the year of the pitcher

Balls painted by catcher Stan Lopata for games started by pitcher Curt Simmons.

Yes, 2010 was the year of the pitcher. Pitching dominated in both leagues and offense was down. Sadly, the baseball season started with the death of Robin Roberts, the great Phillie right-hander and lifelong student of the game. Aside from Roberts' many remarkable accomplishments, he also had a collection of hand-painted baseballs for games he started. Of course with Roberts that pretty much meant games that he also finished. Then in December, Bob Feller, said to be the hardest thrower ever, died. The year of the pitcher and the passing of giants.

2010 phillies and more

The Phillies were front and center in Philadelphia all year, starting with Roy Halladay, who threw a perfect game in season, a no-hitter in his first post-season appearance, and won the NL Cy Young, while dazzling Phillie fans with his pitching. Placido Polanco hit a grand slam in his first game back with the Phillies and Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher ever to throw a complete game shut-out. Both, however, ended up battling injuries, as did Rollins, Utley, Howard, Victorino, Ruiz, and a host of others, all season long. Joe Blanton started on the DL and took half a season to catch up. Roy Oswalt, acquired in a trade in July, even played left field. Journeyman Wilson Valdez did a valiant job filling in, variously, for Rollins, Utley, and Polanco and deluded some fans into thinking he was their equal. (Wake up, folks!) Cole Hamels looked even better than the Cole Hamels of old, but got the same crummy run support of old. After limping for much of the season, the Phillies blazed through September to a 97-65 record, the best in baseball, but suffered a gut-churning loss to the Giants in the NLCS, proving that the best team does not always win. At the end of it all, right fielder Jayson Werth left in free agency for the Nationals--oi vey. Then a week later the Phillies, almost in the dead of the night, signed Cliff Lee. Just typing that still makes me smile.

It was an eventful year for all Philadelphia sports franchises. The Flyers made a dramatic run to the Stanley Cup, including an historic comeback along the way, beating the Boston Bruins after being down three games to none. It's funny that baseball season almost always means following the Flyers in the postseason. They are always playing while I am at the ballpark. This year, though they did not win the Cup, was special. The Flyers also became, for me, a likeable team, more quick, nimble, and skilled instead of big, lumbering, and pugilistic. Peter Laviolette, who took over as coach midseason, quickly established himself as yet another good Philadelphia coach. Go, Danny, go, Claude, go Mike, Jeff, Chris, Ville, and Andres, go Bobrovsky and all!

The Sixers, too, made a significant coaching change, hiring ex-Sixer Doug Collins, who has finally got the team playing defense. Are they good enough to be more than fringe players? Probably not, but they are getting to be a lot of fun to watch. If nothing else, one has to pull for Doug Collins, who just about bleeds for his team each night they play. In Collins and new president Rod Thorn we trust. GM Ed Stefanski filled in for color analyst Eric Snow, who is a work in progress, and did a good job. But why in the world did he ever hire Eddie Jordan?

I'm not a football fan but the Eagles certainly provided lots of melodrama this year, with the trade of Donovan McNabb and the re-emergence of Michael Vick. Even after MdNabb was traded, Eagle fans were unable to stop obsessing ad nauseum over him. You had to feel for rookie Kevin Kolb, who lost his starting job because of a concussion. It was hard, however, to deny Michael Vick and his compelling, and let us hope ongoing, tale of redemption. As I said, I'm not a football fan so it doesn't bother me when DeSean Jackson falls backwards into the end zone to score a touchdown. I just marvel at how beautiful he is to watch.

starr hagenbring

Pieced, painted, and stitched silk jackets by Starr Hagenbring. All photos permission of the artist.

Late in September I interviewed Starr Hagenbring, New York wearable artist and designer, for Fiberarts magazine. She was just back from a road trip with her father in his 1910 Knox and I was transfixed by her account of the contortionist moves that driving such a car entails. Hagenbring likes to tell stories and she was revved up and going the afternoon we met. Her work, as the photos above demonstrate, is simply fabulous. She does it all--design, cutting, piecing, stitching, and painting--herself, working out of a midtown apartment/studio filled with art, books, refurbished furniture, beaded dolls, and even a large starfish, not to mention the textile paints and silk fabrics and threads of her trade. We talked for about five hours, then adjoined to a neighborhood Greek restaurant for a quick supper before I headed for a bus to Pennsylvania, visions of elegance dancing in my head.

where is chad durbin?

At the end of the winter meetings, word was that Chad Durbin might be resigning with the Phillies. Since then, nada. Durbin's a good guy, smart, too. It will be a pity to see him elsewhere but the signing of J.C. Romero may signal the end of off-season moves to bolster the bullpen.

dollhouse

Priscilla sent this image of the current show, called Dollhouse, at ARC Studios and Gallery, which she co-founded with three partners, including her husband Michael. It's quite a venture and already seems to be taking off. There's even a coffee and cookie shop to sweeten a visit. ARC is located at 1246 Folsom Street, in the SOMA district of San Francisco.

j.c. romero back to the phillies

The Phillies have signed lefty reliever J.C. Romero to a one-year deal. It is hoped that Romero, shaky and injured the past two years, will regain some of the form that made him an integral part of the 2008 team. Details on the contract are not yet known. The Phillies needed another lefty in the bullpen and I hope that Romero will be the man.

Given yesterday's weather conditions on the East Coast, postponing last night's NFL game in Philadelphia seemed a no-brainer. But no, good sense is not much prized by football fans, or so it would seem. There was a tremendous amount of whining and shouting yesterday and today about the postponement, even cries of a conspiracy. I think all the people mouthing off had bets on the game and know that a Tuesday make-up changes things.

Then there is Gov. Ed Rendell... I love the guy but wow was he off-base on this one.

halladay greetings

And a Merry Cliffmas to all!

love letters to earth

Kamano Sachiko, an old friend from my earliest days in Kyoto, put together a traveling exhibition called Chikyu eno rabu reta-- (Love Letters to Earth). It's a collection of tributes, by children and artists from around the world, to the only home we have. So far the exhibition has only been shown in Japan but Sachiko hopes to take it abroad.

end of an era

One of my favorite images from the past season, hanging out at the ballpark before the game, enjoying a sandwich during batting practice.

Jesus Sanchez, dropped from last month from the 40-man roster, has signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Sanchez, who converted to pitching, was the last player left from the Bobby Abreu deal. And so the door closes on the Abreu era. Johan Flande, dropped at the same time as Sanchez, has signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, who are again stockpiling lefties. Cody Ransom, with the IronPigs the past two seasons, has signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

power of one

This holiday, Animals in Distress, an animal rescue shelter in nearby Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, sent tiny starfish charms to its supporters. The charm, which I have hung on the small feather tree, came with a little story about thousands of starfish stranded on a beach after a violent storm. A man stood on the beach, picking up the starfish one by one and tossing them back into the ocean. A passerby wondered why anyone would bother when there were so many starfish littering the sands. There was no way to save them all, so what difference did it make? Said the rescuer, starfish in hand, "It makes a great difference to this one."

hot seat

A friend of my mother's was talking with her grandson the other day, after Cliff Lee had signed. The kid, a big Phillie fan, now plays Little League baseball and plans to become a big league pitcher. She asked him about going to see a Phillie game this year. The kid shot it down, saying they would never be able to get tickets. Sadly, he is pretty much right. The day after the Lee signing, the Phillies sold 40,000 tickets, all through six-pack plans. Sure they were tickets that would have sold in any case, but they mean that come the regular season seats will be a premium. When single-game tickets go on sale in February, fans will be in a frenzy.

phila stars

I'd long been wanting to take a photo of the Mural Arts tribute to the Stars, an old Philadelphia Negro League team. Yesterday I was in the neighborhood and finally had my chance. I was on my way from the Clubhouse store--talk about printing money--down at the ballpark to visit Jessie Foyle, aka Mrs. October. The mural is in her new neighborhood.

good-bye, andy tracy

Andy Tracy, the face of the IronPigs, has signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. At 37, Tracy, who came up in the Expos' system, is still hoping to get a real shot at playing in the majors. Maybe he will find it with the D'backs. The slugging first baseman was a favorite with Lehigh Valley fans and seemed to be a genuinely good guy. Wish him well.

Sometimes it's all about making the best of the chance that comes to you. In his presser yesterday, Jayson Werth talked about how that may not always be in your control. Some guys get a chance but get injured, get sick, go into a slump, miss a bus, whatever. And like that it's gone, never to come again.

a 'no-brainer'

Choosing Philadelphia, said Cliff Lee yesterday, was a 'no-brainer'. Once the Phillies got involved late last week, everyone wanted to make it happen, most of all the Lee family. Yet, according to all, the deal died a couple of times before coming back to life with a roar. Thanks for the persistence of all involved! Thanks, too, to Kristen Lee, who said that when she ran into one of the Phillie owners at this year's All-Star game, she burst into tears.

If the rotation stays healthy and all pitch up to their records, it should be an even more rollicking time at CBP than ever. On Monday, the Phillies sold 1500 tickets. On Tuesday, after the news came down, the number jumped to 40,000. Season tickets have been maxed out since last year and there is a waiting list. The tickets sold on Tuesday were six-pack plans. Individual game tickets go on sale in February but I guess I can forget about opening day.

Think about it. If healthy, Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, and Lee may start 132 of 162 games. But don't forget the fifth guy. Yesterday Ruben Amaro, Jr. gave some love to Joe Blanton, whom all expect soon to be gone. While all the talk was about the fab four, Amaro brought Blanton into the conversation. It reminded me of this past season, after Oswalt joined the staff and all the talk was H2O. Roy Halladay was always sure to include Joe in any talk of the rotation. Like the team itself, there are no egos on the pitching staff.

Amaro, speaking this morning on the radio, said the first negative comment about the Lee signing came from Jayson Werth, who sent him a text that basically said, "BOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

devastating in red

Dear Cliff,
You are...This is....I promised myself I wouldn't get choked up. Welcome home.
----visitphilly.com

This message appeared Tuesday on the visitphilly.com site and will soon be appearing on a billboard on I-95. Says it all!

When Cliff Lee put his Phillie cap on at today's presser, for a second all felt well with the world. It was an interesting 30 minutes. Before it started, Harold Reynolds of MLBN called it an "historical" moment. Lee echoed the "historic" comment, when he spoke about the rotation that he is now part of, as one that was impossible to resist. He wants to win and as he considered his options he felt that Philadelphia offered the best chance to do that.

Lee never felt he had to burn his bridges on leaving Philadelphia last year. The Phillies tried to reacquire him in July but refused to give up Domonic Brown, the asking price by the Mariners. Though both sides had left the door open, it seems that they only started talking four or five days ago. Somewhere in that time, Lee's wife Kristin talked with Ruben Amaro, Jr. by phone and told him, "Don't break our hearts again." It was off, then maybe on, and finally on Monday night it was real. Among the people Ruben Amaro gave credit to for making it work was Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker.

It now seems so inevitable. The Phillies try to acquire Roy Halladay in July 2009, balk at the trading price, and pull Cliff Lee out of a hat from Cleveland. Lee wows everyone in Philadelphia and is wowed in return. Then last December, the Phillies do trade for Roy Halladay and turn around and trade Lee to the Mariners. They get Halladay to waive his no-trade clause and sign a three-year extension. In July this year, they try to reacquire him, balk at giving up Brown, and turn around and trade for Roy Oswalt, who also waives a no-trade clause. Then out of nowhere they sign Cliff Lee to a five-year deal. On so many levels, it is simple amazing.

Lee also said again that he never wanted to leave Philadelphia, that it was where his heart was, and where he wanted to be for the rest of his career. Playing in Philadelphia was like nowhere else and he loved it from the start. So did his family.

Someone asked if he had talked with good buddy Jayson Werth. Yes, he had but could not possibly repeat his comments. Suffice to say, Werth was not happy to hear that Lee had signed with the Phillies. By chance, the Nationals had held a press conference for Werth a couple of hours earlier. It was sad seeing him in that hat with the ridiculous curly W on it. Cliff Lee, on the other hand, looked stunning in red.

pinch me

The Cliff Lee deal still seems unbelievable. Ruben Amaro, Jr. did it all under the radar, pretty much how Amaro does all of his deals--and more power to him. It's been interesting to hear players and former players comment on that. It seems that that is exactly how players like deals to be done: in private, not public. It was also jaw-dropping to hear some MLBN commentators opine that Lee chose Philadelphia because it, not New York, offered the best chance for him to win a World Series. Wow.

From all reports, Phillie players too were stunned by the deal. It says a lot about Amaro, the front office, a Phillie ownership that has stepped up big time since 2008, and Cliff Lee himself.

A significant element of the deal is its length. By giving Lee five years, the Phillies signaled that they are willing to break their policy of three-year contracts for pitchers. I don't know if that's because they wanted Lee that much or because the Werth and subsequent Crawford deals changed how deals will work in future.

The presser is at three today. Stay tuned.

together again: lee to philly!

It's not all peaches and cream.
But I haven't learned that yet.
----Oil Can Boyd

Crazy but true: Cliff Lee has agreed to a five-year deal with the Phillies, for less money and fewer years than what the Rangers or Yankees offered him. Exclamation, exclamation, exclamation overlaid with breathless delirium. Excuse me while I hyperventilate. The Phillies will go into 2011, barring the unforesee, with four legitimate aces as their first four starters. In 2009, Lee, Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels were all the number one pitcher on their respective teams.

The totally unexpected deal proves that Ruben Amaro, Jr., trodding in the footsteps of Pat Gillick the genius, understands that pitching and defense rule. In 2010, Halladay and Lee had a combined 440 strikeouts and 83 walks. Halladay, Lee, and Oswalt all have winning percentages above .600. And Cole Hamels on any given day is as good as any of them.

I fell asleep last night to a Tony Bruno interview just past 10 with Jon Paul Morosi, of FOX, who was nattering on about why the Phillies were interested in Lee. I woke just before one a.m. to hear a totally giddy Bruno talking about the done deal.

When Lee was traded a year ago to the day to the Seattle Mariners, he said that he had wanted to resign with the Phillies and retire as a Phillie. Amazingly, he may do just that. When Lee pitched with the Phillies in 2009, neither Halladay nor Oswalt were on the staff. Wow have things changed in Philadelphia.

It's been "Merry Cliffmas" all day in that city. Both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee chose to play in Philadelphia and both to pay cuts to do so. It wasn't so long ago that John Smoltz was proclaiming over and over that Citizens Bank Park would keep free agent pitchers away, that the only way the Phillies could get them to come was by overpaying. As Charlie Manuel has said, "Champions can play anywhere."

According to Todd Zolecki of Zozone, Lee's new number is 33.

twinkle, twinkle, mr. lee

All we demanded was our right to twinkle.
----Marilyn Monroe

So I drove to Philadelphia late this morning and by the time I got home around four, all the buzz was about the mystery team looking to sign Cliff Lee. Then all of a sudden, that team was supposed to be the Phillies. Ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho. Gee, maybe Ruben Amaro, after shipping Lee out last December, gets him to come back for three years at $20 million per? Meanwhile, things are getting delirious. Nah, gotta be the Nats and the Werth reunion tour. Whatever, it's crazy.

It's the Geminids tonight and into tomorrow but it's frigid here, both cold and windy. Last I looked it was also cloudy.

just a shell

Submit to Fate without unseemly wrangle
Such complications frequently occur
Life is one complicated tangle
Death is the only true unraveller
---The Gondoliers
Gilbert and Sullivan

There's not much unravelling with the old apple tree, which is now almost hollow. The tree must be over 100 years old and has produced lots of deliciously tart apples, heirlooms without name. I am steeling myself for the next big storm that will likely bring the tree down. Last night when I came home, the car lights caught a herd of deer under the tree. Deer congregate at the tree throughout the year. No apples, no deer? Not likely but the absence of the tree in the landscape will be an ache.

nothing doing

This stilled, empty bell at Citizens Bank Park sums it up. Worst rumor of the week: Scott Franzke, who does a great job with radio play-by-play for the Phillies, is interviewing for a TV gig with the Texas Rangers. If he's interviewing, I'd be shocked if he does not get the job. Franzke is from Texas and got his start working with the Rangers. Returning to his roots would not be surprising, but what a bummer for Phillies' fans. It's nothing to contemplate on a gloomy day such as today.

phillies sign dennys reyes

The Phillies have signed lefthanded reliever Dennys Reyes to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million. There is an option for a second year. Reyes last pitched for the Cardinals. In this morning's Rule 5 draft the Phillies took Michael Martinez, a 28-year-old utility infielder from the Nationals. Take that, Nats!

Meanwhile, the money went round and round, up and never down at the winter meetings. Carl Crawford signed with the Red Sox for a whopping $142 million and Cliff Lee started counting his. Trickle, trickle, trickle.

recess

I drove out to the farms yesterday morning to find only the wind whistling through the emptied stands. On the way back I happened to see kids and teachers at recess at one of the Amish/Mennonite one-room schools I pass along the way.

blue

Elizabeth Billings, Wall of Ancestors (detail), 1988, from the 14th Biennale, Lausanne, Switzerland. The postcard is from Lynn Berkowitz.

Today: 30th anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon. Regards to Yoko Ono.

First the Phillies cleared space yesterday on their 40-man roster by releasing minor league pitchers Johan Flande and Jesus Sanchez. (The latter was the last player left from the trade that sent Bobby Abreu away.) Then the rumors about about re-acquiring (oh no) Aaron Rowand from the Giants started to buzz. Except for his face-breaking moment out in center, I was never a big fan of this guy and it doesn't thrill me that he basically lost his job last season with the Giants.

19th street theatre

I went to see The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest at the 19th Street Theatre, shown here, but it was show time there. A Christmas Carol is being performed there through the month and all movies are being shown at the tatty annex theatre across the street. Sitting through the movie there made me appreciate the 19th Street anew.

hooray! pat gillick to hall of fame!

Pat Gillick, formerly GM with the Phillies, Mariners, Orioles, and Blue Jays, has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Mr. Gillick! You are a baseball genius! We need not say that under Gillick, the Blue Jays twice won the World Series and the Phillies once. His teams appeared 11 times in the post-season. Next year will be Gillick's 54th year in baseball. He is now a senior advisor to the Phillies.

Why am I surprised by the money-trumps-all response to the Jayson Werth deal? This is after all America, where money trumps all. But the 'he had to do what he had to do' comments make me feel like inserting two fingers down my throat. Sorry, but Werth, like all free agents, had a choice. Like almost all professional athletes, he chose money. And he pretty much said that was what he meant to do, that he learned at 18 signing his first contract that baseball was a business and that was how he was going to treat free agency. None of the drivel about family.

I used to hate Werth when he played for the Dodgers--and I barely ever saw him. He was just that kind of highly-irritating player, the kind who makes you admire how good he is, even as he is again killing your team.

In Philadelphia, he became a great story, plucked off the scrap heap, by Pat Gillick, as he faced retirement owing to an injury, then working his way to being one of the top outfielders in baseball. Along the way, Werth became a tremendous fan favorite. I saw him steal home that night a couple of years ago on the Dodgers, an unforgettable moment. I also watched close-up in Game 2 of the NLDS how cool and funny he was with the fans in right field. At the time I had the feeling it was a relationship that was soon going to end and it now has.

It's a pity that Werth will be playing against the Phillies for years to come. All the goodwill engendered by the Beard (sorry, San Francisco, this guy set the tone for beards) will soon disappear. I don't buy the building for the future talk for Werth. He should have stayed with a contender or gone to one.

jayson werth to the nationals

Are you kidding me? I got home late this afternoon after seeing the excellent, but alas, final installment of the Millennium trilogy and was having a glass of Australian Shiraz while watching the end of today's Flyers' game in rerun. Add some yummy labnie from Aci Halal and all was good. Then I heard that Jayson Werth had signed a seven-year $126 million deal with the Nationals. Bye-by, Jayson. That's crazy. So much for all the talk on his way out about winning. Unlike Werth, Roy Halladay talked the talk and walked the walk.

mad dog sushi

Over at Zozone, MLB beat writer Todd Zolecki reported yesterday about Ryan Madson's stint at Zama, a Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia, where he learned how to make the eponymous Mad Dog sushi. I'll pass on the sushi, one of those rolls engineered for American tastes. The video of Mad Dog making it, though, was kind of fun. Also at Zozone are links to the Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bits in this week's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Still waiting for some hot-stove sizzle.

snow today in bratislava

Artist Silvia Fedorova, who lives in Bratislava, sent this photo of snow falling today on the square that her attic studio overlooks. The square, which is in the old town, is now set up for the annual Christmas market, a lively, delicious event with lots of music and dancing. In the message that came with the image, Silvia wrote that city traffic was about to "collapse" (an apt turn of phrase) because of the snow. Here it is cold but there is no snow in the forecast.

kenderick and francisco tendered

Both Kyle Kendrick and Ben Francisco have been tendered by the Phillies. No surprise there. Both will be competing in spring training for roles on the 2011 team. The Braves did not tender outfield back-up Matt Diaz, making him a free agent and potential object of desire for the Phillies. Can it be that Ruben Amaro, Jr. is going to rest this off-season?

dreams come true

Because you never know when too early becomes too late, I am posting this 2011 calendar now. It came in yesterday's mail, from a German-Canadian friend spending a month in Kyoto. When I pulled it out of the envelope, I saw the writing first and gasped in recognition. Then I saw the cats--and knew them, too.

Years ago when I lived in Iwate, in northeastern Japan, Nobi-Kobo, the people who put out the calendar, had a collection of wonderful postcards based on the stories of Miyazawa Kenji and featuring cats. Kenji was born in Hanamaki, Iwate, not far from where I lived. Only a couple of places sold the postcards and I used to go out of my way to buy them to send to friends.

Getting this calendar was like suddenly meeting old, half-forgotten friends, all thanks to another old friend. The greeting on the front is for a year of health filled with smiles and wishes. The calendar is put out by Nobi-Kobo, which turns out to be a 'cat' shop on Tetsugakuno michi in Kyoto. Check it out (Japanese only) at www.nobi-kobo.com.

surgery, then more for jamie moyer

Jamie Moyer is scheduled to have elbow surgery today, but says he looks forward to resuming his career in a year. I caught the end of an in-studio interview with Moyer, Mitch Williams, and Greg Amsinger on MLB network yesterday evening, most of it about Moyer's approach to pitching. At the end of the interview, Williams asked Moyer, "Can you collect your pay and pension at the same time?"

Yes, Moyer will almost be that old if and when he resumes his career. And good luck to him. I am so tired of online commentators deciding who is old and shot in baseball, based on age. They simply don't know.

Moyer is of course one of those souls who found success later in his career. At 47, he is now about 30 games shy of 300 wins. Longevity factors into that but so does skill, endurance, persistence, cunning, and a lot else.

It was raining yesterday here in the Mid-Atlantic states and Moyer was wearing a black suit with a pair of white and black sneakers. Mitch Williams, meanwhile, was sockless. Amsinger was quite pedestrian by contrast.

little red riding hood

For years I had a print of this Gustav Dore illustration for Little Red Riding Hood, from Perrault's Fairy Tales. The print went back to my days of following wolves and fairy tales and had lots of meaning on lots of levels for me. About a month ago, I mailed it to someone else who loves wolves, but it seems to have gone missing in the mail. I'm feeling as gormless as Red Riding Hood looks in this print. A most excellent wolf, but he is now gone.

yawn, yawn, yawn

A flimsy rumor about Jayson Werth took flight over the holidays and finally floated off into space. It sounded like a bit of 'whisper down the alley', with the original source so vague that it was a wonder anyone gave it credence. I first heard about it Saturday morning on a New York station, but in the end it was just talk.

The most interesting thing heard over the weekend (I skip all the heavy news, of course) is that red squirrels are fond of mushrooms and they "hang them up to dry" before storing them away for the winter.

signs are everywhere

Artist Cyrilla Monzenter sent this image.

that's domonic as in dominique

Really, the most interesting thing of note so far this off-season has been learning, from Dom Brown's agent Scott Boras, that the kid's first name--Domonic--is pronounced Domonique, as in Dominique Wilkins.

Now we have the Derek Jeter soap opera. The outrage on both sides of the media and fan base is hilarious.

liz whitney quisgard

I got a note the other day from New York artist Liz Quizgard, whose work I first saw this summer in a solo show at the Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. I had been asked to review the show and was lucky to talk with Quisgard on the day I went.

Her work is divided between painting and needlepoint and both make great use of color in a technique that the artist calls 'pseudo-pointillism'. Quisgard does not like having to use the term needlepoint for her fiber works ('sounds too much like things my aunt did') but in the end she says with a laugh that that is what it is. Obsessive geometric patterns dominate both paintings and needlepoint works. Does it have any meaning? None at all, says Quisgard, who firmly believes that the visual arts are just that: visual.

When at university, Quisgard intended to become a serious philosopher, on the lines of Plato or Kant, but she came to the conclusion that there was no truth. Art was the winner. Now in her early 8o's, she continues to rollick along the path of beauty, committed totally to her art and bubbling with esprit.

happy thanksgiving

Snow started falling just before 10 this morning, just breezy flurries at first. Within an hour, though, things had changed. The snow is still falling. Have a happy, folks!

If you want to read a truly amusing indication of how sports coverage has changed forever, check out Logan Morrison, outfielder with the Florida Marlins and darling (seriously) of Philadelphia Phillies' fans, at http://www.baseball-ladies.com/2010/11/24/marlin-in-the-hen-house-11-24-10/

It's all about the twitterly love.

new pots by willi singleton

Potter Willi Singleton, who trained in Japan, will have pots from his recent fall firing for show and sale this December. The dates: December 11 and 12 and December 18 and 19, noon to six p.m. The place: Pine Creek Pottery, 843 Hawk Mountain Rd., Kempton, PA 19529. For information: 610.756.6387 or info@willisingleton.com. It's always good to see Willi's pots, made from clay he digs himself and fired in the Japanese-style wood-fired climbing kiln he built himself.

minor league ducks in a row

The Phillies now have their minor league managerial line-up in place for 2011. It's Ryne Sandberg at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with Rod Nichols staying on as pitching coach and Sal Rende as hitting coach. Mark Parent, who last year seemed to have a good time with the Lakewood team, takes over at Double-A Reading. Chris Truby, last year with Williamsport, takes over for Parent at low Single-A Lakewood. Dusty Wathan remains with high Single-A Clearwater and Mickey Mickey Morandini, bringing up the rear, is the new manager of the short-season Single-A Williamsport squad.

elliott erwitt at the weinstein gallery

The Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis is holding a show of photographs by master photographer Elliott Erwitt through January 9th. The photo shown is of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in New York in 1971.

ice

What a pity that it's a search to find the NHL on TV---except, of course, when the local team is playing. Saturday night it was the Flyers in D.C. to play the Capitals again. The Caps scored one in the first period, then the Flyers scored two late in the second. About 10 minutes into the third, the Flyers added another. Easy win, eh? Not quite.

Within 30 seconds, the Caps tied it up. Then the Flyers scored again for a 4-3 lead, but with under a minute to go, the Caps evened the score at 4-4. Overtime was scoreless. The Flyers finally won in the shoot-out (there must be a better way). Brian Boucher, in goal for Bobrovosky, stopped all three Capital shots. Danny Briere scored the lone shot, helping the Flyers to the 5-4 win. The game was intense and driven, pretty much what you would expect from the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

olga bajusova

Olga Bajusova, born in Slovakia and now living in the United States, has a show of paintings and graphic designs at the Koloman Sokol Center in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia. Called do you love me?, the show runs through November 27th. Olga and her husband, Jozef Bajus, also have works in Winter, a group show at Indigo Art in Buffalo, New York, which opens on November 26th and runs until January 7th.

what a flurry

The GM meetings in Orlando ended and so did the week with a flurry of activity. Mickey Morandini is returning to the Phillie organization next year as manager of the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters. A handful of players, including lefty reliever Dan Meyer and utility player Jeff Larish, were signed to minor league contracts. Twelve players, including Tagg Bozied, were asked to attend spring training as non-roster invitees. Five players were added to the 40-man roster today to protect them from the Rule 5 draft: righty reliever Justin De Fratus, shortstop Freddy Galvis, second baseman Harold Garcia, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, and infielder Matt Rizzotti. Cesar Hernandez, born May 23, 1990, evokes a new decade.

marlins trade uggla to braves

In the first interesting trade of the offseason, the Marlins yesterday sent second baseman Dan Uggla to Atlanta in return for All-Star utility man Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn. When Uggla, a free agent in 2012, made it clear he would not resign with the Fish for the $48 million four-year deal offered, the Fish dealt him. Uggla reportedly wants five years at $71 million. The addition of Uggla, who consistently hits 30 homers, gives the Braves the righthanded power they were lacking. With Uggla, McCann, Jones, Prado, Heywood, and the rookie Freddy Freeman, the Braves should be a much better offensive team than in recent years.

What now do the Marlins do? And speaking of righthanded power, what are the Phillies doing?

roy halladay sweeps nl cy young vote

Roy Halladay was the unanimous choice for the 2010 Cy Young award in the National League, getting all 32 first-place votes. He becomes the fifth pitcher in Cy Young history to win the award in both leagues. In his first year in the NL, Halladay went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA. He led the majors in innings pitched, complete games, and shut-outs. Congratulations, Doc! You deserved it.

As for the hand turkey, I've been making them since I saw them last week at Zoo with Roy.

ian ingram's clockworks

Rock Bruisic by Ian Ingram. (Photo by Jill Larson.)

I saw Rock Bruisic this spring in the Pittsburgh show Rock, Paper, Scissors. which was curated by Jill Larson, who runs the Fe Arts Gallery. I was writing a review of the show for a magazine and liked Ingram's work but it fell outside the purview of my writing. While going through images the other day, I stopped at Rock Bruisic and finally checked out Ingram's Website (www.ingramclockworks.com). Rock Bruisic is described thus: Machine that composes a bruise on the skin of a Granny Smith using two rocks.

Ingram is one of two tinkers (gotta love it) listed on the site. The other is an assistant with an anagrammatic name. That she operates the Maren Rock, Maine, branch makes her existence even more dubious to me. Click on the cv link in Ingram's bionote for a great read about robotics, mindful intent, and more. Then go through the list of creations. I love this guy's work and sensibility. And, Ani, forgive me if you are an actual person.

ryne sandberg to lehigh valley

The Phillies have hired Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to manage the Leghigh Valley IronPigs, their Triple-A affiliate. The 2011 team may not provide much excitement but Sandberg should certainly get the attention of IronPigs' fans.

The Phillies are also reportedly close to finalizing a two-year deal, worth $5 million, with 39-year-old reliever Jose Contreras. Is the Big Truck's age or the length of the contract more significant?

just chillin'

Thank heavens for Sergei Bobrovsky and the Flyers for providing some diversion early in this the season of no baseball. Bobrovsky, the 22-year-old rookie goalie with the cat-like reflexes, has so far sparkled. He's an amazing story, plucked from a bad team somewhere in Russia and plopped down into a high-pressure situation in the NHL. The rest of the team, too, has pretty much sparkled. Amazing, too, considering that they are coming off a Stanley Cup defeat. Of course, the Flyers always seem to nosedive in mid-season, setting off a flurry of trades and an inevitable goalie controversy of some kind. For the time being, they are keeping cool and, like Bobrovsky, "just chillin'".

Not to shortchange the Sixers, but they have a long way to go. Some good things early in the season: the developing play of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, the intensity of Andres Nocioni, the rejuvenated Elton Brand, the defense. Yes, under Doug Collins, the Sixers are playing defense. Still baby steps but good to see. Cheers, too, for Doug Collins, who is nothing if not dedicated to his team. He's like a tough old mother hen.

bonine and kratz signed

The Phillies yesterday announced the minor-league signings of RHP Eddie Bonine, late of the Tigers, and back-up catcher Erik Kratz, remembered here for being called up to the Pirates during this summer's Triple-A All-Star game. Kratz, who is from Telford, PA, is one of the few Mennonites in baseball. I used to see a Mennonite family at many of my regularly-scheduled games at CBP this past summer.

In other news, Jayson Stark of ESPN reported that someone in the Phillies organization said there was "zero chance" that Jayson Werth would be resigned. Ruben Amaro, Jr., asked about it, denied the whole thing, saying that the Phillies were making every effort to resign Werth but that they wanted a speedy resolution, a wish that agent Scott Boras is unlikely to indulge. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports then opined that it was all eyewash on the part of the Phillies to make them look good with the fans, on the lines of "See, we tried to sign him but he didn't take the contract." So far, what a boring off-season.

suu kyi is free

Aung San Suu Kyi was freed today after 15 years of detention in her native Burma. Long may she enjoy her freedom.

juan samuel added to coaching staff

Former Phillie Juan Samuel has been named to the Phillies' coaching staff, taking the place of Sam Perlozzo at third base. Perlozzo, in a bit of coaching merry-go-round that I do not pretend to understand, will be the new first base coach. Go figure. Just so it works.

Catcher Dane Sardinha has resigned a minor league deal with the Phillies. Utility infielder Pete Orr, who last year played for the Syracuse Chiefs, has also signed a minor league deal.

old #53

Fishing through a bag of papers yesterday, I came up with this forgotten photo from Citizens Bank Park, of old fave Bobby Abreu. His batting stance gave him away immediately. A glance at the scoreboard only confirmed that, yes, it was Bobby. It all seems so long ago, though CBP opened only in 2004. Rollins, Utley, and the boys have been creating some kind of history there. Keep it up!

victorino three times golden

Shane Victorino won his third consecutive Gold Glove, with 11 outfield assists and only two errors on the season. Jimmy Rollins did not make the cut, undoubtedly because of injury. Chase Utley was again slighted. Yes, Chase Utley!

In other news, Mickey Morandini is auditioning for a minor league managerial position with the Phillies and Juan Samuel is being considered to replace Davey Lopes.

Otherwise, the only baseball opportunity is to watch the grass grow down at First Energy Park in Lakewood. The old sod is being replaced and the public is invited to watch the new sod being rolled out and laid down. An email today from the team included lots of actually interesting photos of the process. That I even thought for a moment about driving to the park is an indication of how desperate I already am.

pat gillick and ryne sandberg

In unrelated news, Pat Gillick is on this year's ballot for the Hall of Fame. Let's get it done! In 27 years as a general manager, Gillick had 20 winning seasons, went to nine postseasons, and won three World Championships. He's a genius at GM.

Ryne Sandberg is reportedly interviewing for manager of the IronPigs. While it would energize fans, I can only wonder what it would do for Sandberg. No offense, 'Pigs, but 2011 does not promise to be that much better on the field.

morgan and miller gone

ESPN is at long last changing its Sunday Night Baseball cast. Joe Morgan is out and Jon Miller has been offered a radio gig. Word is that Orel Hershiser and Dan Schulman will take their place. Please let it stop there. Three in the booth and one on the field are two too many. Hershiser has been pretty good the times that I've seen him and Schulman is better on TV than on radio. Truth is that with MLB network, I almost never see ESPN anymore. May MLBN stay off the ESPN road.

is jamie moyer finished?

It was reported Saturday that Jamie Moyer had suffered a left elbow injury while pitching in the Dominican Winter League and had had to leave the game. Initial word was that the injury was career-ending. It's hard to believe that Moyer, even if he turns 48 in a week or so, is done. He was with the Phillies for almost five seasons, compiling a 56-40 record and winning a World Series. This year, in a season cut short by injury, he went 9-9, including two complete games. One was a stunning two-hit shut-out of the Braves on May 7, a day after the passing of pitching great Robin Roberts.

Except for a vinegary blip last year when he was sent to the bullpen, Moyer was all that one could hope for in a professional athlete. Best of all, in so many ways he got better and better with age. Lots of people say that he will become an MLB pitching coach once his playing days are done. He would no doubt excel in the role but I could see him more readily becoming a high school coach or some such down in Florida, where he and his family make their home.

Fine as wine. That's pretty much Jamie Moyer, one of the coolest stories of the 2008 team. Hometown boy comes home, wins the World Series. What could be better than that, especially at age 46.

zenyatta loses her last race

Zenyatta lost the Breeders' Cup yesterday, coming in second to Blame. Once again the winner of a highly-touted race was put in the unenviable position of forced graciousness. Just about everyone wanted the big mare to win and finish a perfect 20-0 career. But she got a bit boxed in during the race and, despite making her signature run, just didn't have the time to make up for it. Or maybe, as some analysts saw it, she thought she had finished before she actually did. Or maybe, used to running on a synthetic surface, she was momentarily thrown off by the dirt thrown up early on by the track. Jockey Mike Smith, who has a remarkable face, was visibly devastated by the loss. No doubt all in the Zenyatta camp were. Still, it was a thrilling, memorable race under the lights at Churchill Downs last night. By its end, I was feeling drained from two days of compelling, beautiful horse racing that featured drama and heartbreak of all kinds.

Someone said the Breeders' Cup is racing's equivalent of the Stanley Cup. I can see that. Goldikova, another great filly that, like Zenyatta, makes a specialty of coming from behind, did it again to win her race in stunning fashion. I missed the race with Uncle Mo, said to be some kind of special horse. And I learned only later about the horses that broke legs and had to be euthanized.

This morning's NY Times online edition had a spectacular photo of Zenyatta and Blame as they headed for the finish line under the lights.

2010 fielding bible award to chase utley

Yes, Chase Utley won the 2010 Fielding Bible Award for second base. To see the complete list, go to wwww.actasports.com/ and click on John Dewan's Stat of the Week.

RIP, Sparky Anderson, an old-time baseball guy the likes of which are fading from the game.

hot hope

Hot hope for a cold, raw day. This is one of 100 or so 'nipples', part of a piece called Nip It in the Bud, which was created by emerging artist Anna Divinsky for a delightful show she had this spring in Pittsburgh. Each nipple was 3" x 3" and made of mounted hand-painted silk. It's a miserable day here, made a bit worse by the electric wire from the utility pole to the house falling down. Nothing can be done to fix it until the rain stops. Anna's work was super when I saw it. On a day like today it's as good as Tokaj, not that there is any Tokaj at hand.

Home Town Parade

eager crowds line Montgomery Street


Bochy rides by with the World Series trophy



Posey enjoys the view from the cable car bus

Uribe reacting to the Oooo-ree-bay! chants from the crowd

too bad ticker tapes don't exist any more. A sprinkling of torn memos gave the feeling of Christmas

Timmy Lincecum was the most exuberant, waving and smiling and making the car stop every few paces

After the last car passed by, all that was left was confetti.

It was a good decision to take in the Giants' victory parade from Montgomery Street. Civic Center Plaza was absolutely packed and I figured there was no way I could get any vantage point. The crowds were thick on Montgomery too, but I still managed to find a crack amongst the bobbing heads to take some pictures. The parade replicated the 1958 route the Giants took when they first moved to San Francisco, going from Washington and Montgomery down to Market Street, then on Market to Civic Center. Montgomery is the heart of the financial district, but times have changed. Most of the big banks have moved away, gone broke or acquired, and brokerage firms no longer use ticker tapes. Ecology measures mean no paper-tossing. Still, someone managed to sprinkle some pixie dust on the parade, which made me very happy. The players looked a bit stunned, probably from lack of sleep. Only Timmy had the energy to wave and smile and interact with the crowd.

I ran home and watched the speeches on TV. The government dignitaries and baseball brass did their tedious thing. The Governator suggested that Brian Wilson replace Gavin Newsom as SF Mayor (Newsom was just elected Lieutenant Governor and his job is vacant). I enjoyed the Spanish radio announcers and their impromptu call up for Andres Torres, Uribe and Renteria. Boy Torres has a very sexy voice - especially in Spanish. Had to laugh at the ending - Huff pulling his rally thong out from his crotch in front of the huge crowd.

Withdrawal pains have started. I guess I can console myself by replaying Ashkon's version of "Don't Stop Believing" YouTube video until spring training.

And hooray for California! It stays a blue State!!!! Congrats Jerry Brown, Barbara Boxer and Gavin Newsom! And it looks like Kamala Harris will pull it off too.

rising stars

Justin De Fratus and Josh Zeid, minor league relievers in the Phillie system, were selected to appear in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars game, which will air Saturday night on the MLB network. I've seen both at Lakewood, Zeid in the championship game in September. Way to go, guys! Both have performed well for the Mesa Solar Sox this fall in Arizona. De Fratus has a 0.00 ERA in five relief appearances.

Congratulatios to the San Francisco Giants, who got it done.

Angels' bench coach Ron Roenicke is the new manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. This is interesting because only last week the mainstream media were reporting Bobby Valentine as a lock for the job. Journalism gets weirder and weirder. See: elections 2010.

Dream Come True

Lincecum had his game on and so did Renteria. Lee had cojones pitching to Edgar and thank you for that. A great pitching duel much of the game, something I had looked forward to in Game One. What I will remember: the fluidity of Timmy's delivery, the clenched jaw intensity of Freddy Sanchez' at-bats, the relaxed swing of Renteria's bat, Cody Ross' sunny smile that epitomized what this game is all about. The momentum was all-Giants in this clinching game.

Congratulations Giants!!!! 52 years of waiting comes to an end.

oh no, davey, don't go!

Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com reports that Davey Lopes, first base coach extaordinaire, is leaving Philadelphia. Lopes was offered a contract extension but he and the Phillies were unable to agree on a salary for next year. Why does it always come down to the money? Bummer, bummer, bummer.

Lopes was integral to the Phillies' success on the base paths and it is devastating to see him go. He joined the team in 2007. With him, the Phillies led the National League in stolen-base percentage for the past four years.

Lopes has been an absolute rock for the team. Just as the fans came to love him, he came to love Philadelphia. He said today that he enjoyed winning the World Series with the Phillies in 2008 more than he did when he won it as a player with the Dodgers. Lopes, who lives in San Diego, will likely look for a gig with a West Coast team.

where's the game?

All I know about last night's World Series game is that the Giants won 4-0. I watched a couple of innings on TV, then searched on radio. Nada. Football had taken over every single ESPN station from Chicago to New York and Philadelphia. The series was pretty much over as soon as Cliff Lee lost game 1. He pitches tonight but football is likely to rule the airwaves tonight, too. Boo.

rangers step up

A week later at the farm but the sign was still the same.

The Rangers tell the world they are here with a 4-2 win over the Giants last night. Colby Lewis the come-back-from-Japan guy was the winner and Jonathan Sanchez the loser.

Many of the signs in the stands in San Francisco were on the lines of 'player's name for governor'. More ho-hum in Arlngton, with the likes of 'Thank the Lord for Josh Hamilton'.

Let's hear it for Nolan Ryan, who has called for the designated hitter to go. Yes!

giants lead 2-0

Well, that was more like it, a taut game into the 7th, when Ranger starter C.J. Wilson left with a blister and all hell broke loose. But the turning point was in the 5th. In the top of the inning, Ian Kinsler smacked what could have been a home run but instead bounced off the top of the fence and back into play. Kinsler settled for a lead-off double and ended up stranded at second. In the bottom of the frame, Edgar Rentaria hit one over the fence to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Matt Cain has been to me the most impressive Giant starter of the post-season. He finally looks as if he has caught up to the hype. I don't know what the word was about the Ranger bullpen but they may want to look into the theory of throwing first-pitch strikes. Or were they fried from the night before? In the end it was the Giants 9 and the Rangers 0. I was outta there in the 7th.

The "Josh Hamilton drinks for free" signs appearing outside San Francisco bars are totally classless.

Blistered

Another warm night of baseball and the rains held off. Great boiling clouds overhead.

Unlike the first, this was a great pitching matchup until the late innings. Cain was dead calm and effective, CJ Wilson, unrattled by Giants' bats. Giants scored once in the 5th with a Renteria homer, and the game could have gone either way. Then the blister appeared on Wilson's finger in the 7th. He couldn't superglue it on the mound, so he was gone.

The Rangers' relievers came in, and the whole game unglued. Oliver got them out of the inning with only one Giant scored, but the 8th was a debacle. Holland loaded up the bases with walks and two Giants eventually walked home. Lowe wasn't any help. In the end, it was a 7-run Giants inning. We'll take it, but what a sloppy ending to a delightful pitching duel.

This game points out Washington's unfamiliarity with National League play - the late innings have been a disaster. If the Rangers don't turn things around quickly in their own park, this Series is over. The Giants have all the momentum after these two games.

Former Giant Jose Guillen's probe for HGH distribution again draws attention to the pressure players feel to excel at the superhero level in the Pros.

dobbs gone, moyer, too

Today the Phillies removed Greg Dobbs, for one year pinch-hitter extraordinaire, from the 40-man roster and Dobbs opted to file for free agency. Jamie Moyer, now pitching in winter ball in the Domincan Republic, will also file for free agency. Back-up Paul Hoover was outrighted to Lehigh Valley and he too has opted for free agency.

halladay wins players' award for outstanding pitcher

Roy Halladay has won the Players' Choice Award for NL Outstanding Pitcher of the Year. Congratulations, Doc! It couldn't go to a better guy. The award, which is voted for by the players themselves, gives Halladay $20.000 to donate to the charity of his choice. It will go, he says, to an organization in Philadelphia yet to be determined.

Cliff Lee IS Mortal

The biggest revelation of this first World Series game is that no matter how much confidence a team may place on their starting pitcher, the Ace cannot win the game alone. In the first inning the Rangers were all over Lincecum and he looked unnerved and frazzled. Lee, on the other hand, mowed the Giants down. It appeared this was going to be a game between "the kid" and the "super hero." Lee's confidence continued in the second inning, with an amazing 2-base run and eventually scoring. Lincecum made an odd fielding error. The Giants' bats were silenced. The fan next to me, a retired military man visiting from Salinas, exhorted the Giants to hit. He had bought our expensive Stubhub ticket and wanted to see his money's worth.

He got his wish: the third inning was a turning point. Renteria reached on an error, Torres was hit by the pitcher, and Sanchez and Posey started hitting against Lee. These small glitches, and Giants' success in taking advantage of them, turned the entire game's dynamics. Lincecum regained his composure in the following inning and Lee began to lose his. But this was not destined to be a game of dueling Aces. Lee was gone by the 5th inning, Lincecum by the 7th. The game was won by the Giants' bats. Final score: 11-7.

Riding BART home after the game, a beat writer from Seattle told me how he was caught unawares by the end-of-season surge by the Giants. An uncanny bunch of beards, but it is what it is.

More excitement to follow: the Rangers lost to the Yankees with lopsided scores in the Division Series and have come right back. Torture is forecast.

polanco to have surgery friday

Gnarly gourds hanging out at the farm stand I favor.

Placido Polanco is scheduled for surgery on Friday to remove bone chips in his left elbow. He will also have his extensor tendon repaired. Polanco played through pain for much of the season and spent a stint on the DL the first half of July. If the suregery is successful, he should be ready for spring training.

slop by the bay

Eighteen runs, 25 hits, and six errors. No doubt Giants' fans will take the 11-7 win, but it was the kind of baseball I bail on. And I did. Cliff Lee gave up seven of the Giant runs and went 4.2 innings; Tim Lincecum gave up four runs and went 5.2. Neither starter impressed. We've seen Lee like this before, just not in the post-season. When Lee is bad, he's very bad. And very quickly bad. Last night it happened in the 5th. As for the play in the field, a lot of slop on both sides. Torture? That's watching Vlad Guerrero play right field. But I guess Ron Washington doesn't have a choice. Maybe we'll have some good baseball tonight.

what are words worth

All that is thought should not be said,
all that is said should not be written,
all that is written should not be published,
and all that is published should not be read.

Famous words from the Kotzker Rebbe (1787--1859), written before the advent of the Internet, blogs, and social networking.

making lace

Years ago Slovak contemporary artist Silvia Fedorova gave me this B&W print out of a bobbin lace-making demonstration. Silvia, who runs the wonderful Gallery X in Bratislava, uses traditional bobbin lace techniques to make jewelry, hats, accessories, and objets of wire, plastic, and nylon. I am working on a piece about Silvia and Iveta Mihalikova, another Slovak contemporary artist, who uses a different lace technique, that of needle lace, for making art.

phils decline romero's option

The Phillies declined today to pick up the $4.5 million option on J.C. Romero, who has become a free agent. Romero may return on a lesser deal but his departure is more likely. The lefty reliever, he of the beautiful hair, was key to the Phillies success in both 2007 and 2008, but since serving a suspension, warranted or not, for PED use, he was not the same. He also battled injuries and finally had surgery this off-season. Perhaps he will regain his form elsewhere.

Thus, the first shoe drops. Will Antonio Bastardo step up and take the job? He's got the talent. Does he have the moxie?

weird confluence

The Williamsport Crosscutters, the NY-Penn League affiliate of the Phillies, is holding its third annual World Series part tomorrow night at a hotel in Williamsport. According to the email sent me: "A special invitation is extended to gas industry employees cheering on the Texas Rangers in their first-ever World Series appearance." Go, Rangers, I guess. And support the flagging Pennsylvania economy.

The party, by the bye, is free and open to the public.

late harvest

Maybe I will drive out to the farms today. It's again warm here but pretty soon vegetables such as these will be gone.

amaro, halladay, and werth speak

Out and about running errands, I caught Ruben Amaro's post-season presser on the radio. Asked if the Phillies wanted to sign Jayson Werth and did they have the money to do so, Amaro immediately answered, "Yes." Will it happen? That depends, he said, on Jayson, his rep Scott Boras, and the details of amount and length. Ah yes, those details. Still it was a somewhat optimistic note. Amaro characterized the season as a successful one with a disappointing ending. Lots more was said, much of it about the state of the club now and going forward. I like Amaro and think he has done a good job, but the challenges never stop.

Let's hope he is not considering any of the names floated in a Jim Salisbury piece on csnphilly.com about possible 'replacements' for Werth, such as Burrell, Rowand, Matt Diaz, Jeff Francouer, and Marcus Thames. Was Salisbury joking?

I later caught some of the Roy Halladay presser on TV and was again impressed by the ace, who was looking cool in gunmetal blue. What a total team player. He and Utley epitomize doing whatever it takes to win for the team. Someone asked which of his several accomplishments this year, including the perfect game, the no-hitter, opening day, and a potential Cy Young award, meant the most to him. Halladay responded with one not named: the NL East clinching game, because it was winning for his team and then being able to celebrate that with his teammates.

The Werth presser which followed was quite different as the reporters wanted only to ask him over and over about his pending free agency and Werth was not really interested in talking about it in detail. Werth, wearing a black leather baseball cap backwards, is for sure an interesting guy with a quirky way of thinking and expressing himself. He knows what he wants, and does not want, to say. He too talked about what a remarkable team the Phillies have and how rare it is to be part of something like it, where the core of players have been together for years. Although Philadelphia is where Werth grew into his baseball identity, I got the sad sense that he has come to terms with moving on. Boohoo, boohoo.

high hopes dashed

Eight for 45 with runners in scoring position was all you had to know about this series. So it was probably fitting that the game ended with two men on and Ryan Howard, who actually went .303/.395/.424 yet did not have an RBI in the series, caught looking. With that the Giants won the game 3-2 and the series 4-2. It was an unlucky third that changed the game, with plays just missed or made ill-advisedly. That inning, so unlike the Phillies, was yet so frustratingly typical of the way they played this post-season. As has been famously said by many, post-season is a crap shoot.

The offensive inconsistency reared its head, as it had all year, in the NLDS. Still, it was an amazing year in many ways. At mid-season I was sure they had been derailed by all of the injuries (Rollins, Utley, Howard, Polanco, Ruiz, Victorino, Lidge, Romero, Moyer, Happ, Blanton, for starts), but they blazed their way past the competition to finish with the best record in baseball. But Red October is now over and done. Thanks a lot, Phillies, for a most memorable year! Here's to 2011.

The San Francisco Giants, meanwhile, move on from a gut-wrenching series to face Cliff Lee and a Texas Rangers team that rolled over the Yankees. Should be interesting. One of the teams will win its first ever World Series.

On to the Rangers

All great games are full of torture and suspense. What an epic game last night. Every player on both teams played their hearts out. As a fan I could not wish for anything more.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

oh yeah, congrats to the rangers

That's right, the Texas Rangers defeated the Yankees last night to win their first ever AL pennant and to advance to their first-ever World Series. A lot of feel-good stories in this accomplishment and Cliff Lee rides again. But what a pale crowd at that park in Arlington.

A snapshot of NY baseball, as seen last night around 8 p;m. on 42nd Street: A Yankees clubhouse store lit up, stocked to the gills, and open for business. A couple of blocks later, a Mets store, dark and closed, with a homeless man camped outside.

halladay guts out a win in game 5

Roy Halladay pulled his right groin in the 2nd inning of game 5, then gutted out another four innings of gritty ball. It all looked shaky from the start as Halladay did the unthinkable by allowing a lead-off walk to Andres Torres, who eventually scored thanks in part to a Chase Utley miscue. Things could have been worse but Ryan Howard made a fierce diving catch of a ball smashed by Aubrey Huff, which changed the inning.

In the 3rd, it was the Giants' turn to fumble, as Huff clanked a ball hit right at him. There was also the foul bunt at the plate that wasn't foul, some gutsy base-running by Raul Ibanez, and some timely hitting, which gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead. in the 9th, Jasyon Werth tacked on an insurance homer to right--oh, how we will miss him--to make it 4-2. The bullpen was stellar, especially Madson, who struck out the heart of the order in the 8th, and Lidge, who breezed in the 9th.

Jimmy Rollins had a message for CBP fans for game 6: Let them have it. Let them have it. All of them.

beating themselves

All I needed to send me to sleep last night was Joe Blanton walking the first batter in the bottom of the 5th, right after the Phillies had rallied for a 4-2 lead. A lot more happened (Roy Oswalt getting the loss, for one) but all in all it was an ugly game and the Phillies, as they have done all along at AT&T Park, did nothing to help themselves. Instead, they are letting the Giants outplay them--and play them right out of the series.

So it's down to Roy Halladay tonight, another top pitcher with an inexplicably bad record against a mediocre offensive team. The stars are against a win! Poor guy. The Cliff Lee debate is no doubt raging already in Philadelphia, fueled in part by a weird ESPN report that Lee has Philadelphia at the top of his wish list. Puh-leeze. Why would anyone believe that?

Game 4 NLDS

The Play Ball kid was a girl in full beard.






An anxious game full of seesawing innings. After a sloppy 5th inning that drove Bumgarter from the game and gave Phillies the lead, Sandoval had a huge hit the next inning to bring back the Giants' lead. Then in the 8th, a huge hit by Werth tied thongs up again. Now pitching: the undependable Romo.



Sand in the end Uribe sacrificed Huff to win. Wow! The most exciting game so far!!

just another bad game by the bay

Baseball is often like the stars in the sky last night: cold, remote, and indifferent. Or like life.

I did see the stars some last night but was on the phone with an editor for much of yesterday's game, though I did hear the first three innings on radio. They let me know all I had to know. Cole Hamels deserved a better fate but the offense was dormant. The Phillies have long had Matt Cain's number but not yesterday.

It was in the end exactly the kind of San Francisco game that made me grit my teeth in that ballpark again and again. How many times have I sat there and watched the Phillies play as if they are under water? It's odd. All of the West Coast parks are so-called pitcher's parks but the Phillies have no trouble in San Diego or Los Angeles. San Francisco, though, is a bog for them. It's why I have had a fatalistic feeling about this series from the start.

The chances of Joe Blanton having a good game tonight are somewhat remote. I'm not dissing Joe. I think he should start. But he hasn't started a game since September 29. He says himself that he does better the more he throws. Oi vey. In the end it doesn't matter, though, if the Phillies do not hit. They are once again in one of the frustrating slumps that have typified this year. However did they manage to overcome the injuries and slumps to have the best record in the game?

Game 3 NLCS

Starts with the unfurling of the giant flag, flyover, fireboat fountains spouting and fireworks. Among the luminaries throwing out the ceremonial ball: Barry Bonds. He ran out onto the field in a cheerful outburst of enthusiasm never seem as a player. The fans gave him a wildly enthusiastic welcome.

Cain came up big with great pitching against a team he has lost to many times. And Ross continues to be the catalyst for the Giants. Renteria and Rowand also contributed, in place of Torres and Fontenot.

Crowds are rowdy and joyous. Unlike the regular season we are surrounded by avid fans who must have bought their stubhub tix at a premium.