep fly balls that he hasn't gone all out for. I thought he used to run into walls and shit to catch balls


The hype was based on the fact that there were a bunch of clips of him hitting the wall at Comiskey(US Cellular). He played there for a while (5 years?) and it isn't a daily occurence, but if necessary he'll sacrafice his body for one. I think his reputation should be for being an all around team player. Last night he was the first one to high five Howard after the single in the 10th. He also got the loudest applause in Chicago the day they gave the players their World Series rings (debatable, but he got a hell of a reception).

In 04 he was in the top 10 of two important categories with some good company. That's not hype that's production:

Power/Speed Number
PowSpd - Power/Speed Number. This is (2*HR*SB)/(HR + SB). It is a Bill James creation and indicates a player with both good speed and power.
Rodriguez-NYY 31.5
Jeter-NYY 23.0
Hunter-MIN 22.0
Soriano-TEX 21.9
Guerrero-ANA 21.7
Lawton-CLE 21.4
Rowand-CHW 19.9
Damon-BOS 19.5
Crawford-TBD 18.5
Byrnes-OAK 18.4

Slugging %
Ramirez-BOS .613
Ortiz-BOS .603
Guerrero-ANA .598
Hafner-CLE .583
Mora-BAL .562
Teixeira-TEX .560
Rowand-CHW .544
Guillen-DET .542
Delgado-TOR .535
Konerko-CHW .535

[Kyle]

First off, Hernandez is a freak. He's an animal and they should be glad they got what they did off of him. He'll usually throw a couple of homers, but typically doesn't walk a ton or allow "small ball." His speed changes are frustrating and its amazing that he's got the control he does at this point in the season. He must have had a healthy off season because threw like that in his rookie season. He won the WS MVP that year.

So the pitcher hit two doubles and a homer (see above. He's a freak). It wasn't a pretty game, but they didn't give up when they were down 3 in the 8th. If you were to look at that game in a bubble without considering the beginning of the season you would like the fact that Manuel went all out with their subs to get them back in the game. Its a bit harsh to call them pompous and to me it looks more like a confidence that they'll get back a few of those losses that were disappointing in the first homestand.

You can't win championships in April, but you can lose them. A team that panics in April and starts to get desperate for a win can really damage the whole season. Confidence/pompousness is what it takes to stay the course even when things are rough. Its still early. Think of this as a poker game. If you lose the first few hands you are not eliminated, but you have to play smarter and more consistent to get back to a place where you can take a few risks. I've played with the fools who lose their first two or three hands and go all in on the fifth hand. The results are never good. (Using that analogy you could also say that you'll be at the table all night and just fizzle out because you'll never get the perfect hand. I'm ok with that as long as they don't go out on the fifth hand.)

I'm not always this optomistic, but I like their chances this year, so don't ruin it.

Thanks, you saved me from having to type out something similar.

I was down at the game tonight. I had a great time despite it being a VERY ugly game. You can see the fans starting to get anxious about the start to the year not being great. That's fine, I don't expect people to be happy after a 10-4 smashing by the Nats...but people need to put it in perspective. There's no such thing as a must win game in April. I stand by my earlier comment that you have to wait till about 40 games in before you get a real feel for a team (unless they start 2-12 like Kansas City...then it's a foregone conclusion).

As far as Rowand goes, it depends on your expectations. I think he's lived up to the hype so far, but again, it's something we'll have to wait on before we get a good perspective on him. He's infinitely better on defense than the Lofton/Michaels combo. If he goes 20 HRs and 75 RBIs offensively, that's fine. He's not going to blow you away statisticallly when you look back at it at the end of the season, but he's great at doing the little things you need to do to win.

[domelogic]

im happy with rowand so far even though he has made some bone head mistakes. it takes some time to adjust to a new ball park. this team is scoring runs but they are always putting themselves in a hole especially at home this year.

hernandez may be a freak but you can never let a pitcher have that kind of game. the disappointing thing was the lack of movement on floyds fastball last nite. you must have that if you are going to groove them down the middle. the bullpen has just plain sucked.

it is true you cant win anything in april but you sure can dig a big hole. if you look at the schedule this month is relatively and easy month and they are playing below the level of teams they should be above. it this play continues at home it is going to get ugly with the fans. my first game will be thursday and i am a little concerned about how they are playing at home. hopefully in a week things will have gotten better.

[SnuggleBug]

Ahhh, i see im dealing with typical "phillies" fans eh? The ones that are still "optomistic" in September thinking that they Phils will finally turn it around and win 12 games in a row to make the playoffs. I like the fact that you guys say, "it's only April".....aren't you tired of saying that every year? Every year it's, "eh, it's only April....eh, it's only May.....eh, it's only June." If you like their chances this year, i don't think the word "optomistic" is the word....it's DELLUSIONAL. Just sit back and get used to the idea that our 10-4 loss is going to be happening quite often this year, AGAIN

[Kyle]

Ahhh, i see im dealing with typical "phillies" fans eh? The ones that are still "optomistic" in September thinking that they Phils will finally turn it around and win 12 games in a row to make the playoffs. I like the fact that you guys say, "it's only April".....aren't you tired of saying that every year? Every year it's, "eh, it's only April....eh, it's only May.....eh, it's only June." If you like their chances this year, i don't think the word "optomistic" is the word....it's DELLUSIONAL. Just sit back and get used to the idea that our 10-4 loss is going to be happening quite often this year, AGAIN

Don't worry, there's more of you then there are of us. I suggest you turn on 610, reminisce about how the season's been over since opening day, propose David Bell for Barry Zito trades, and then spend the next 6 months hyping yourself for the Eagles only to get that dream shattered when they go 6-10 again.

The rest of us will enjoy the baseball season.

[Bob]

Ill enjoy the baseball season, but the starting pitching and bullpen is fuckin awful and the season is over in my book. You cant win without pitching and defense. ill still watch and go just for the love of the game. I cant wait for the NFL draft.

[SnuggleBug]

Don't worry, there's more of you then there are of us. I suggest you turn on 610, reminisce about how the season's been over since opening day, propose David Bell for Barry Zito trades, and then spend the next 6 months hyping yourself for the Eagles only to get that dream shattered when they go 6-10 again.

The rest of us will enjoy the baseball season.

Who says i wont' enjoy the baseball season? I'll watch the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, etc.... doesn't mean i can't be realistic. I'm not gonna sit and be oblivious to the fact that the Phillies won't do shit this year AGAIN just b/c i'm a fan. Let's be realistic here, it's very hard to get excited and feel optomistic when history has told us, they will STINK. Until they actually look like they will finally turn this losing franschise around, i will continue to be pesimistic about them. I don't know why you people get offended by this? All im looking for is a fan that is open minded and give some suggestions on how to fix this 20 yr losing franshise. But on a side note, if the Eagles don't come out of the gate with a string of wins, then YES, they most likely will go 6-10 again. But unlike the phillies, they have proved they can win and hopefully last season was just a "bad season". That's why i can give them the benefit of the doubt rather than the Phils. One a side, side note..... If Forsberg stays healthy, flyers win in 6....GO FLYERS

[domelogic]

snuggle, what would it take for you to be happy? should they be 10-2 at this point? i mean listen to yourself. you are danny downer right from the start of the season. when the eagles werent great in the kotite days(and before that) did you give up a rooting interest or dare i say hope before they played their first game? i mean cmon man i am not happy with the pitching situation but at this point in the season i am not going to shit all over the team. realistic or not, optomistic or not they do play 162 games and we barely have reached a tenth of the games. it is fans like you that expect them to be world beaters every year. sorry bud but this isnt the 70's but i guess history back then told us they stink every year. we get pissed off with fans like you that are pessimistic about a season before it starts.

Now my big question for you is how does the phillies organization fix this "history" of losing problem? what are your solutions. i have railed that they never should have traded polanco, worked on getting a replacement catcher sooner and through free agency or trade done something with their pitching but most of that was impossible with a gm like wade.

the fun of rooting for a team is seeing them turn it around or when they have a suprise season like in 93. i am sure you didnt expect much of them that year since they havent been very good since 83. i agree with kyle in the amount of time you need for a season to develop. now bob on the other hand said their defense sucks, that one i dont get. yes the pitching has been atrocious but fielding has not been the problem.

[onepickdaily]

I am not too happy right now about how the Phils have played. Last year when they got off to that bad start, their starting pitching actually did a pretty good job, this year is a little different. However, I think that will change.


EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHERS LOVE THE EAGLES NOW!!!! Does anyone remember the early 90's when half the games were blacked out because they couldn't sell-out their home games??

AHH, how times have changed...anyway.... keep listening to WIP, and hating on the PHILS. Just like last year(even though they didn't make the playoffs), I will enjoy the entire season!!!

P.S. Charlie is still going to get fired....VERY SOON!!!

[onepickdaily]

Howard has been very shaky at 1st and Abreu is by far the worst defensive rightfielder in the game(Other than that, their Defense is Solid). Abreu may not have many errors, but he is petrified of the wall and misjudges too many balls. I know he has a great arm, but it means nothing when there are 2 outs, man on third, and he throws a guy out at 2nd, after the run scores, because he misplays the ball.

In Abreus defense, he has been hitting better in the clutch this year.

[ProfessorAnt]

i agree that abreu is a defensive nightmare, but burrell has no hustle in him. i hate the fact that he never goes full speed on anything. does he even have a full speed?

yesterday's game notes are here---> http://media2.uploadjar.com/file.php?file=uploads/3200_1212.pdf

i'll post tonights game notes if they are released soon.

i hope everyone is having fun in this thread. it looks like some people are getting mad and its not about getting mad at each other. we're all Phans here who want to root for a winner and everyone should save the hate for the fucking Mets and Braves fans.

[ProfessorAnt]

4/21/2006 Game Notes

http://media2.uploadjar.com/file.php?file=uploads/3200_1213.pdf
Olsen vs. Lieber

[ih8Uboo-boo]

Granted its early and there' still plenty of baseball to be played, but they're already 5 out and the Mets are looking pretty damn good right now. The main problem that I have is their inability to get enough clutch hits. Add that to the ho-hum attitude that the core of the team gives off and you have a recipe for disaster. You have to hope that the kids (Utley & Howard) can become the leaders that this team DESPERATELY needs...

The good thing is that they can't play this bad at home for the whole season... Can they???

[onepickdaily]

Nice Crash into the wall from Rowand

[Kyle]

Honestly, I don't want to really call any of you guys out, because in the end we ARE all Phils fans, but I have to wonder if some of you pay attention.

Last year's Phils team (which in essence, is basically the same personnel on this year's team) was in dead last in the NL East near the end of May, about 7 or 8 games out of first. By the middle of June they were in first

The Astros started the season last year 15 games under .500 and looked so bad, all anyone could talk about was where Clemens would be traded. Not only did they make up the difference, but they made the playoffs and the world series.

The truth is that four games back in April is nothing in baseball. It's an old cliche, but it still stands the test of time: baseball is a marathon. And it's more about how you finish than how you start.

[mikeybot]

I'll just add in that the Phils are going to get bashed less this season since Wade is gone and since there weren't a ton of improvements, there isn't much expectation for the season.
Or at least that's how I'm viewing it. I'm just glad I can go to a game if I want now(wouldn't because of Eddie).

[ProfessorAnt]

Nice Crash into the wall from Rowand





i had to come here to see if anyone was going to post it after reading today that he didn't hit the walls. :clap:

[SnuggleBug]

My problem isn't that they stink, my problem is that they stink AND the majority of the players. What i mean by that is this, here is an example of a player on the Phililes, Last year when we had Wagner (and they should let anyone go with this attitude as well), but if you remember Wagner calling everyone out on the team for losing, EVEN THE FANS, and i don't remember him saying shit about himself. We were suppose to ignore the fact that, "oooh im billy wagner, i can throw fast balls, and that's it, I got a wooden spoon, DUUUURRR" He blamed the team, the fans, and the ballpark for him blowing saves b/c asshole can't throw anything else but a "fast ball". That is what bothers me most and why i have a hard time rooting for this team. Instead of making excuses on why they can't win, just go out and play as hard as they can and keep trying, and if they stink and lose, well i want them to be honest and take the Jon Lieber route, " I suck right now, i don't know what else to say, all i can say is that it's my fault and im just going to keep trying till i don't suck anymore, plain and simple". So with that kinda honesty and owning up, i now put Lieber on my very short list of phillies i like on this team, along with Utely, Howard, and im still on the fence with Rowand. If the phillies change their attitude and take notes from Lieber then i wouldn't be so pessimistic. I've said my peace and i have no other reason to post anymore "danny downer" posts. Venting is over and now the optomistic posts (hopefully) will now ensue

[domelogic]

snuggle, i will absolutely agree with you on the lieber attitude. it was refreshing to hear that and kudos to him to have the guts to admit it. i also hope that utley and howard can take control of this team and provide the right attitude. good start today with the way utley went crazy on the umpire for an absolute horrendous call. that ump should be fined for blowing a call that badly and to make matters worse he ejected two players for his mistake. if you read this post and havent seen the 496' moonshot howard hit today make sure you do. that has to be the first from any player to arrive at ashburn alley. great game by meyers today and so far he has looked solid this season. unfortunately the rain out from yesterday probably will not allow me to see him pitch on thursday.

[ProfessorAnt]

what a fun game yesterday. i am so glad i saw howard's bomb with my own eyes! utley's defiance definitely got the team and the crowd into the game early. thanks Chase.

here are the notes from yesterday:
http://media2.uploadjar.com/file.php?file=uploads/3200_1214.pdf

[Kyle]

Cole Hamels has been promoted from A ball to AAA-Scranton.

Looks to me like they're fast tracking him to the majors in case Madson and/or Floyd can't pull it together at the back end of the rotation.

Here's the story:
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060424&content_id=1416208&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi

[Mother Shucker]

I think that the only starter that is a clear cut advantage at the "#1 starter" because of Pedro, but the gap is closer because of Pedro's gimpy toe.

Both staffs have a TON of question marks as far as the 2-5 positions go...

The Phils have had success against Glavine, while Traschcel when healthy seems to own them. Lidle and Zambrano are a wash... If Madsen/Floyd/Bannister come through as decent prospects, it will definitely be an interesting race...

But I don't think that either team has the pitching to make enough noise in the playoffs...
Care to rethink this? I believe we do have PLENTY of pitching to make PLENTY of noise in the playoffs.

[Kyle]

Care to rethink this? I believe we do have PLENTY of pitching to make PLENTY of noise in the playoffs.

Just like a Mets fan to write his ticket to the World Series before the end of April.

I'd love for you to tell me how many more 12 K games you think Glavine will through this year.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

Care to rethink this? I believe we do have PLENTY of pitching to make PLENTY of noise in the playoffs.

Nope.

Talk to me when they shut down a good offiensive team...

[domelogic]

went to the game today. wow was that place empty. maybe about 15k there even though paid attendance had it at 21k. they are going to have to do something with this pitching staff. lieber got hit hard but held his own and only gave up 3 runs. the bull pen is terrible. i still wont grill franklin but i have seen him pitch only twice this year and he got shelled both times. the team is not hitting consistently enough. after the first inning their bats fell asleep. 4-5 homestand doesnt cut it against the competition they faced(even though the rockies have some nice young talent). the fans never had a chance to get into the game after the first inning.

i believe that manuel will not survive may, hamels will be brought up by the end of may and maybe at the expense of floyd. this is a typical april start for a team that cant afford to lose a series at home that they should beat. this team was getting killed on wip on my way home.

[Mick32]

If failing to fill up even half of that new stadium for Business Person Specials after firing the GM for the fans, I can't imagine Cholly is going to last much longer. He's the next sacrifice that the fanbase wants.

[Johnny Manf]

Hamels struck out 14 in his Triple A debut.

[Kyle]

Hamels struck out 14 in his Triple A debut.

Punch hits ticket to the majors NOW before he hurts his back again or gets in another bar fight.

Unless they go into a big slide, Charlie will last a while. Besides, who replaces him? Pinella is the only "name" guy out there, and that guy makes Larry Bowa look tame. You'd probably be looking at either Jim Fregosi or Terry Pendleton as their next manager. Those were the two 'runner-ups' from the last managerial search and both are still available.

Although, that was Ed Wade's manager search...who knows who Gillick may have in mind.

The Phils will have to sweep the Pirates in Pittsburgh this weekend to finish the month at .500. It's certainly doable, but 2 out of 3 is more likely.

A look at the upcoming schedule:
@Pit
@Fla
vs Atl
vs SF
vs NYM

Season series with Atlanta and New York are starting up. If they win both of those of those, they'll be right in the thick of things...if they lose, it'll be just a bigger hole to start the season they'll have to dig themselves out of. So those are both worth checking out. I also might get some Giants tickets if Bonds hasn't passed Ruth before then. Even with all the controversy surrounding the guy, it'd be cool to be in the house for that.

[ProfessorAnt]

http://www.upload2.net/download2/4SeUJN6ezgwcI9K/3200_1221.pdf.html
STARTING UP: Phillies starters have struck out 95 batters this season, 5th highest in the NL, trailing the Brewers (120), Diamondbacks (104) and Reds and Mets (100) … In addition, with the Astros, they have walked the 2nd-fewest batters (37), only the Dodgers have walked fewer (35) … Four times this season the Phillies starters have not issued a walk … In 15 of their last 18 starts, they’ve walked 2 batters or less.

I am sticking with my earlier assessment that they have 2 #2s and 3 #5s. They need a lot of work but April is a good time to get the kinks out.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

wow... just wow

you gotta beat the bad teams...

[ProfessorAnt]

that was shit. i'm so glad i have learned restraint because years ago i would be online shopping for a new tv after tonight. swinging at a 3-1 with the bases loaded in the 9th of a one run game after the relief pitcher has yet to throw a strike is fucking unacceptable. if that pitch misses, you get a run and if it hits you get the 3-2.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

that is the shit I am tired of seeing. Any chance that you watched the post game show??? Marzano kinda went off... I got a chuckle out of it...

dude, I am sure that I am not the only one to ask, but where the fuck is your avatar from?

[ProfessorAnt]

that is the shit I am tired of seeing. Any chance that you watched the post game show??? Marzano kinda went off... I got a chuckle out of it...


he tends to piss me off with his negativity and the fact that he was a shit player. he played in 300 games in 10 seasons and was only a phillie by association. he's a philly boy with a mic so everything he says has to be true, right? i was kinda listening and heard him say that the manager should go in and start breaking stuff. what the fuck is that? they're in a hitting slump and freaking out doesn't make it any better. i hate the fact that every night he has "the solution" to get them to the world series. do you John? do you? i was in the comcast box with him once last season and he's just a regular guy who is at the stadium for the games. i had to chuckle because he was at the snack table and the bar (just soda, sorry) for more of the game then he was watching the game. on that cable show he's billed as a former player with great insight, when in reality he's a washed up athlete with a ton of opinions. i didn't open this response to trash John Marzano, but its been bugging me. he's cool, but i would rather hear some new opinions every once in a while. and while i'm thinking about it why the fuck does comcast sn insist on adding chicks to their shows just to be equal opportunity employers. Lance Crawford is bad/gay enough and then they add more chicks to the lineup to appease the female audience? there aren't any women playing the major sports, why are they forcefed to us as hacky reporters. Dei Lynam is the exception since her daddy was the Sixers assistant coach. I don't know if you guys watch CSN much but it has a ton of potential with the access they have and more often than not they don't say anything. and then they get these philly newpaper columnists that arent ready for tv and call it a show. dreck. (i must admit i love the train wreck that is bill conlin because he is losing his marbles but they still invite him and that other old dude on and they sound like blithering idiots) i still watch csn it because espn is just one fancy computer graphic away from becoming unwatchable. jesus. and that sound that they play on sportscenter is like a mix between a dog howl and the whistle that you hear when you are sitting in the front of a speed boat mixed in with the hum of the refrigerator and a woman screaming during a **** scene. tell me you've noticed that sound clip.

yeah, i agree with marzano (http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/marzajo01.shtml)that he shouldn't have swung at that pitch.

dude, I am sure that I am not the only one to ask, but where the fuck is your avatar from?

i don't know what you're talking about. http://wackbag.com/showthread.php?t=42301

[ProfessorAnt]

i'll have a side of humble pie with my words entrée tonight. so charlie freaks out and the phils show a sign of life. i'm glad they hit willis even if it wasn't until the 7th.

I hope they can build off this comeback even if it was off the fish. and I did agree with jmarz tonight to. yuk.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

Its not about being right or wrong.

Sometimes players need a kick in the ass. I'm sure that Marzano sensed that after Saturday's game. Agreeing with him is not the end of the world though...

Just because someone doesn't have enough talent to be an everyday player doesn't mean that you should discount their knowledge of the game and their ability to be an analyst. What else do you have to do as a bench player other than strategize??? Some of your better managers were marginal players. Some guys do a pretty good job, others not so well...

Personally, I think that he's a better analyst than Quick, Propp and Wheeler combined. I don't really watch the post game too much but when I do, he seems to do a good job of pointing out what they did right when they won and what they did wrong when they lost. That is all that you can ask him to do. They just happen to be losing more than they are winning right now, so its mostly negative things that he is pointing out right now, and its frustrating.

I don't think they have, but I hope that they've turned the corner too...

[Kyle]

Personally, I think that he's a better analyst than Quick, Propp and Wheeler combined.

I would rather listen to John Sterling catchpharses on an endless loop than Wheeler. un-listenable!

Now, about this game I'm watching tonight: I think everybody knew the Marlins would be pretty bad this year, but this team is atrocious. They blow a 5-1 lead last night. Tonight they get down 3-1, come back to take the lead 5-3, and then proceed to blow it again. This has worked out well for the Phils, and a good way to start the week.

Phils lead 7-5 heading into the 8th. Should be pretty academic...Rhodes in the 8th, Gordon to close.

[domelogic]

thank god the marlins fielding sucks. they had no business beating dontrell last nite but it might be the game that turns the team around. they were lifeless in there last home game i went to and the series with pitt just plain sucked. i think they are going to have to score 5 runs a game to win most of their games. two comebacks in a row against teams they should beat isnt great but at least it puts them on the right track.

i want to thank manuel for something though. not letting cormier pitch to many batters is the best way to use him and it saves me from committing suicide when he pitches. btw i turned off the channel when franklin came into pitch since he doesnt do well when i watch him

[ih8Uboo-boo]

I would rather listen to John Sterling catchpharses on an endless loop than Wheeler.

That is the one thing that ALL phillies fans agree on... Wheeler Sucks...

[ProfessorAnt]

THE PHILLIES BULLPEN:
Has allowed only 6 ER in its last 40.0 innings (1.35 ERA; 12 G) … Had a 13.1-inning scoreless streak during the first week of the season.
Is one of two NL teams to have not blown a save (7-for-7; Cubs, 7-for-7).
Has a combined 155 saves: Tom Gordon (123), Arthur Rhodes (26), Aaron Fultz (3), Rheal Cormier (2) and Julio Santana (1).

in reality april was supposed to be an easy month with lots of games against sub-par (pirates & nationals) and young (marlins) teams but it was a struggle. they only won 5 of 12 to teams that ended april with less wins than the phils. if they plan on improving on last season they have to have four hot months now. 10-14 in april translates to 16 wins per month to get to 92 wins. 2 wins already in may gets them on the right track, but they have to win a few from the mets (6 games #1 in NLeast) and braves and they still have boston #1 ALeast cincinatti #1 NLcentral and sanfran. Its a good time to get on a winning streak.

2005 splits
Month (Games)
April (24) 10-14
May (28) 15-13
June (27) 15-12
July (27)15-12
August (27) 16-11
September (27) 15-12
October (2) 2-0

Another thing to think about is that the attendance has been abysmal this season for weekday games. Is this a sign that fans have already given up on the team? Now that the Phils are the only team in town, they need to give people something to hope for. This is the time for them to grab the opportunity and get something started. Hopefully Manuel's tear was the spark that will ignite the may fire! Go phils.

[MilkmanDan]

Well the offseason was Abysmal, they basically stood pat besides the pickups of Gordon and Rowand who didnt exactly make big headlines with the average fan. The "new park" novelty has worn off (although I havent been there yet), and they're featuring one of the lousiest starting lineups in baseball. Myers is good, after him... myeh. Bring up Cole Hamels, let Gavin Floyd develope this year before yanking him out of rotation too early. Madson back to relief, Jon Lieber should be cut.

[ProfessorAnt]

fuck pat.

[ProfessorAnt]

fuck pat.

[domelogic]

fuck pat.


what does that mean? since you posted it at two different times it must mean something.

[Kyle]

Well, the Phils are out of the Jame Gumb hole they dug for themselves and back to .500.

Phils Phever (with a 'ph'...wocka wocka) is heating up.

I'd like to see them build on the momentum, especially with the first Mets series coming up next week.

[ProfessorAnt]

what does that mean? since you posted it at two different times it must mean something.


First this: "Burrell, who was on first base, [forgot] how many outs there were and got doubled up on Howard's fly ball." And then he can't track down a pop fly in front of him. Rollins was basically playing left field when Pat called him off and let the ball drop to the ground. He has no hustle and the worst attitude. I am a fan of "baseball" players; the guys who give 100% every game. Rollins, Utley, Rowand, Howard. [note 100% not more than that. just give me what you got]

It makes me angry when players like Burrell and Abreu are lackadaisical. When they miss the playoffs by one game again you can rest assured that there will be one or two of these mistakes or bonehead plays that cost you the chance to get to the playoffs. They are not threatening to win the division against ATL and NY, so they will have to take the Wild Card and there are going to be a lot of teams in contention again. Yes they won last night, but you just can't afford to forget how many outs there are in a game where you are already trailing in the first inning.

[dirtypennyhole]

I totally agree with ya ProAnt. Knowing how many outs there are is something you learn in little league. You can't be making those stupid mistakes as a professional, especially when everyone already sees him as a cocky, lazy player. But he did redeem himself a couple of innings later with a RbI single. and he is leading the team in RBIs, but he still is a lazy fuck.

What does everybody think about Bonds coming to town?????

[domelogic]

aahhh professor ant didnt realize that is what you were talking about the times here are off for est. yes i was slightly pissed myself and the fact that it was him and abreu who got a good chuckle out of it a couple of innings later when the same scenario came up proves your point. i was pissed first cuz he lost track of the outs but secondly how about busting some tail to get back to the bag. your second point of him not really hustling to get that pop fly was ridiculous. the announcers said he isnt moving very well but wtf . i dont mind if a player tries hard and comes up short but to be able to see that type of attitude from watching on tv or in the stands is down right pathetic. sometimes i wish howard would jack his ass up and have a come to jesus meeting.

good streak they have going, lets see if they can keep it up. i love what lidle had to say about bonds. i think he is a walking circus which is a shame for what this talented player did before juicing. the only proper thing to do is to boo his ass philly style and then kick it on the way out. i would rather see the team win though and concentrate on that.

[Kyle]

Went to the game last night...all I can say is wow.

Bonds got it as bad as I've ever heard anyone get it in that stadium. Two very loud, very audible chants of "Fuck You Bonds" and "Asshole."

And I can only imagine what was being tossed his way out in left field. You could see by his whole body language the guy was extremely pissed.

I'm not a Bonds hater at all...but I have to appreciate what those animals at the ballpark did to rattle the guy.

[domelogic]

Went to the game last night...all I can say is wow.

Bonds got it as bad as I've ever heard anyone get it in that stadium. Two very loud, very audible chants of "Fuck You Bonds" and "Asshole."

And I can only imagine what was being tossed his way out in left field. You could see by his whole body language the guy was extremely pissed.

I'm not a Bonds hater at all...but I have to appreciate what those animals at the ballpark did to rattle the guy.

all i can say is nice! i loved the banner that said ruth did it by drinking beer and eating hotdogs. bonds is an arrogant asshole and dont think that mcguire wouldnt be getting shit if he was still playing. i saw an interview with willie mays and they asked him about bonds and he said he told him to shut up sometimes. he said he makes things worse for himself with his attitude. it makes it tough to like a guy who obviously took something to make his body explode the way it did when you have guys like schmidt and foster hitting close to 50 homeruns and we all think it was an absolute monster year. imagine if they had taken steriods.

kyle, what is the reaction to floyd by the fans? he pitched pretty well last nite. it was another good win and one that should help bring back fans to the park during the week. just keep having guys like utley, howard and rowand lead the way and we will be alright.

[Kyle]

all i can say is nice! i loved the banner that said ruth did it by drinking beer and eating hotdogs. bonds is an arrogant asshole and dont think that mcguire wouldnt be getting shit if he was still playing. i saw an interview with willie mays and they asked him about bonds and he said he told him to shut up sometimes. he said he makes things worse for himself with his attitude. it makes it tough to like a guy who obviously took something to make his body explode the way it did when you have guys like schmidt and foster hitting close to 50 homeruns and we all think it was an absolute monster year. imagine if they had taken steriods.

kyle, what is the reaction to floyd by the fans? he pitched pretty well last nite. it was another good win and one that should help bring back fans to the park during the week. just keep having guys like utley, howard and rowand lead the way and we will be alright.

Floyd got a nice ovation when Manuel took him out in the 7th, but they were pretty lukewarm to him in the sense that they didn't show a lot of emotion one way or another the whole night as far as he went

It was an odd start for him. It was a by the book quality start (he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings), but he had a pretty weak ball to strike ratio and seemed to pitch into a lot of jams only to get lucky with some hard hit balls that were hit right at fielders.

It reminded me a lot of watching Robinson Tejeda last year...but lasting that long and keeping your team in command can't be construed as anything but a step in the right direction. And I think the fans generally left the park satisfied.

[askewcore]

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/8653/mlbgastericks4129xc.jpg

Fuckin hysterical. Philly fans are such sarcastic motherfuckers. I love it.

[onepickdaily]

Did anyone see my WOW sign, or HOO HOO I INVENTED CHEATING SIGN???

How about the "CHAR" sign as Bonds walked back into the dugout after hitting the homerun????

I was sitting right behind the Giants Dugout!!!

Bonds wife was sitting 6 seats from me...she called security and got them to take my other signs.......

"STERIODS MAKES THE BALLS SMALLER"



"BANDAIDS=$3
NEEDLES=$30
STERIODS=$400

GETTING AWAY WITH CHEATING...PRICELESS"


I was going trying to the same seats for GAYDRO tomorrow...but it fell through!!!







www.onepickdaily.com

[VinnyBlackJack]

Did anyone see my WOW sign, or HOO HOO I INVENTED CHEATING SIGN???

How about the "CHAR" sign as Bonds walked back into the dugout after hitting the homerun????

I was sitting right behind the Giants Dugout!!!

Bonds wife was sitting 6 seats from me...she called security and got them to take my other signs.......

"STERIODS MAKES THE BALLS SMALLER"



"BANDAIDS=$3
NEEDLES=$30
STERIODS=$400

GETTING AWAY WITH CHEATING...PRICELESS"


I was going trying to the same seats for GAYDRO tomorrow...but it fell through!!!







www.onepickdaily.com (http://www.onepickdaily.com)


Do you have any proof that was you? I seen it on TV and, may I say, I roflamo'd. Good job.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

I missed the sign, but I hope that you spelled steroids right on your sign...

[onepickdaily]

Proof??? I can get you a pair of the same tickets if you are interested.

Nope...I think I spelled it STERIODS..... Ahh, whatever, he got the point!!! I did spell CHAR and WOW right!!




www.onepickdaily.com

[ProfessorAnt]

here are today's game notes:
http://media5.uploadjar.com/file.php?file=uploads/3200_1230.pdf

i was considering voicing my opinion about our opponent, but i'm not sure who will read this.

sunday night's game was awesome. we had a fucking blast in left chanting @ barry. what a boob.
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/955/image000282gu.jpg
also, i think saturday may have been a record attendance night for may @ CBP. 44042. i'll have to check the media guide to see where it ranks.

[domelogic]

ant you should have gone on your rant. the phils are up 3-0 and i am certain that a certain mets fan who started another thread(which has since been deleted) would be here saying something if they had the lead.

does anyone know the extent of burrell's injury? he is moving for shit in the outfield and want to know how legit the problem is. thanks for the game notes.

[Kyle]

Shane Victorino!! There's a motherfucking ballplayer!

[CM Mark]

Shane Victorino!! There's a motherfucking ballplayer!
Congrats Phillies fans. You are the first team to score on Sanchez this year. :clap: :clap:

You are also the first team that I was seriously worried about going into the series. Kudos to you and your team