off to san francisco

I'm off to San Francisco tomorrow, that is if I make the 4:30 a.m. bus to New York. By the time I get back, the trade deadline will be history. I can hardly wait! I am so tired of the supercharged, silly things that this Halladay-to-the-Phillies scenario is engendering. Enough, enough, enough. I even heard a news columnist calling Kyle Drabek a lefty. I still hope that at least some of my faves will be with the organization next week.

In case Michael Taylor is gone, I shall pass on this bit of information, from a recent Morning Call. Asked what book he had last read, Taylor responded, The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. Not exactly your ordinary clubhouse material.

Do check out Michael Schwimer's post today on Phuture Phillies. Again fascinating stuff, today about a pitcher's actual vs. perceived velocity.

Two games with the Phillies, two games with the A's on the travel docket!

Rickey and Jim go to the Hall of Fame

I missed the HOF induction ceremony yesterday but caught Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice's speeches on MLB: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5639715. I feel fortunate to have watched Rickey in action during his prime, going for the stolen base record at the Coliseum. He was the best leadoff player I've ever seen, and his body never seemed to lose its amazing muscles, even in his later years. Jacqueline and I will see Rickey this weekend at the Coliseum and cheer for him as his number "24" is retired. I look forward to honoring his achievements and seeing his cute smile.

schwimer on pedro

We took this trolley tour on that short little trip to Delaware Water Gap a couple of weeks ago. Our driver/guide was outstanding. The tour lasts about an hour and is worth every minute.

Michael Schwimer (see below) wrote a quick post yesterday on Phuture Phillies, about being in the locker room with Pedro Martinez. Interesting stuff. Pedro made a rain-shortened start yesterday with the Clearwater Threshers.

bye, bye, redbirds

See ya next year, Cardinals. The Phillies went two for three this weekend, losing Friday 8-1, winning Saturday 14-6, and winning Sunday 9-2. J.A. Happ, in the center of trade rumors, pitched OK on Friday except for a fatal 6th that did him in. Rodrigo Lopez was OK on Saturday and also benefited from some wild offense. Twice the Phillies brought nine to the plate, scoring a total of 11 runs. The barrage was highlighted by a Jimmy Rollins' grand slam that put the Phils up 8-4. (I was supposed to be at that game but deadlines again did me in.) Yesterday it was a masterful Joe Blanton, who is in a groove, and more irrepressible offense, to the tune of four 2-run homers, from Utley, Howard, Rollins, and Ibanez.

Phillies' defense was also on display but Card's centerfielder Rick Ankiel stole the show Saturday. He made a sensational catch that robbed Jayson Werth of a 2-run homer. Julio Lugo continued his torrid hitting against the Phillies and Matt Holliday almost did. Albert Pujols was again kept in check by Phillies' pitching.

What's with all the weird pencil mustaches on the Cardinal players?

michael schwimer on phuture phillies

The Deer Head Inn, now a legendary jazz venue, dates back to the heyday of the Pocono resort of Delaware Water Gap.

Michael Schwimer, pitcher with the high Single-A Clearwater Threshers, is writing a weekly column on Phuture Phillies. It started on July 14, with a long, interesting account of a typical day in the life of a minor league pitcher. The second, on July 21, was a mailbag of questions from readers. Schwimer gives thorough, considered replies. For an insightful take on minor league baseball: http://phuturephillies.com.

easy pickings

There's something discouragingly bland about the Padres, Pirates, and Nationals, all of which have spent too long bumbling and fumbling at the bottom of the league. All three have 'new' ballparks, which they rarely fill. At this time of year, the Pirates are again in seller mode and the other two should be.

In last night's game, the Padres played like a team that had had to fly across country for a make-up game. The Phillies scored early and often. Only one of their nine runs was a homer, a solo shot by Carlos Ruiz. If not sterling, starter Cole Hamels was effective for seven, giving up three runs on four hits. Phillies win 9-4.

Jayson Werth had his sixth 3-hit game of the season. When Jayson is hot, he truly sizzles. Pedro Feliz now has 30 multi-hit games. He also has more errors than one would expect.

romero and durbin to dl

J.C. Romero (strained forearm) and Chad Durbin (back) were both put on the DL today. Tyler Walker and Andrew Carpenter have been recalled from Lehigh Valley. It seems that the Phillies were monitoring Romero's injury but had no idea that Durbin had a problem. Pitching coach Rich Dubee was reportedly not happy to hear that Durbin, who has been pretty inconsistent this year, had concealed the injury for the past month. Scott Eyre will be the only lefty in the 'pen till Romero returns. Uh-oh. I do hope that Carpenter, a starter in the minors, makes the most of this chance.

mark buerhle perfect

This graffiti caught my eye as I was parking the car in a restaurant parking lot in Delaware Water Gap last week. Cowcowmilk.

Wow! I was working to the radio when I heard that Mark Buerhle of the White Sox had a perfect game through eight against the Tampa Bay Rays. I rushed to watch the top of the 9th on TV. Gabe Kapler, the first batter, hit a bullet to deep center. It looked destined for the seats but Dewayne Wise, put in that inning for defensive purposes, tracked it down, made an extraordinary catch over the fence, then juggled the ball as he hit the ground, and caught it again with his bare hand. Amazing! I was so fired up that I was screaming.

You had to wonder how Buerhle would keep his emotions in rein after Wise's catch. But he struck Hernandez out on a 3-2 pitch, then got Bartlett on a nerve-making grounder to the shortstop Ramirez. With that, Mark Buerhle had thrown the 18th perfect game in major league history. A no-hitter makes you smile. A perfect game makes you smile more. Wow!

Yes indeedy, I was really lucky to see Kevin Millwood's no-hitter at the Vet.

honda takeshi, artist-in-residence

Honda Takeshi, my former neighbor in Tono, sent this striking flyer for Genshono shozo (Primeval portraits), a three-person exhibition from July 25 to August 23 at the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre. Honda was one of three artists-in-residence at the centre this spring; the others were Taiwanese-American Hung Su-Chen and South Korean Yook Keun-Byung. The flyer shows a work by Hung Su-chen. All those needles and red threads are compelling.

phils go down in all-round clunker

I saw this sign last week in Delaware Water Gap. We bought two tiny pies there, a key lime and a blueberry. Both were deliciously tart in very different ways.

Today, too, it was all about the pitching and defense--or rather lack thereof. Jamie Moyer gave up five runs in five innings and the bullpen another five in a 10-5 loss to Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. Throw in sketchy defense and base-running and you had a long, hot day at the ballpark. Even on the radio it was tedious. Each time the Phillies came back a bit, the pitching would give it all back.

With the loss, Jamie Moyer has now lost a game to every team in the majors. Today was his first loss to the Cubs, the team which drafted him 23 or so years ago.

Please, Charlie, gave Utley a break. He was 1 for 13 in the series and could have had a couple of errors tagged on him today.

News of note: Brett Myers has been cleared to start making a return to pitching. He was projected to be out after hip surgery till at least September. Myers is talking about a mid-August comeback. He says it would be to the bullpen. Optimism is good.

13-inning thriller

Jayson Werth hit the three-run homer that ended the game in the 13th but really it was pitching and defense all night long. Two former A's, Rich Harden and Joe Blanton, started. Both were spectacular. Jimmy Rollins gave the Phils a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the 3rd; Kosuke Fukudome's double in the 4th tied it. And so it went into the 13th. The top of the 9th ended with a super 1-6-3 doubleplay, when a ball glanced off Lidge's foot straight to Rollins. Chan Ho Park led the bullpen charge with three innings of outstanding relief. In the end Clay Condrey got the opportunistic 4-1 win.

It was another sellout crowd. Astoundingly, the park still looked packed in the bottom of the 13th.

The Phillies have run their win streak to 10-0. They are the first defending National League championship team since the 1943 Cardinals to have a 10-0 win streak. Baseball has such loopy statistics.

hogwash

Charlie Manuel termed all trade rumors "hogwash" till something gets done. Hogwash is what I thought when I heard last evening that, according to Jon Heyman of S.I., J.P. Ricciardi of the Blue Jays had 'offered' Roy Halladay to the Mets for a package of Fernando Martinez, Jonathan Niese, Bobby Parnell, and Ruben Tejeda. I almost snorted when I heard that the Mets had turned it down. Martinez is now injured and looked totally overmatched in his stint with the Mets. Niese is pretty much a yawn. Parnell has run into trouble of late and I know nothing about the shortstop Tejeda. Color me totally unimpressed by three of the four. Why would Halladay want to go to the Mets anyway? Last I saw, they were in 4th place. Not exactly the winner Halladay says he's looking for.

So I now hear Jon Heyman on radio defending yesterday's rumor, which was denied by everyone involved. He's using the tack that the Jays also offered Halladay to the Phillies for a package of Carrasco, Taylor, and Donald, but no one's talking about that. He trashed Carrasco by saying he was having a horrific year. I'd say it's been rocky for sure but more to the point, Carrasco's got a better upside than Niese. He then said Martinez was as good as Taylor--an interesting way to put it. As for Donald, he's still recovering from knee surgery. Do the Jays have a thing for injured players? Odd that the Philadelphia part of the rumor sank like a stone. I really like Carrasco and would love to see him 'grow up' to be a Phillie, but I'd probably make that deal.

Given the level of chatter about Halladay to the Phillies, it's quite unlikely he'll ever call Philadelphia home. Isn't that always how these heavily-rumored deals go?

Kyle Kendrick was pulled out of his start today with the 'Pigs. Word is that it has nothing to do with any trade, though Kendrick might just benefit from one.

oh-oh, rodrigo

Rodrigo Lopez was almost an overlooked part of last night's 10-1 win over Ted Lilly and the Cubs. Raul Ibanez put the Phillies up 3-0 in the 1st with a homer to center. Carlos Ruiz broke out of his offensive slumber with a two-run homer in the second. The offense never looked back. Lopez, he of the thick black hair, went six innings and ran his record to 3-0. The Phillies won their 9th in a row and 13th in 14. The starting pitching during this period has been outstanding. It's always good to see someone come back from injury, then surgery, which is what Lopez has been doing this year. I saw several of his games with Lehigh Valley earlier this season. He didn't win them all but always looked like a major league pitcher. And he does have gorgeous hair.

gulp

I heard Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports talking this afternoon about Pedro Martinez, whose prorated contract works out to something like $896,000. He said that if the Phillies got three wins from Martinez, they would have got a good return. I wasn't speechless but pretty near it.

on martinez and taylor

Jim Salisbury has a fascinating, in-depth article in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer about how Pedro Martinez ended up joining the Phillies. It's called The making of a Phillie.

Also this morning, Mike Drago has an excellent piece in the Reading Eagle, about Michael Taylor and his place in Reading Phillies' history. Drago compares him with other club hitting greats, such as Greg Luzinski, Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, and Scott Rolen. Another good read, it's called In only a few months, Taylor leaves mark on Reading.

period of adjustment

In his first two games at Triple-A, Michael Taylor went 0-7. In his third, game 2 of yesterday's doubleheader with the Rochester RedWings, he singled, hit a two-run homer, walked, and stole a base. And did it all hitting third. I tuned in for the homer, part of a six-run 4th that put the IronPigs up 6-0. They won that game 6-3 behind solid pitching from Carlos Carrasco. They also took game 1, 7-5, behind Gustavo Chacin. The 'Pigs are now in third place (woohoo) in their division and go for the four-game sweep today.

The Phillies and Marlins were rained out last night. The game has yet to be rescheduled.

I hope yesterday was not my last chance to catch Carrasco pitching for the 'Pigs! Pat Gillick was in Toronto today, watching Halladay pitch.

quick start, rain delay, extra innings

Chase Utley got the Phillies on the board in the first with a two-run homer. After a 78-minute rain delay in the middle of the 6th, Cole Hamels handed the game to the bullpen with a 4-1 lead. But it ended up taking 12 for the Phillies to scratch out a 6-5 win over the Marlins. Utley singled in the go-ahead run in the 12th and Werth added another for insurance. Brad Lidge again indulged a penchant for making things difficult by giving up a run in the bottom of the inning but he did get the save.

Just when you thought the bullpen was sorting itself out, it pulls a clunker. Forget Halladay, bring in some relievers and a solid starter. Not to mention that righthanded bat off the bench. Bruntlett and Mayberry are not getting it done.

Clay Condrey was activated from the DL and Tyler Walker DFA'd to make room for him on the roster.

The IronPigs were rained out and will play a doubleheader today. I will be at home slaving over a hot keyboard.

an almost unbelievable comeback + a one-hitter

I drove my mother, a friend of hers, and a 9-year-old to Lakewood yesterday to see the BlueClaws play the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the low single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The kid Nick and I got some player autographs before the game.

Justin DeFratus, who started for the 'Claws, was crisp in the 1st, then struggled, to put it mildly, the rest of the way. We left in the middle of the 7th with the BlueClaws trailing 12-2.

In the car, I went straight to the Phillies game, where Ryan Madson was on for Moyer in the 8th. Moyer, Madson, and Romero combined on a one-hit shutout of the Marlins. Raul Ibanez homered twice and Ryan Howard once in the 4-0 win. It was the 200th homer of Howard's career. He is the fastest in MLB history to reach 200 homers; he did it in 658 games. The next closest is Ralph Kiner, who did it in 706 games.

This morning I learned that the BlueClaws put nine on the board in the bottom of the 7th. Wow! That must have shaken the crowd out of its torpor. Ultimately, though, the 'Claws fell 14-11.

Yesterday Michael Taylor was promoted to Lehigh Valley. The 'Pigs won behind Kyle Kendrick, 5-4, who went eight innings, giving up just two runs. It was wedding night at the park and the 'Pigs wore wedding tux jerseys that were awesome/embarrassing/hilarious/bizarre. Take your pick. Happily, starter Kendrick is recently engaged.

pedro martinez is a phillie

Today, while I was up in Delaware Water Gap, Pedro Martinez was introduced as the newest member of the team. I hardly know what to say. From what little I saw on TV this evening of his press conference, Pedro knows how to work the media. He was totally charming and entertaining. He also sounds like a total, professional pitcher. No surprise that. He is after all Pedro.

He signed his contract, for $1 million, and was immediately put on the DL so that he can start a 'rehab' assignment in the minors. Maybe he'll appear here at Lehigh Valley at least once. What a circus that should be.

another sweep to finish off a 9-1 homestand

Kyle Drabek pitched a strong 1-2-3 inning in today's Futures Game in St. Louis. Here he is in a recent outing at Reading. I've got to see him while I can.

The Phillies finished off the Pirates 5-2 behind a 1st-inning grand slam by Pedro Feliz and strong pitching by J.A. Happ. Trade rumors swirl around Happ and Drabek. Meanwhile, the Phillies have gone 9-1 on this homestand to bring their home record almost to the .500 mark. I'm drowning in deadlines and for once can hardly wait for the All-Star break.

5 in the 9th--oh what a game!

The bell was still until the 9th, when Matt Stairs, then Ryan Howard lit it up. Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Cole Hamels gave up two home runs in the first last night, then another in the second to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead. Fast forward to the 9th, with the Phillies down 7-3. Matt Stairs led off with a mammoth pinch-hit homer, which looked like window dressing till Ryan Howard tied it up with a 3-run shot. Raul Ibanez, in his first game off the DL, then doubled and pretty soon the Phillies had the bases loaded with one out for back-up catcher Paul Bako. He singled to left, giving the Phillies the 8-7 win. A totally amazing comeback. Minutes after the Bako single, it started raining.

Ibanez had two doubles and an RBI and scored the winning run. Rollins stole three bases. Jack Wilson, Bucco shortstop, made a spectacular sliding catch in left, then somehow managed to double Rollins off first in the defensive play of the game.

I confess that I left after the 7th because of a deadline, then spent almost an inning and a half wandering the parking lot in search of the car. I finally got on my way as the Pirates were making out in the 9th and listened to the drama unfold on radio. A stunning rainstorm, with lightning forking from the sky, provided the backdrop all the way home.

Vice-president Joe Biden, a lifelong Phillies fan, and his wife watched the whole game from seats behind home plate. What a game!

chris coste to houston

And the hits just keep coming. To make room for Raul Ibanez, activated today from the DL, fan favorite Chris Coste was designated for assignment. He was claimed by the Houston Astros, which means that Coste's Cinderella story with the Phillies has come to an end. All the best, Chris!

Hours later and I've just heard Coste being interviewed about the move and his stay in Philadelphia. About the former, he's happy that for now he's still in the majors. About the latter, he said, "You could write a book about it." And he already has.

jayson werth to all-star game

Jayson Werth has been named to replace the injured Carlos Beltran on the All-Star roster. Cheers for Charlie Manuel for picking his guy, who was as deserving as the next. Kudos to Jayson Werth, who has come a long way to reach this point. The Phillies outfield is awesome. Long may they play.

Whew! I'm getting a bit delirious.

a call from victorino

No sooner had I finished posting the entry below, when the phone rang. It was Shane Victorino (well, a recording of him), saying thanks for voting him to the ASG and pledging that he and the team would do their best again to win the World Series. Woohoo! Sweet greetings on a Friday morning. Thanks, Shane. Thanks, Phillies.

victorino, park, and ibanez

Driving home from Philadelphia yesterday, I heard the news that Victorino had been voted onto the All-Star roster, along with Brandon Inge from the Tigers. So the online hook-up between Phillies' fans and Tigers' fans seems to have worked. I'm delighted that Vic won but, really, online voting is so mindless.

Chan Ho Park has been an absolute brick in the bullpen. Let's hear it for the guy! He would also seem to be a good teammate. As Victorino was taking the field during Wednesday's game, he came running out of the bullpen wearing a sandwich board touting Vic for the All-Star game. I heard it described on the radio, then yesterday saw a great photo in the Inquirer, of Victorino sprinting by Park. Too, too cool.

Raul Ibanez was on a rehab stint last night with the 'Pigs. Up close, the guy is looking good. I hope I'll see him tomorrow at the Bank.

Yesterday's rumor that the Phillies are on the verge of signing Pedro Martinez to a $4 million contract almost overshadowed the Victorino news. Sure the deal won't cost prospects but I still don't get it. A great pitcher, Martinez was already a retread when he signed with the Mets. We don't need another five-and-dive guy.

double whammy

I drove yesterday from Philadelphia in rush-hour traffic, made a 5-minute stop at home, then drove to Coca-Cola Park. It was a long, intense day yesterday---my excuse for punking out after the 7th-inning stretch. At the time the 'Pigs were trailing 3-2 and the Phillies were down 6-4. By the time I got to the car, the Phils were up 8-6. In the 8th, the 'Pigs made it 6-3. That score held up. The Phillies tacked on another run with a Jayson Werth laser shot to dead center. Final score there: 9-6.

Chan Ho Park was spectacular in relief of Jamie Moyer, who went just five; Brad Lidge was in form for the save. Chase Utley had an inside-the-park home run. Yes, the guy runs. Werth's homer was his 20th of the season. That gives the Phillies four players with 20 or more home runs before the All-Star break.

The IronPigs were supposed to be in Moosic playing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees but the Yanks are having drainage problems with their field and the two-game series was suddenly moved to the Lehigh Valley. For season-ticket holders those are two bonus games. Not only that, but also the weather could not have been better for baseball.

carpenter and marson shine in french

It was play-by-play in French last night at Coca-Cola Park, at least next to me. The guy sitting next to me was a French fellow living in the Lehigh Valley, who had brought his parents visiting from France. It was a first ballgame for all. Amazingly, they stayed till the very end, seemingly enjoying what was a very good game for the hometeam. Andrew Carpenter rebounded from a bad outing his last time out and was totally in control in the 12-0 shutout of the Pawtucket Red Sox. Lou Marson, who definitely seems to be rounding into form, led the offensive charge with two big doubles. The weather was mild, the place was packed, and a good time was had by all--except for the Red Sox fans in attendance.

We got to the car just in time to hear the bottom of the 9th in Philadelphia. It was a tie game, with two outs and Pedro Feliz on first. Jimmy Rollins worked a walk, putting Feliz in scoring position. Up stepped Shane Victorino, doing everything he can this week to make a case for his inclusion in the All-Star game. Bingo! Victorino served a single into center, Feliz scored standing, and the Phils won 3-2.

missed chances

This little fan had a great time all game long.

Lightning flickering in the distance, a full moon in the sky, and jazz on the radio added up to a mellow ride home last night from Philadelphia. Too bad that the Phillies frittered another good outing by J.A. Happ and let the game get away. They put three on the board early, via back-to-back homers by Howard and Werth in the 2nd, then an RBI double in the 4th by Utley, but squandered every scoring opportunity after that, going 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Ugh. Guess you have to give Aaron Harang, who sweated his way through 114 pitches, credit for keeping his team in it. The Reds got the go-ahead run in the 9th and won it 4-3.

Utley also doubled on a ball that barely left the infield. That happened moments after the big screen had showed Utley getting his first major league hit, a grand slam. He ran the bases then exactly as he did last night to turn what looked like a possible out into a double. "The man", indeed.

So all the talk now is of Roy Halladay. J.P. Ricchardi, the Blue Jays' manager, has supposedly said he's ready to entertain offers. The Phillies would of course be a contender but I'm already tired of the knee-jerk reactions I've been hearing. I would also like to know why the Jays suddenly want to trade this guy. And if he is really healthy. Would I give up the farm for him? No, but I wouldn't give up the farm for anyone. Pat Gillick was a genius GM because he made the little or middling moves that ended up mattering the most.

vote for shane victorino!

Shane Victorino is on the NL ballot for the 33rd man to go to the All-Star Game next week in St. Louis. Vote early, vote often for the very deserving Flyin' Hawaiian. Voting ends 4 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. Go, Shane!

22? where are the roll-overs?

It was Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds last night. The talented Cueto lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up nine runs in all, including a two-run double to Cole Hamels. By the end of the 1st, the Phils were up 10-0. The Reds never had a chance. Hamels has owned them his whole career and last night was no exception. The final score: 22-1. Shane Victorino was all over the place, with a homer, single, and double. He was robbed of the triple that would have given him the cycle when the left field ballgirl fielded the ball that would have put him on third. You had to feel sorry for her but really you had to feel sorrier for Shane.

It would be great to roll some of those unneeded runs over to games to follow.

a sweeping weekend

So the Phillies came limping home from a disastrous roadtrip last week to play the Mets. Nothing like a sweep to make everyone feel better. It's absolutely hilarious to listen to the New Yorkers trash the Philadelphia pitching, when the Mets are throwing out the likes of Livan Hernandez and Fernando Nieve, whom call-up Rodrigo Lopez and stalwart Jamie Moyer bested, aided by timely hitting and sterling defense by their mates. Sunday was a nice, taut pitching duel between Santana and Blanton. The lead-off solo homer by Jimmy Rollins (nice to see you back) was all the Phillies needed, but Chase Utley added another in a 2-0 shutout. Blanton was superb!

Brad Lidge notched two more saves. Sunday's was a 1-2-3 stikeout of the side. Best of all, he looks healthy for the first time all year. If the knee is good, Lidge is good. If he's good, the bullpen may just fall again into place.

The Mets and their fans whine much too much about the team's injuries. Shall I list the ones the Phillies have had? And injuries are no excuse for the dismal defense the Mets have played all year.