louise bourgeois dead at 98

I had to turn the Phillies off in the second inning, after they hit into the second of two inning-ending double plays. Much later when I checked the score online, I read that Louise Bourgeois had died, at age 98, two days after suffering a heart attack in her Manhattan home. Another luminary gone.

Not much to say about the Phillies game. After the offense put on a small spurt to get back into it, the bullpen blew up and the Braves won going away. Their 9-3 victory puts them in first place in the East, while the Phillies sink like stones.

In the past eight games, Utley, Howard, and Werth are hitting a combined .133. Is that even possible? Joe Blanton, meanwhile, has not been much good since coming off the DL. A combination of nagging, serial injuries and down years may make this a lost seasons. Hard to believe, Harry.

today's line-up

The grounds crew busy chalking the lines before a game in Reading.

Today's line-up down in Atlanta: Gload, Dobbs, Utley, Howard, Victorino, Ibanez, Ruiz, Valdez, and Blanton. That will make your head spin.

In a move that smacks of ground hog day, Brad Lidge was activated from the DL earlier today. To make room for him on the roster, Nelson Figueroa was designated for assignment. His time with the Phillies is likely over.

back to ugly reality

Well, that didn't last long. Yesterday's gem perhaps pointed up that with this offense the pitchers have got to be perfect. Five shutouts in the past eight games; 19 runs scored in the past 12 games; a .153 average with runners in scoring position. This offense stinks. Rollins on the DL, Polanco hurting, Utley slumping, Howard hitting singles, Werth looking worthless (four ugly, ugly strikeouts today), Ibanez flailing, Victorino hacking, Ruiz out of sorts, and nobody walking. As for home runs? A distant memory, much like the running game and comeback wins. What is going on with this team? They are better than this but if this is the knuckleball effect, what is going to happen in June, when the Phillies always swoon?

Jamie Moyer was the hard-luck loser today. Anibal Sanchez got the 1-0 win. The Phillies were punchless. Again.

27 up + 27 down = perfect halladay

May weekend
Halladay pitching---
Perfection

The 20th perfect game in major league history--and the second this month!--took place last night in Florida. Roy Halladay was simply awesome. Around the fifth, I noticed he had a perfect game going. Around the seventh it started to seem real. Josh Johnson, the Marlins' superb young righty, hung in for much of the game. Wilson Valdez scored the only run of the game on a three-base error by center fielder Cameron Maybin. That happened in the third, which meant the game was a nail-biter right down to the final out, a grounder to third baseman Juan Castro. As soon as the out was made, Halladay thumped his glove, then waited for catcher Carlos Ruiz to run into his outspread arms. Doc's broad smile said it all.

Halladay threw 115 pitches, including 11 strikeouts. Because of the long holiday weekend there were lots of Phillies' fans in the stands. By the 9th, the atmosphere was electric. After the game, Marlins' owner Jeff Loria had the pitching rubber dug up and, in a generous gesture, presented it to Halladay.

One of the beat writers for the Phillies tweeted that when the modest, reticent Halladay went into the lockerroom, his teammates demanded that he say something. Halladay just pointed at Chooch and smiled--and everyone erupted in cheers.

How amazing is it that two perfect games are tossed in the month of May, one by the Athletics and one by the Phillies? Both teams now have two perfect games in their history. Only five major league teams can make that claim. Go, Phillies! Go, A's!

polanco headed for mri

Another view through the netting behind home plate at First Energy Stadium in Reading, this time of the visiting dugout.

Placido Polanco will again sit out tonight's game because of a lingering elbow problem. He was hit by a pitch about a month ago and the injury just does not go away. Reports have it that an MRI is scheduled for tomorrow. So the infield is now down to Castro at third and Valdez at short.

Pat Burrell, released by the Rays, has signed a minor league deal with the offensively-challenged Giants. He will report to their Triple-A Fresno team.

Dontrelle Willis has been designated for assignment by the Tigers. And Jose Lima has been laid to rest.

little things mean a lot

A query for Davey Lopes, #15, first base coach, and base-stealing guru to the Phillies.

Just when I thought the running game, so much a part of the Phillies' success in past years, had totally disappeared, it came through in last night's 3-2 win over the Marlins. Kyle Kendrick was just good enough, if irritatingly slow to put guys away, for six innings. I was listening on the radio and could imagine how the defenders were shuffling their feet, while Kendrick waffled. But he ended up giving up just two unearned runs, which scored in the third on his own throwing error to first.

The Phillies finally got on the board this week, in the fourth, when Howard singled and Ibanez tripled him home. With no outs, though, Ibanez was then stranded on third.

In the fifth, Utley walked and stole second, for only his second stolen base of the year. Howard then singled him in to tie the game at two. More steals led to the go-ahead run in the seventh, with Victorino and Valdez on base. Vic stole third and Valdez alertly followed. Utley then grounded out to bring in Victorino. Utley had a productive 0-3 night, with a run scored, an RBI, and a steal; he also made a fine defensive play. The bullpen made the 3-2 score hold up, not without some dramatics in the ninth.

It all took only a week. Whew!

zero = zero

The Phillies will score again this season and surely they will win at least another game but since last Saturday (and I was at that game!) it's been all goose eggs except for a feeble ninth-inning rally on Sunday against an inept reliever. This week the Phillies were shut out three times by the Mets: 8-0, 5-0, and 3-0. It's the first time since May 1983 that they have been shut in three consecutive games and the first time since August 1974 that they have been shut out in four of five games. What's to say?

My humble suggestion is that the next time the team faces a knuckleballer they should field as many subs as possible. Most of them aren't hitting much anyway.

dragon tattoo

Just-picked strawberries at my favorite roadside farm in Berks County. Strawberries are early this year but sweetly delicious.

Last night I went to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and it lived up, somewhat amazingly, to all of the hype. Noomi Rapace plays the edgy Lisbeth Salander and pretty much walks away with the movie. Michael Nyqvist as the middle-aged investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist is good but Rapace is super. I knew the movie was two and a half hours long but my only thought during it was if there would be enough time for it all to play out. Lots of character development in the book has been inevitably cut, but readers of the books can fill in the blanks. I can hardly wait for part 2 of the cinematic version to arrive in the US. And for the third book in the trilogy, which was, I think, due out yesterday.

What a downer it was to hear when I got home that the Phillies had again been shut out. That's three times in four games that they have not scored against a starting pitcher. In the past eight games they are batting .199. And playing like the living dead. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, you are missed.

too much knuckle again

Early fans to Monday night's game in Reading got this free photo of Ryan Howard, a member of the Reading Phillies All-Decade team. Change the uni and it looks like Howard 2010.

The Phillies were again shut out by a knuckle baller, this time journeyman R.A. Dickey. I had to draw a veil quickly over this game. And there it shall stay until the team comes out of this current hitting funk and starts to play crisp baseball again. Ugh.

The IronPigs last night finally won a one-run game. They've been on the losing end of those more times than would seem possible. Of most interest: Scott Mathieson, who needed just eight pitches,a mix of sliders and fastballs, to close out the game. For the year he's got a 0.76 ERA and eight saves. So how about it, Philadelphia?

stanley cup finals, yo

Prospect Domonic Brown in the on-deck circle last night at First Energy Stadium in Reading. Brown later hit a two-run laser beam over the right center wall.

I had fab seats right behind home plate for last night's Double-A game in Reading, except for the boring, banal conversation that went on almost non-stop right behind me. I must give credit, though. At one point in the sixth, the young woman suddenly said, "This pitcher's pretty good." She was right, though I was stunned she or the guy with her had even noticed. Yohan Flande started for the R-Phils and went seven, allowing one run on six hits. I don't know how he does it, throwing basically in the mid-80's, but he does. I can hardly wait to see Domonic Brown at Lehigh Valley.

I left when Flande left, after the seventh. The Flyers were then up 3-1. By the time I got to the car, the score was 3-2. Before I reached home, though, they had finished off the Canadiens 4-2. Off to the Stanley Cup finals!

phillies knuckled under

When Gregg Dobbs let a tailor-made double play ball slip through his legs and into the outfield in the fourth yesterday, I reached first for a glass of ginger wine, then for the media guide to check on Dobbs' contract. Sorry, Dobber, but really! That error allowed two runs to score and gave the Red Sox a 3-0 edge. Until the ninth, when the Phillies finally scored a run, they didn't need much else. Tim Wakefield, filling in for the injured Josh Beckett, kept the Phillies off balance all day with his fluttering knuckleball. Kevin Youkilis, meanwhilie, led the Red Sox charge against Roy Halladay, who lasted just six. The Red Sox won easily 8-3.

The series was the typical start to interleague play. Cole Hamels was outstanding in game one, then the Sox took things in hand the next two games. The annual interleague swoon already seems to be upon us.

no hits, no fun, no jimmy

Lesson from tonight's game: No-hitters should happen only in the pitcher's home ballpark. When the visiting pitcher is throwing one, he only annoys us. In the end we'd rather see a hit than history. So when Juan Castro broke up Daisuke Matsuzaka's no-hitter in the bottom of the eighth with a bloop single, we were happy. Not only was the no-hitter gone but also we could leave. I had been up since four a.m. and was ready to boogie on home. Thank you, Juan!

Matsuzaka, who had his slider working and mixed pitches as the game went along, also had--for him--a relatively low pitch count. He reached 100 pitches only in the sixth inning. After Castro's bloop single just out of the reach of the shortstop Scutaro, DK retired pinch-hitter Ross Gload on a flyout and Matsuzaka's night was, surprisingly, done. So was mine.

Worst news of the day? Jimmy Rollins has again been put on the 15-day DL. Total bummer.

Best? Way to go, Flyers, with another shut-out victory over the Habs.

silver cloud, lead lining

The Phillies beat the Red Sox last night behind a terrific Cole Hamels, who gave up just one run on three hits in seven innings. David Herndon pitched an uneventful eighth, then Danys Baez and J.C. Romero combined to give fans the shakes in the ninth before ending things for a 5-1 win. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth both homered. Werth absolutely crushed the ball; it bounced in and out of the second deck porch in left field.

Bad news last: Jimmy Rollins left the game with a strained right calf. That's the same one that had him on the DL. He is, for now, day-to-day. This on the day that back-up shortstop Wilson Valdez cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. We want Jimmy!

just another night at pnc park

Red trumps all as the grounds crew finishes doing their thing Thursday night at PNC Park.

When the Pirates were in Philadelphia earlier this week, they looked like a Triple-A team. They looked the same last night at home aginst the struggling Milwaukee Brewers. The Buccos scored three in the first against Chris Narveson, but that was all she wrote except for a fifth inning of blunders on the base paths. Lastings Milledge got caught in a rundown between second and third for no rhyme or reason other than dumb baserunning. The only good was that Milledge dragged out the rundown long enough for Bobby Crosby to reach second. Then Crosby compounded the stupidity by getting caught in his own rundown. Sheesh. I was at the game with a local curator, who likened the gaffes to ones she often sees at her kids' Little League games.

That inning was the last time the Pirates threatened to take back the lead. In the end, they fell 4-3. It was a lovely night for baseball in one of the prettiest parks in the country. Paid attendance for the night: just over 13,000. That's about 3,000 more than the IronPigs draw on a nightly basis. Talk about Triple-A.

aroldis chapman

Aroldis Chapman warms up before Wednesday night's game at Coca-Cola Park.

I went to the IronPigs game Wednesday night by chance; it was the only night I could make it to the park during this week's homestand with the Louisville Bats. What luck, then, that the Cuban prospect Aroldis Chapman was pitching. No mistake, the long, lanky Chapman was the story. He held the 'Pigs in thrall for six--not that that's so hard to do these days--then left with a blister. He was effectively wild, hitting 98 a couple of times but for the most part hovering around 95. He looked a lot smoother than what I remember from his appearances with the Cuban team. When Chapman left the game, so did I.

132 pitches

On primary day in Pennsylvania, some fans spent their time before last night's game filling out All-Star ballots.

They keep telling us that the ushers are handing out ballots for the All-Star game but I've yet to see one doing it.

On Roy Halladay bobblehead night, Halladay threw 132 pitches in a complete game loss to the Pirates. It was a chilly night at the ballpark after a day of heavy rains. Winds and mist blew for most of the game. The Phillies played like a warm weather team, making three errors, dropping balls, and generally not executing in the 2-1 loss to Zach Duke. Ryan Howard had three of the Phillies' six hits. Something is up with Howard. He is definitely working on his offensive game.

The sell-out crowd was subdued, maybe by the weather or by the men left on base. Did I mention that both were brutal? When I started sniffling, I headed for the gate, as the Phillies were turning a double play to end the 8th.

The Phillies had the Canadien-Flyer scores posted on the out-of-town scoreboard and lots of fans were getting online updates. It was 3-0 Flyers when I left. And there it stayed. Then I heard the news that the Sixers had won the #2 pick in the NBA draft. Of course, you've got to wonder what the floundering Sixer franchise will do with their pick.

phils roll with rollins

Jimmy Rollins made his presence known immediately last night. Batting third in the absence of Chase Utley, Rollins had an RBI ground-out in the first inning to tie the Pirates 1-1. Kyle Kendrick gave up a lead-off home run to Delwyn Young, then went to work keeping his pitches down and getting the Pirates to ground out. Kendrick went eight innings, giving up just two runs. The Phillies meanwhile got a three-run homer from Jayson Werth (ka-ching, ka-ching) and a grand slam from Ryan Howard, who had six RBI for the game. Antonio Bastardo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in the 12-2 victory.

Rollins looked like his old self in the field and on the base paths. Great to have you back, Jimmy. The Pirates look like the perennially-rebuilding team they have been for over a decade. The wonder of it is that the Phillies simply cannot win against them in PNC Park. Why is that jewel of a ballpark so inhospitable to Philadelphia?

rollins back, utley out of the line-up

Jimmy Rollins has indeed been activated for tonight's game, which will be his 2010 home debut. As expected, Wilson Valdez was DFA'd. Chase Utley is out tonight, with flu-like symptoms, and Rollins will be batting third. Anytime Utley is out of the line, I am agitated. A couple of weeks ago, he was forced into an off day and the look of the line-up sans Utley and Rollins was alarming.

phils sweep as flyers rock habs

Cole Hamels was again solid, going 6.2 and giving up just two runs, both solo homers, in a low-key 4-2 win in Milwaukee. J.C. Romero came on for the 9th and retired the side. Again, sub-subs Hoover and Valdez were very much part of the action. So was Shane Victorino, who is loving to hit with men in scoring position this year.

For the floundering Brewers, it was the second time this week that they were swept at home. Ouch.

Pending a physical exam, Jimmy Rollins is slated to return tonight. If he does, Wilson Valdez, who is out of options, will most likely be designated for assignment. It's too bad because his play this weekend put all those double plays he kept hitting into just about out of mind. He got hot at the end of his stint with the Phillies and leaves a good impression.

Oh yes, the Flyers took it to the Habs 6-0 in game one last night in Philadelphia. Earlier, the Blackhawks stole one from the Sharks 2-1 in San Jose.

lidge to dl, bastardo recalled, phils win

I cleared my head this morning by making this Raul Ibanez postcard. He's showing signs, I think, I hope, of getting his stroke back.

The Phillies slugged it out with the Brewers yesterday afternoon for a 10-6 win. Shane Victorino led the way with four RBI, including a two-run homer. Paul Hoover and Wilson Valdez again were surprise contributors, though it was mystifying to listen to FOX analyst Mark Grace go on, in reference to the two, about Charlie Manuel playing the 'young ones'. Uh, hardly, Mark. David Herndon came on for a rocky 9th and gave up one run. He left with one out and two on. Jose Contreras, again pitching in front of his mom, came in for the first save of his career, allowing Joe Blanton to get his first win of the season. The Phillies are now 12-7 on the road, the best in the NL.

After the game, it was announced that Brad Lidge was put back on the DL, retroactive to May 10, and Antonio Bastardo recalled from Lehigh Valley. Lidge continues to have problems with inflammation in his elbow and sadly sounds less and less confident each time he's asked about it. Scott Mathesion is looking great for the IronPigs but we should all keep in mind that he is still working his way back from two Tommy Johns surgeries. Let him build up to the high stress of pitching in a big league bullpen.

go, flyers!

The Philadelphia Flyers, who had to claw their way into the play-offs on a shoot-out victory in the final game of the season, last night made history, becoming only the third team in the history of the NHL to go 0-3 in a best-of-seven series and come back to win it. The other teams to do it were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islander. The only other professional sports team to do it: the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Not only did the Flyers win the final four games of their series with the Boston Bruins, but they overcame an early 3-0 deficit last night to beat the Bruins 4-3. Crazy, amazing stuff.

The Phillies, meanwhile, were slugging it out with the Brewers, winning it 9-5 for Jamie Moyer.

The Tampa Bay Rays have designated Pat Burrell for assignment. Despite the ridiculous hue and cry, nationally and locally, when the Phillies declined to offer Burrell arbitration two years ago, Ruben Amaro, Jr. was obviously right to replace Burrell with Ibanez.

stinks to be you

The guy over at I Want to Go to the Zoo with Roy (www.zoowithroy.com) keeps it coming. The latest ZWR t-shirt is called Stinks to Be You and reads, "We have *84 home games, *Tasers, *Roy Halladay, *Your signs." As Charlie Manuel would say, "Keep crying." Great stuff again by ZWR. Order yours while supplies last.

Meanwhile, the MRI on Brad Lidge's elbow revealed no structural damage or loose bodies, just inflammation. Carlos Ruiz, who left Wednesday's game with a knee injury, is said to be day-to-day.

Tuesday is Roy Halladay bobblehead night at the 'Zen in Philadelphia. Thanks to the rain-out of game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader in Denver the man himself is now scheduled to pitch that night. Woohoo!

jayson werth nl player of the week

Jayson Werth was named NL Player of the Week for hitting four home runs and four doubles, while knocking in nine, with a total of 25 bases. During the period, he had a 1.000 slugging percentage and .407 on base percentage. Dallas Braden won the honors for the AL.

Werth has also made it clear that while he loves his current mates and loves playing in Philadelphia, free agency is his goal. Larry Andersen on the radio broadcast of last night's game with the Rockies wondered why winning the World Series again was not Werth's goal. Interesting point. Meanwhile, I dozed off in the top of the 9th in last night's game, with two strikes on Ryan Howard and the game tied 5-5. When I woke, the inning had just ended and I heard Scott Franzke give the score: Phillies 9 and Rockies 5. Wow! Jose Contreras came on to finish the game. Victorino had two triples and Ruiz four hits. What I really missed, though, was the three-run pinch-hit homer by Ross Gload in the ninth.

Brad Lidge, it turned out, had stiffness in his surgically-repaired right elbow and was unavailable. Brian Schneider, meanwhile, has been put on the 15-day DL with an Achilles tendon injury. And Wilson Valdez is playing the way he did last year with the Mets. Would he please practice bunting if not hitting?

Perfection on Mother's Day

By luck we kept the tickets for today's game and went, despite threatening showers. What luck! We watched in amazement as Dallas Braden mowed down the first place Rays every inning to win a perfect game. I noticed in the 6th that the Rays had no hits, it wasn't until I looked at my scorebook but not only was he pitching a no-hitter but also a perfect game. It was amazing that the last three innings went by super fast - Braden was just pumped to get the game over and done with. The last out was a hit to shortstop Pennington, who threw to first and finished the game. This game was full of gems, including an amazing foul territory catch by Kouzmanoff in the 8th to get Pena out. Watching Braden hug and kiss his grandmother, who raised him when his mother died was a perfect end to the perfect game.

reunion series

The Columbus Clippers were in town for a four-game set, doing their thing against the IronPigs, but it did bring Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald, key parts in the Cliff Lee trade, back to town. The Reading Phillies gave out this photo of Donald, a member of their all-decade team, at a game last month. Both guys are doing well and seem to be headed for stints with their big club, the Cleveland Indians. Perhaps not he most talented player on the field, Donald is definitely a winning player. He always makes max use of his ability and gives max effort. Gotta wish him and Carrasco well. Catcher Lou Marson, also in the deal, is already with the big club but Carlos Santana, the catcher heir apparent, is edging closer to a call-up.

moyer throws record shutout

Not sure this kid at last night's 'Pigs game would agree that cotton candy is better in black and white.

Somewhere around the 6th inning of last night's IronPigs game, a desultory affair that ended on a sour note, I heard someone say that Jamie Moyer had a one-hitter going in Philadelphia against the Braves. By then the score there was already 7-0 in favor of the Phils. I gave up on the 'Pigs after the seventh but by the time I got to the car, Moyer was being interviewed about his complete game two-hit shutout of the Atlantic Braves. Cheers for the 'youngster', as Larry Andersen called him, who proves again that slow and steady can indeed win the race.

During the postgame interview on radio, Moyer said, "I had fun. I probably had forgotten what it's like. It hasn't happened a whole lot in my career." At 47, Moyer is now the oldest pitcher in major league history to throw a shutout and the only one with a shutout in four different decades.

Was it a tribute to Robin Roberts, the master of the complete game? If there was any tribute he could make to Roberts, said Moyer, it would be a complete game. With emotion in his voice, Moyer added that Roberts had been a special person and that he had been special in the clubhouse.

Yesterday when Jayson Werth hit his three-run homer, he uncharacteristically raised both arms and pointed to the sky as he crossed home plate. The gesture, he later said, was for Robbie, who had often spoken to him about his great-grandfather Ducky Schofield.

The Braves are in a terrible place. No-hit about ten days ago by Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez, they were almost no-hit again on Thursday night in Washington. I had thought for sure their bats would come to life against Moyer. Instead, as Chipper Jones said after the game, he "carved" them up. Jamie Moyer contines to show what pitching is all about.

halladay and phils win another

It was fitting that on the day that Robin Roberts died there was another righthanded ace on the mound for the Phillies, another horse who likes to finish what he starts. Halladay only went seven today, giving up two runs, one of which should have been unearned. The Phillies got to St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse early and often. Jayson Werth had a three-run homer, maybe in tribute to Robin Roberts, whose jersey was hanging in the dugout. Raul Ibanez however needed no help for the solo homer he belted into the second deck. The crack of the bat told it all. With two on and two outs, Halladay appeared to be laboring in the 7th. Charlie Manuel came out to the mound. All the camera caught was Halladay mouthing, "No, I can do it." Charlie trudged back to the dugout to the roar of the crowd. And it took Roy only one pitch to retire Matt Holliday. Cue the standing ovation. Chad Durbin pitched the 8th, making it a little adventuresome by hitting two batters, then Danys Baez pitched the 9th. The Phillies won 7-2 and took three of four in the series. The starting pitching was outstanding. The bullpen wasn't shabby either.

kendrick shuts cardinals down

Some nights at the ballpark are gifts. Last night was one of them. A dip in the humidity made things perfect. Then Kyle Kendrick surprised us all (well, many of us) by throwing seven scoreless innings against the Cards. The Phillies meanwhile actually got to Brad Penny, a pitcher I recall as always shutting them down. Polanco hit a two-run homer and Victorino later added a solo shot in the 4-0 win. Danys Baez looked nasty in the 8th, and Jose Contreras finished things off in the 9th. Last Friday the crowd was larded with Mets fans and there was an edge to things. Last night it was a mellow assortment of hometown fans. I love how into the games most people at the park are, even when they are, as the couple next to me were, very much into each other. Love was in the air last night for sure.

robin roberts #36

Pitching great Robin Roberts died this morning of natural causes at age 83 in his Florida home. Roberts, signed by the Phillies in 1948, spent 14 years with Philadelphia. A righthanded pitcher whose great fastball was matched by his control, he was part of the 1950 Whiz Kids, who lost the World Series that year to the New York Yankees. Leading the National League by one game, the Phillies played the second-place Dodgers in Brooklyn on the final day of the season. Roberts, pitching for the third time in five days, threw 10 innings and got the win, for his first 20-game winning season.

With the Phillies, Roberts had a 234-199 record. Six years in a row, from 1950 to 1955, Roberts won 20 games or more each season. In 1952, he won a career-high 28 games; he led the National League in wins from 1952 to 1955. The six-foot, 190-pound righty defined the term "workhorse", pitching 305 complete games in his career. He once pitched 28 complete games in a row.

Roberts retired in 1966 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976. The winningest righty in Phillies' history, he is commemorated at the ballpark with a statue outside the first base entrance. He was also a familiar presence at spring training and at the ballpark. By all accounts, he was not only an outstanding pitcher but also a warm, wonderful man. He remained an active fan of the Phillies and of baseball. He particularly loved this current team and liked to talk baseball with them. He had a special fondness for Jayson Werth; both he and Werth were born in Springfield, Illinois.

According to his family, Robin Roberts enjoyed last night's game on television. I was at the park for it, and I'm now doubly happy that it was a good one. I'll remember it always.

The teddy bear shown is a Cooperstown version of #36.

dramatic pitchers-catchers duel

One of those rare pitching match-ups that lives up to the billing unfolded last night at Citizens Bank Park. Both Adam Wainwright and Cole Hamels were superb. And both catchers, Yadier Molina and Carlos Ruiz, featured large in the game. The Phillies scored in the 7th on a sac fly by Ruiz which plated Raul Ibanez, who had led off the inning with a triple. With the game at 1-0, Hamels came out for the 9th. Just as he was about to throw his first pitch, some jackass ran onto the field. As Adam Wainwright said afterwards, it gets tired fast. This jerk had tweeted to his buddies to tune in to watch. (Yes, Virginia, Twitter is for birdbrains.) He was quickly caught and led away to crowd chants of Taser, Taser, Taser.

Did the incident affect Hamels? He said no but Wainwright thought that the timing had to have thrown off Hamels' mojo. Whatever, he then gave up two hits, including the game-tying single to catcher Yadier Molina, who has been a defensive wrecking crew in both games so far. Hamels left to be replaced by Brad Lidge, who also looked like his old self finishing off the inning.

Jose Contreras, pitching with his mother in the stands, a first in his major league career, struck out the side in the 10th. Then up came Chooch in the bottom of the inning. He promptly hit a ringing foul to left. Two pitches later he smacked the ball straight into the left field seats. The moment Ruiz hit the ball, Hawksworth was heading for the dugout, Jayson Werth was jumping the rail, and the Phillies had an exciting 2-1 victory.

Tonight it's Kyle Kendrick v. Brad Penny. Brad Penny, as I recall, has some kind of ridiculous lifetime ERA vs. the Phillies, like 0.59 or something. I remember the shutout game he threw against them last year at the Zen when he was with the Giants. Kyle Kendrick will be the sacrificial lamb opposing him.

One other thought from last night: Thank heavens the Braves traded Wainwright, originally in their system, to St. Louis in the J.D. Drew deal some years ago. He's a super pitcher but I'd much rather watch him from afar.

farewell, ernie harwell

Detroit broadcaster Ernie Harwell died yesterday at age 92. All I can say about Harwell is that he had one of those comforting voices that make listening to baseball on the radio such a treat. And like Harry Kalas and other greats of his era, Harwell seems to have been a warm, wonderful being who genuinely loved the sport he covered. Every once in a while I have the feeling that Scott Franzke could become one of those again for the Phillies. Then I hear Jim Jackson subbing for him in the fourth and fifth innings and I think not. Nothing against Jim Jackson but he's got a hockey voice that grates during a baseball game. Why can't Franzke do all nine innings on the radio?

madson out at least eight weeks

Ryan Madson had surgery on his big right toe yesterday. He is supposed to be out for at least eight weeks. This just gets worse.

what happened last night

Joe Blanton made his season debut last night and was solid for six. Happy news indeed. He faltered, however, in the seventh but still left the game with his team down 2-1. Nelson Figueroa, looking totally out of place, out of sync, then came in and things went downhill. In the end the Cardinals won 6-3. Their bullpen looks 10x better than the Phillies', though I wouldn't trust Ryan Franklin and his facial hair to go around the corner for me.

Oh, yeah, some kid was Tasered for running on the field. Sounds weird? Well, the story is even weirder. The kid is 17, supposedly was not under the influence, and had actually called his father before doing it to ask what he thought. The dad, according to media account, told him it wasn't a good idea. The kid said it was a chance at once-in-a-lifetime experience. Being a knucklehead must be a family trait. Astoundingly, the kid is supposed to be headed for college in the fall. What a dope.

pedro alvarez looks for real

Pittsburgh prospect Pedro Alvarez, who took signing with the Pirates past the wire in 2008, is now with the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. This morning they finished a four-game series with the IronPigs. Ive been too busy to make it to the games but have seen bits and pieces of all on TV. The stand-out player for sure was Pedro Alvarez. He's not a Ryan Zimmerman or Scott Rolen kind of third baseman but he's definitely got the look of a winning big league player. Color me impressed.

batting practice live and other things

I got the news on Sunday that Mrs. October had broken a hip and was in the hospital. I'll be visiting her on Wednesday on my way to the ballpark. This is the get-well card I made for her.

Yesterday I happened to see 10 minutes of Batting Practice Live, a new, at least to me, program on MLBN at 5:30 p.m., which takes viewers to live batting practices going on around the majors. It was fantastic. I've sometimes been at the 'Zen early enough to catch batting practice but it's always from the outfield--except during the play-offs. Fans otherwise aren't allowed into the rest of the park until practice is over. MLBN, however, takes you right up to the cages and gives an upclose view of what is going on at parks all around the country. I loved it, but then I happen to be a fan of getting to the park early and seeing all the pregame routines by the grounds crew, etc.

Later, I caught this snippet from Tom Verducci, again on MLBN: Only 12 teams in baseball currently have about .500 records. Weird stuff.

If Major League Baseball, FOX, and ESPN haven't noticed, Phillies' home games are good for promoting their product. The park is one of the few in baseball that is always full and rocking. Oh, those vast expanses of empty seats in so many places elsewhere.

priceless sign

Sign held by a woman at last night's game: Chase Utley, my boyfriend loves you....It's awkward. The ESPN trio of announcers (Joe Morgan, Jon Miller, and Orel Hershiser) guffawed and opined that it could be the best ever.

weekend mets

Friday night's game with the Mets was brutal. I was surrounded for some reason by hulking fans of the NY team. I don't care about the hulking; it was the air of contained violence that put me on edge. It's hard to sit next to a guy who seems ready to erupt in fury, and I was relieved when the regulars to my left showed up. I almost asked the Mets fans if they were listeners of the FAN, because if they said something once, they said it three times. So very sports talk radio.

The game started OK, then the Mets scored three in the 2nd and the Mets fans were just so in-your-face. I mean, it's April. I refrained from humming "See You in September" because I did not think these people had a sense of humor. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Phillies scored but they were also robbed of more thanks to a couple of terrific outfield plays by Francoeur and Pagan. A sign, I thought. Then in the bottom of the 3rd, the Phillies abandoned their patient approach with Niese, whose pitch count was already ballooning, and swung early and futilely, giving him a five-pitch inning. Another sign. The last one for me was in the 5th, when Victorino struck out swinging, but Barajas missed the ball. Shockingly, the high-energy Victorino loped towards first and was thrown out. He heard it immediately from the crowd. That was it for me---and I had to leave anyway. In the end it was a 9-1 loss.

I didn't get to tune into Saturday's game until after five, while driving back from the simulcast of Armida up in Moosic. When the score was given (at the time 8-0 in favor of the Fightin's), we all started whooping. By the time I got home it was all over and Roy Halladay had shut out the Mets 10-0 in a complete game effort.

Last night the Mets must have been feeling good, with their ace Santana on the mound against Jamie Moyer. Moyer gave up a three-run homer in the 1st but Polanco clubbed a solo homer to left in the bottom of the frame and Howard added another little oppo to it. So 3-2 at the end of one. The Mets scored again on a two-run homer by Barajas but that only took us to the bottom of the 4th. With two outs, the Phillies put nine on the board and drove a shellshocked Santana from the game. He surrendered 10 runs in all, the highest total of his career. He also gave up four homers, something he had done before against the Phillies last year in Citifield.

The park was rocking when Jamie Moyer came to bat in the 4th with the bases loaded and, shades of Brett Myers facing C.C. Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS, worked a walk. That made it 5-4, as Utley had earlier scored on an Ibanez single. Next batter: Shane Victorino, who deposited the ball deep into left. Deja-vu all over again for sure. And the hits kept coming. After Utley clubbed a two-run homer deep to right, Santana's evening was done. The Phillies added another run in the inning to make it 11-5 and there it stayed. Like the Phillies on Friday night, the Mets went meekly.

Moyer went six and got the win. The bullpen did the rest.

Charlie Manuel called out his team after Friday night's game. Why not? They'd been playing like wet noodles for more than a week. Victorino meanwhile apologized to his teammates and to the fans for his lack of hustle in the game. On Saturday he hit a three-run homer; yesterday he hit the grand slam. That's called stepping it up. He'll be called on to do a lot more of that because the news on the Jimmy Rollins front is not good. Rollins is unlikely to return before the end of May. Joe Blanton, however, will make his season debut tonight against the Cardinals. Hate to say it but Kyle Kendrick should hurry on back to the Lehigh Valley. And he probably would but the news on J.A. Happ, too, was not encouraging.

It's weird that the New York media and fans keep harping on how the Phillies have no pitching after Halladay, when their own staff is riddled with questions and their bullpen has been lucky. I'll give them Rodriquez but he too is a guy who makes things interesting more often than not.

booboos

A friend sent these tattoos to my mother. She's off to a game today and is actually sporting one. Surprise, surprise.

When I heard how Ryan Madson broke his toe--kicking a metal chair in frustration after blowing the game in San Francisco Thursday--I had to groan. I've had a broken toe and know that Madson is likely to be out more than a 15-day stint on the DL. Stupidity rewarded at the expense of the team and its fans. After watching Kyle Kendrick in person Friday night in Philadelphia, I was more than ready to welcome him back to Lehigh Valley, but chances are I'll be seeing KK again on Wednesday against the Cards. Oi vey. J.A. Happ threw a session the other day, but it did not go well. He too will be out for more than just 15 days. Not good, folks.