bits and pieces

Outfielder Quintin Berry, RHP Jesus Sanchez and LHP Johan Flande were all added to the Phillies' 40-man roster. Eric Bruntlett and Matt Stairs became free agents, among other moves made so far this offseason.

gold and silver

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins on his third-consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop. Same to Shane Victorino, who picked up his second in a row at center field. Chase Utley, meanwhile, was awarded his fourth-consecutive Silver Slugger at second base.

good-bye, pete happy

The Phillies have declined the $5.5 million option on Pedro Feliz, instead exercising a $500,000 buyout of the third baseman. During his two-year tenure with the Phillies, Feliz was an outstanding defender at third but did not live up to expectations at the plate. During the season he was clutch in late-inning situations but in the postseason reverted to hitting pop-ups. I loved his glove, but felt that this year it too was declining. Maybe his back is to blame, though he did have successful back surgery during the offseason. Good luck, Pedro. I shall miss your bright eyes.

Third base has been a problem since the Scott Rolen days. In recent years the farm system has not produced a promising infielder of any kind except for Adrian Cardenas, traded to Oakland in the Blanton deal. Too bad that studs Dom Brown and Michael Taylor both play the outfield.

was it his arm all along?

Three Phillies will have surgery this week: Brad Lidge, right elbow (loose bodies), Raul Ibanez, groin/abdomen (sports hernia), and Scott Eyre, left elbow (loose bodies). All season long there was simmering speculation about the state of Lidge's knee. It now turns out that the injury was to his elbow.

Lidge may also need tendon surgery. If so, he will not be ready for the start of spring training. Ibanez suffered his injury before the All-Star break and was never the same. I hope that Eyre, who is contemplating retirement, returns, though that will depend in part on the success of his surgery and on his family. Come on, Scott, one more year with your "goofies" in the bullpen.

phillies cut ties with brett myers

It's official: Brett Myers is no longer a Phillie. Drafted in 1999, he went out in typical fashion, telling the fans to give him the business if he comes back to pitch in an opposition uniform. Myers is not the kind of guy I'd like to be trapped in an elevator with, nor do I think he lived up to his potential, but I do believe he was a competitor. He just never really put it all together. I remember Myers pitching at Reading, his sparkling debut against Mark Pryor, who was also making his debut,in Chicago, and the complete game shutout he threw against the Brewers in 2008 on three days' rest. His at-bats against C.C. Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS and again vs. Derek Lowe in the NLCS that year were the stuff of myth. Good-by and good luck. Things already begin to change.

97 days till spring training

The Phillies amazing ride to a repeat came to an end last night in the grandiose mausoleum in the Bronx. Pedro Martinez had nothing from the get-go, while Andy Pettitte gutted out another postseason win in his long career. Carlos Ruiz, a natural in the postseason, had a triple and scored the first Phillies' run on a Rollins' sac fly. Ryan Howard added two more with a two-run homer but by then it was too little, and way too late, in what was a convincing 7-3 Yankee win.

Hideki Matsui had six RBI in the game and was named MVP of the series. How do I hate the American League? Let me count the ways, starting and ending with the DH. Matsui won the award for his performance in game 6 but, really, how can a one-dimensional player, and that's all that the DH is, be the most valuable player?

It's easy to cast blame on the pitching, which was injury-riddled and often ineffective, but this series was a team loss. I keep thinking back to the Victorino at-bat in Game 3, when the Phillies early on had Pettitte on the ropes. With the bases loaded and no outs, Victorino hacked at the first two pitches, both of which were in the dirt. He ended up hitting a sac fly, but that at-bat shifted momentum--for the game and ultimately for the series.

Thanks for the memories. It was a season of intense highs and lows and a great ride till the very end. And, according to Jayson Werth, it's 97 days till spring training.

game 5: playing with chase

Cliff Lee was not dazzling in Monday night's must-have game. He was just very good. Lee gave up an RBI double to Alex Rodriguez in the 1st to put the Yankees up 1-0. Enter Chase Utley in the bottom of the frame, with both Rollins (single) and Victorino (hit by pitch) on board. Utley coolly blasted a home run to right to put the Phillies up 3-1. They added three more in the next inning and chased A.J. Burnett from the game. Lee, meanwhile, allowed just one other run into the 8th, when he tired or lost focus. In the end he allowed five runs. By then the Phillies had tacked on two more runs, courtesy of solo homers by Utley and Ibanez.

Utley's 2nd homer, his fifth of the series, gave him two multi-homer games in this World Series. It also tied Reggie Jackson's record for homers in a World Series. Couldn't have happened to a better guy---and a player that is the antithesis of Jackson. Ibanez's home run hit off the facing of the second level.

Victorino was taken out of the game in the 8th because of his finger, injured when Burnett hit him in the 1st. His defensive presence was immediately missed. Ryan Madson finished the game in a performance that was again less than inspiring.

Afterwards, Charlie Manuel said of Chase Utley, his fave player, that he often tells guys to 'play with Chase. If you play with Chase, you have the chance to become a pretty good player."

Gotta love the national and NY media (not at all), who now seem to have discovered Chase Utley. Otherwise they were too busy fabricating stories out of highly-edited quotes. I will save that rant for another day and a new computer.

Some people seemed surprised that the Phillies won game 5. Given the make-up of this team, that was no surprise to me. It will however surprise me if they win tonight in NY. After hearing Pedro Martinez's presser yesterday, I have the uneasy feeling that he's a bit in thrall to the Yankees. It also reminded me that Pedro is, in the end, now a mercenary, even if one who seemed to be on a mission of sorts. No matter, he brings even more drama to tonight's game vs. Andy Pettitte.

Cliff Lee won the showdown of Arkansas pitchers. Who will win tonight's match-up of "old goats"?

game 5 burnett vs. lee

Game 5 puts Arkansas on center stage. Two natives of the state, A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee, get the start tonight. The two are friends and even share the same agent. Yo, Phillie fans, enjoy Lee for the year that's left on his contract. I can hear the cash registers in the Bronx getting ready to ring in 2011. Meanwhile, gotta love #34.

game 4 a bummer

When Pedro Feliz hit the game-tying homer in the 8th, it seemed like a series shift. Then Brad Lidge came in for the 9th. After dispatching the first two batters with ease, he almost had Johnny Damon on a foul tip that was not held by Carlos Ruiz. What happened next will live in Philadelphia baseball infamy. Damon got a soft single, stole second, then, with the shift (how I hate that play) on for Texeira, hightailed it to third. I could only watch in stunned disbelief. No one was covering third. Aaaaargh!

With a runner on third, Lidge abandoned his nasty slider. Eventually Alex Rodriguez hit the double that put the Yankees on top. By the end of the inning they had claimed a 7-4 lead, the Yankee fans were leaving the park. Most Phillie fans, I give them credit, stayed till the bitter end, but Mariano Rivera treated them to the same old, same old bloodsucking performance.

Joe Blanton actually hung in against C.C. Sabathia, who again was not at his sharpest. Chase Utley seems to do that to him. Utley and Feliz accounted for the Phillies' offense. Each doubled and homered. But one team took advantage of their opportunities, while the other did not. For the second time in the series, an inning started with Rollins and Victorino reaching base but ending up stranded at 1st and 2nd. The big boys are not getting it done.

It's frustrating to see Texeira and Rodriguez, batting something like .071 and .044 respectively, come up with key hits. Except for Utley's staggering numbers against Sabathia, Phillie lefties have been neutralized by the Yankee lefty arms. Ryan Howard, MVP of the NLCS, has been a cipher in the World Series. Ibanez pretty much looks clueless.

It's sad irony that Hamels and Lidge, the stars of last year's postseason, are the goats this year. The year has simply unraveled for both.

The first thing I did last night on getting to my seat, down the first base line, was to look for the infamous camera. There it was, in the corner by the foul pole, and what do you know, it was moved back from the field of play. A day late.

Watching the Yankees in person, which I have not done for several years, makes it easy to root against them. Johnny Damon is an amiable mercenary; Texeira is a bland one. Melky Cabrera acts like a punk, Cano seems shiftless, and Jorge Posada a 'me' player. No wonder that Alex Rodriguez draws so much ire. He is such a drama queen. When he got plunked early in the game by Blanton--and I hardly think it was intentional--he posed and carried on like a schoolgirl.

Hard to say anything bad, though, about Derek Jeter, though I doubt that he would be the player he is if he were not on the Yankees. But that's how it goes. Some people get the chances and make the most of them. Over and over, the Yankees remind the rest of baseball that life is not fair.

game 3 no treat

Staked to a three-run lead in the 2nd, Cole Hamels breezed for three innings, then fell into the same hole that has dogged him all season. By the time he was lifted in the 5th, he had surrendered five runs and the Yankees had a lead they would never relinquish.

No matter what happens in this series, Hamels has got to be done. The season and postseason have been disasters for him. I still think it's because of his increased innings last year. In 2007 he threw about 190. Last year he threw about 260. Still, giving up an RBI to starter Andy Pettitte was a killer. Not surprisingly, the meat-headed frontrunners among the fan base are calling for Hamels to be traded, cut, or something else equally stupid.

Yankees took the game 8-5. Jayson Werth had two solo homers, Alex Rodriguez a two-run shot off of a right field camera. No help at all that Utley and Howard were oh-fer. Or that the bullpen couldn't hold the line.

Tonight it's Joe Blanton and his lifetime 8.18 ERA vs. the Yankees.

have fun. play hard.

The neighbor came by early this afternoon. When conversation turned to the Phillies, he put things in fine perspective. "Just so they have fun," he said. "And play hard. Just do what they've done all year." That's exactly it. Go, Phillies!

game 2 goes to yankees

Pedro Martinez pitched really well but A.J. Burnett was better, thanks to an outside curveball that kept Phillies' batters offbalance. Final score: Yanks 3, Phils 1.

It's Cole Hamels vs. Andy Pettitte tonight, weather permitting. I caught Hamels' presser yesterday and concluded that the dude is thinking way too much. He should do what A.J. Burnett said he did, take a page from the Cliff Lee songbook. It's all about confidence.

Joe Blanton is scheduled to start Game 4 for the Phillies. It's stil TBD for the Yanks. A year ago today it was wild exhilaration in Philadelphia. Today, "we got high hopes!"

love lee---and utley, too

Cliff Lee made his first World Series start a romp, throwing a complete game, striking out 10, walking none, and surrendering just one unearned run. Chase Utley provided all the offense that the Phillies needed, twice taking C.C. Sabathia deep. In the 1st, Utley worked a walk off Sabathia, who had quickly retired the first two batter. He then loaded the bases before getting Ibanez to ground out. Utley had two more terrific at-bats in the 3rd and 6th innings, going deep each time on two-strike pitches. The first homer was a Yankee Stadium cheapie; the second was dramatic.

It was the first time that Sabathia had given up a homer to a lefthanded hitter at Yankee Stadium. It was also the second time ever that a lefthanded hitter had homered twice off a lefthanded pitcher in a World Series game. The first to do it? Babe Ruth. The Phillies scored two more in the 8th and another two more in the 9th off the shaky Yankee bullpen, in the 6-1 win. By the time the Yankees scored their unearned run in the 9th, the stands were half-empty.

Sabathia was good, allowing just four hits in seven innings, but never looked comfortable. Lee, however, was spectacular. As in the two games I saw him pitch this postseason, he made it look breathtakingly easy. In four postseason starts he is now 3-0; the Phillies are 4-0 in those starts. In 33.1 postseason innings pitched, he has allowed 20 hits and two earned runs, while striking out 30 and walking just three. His ERA is now 0.52. Lee also made a couple of ridiculous defensive plays last night. Too bad he did not get a chance to hit.

Not surprisingly, most of the national/ESPN/FOX pregame hype about this pitchers' match-up focused on C.C. Sabathia. If the NY-based media ever gets its head out of its elbow, maybe the Phillies will get some long-overdue recognition.

Jimmy Rollins was part of a heads-up double play, with a little help from a Yankee blunder on the base paths. Oh yes, Chase Utley last night set a major league postseason record by reaching base in 26 consecutive games.

Tonight: Pedro vs. A.J. Burnett. If Pedro's pitching lives up to his presser yesterday, a vintage performance including an irresistible reference to red beans and rice, it should be an entertaining game.

world series game 1

Lee vs. Sabathia. Two old friends who came up with Cleveland meet tonight in New York in the World Series. The weather is wet and raw but let's hope that the rain stops well before game time. Only four National League teams in the history of the World Series have won consecutive championships: 1908 and '09 Cubs, '21 and '22 Giants, and the '75 and '76 Reds.

Not surprisingly, the media hype is pretty much all pro-Yankees. That's OK with me. These are two pretty evenly-matched teams. In the end, the one that plays better will win. Gotta love the Phillies, though. As their manager often says, they love to play baseball. They love to play baseball together. And they love the bright lights. Go, Phillies!

red, hot, and sexy

"Red, hot, and sexy" was the front page headline of today's Philadelphia Daily News. Yes, talking about "the boys", as I heard two middle-aged women sporting red Phillies' World Series hoodies, call them the other day while I was standing in line at a bakery in Delaware Water Gap.

Cliff Lee goes tomorrow vs. C.C. Sabathia. Pedro Martinez is the choice for Game 2. He will face A.J. Burnett.

Lots of people are talking about this series going seven. I say five.

it's the yankees vs. the phillies

Last night's victory over the LA Angels of Anaheim gave the NY Yankees the AL pennant. The World Series starts on Wednesday in NY, where the media hype machine is no doubt already in full bore.

The Phillies' series with the Dodgers was summed up for me earlier on, with a Philadelphia Daily News headline after the first game: "Dodgers are tough but the Phils are tougher". Who knows what will define this series. It's come down to the two best teams in baseball.

The Phillies are the first team to reach the World Series the year after winning a World Series since the '00 and '01 Yankees. They are the first National League to do it since the '95 and '96 Braves. The last National League teams to repeat as World Series champions were the '75 and '76 Cincinnati Reds. Go, Phillies!

bye-bye, dodgers

For the second year in a row, the NLCS ended the same way, with the Phillies beating the Dodgers in five. This time though the Dodgers had home field advantage.

Game 1 (Phillies 8, Dodgers 6) was a slugfest. Touted as a pitching duel, it turned into an offensive battle. Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez both had three-run homers. Cole Hamels got the win by the skin of his teeth.

Game 2 (Phillies 1, Dodgers 2) was a pitching duel between the brilliant Pedro Martinez and the erratic Vicente Padilla. A defensive lapse and shaky bullpen work in the 8th gave the Dodgers a 2-1 edge.

Game 3 (Phillies 11, Dodgers 0)was all Cliff Lee with a little, to the tune of 11 runs, help from his mates.

Game 4 (Phillies 5, Dodgers 4) was the dagger, delivered by Jimmy Rollins, with two on and two out, in the 9th. Put that one in the gap, score two, and win the game. And that's what Jimmy did. Shades of Game 4 in the NLDS. Oh, baby!

Game 5 (Phillies 10, Dodgers 4) was the game that ended early. Jayson Werth answered Andre Ethier's solo home run in the top of the 1st with a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning. That's when the "take a shower" chants started, aimed at Manny Ramirez, who had revealed on Monday night that he was taking a shower as the Dodgers were being beat in the 9th by the J-Roll double.

Lots of questions before the World Series but they will have to wait until the Yankees and Angels finish the ALCS.

phillies win the pennant!

Yes, the Philadelphia Phillies last night thumped the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 and won their second-consecutive National League pennant. Woohoo! Cole Hamels gave up a solo home run to Andre Ethier in the 1st to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. In the bottom, though, Vicente Padilla, after getting two quick outs, walked Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. That set the stage for Jayson Werth, who belted a homer to right. The Phillies went up 3-1 and never looked back.

Padilla gave up six runs in three innings. Hamels was lifted with one man out in the 5th after an uninspiring start. The Dodgers threatened in the 8th but Ryan Madson prevailed. There were seven homers in the game. All three Dodger homers were solos. For the Phillies, Jayson Werth added a solo homer to his 1st-inning blast, Pedro Feliz showed sudden life with a solo shot, and Shane Victorino clubbed a two-run homer deep into left. Don't diss the 'take-and-rake' approach at the plate. According to Peter Gammons of ESPN, in the past 29 playoffs, teams that have outhomered their opponents are 26-3, while those with the higher slugging percentage are 28-1.

The best team won. The Dodgers' only strength coming into the series was their bullpen, and it turned out to be woeful. The beleaguered Phillies' bullpen came through. Manuel brought Brad Lidge in for the final three outs. When the game ended, on a fly to center by Ronnie Belliard, the first guys to reach the mound were Chooch, Madson, and Durbin. It was sweet, it was fitting.

Ryan Howard was the series MVP. Way to go, big man! Way to go, Phillies!

orionid shower

lone cricket--
now close, now distant--
star shower

I was out around 5:30 to look at the Orionid shower. Peak time was supposed to be around 6:00. The sky was already more gray than black, but the stars were out and the constellations shining brightly. I saw two meteors before six, one faint and one flashing. I saw three more before 6:30, all of them brilliant. At first it was quiet except for one cricket calling in the early morning. Then the neighbor started his truck and left it warming up for about 10 minutes. He finally left for work but then lots of other cars and trucks started going up the road. I then noticed a dull roar far in the distance. It had to be the sound of traffic on I-78. Only the stars were still silent overhead.

tonight padilla vs. hamels

Two pitchers with something to prove go in Game 5. As Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News pointed out yesterday, Padilla is pitching for a big contract next year. Hamels, last year's MVP in the NLCS and World Series, is trying to put his frustrating season behind him.

I heard David Gregory of Meet the Press on the Philadelphia radio this morning, along with his boss Steve Capus. Gregory is a Dodger fan, Capus a Phillie fan. Monday night Gregory was in the box that had the temerity to hang a 'Welcome to Dodgertown' banner. Gregory said that when he gets over the loss, he will always remember the explosion of sound that rocked the ballpark as the ball went flying to the wall. He said he had never heard anything like it anywhere.