rollins at arizona fall league

Pages from a travel journal from a 2007 trip to the Arizona Fall League.

Jimmy Rollins was in Arizona yesterday for induction into the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame. Rollins played in the league in 2000, the year that he made his first appearance as a Phillie. Eight years later, fresh off a World Series victory, he's in the HOF. Good timing, huh?

My co-blogger and I made an AFL trip last year. She used to go regularly; for me it was a first. We also followed the 2007 World Series unfold while staying at Second Mesa, in Hopi Land, and back in Phoenix. I still vividly recall driving back from the Grand Canyon to Second Mesa and listening to the Rockies radio broadcast of one of those dismal games.

Last year the Phillies minor leaguers played for the Peo Saguaros, in Peoria, AZ. This year they're with the Mesa Solar Sox, in Mesa. HoHoKam, the stadium there, is the spring training site of the Cubbies. HoHoKam is one of the cooler AZ parks; it plays blues music between innings! We also found a great little family restaurant, called the Little Mesa Cafe, which had excellent homemade pies.

Autumn in Arizona has its own charm. Anyone who loves baseball should try to make a trip to the Arizona Fall League. Each major league team sends five or six prospects, who are then assigned to an AFL team. This year the Phillies are teamed with the Cubs, Braves, Marlins, and Tigers. Not many people go to the AFL games. The stands are virtually empty but for baseball people, scouts, and a handful of fans. It's a good chance to see prospects from around the majors. The atmosphere and desert ambience are something special.

golden

Gold Glove awards today to Jimmy Rollins, his second consecutive, and Shane Victorino, his first. Both are well-deserved. Congratulations. Pedro Feliz should easily have won one for third base, but it went instead to David Wright, a superior offensive player but no match for Feliz defensively. And what about Chase Utley?

Greg Maddux won the 18th (!) of his career, which is reportedly ending. It's almost impossible to think of baseball without Greg Maddux, the master pitcher of his generation.

bring on the pies

Hooray for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Way to go, Pennsylvania!

More changes: Steve Smith, 3rd base coach, was let go yesterday. Charlie Manuel made the decision, then on his way to the winter meetings in California went with GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., to Smith's house to tell him. Says a lot. Journeyman lefty Les Walrond was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. He's got the stuff but never seems to be able to put it together. The Jays will be his umpteenth team. Walrond was with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this past season. His 17-strikeout game was a thing of beauty.

Free agents: Burrell, Moyer, Eyre, and Seanez. Arbitration-eligible: Hamels, Howard, Victorino, Dobbs, Werth, Condrey, Madson, and Bruntlett. The budget will have to increase. Invoices for season tix should be sent out in a couple of weeks. Wonder what that price hike will be.

and the winner is....

Jayson Werth. Yes, Jayson Werth, I've just heard, is the Phillie who got the most signs and attention along the parade route. A stealth candidate for sure, though a couple of weeks ago a middle-aged usher was telling me that Werth was her favorite player. "He's got such beautiful eyes," she said, as a male colleague snorted dismissively. Turns out that lots of fans have noticed Werth. 'Marry Me, Jayson' signs were popular. Will success spoil these guys?

Jimmy Rollins took to the real campaign trail after the World Series, making robo-calls for the Obama-Biden ticket.

just vote!

The women who staff the polling station did a cute job with the entrance. This would make a cool postcard.

The local volunteer firehouse serves as the polling place here in Wassergass. It used to be a one-room schoolhouse, then a one-grade schoolhouse while an elementary school was being built. There were lots of people coming and going this morning when I went to vote around 10 am. We always have a good turnout in our pocket of Lower Saucon township. Already some 300 voters, of 800+, have turned out.

iverson traded

All-time NBA great Allen Iverson was traded yesterday from Denver to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and another player. Iverson's got another year left on his contract, and the trade smacks of being a salary dump for the Pistons. Iverson's now 33. It's sad to think of his career ending, if it does, on this kind of note.

breathless moments

This scene, moments after Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske and the Phillies won the World Series, still makes me breathless. The postseason is made up of moments. Here are some that come immediately to mind:

The fabulous double play, from a diving Rollins to Chase Utley to Ryan Howard, which clinched the NL East for the Phillies on September 27.

Cole Hamels, brilliant in game 1 of the NLDS and throughout the postseason, going 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA. That first game set the tone for postseason play.

Brett Myers' amazing at-bats vs. C.C. Sabathia in the NLDS, then against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS.

Jimmy's lead-off homers.

Shane Victorino's grand slam off Sabathia, his tying 2-run homer vs. the Dodgers, and the way he handled the headhunting Hiroki Kuroda.

Matt Stairs' moonshot in that same game, which gave the Phillies the lead.

Pat Burrell's two homers in the clinching NLDS game and his booming double in Game 5, part 2, of the World Series.

Utley and Howard going back to back in Game 4.

Joe Blanton's great pitching in Game 4 + his improbable home run.

Jamie Moyer's outstanding pitching in Game 3.

Any number of superb defensive plays by Rollins, Utley, Victorino, and company. Though the umpire missed the call, Moyer's glove toss and Howard's barehand catch on a Carl Crawford bunt, was spectacular. Chase Utley's pumpfake to first and throw home to nail Jason Bartlett was amazing.

Clutch hits by Ruiz, Jenkins, Dobbs, Werth, and Feliz. Thanks to two of them, Eric Bruntlett scored the winning run in Games 3 and 5 of the WS.

Ruiz's slow roller to third which scored Bruntlett in the bottom of the 9th in Game 3.

All of Game 5, part 2, which started at full tilt and was thrilling from start to finish.

The tandem of Carlos Ruiz and Brad Lidge. Ruiz caught the pop-up that ended the NLCS and pocketed the ball, to give it later to Lidge. He also caught the final strike on Hinske and tried to give it to Lidge, who insisted he keep it. In the end, they gave it to Charlie Manuel.

The crowd chanting Charlie, Charlie, Charlie after the NL East clinching game and at the end of the World Series.

The death of Charlie Manuel's mother, then of Shane Victorino's grandmother.

How the Phillies pitching staff stifled their competition, especially in the World Series. Ryan Madson was excellent. J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, and Scott Eyre were clutch. The scouts gave them a plan and they executed. In the WS, the bullpen had a 0.73 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched.

Brad Lidge, who went 41 for 41 in the regular season, then 7 for 7 in postseason. Yes, a perfect season. Best of all, he was the right man in the right place. He took to Philadelphia and Philadelphia took to him.

The way that the players seemed genuinely overwhelmed and even humbled by the outpouring of love shown them last Friday during the parade and celebration ceremony.

Chase Utley, keeping it short and sweet. Which I am unable to do.

it's official: ruben amaro, jr.

Ruben Amaro, Jr. was announced this morning as the Phillies new general manager. Retiring GM Pat Gillick will stay on as a consultant, which is encouraging news. All I know about the new guy is that he is the former assistant-GM and a point man for contract negotiations. The Phillies have a boatload of those coming up in the offseason and Amaro will be busy. Of Cuban-Mexican descent, Amaro went to Stanford, where he majored in human biology and played on an NCAA championship team. He also played in the majors for about five years before joining the Phillies front office. His father was a successful major league player in the 1960's and his grandfather was a big name in Cuban baseball. Amaro, now 43, is bilingual. Several years ago I saw him on a street in San Francisco after a Phillies-Giants game as my friends and I were walking back to our parking lot. He doesn't sound all that comfortable talking in public but that doesn't mean much except to those unable to go below the surface of things. Pat Gillick says he's ready. And with that, Ruben Amaro, Jr. becomes the second Hispanic GM in the majors.

come together

This little girl sitting in front of me was among the fans at a 'sold-out' CBP for Friday's celebration, the culmination of the parade down Broad Street. She looked to be about five but, like all of the fans in attendance, waited patiently till the team made it to the park. Here she's waving her towel and World Series teddy as postseason highlights are being shown on the big screen. About 10 minutes before the Phillies made their way into the park, everyone stood and started cheering. We in the lower bowl never sat down again. Luckily, the little girl had her father there to hold her up.

It was Halloween and it was a school day, but there were tons of kids from tots to teens in attendance at the ceremony and parade. Why not? It was a day to remember. Though most of us waited for five or six hours, it was a placid, happy crowd. The Phillies first stopped across the street at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the football Eagles, to greet the overflow of some 60,000 fans there, then headed for the park. I've just been watching a TV replay of the ceremony (with Chase Utley's comment totally edited out---BOO!) and was touched to see that several players--Jamie Moyer, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins--teared up when speaking.

Stuck for hours in traffic on the way home that evening, I heard one of the dopey hosts on sports talk radio say with some wonder that the Phillies have a lot of female fans. It took him this long to notice? Sheesh. And it's not all because they're a pretty sexy group of dudes. The Saturday Inky had a cute little piece about a 77-year-old Turkish woman whose daughter and son-in-law live in the Lehigh Valley. Four years ago on a visit, the woman went to her first baseball game and fell in love with the Phillies. Since then she has followed them as best she can. Here this month on a visit, she was supposed to return to Ankara last Wednesday but refused to go. No way was she going to miss the World Series. She told her daughter she was sure the Phillies would win and even, according to an old superstition, turned her slippers upside down so that the other team would have bad luck. She was of course at the parade on Friday.

already changes

Four fans were selected to help raise the 2008 championship pennant at Friday's ceremony.

I was startled to hear the other day that the Phillies 2008 roster had had 10 new players. Thinking about it, though, Brad Lidge, Eric Bruntlett, Pedro Feliz, Chad Durbin, Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs, Rudy Seanez, So Taguchi, J.A. Happ, and Joe Blanton came to mind. Changes have already started in the offseason. The club has declined the options on reliever Tom Gordon and utility guy So Taguchi. So, we hardly knew you. But I am sorry to see Tom Gordon go. He was an invaluable contributor last September and always seemed to be a thoughtful, stand-up kind of guy.

The Pat Gillick era is now officially over---and are we sad to see him go. Ruben Amaro, Jr., long groomed for the job, is to be named the new GM tomorrow. With that announcement, Mike Arbuckle, who has done an excellent job with drafting and player development for 16 years, will also be leaving. Passed over for GM, Arbuckle has decided to pursue other options. Hate, too, to see him go. Big changes already. And maybe more front office dominoes to fall.

some signs from yesterday

This man made clever use of Pennsylvania's dubious status as a swing state in Tuesday's presidential election to make this sign. His candidates, however, are guys who had key hits during the postseason. Don't forget to vote!

A banner from Charlie Manuel's hometown was hanging over the concourse at the 1st base entrance. The mayor of the town showed up at the ballpark with the banner last Sunday morning, the day of Game 4. Dig the civic pride.

My mother saw these two women spray painting some signs in the parking lot and went over to critique them. A big fan of Pat Burrell herself, she thoroughly approved the sentiments of the one reading "Bring Back Pat".

Hours before the ceremonies at CBP started, I managed to pick the two signs out way up halfway round the park and way up in the 400 level.

One of the best signs was seen along the parade route: I Promise Not to Boo Again. I hope the knuckleheads take it to heart.

"world f***ing champions"

Nothing but blue skies yesterday in Philadelphia for the big love parade, which was supposed to take 90 minutes to go about four miles down Broad Street and ended up taking three hours to reach Citizens Bank Park. I was in the park solely because of the Phillies, who offered free tix to their season ticket holders, and because of my mother, who when I mentioned that offer to her said, "Get tickets!" I thought she was crazy but she turned out to be dead right.

Along with a packed house of fans, we watched the parade unfold on the big screen. It was a stunning, stunning sea of red and white all along the route. Simply amazing. Pat Burrell, the longest-tenured player and a key team leader, led the parade, riding on the Budweiser (what, not Yuengling) wagon, with his wife and English bulldog Elvis, himself a fixture at the ballpark, seated behind him.

Burrell was also the first player to enter the ballpark, riding this time in a convertible, again with Elvis. This picture shows why Pat the Bat was called Pat the Bait by his teammates, who often used him at bars as a chick magnet. All fans present knew too that yesterday may have been a bittersweet farewell to the slugger. It was greatly gratifying that the Phillies won it all while he was still on the team. He worked hard for this moment and always got what it was all about to play in Philadelphia.

Some of the many "moments" yesterday at the park that stood out: Pat Gillick, who is a baseball genius and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, gave three succinct thank-you's, including one to Charlie Manuel. His nickname's not Cholly, roared Gillick. It's Fook! Fook! It's Fook. The reference was to Manuel's middle name of Fuqua. In truth, his nickname is Fook. But it was funny to hear Pat Gillick, on the final day of his three-year tenure with the Phillies, get suddenly so animated.

Then there was Charlie Manuel, now an iconic folk hero, holding the WS trophy and concluding his comments on a quintessential Rocky note, "Yo, man! We luv ya!"

Shane Victorino also spoke but what remains with me is seeing Shane, as he red-carpeted it to the dias, stooping to pick up a Cracker Jacks bag dropped by one of the players' kids, who were seated on the field, and taking it over to someone to get rid of. A simple gesture that says a lot about the kind of person Shane Victorino is.

Also unforgettable was Jayson Werth, dressed in rocker glitz and glitter and wearing one of those humongous red fists. A nice touch, too, was the inclusion of Triple-A lifers Mike Cervenak and Andy Tracy, who had come up in September, along with prospects Greg Golson and Lou Marson.

Cole Hamels was all fired up. "The one thing I cannot wait to do is go down that Broad Street parade again and again and again. We'll see you all at this point next year." And it didn't sound at all like an empty campaign promise. Meanwhile, Brett Myers, who has had a fair share of trials, bared his soul in a love letter to the city and to its fans.

Jamie Moyer, the local product who grew up a Phillies fan, spoke to his roots. When a high school student, he had come into Philly for the 1980 parade and had dreamed about some day being in something similar himself. It happened after his first ever WS appearance and there was no doubt that for Moyer it was a dream come true. A lasting image from the onfield festivities after the last game was Jamie Moyer wandering around the field with a big chunk of wood in his arms. He had dug up the pitching rubber and was, I guess, taking it with him.

I realized again yesterday why Chase Utley, looking rather devastating in black and grey, is one of my favorite ever ball players. The guy's got real edge. No wonder his teammates revere him. He took the mike, leaned in and said, "World champions!" Roar of the crowd. Then the quiet, intense Utley leaned in again and said, "World f***ing champions!" The crowd went absolutely mad while Jayson Werth pumped that big red fist and the other guys fell all over themselves. It was a totally priceless moment. I love Chase Utley. It's unbelievably silly that he's now taking any flack for this.

Utley almost left the always-eloquent Jimmy Rollins, who spoke last, at a loss for words. Well, hard to follow Chase, said a laughing Jimmy, who then talked about the Mets (boo went the crowd) and that Mr. Johan Santana, a very good pitcher. But, said Jimmy, it takes more than one man to bring home a championship. And, gesturing to everyone on the stand, that's what we have here. Sure you can take Jimmy's words as a sports cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason and the 2008 Phillies embody what it takes to be a team of champions. They've got their share of superstar players (Rollins, Howard, Utley, Hamels) and at least one, Brad Lidge, who had a megastar year, but it took every single guy on the roster working together for them to win the World Series. Not to mention manager, coaches (and where was Davy Lopes yesterday), and front office.

Last, kudos to Mayor Michael Nutter, wearing his cool Phillies jacket and representing "the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection." Before the parade, Nutter had called on people to "be joyous, not a jackass." And they were. Only 44 arrests, for minor infractions, were made. Not bad for an "estimated" crowd of two million.

My mother and I left for Philadelphia at 8:00 am and got back to the Lehigh Valley just past 8 pm. It was worth it.

world series game 5: the best team wins

The last 3.5 innings of game 5 lived up to the hype, starting on an odd tilt, with the home team taking the first at-bats. By then the crowd, a stunning (given the make-up circumstances) 44,000+, was in full cry. Geoff Jenkins, pinch hitting for Cole Hamels, led off. He slammed a hit to the right field wall off of Balfour and ran to 2nd with mighty fist pumps. After Jimmy bunted him over, Jayson Werth brought him in on a bloop single just out of the reach of 2nd baseman Iwamura. Hey, we can play small ball! And just like that, the Phillies had a 3-2 lead.

Madson came in for the 7th, got one out, then gave up a solo homer to Rocco Baldelli, the first home run Madson had surrendered at CBP since April. Jason Bartlett then reached on a single and Joe Maddon opted to keep the lefty Howell in the game to sacrifice him over. With two outs and a man on 2nd, Charlie went to J.C. Romero, who got Akinori Iwamura to hit a soft grounder to 2nd. Chase Utley, in a tremendous play, grabbed the ball, pumpfaked to 1st, then threw home on Bartlett. Ruiz made a great catch and tagged Bartlett out. Game tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the 7th.

Pat Burrell, who had been 0 for 13 in the series, led off with a booming double to left center. He just missed it and settled for a double. Buck and McCarver opined that he should have been on 3rd but given that piano on Pat's back 3rd might have been a stretch. It was a big hit for a guy who may have played his last game in a Phillies uniform. Eric Bruntlett came in to pinch run for Burrell. Victorino then tried to bunt him over and finally grounded out to 2nd. Mission accomplished. Next up, Pedro Feliz, who singled up the middle, allowing Bruntlett to waltz home. Phillies grabbed the 4-3 lead. J.C. Romero, who got the last out in the 7th, stayed in for the 8th. The Rays went with lefty phenom David Price.

With the score 4-3 going into the 9th, it was time for Lidge. He got Longoria to pop up. Then Dioner Navarro hit a broken-bat single to right and was replaced at 1st by speedster Fernando Perez. Zobrist, pinch hitting for some reason for Baldelli, laced a seed right to Werth. Perez then stole 2nd. But Lidge got Eric Hinske out swinging on three pitches.

This morning a 20-year-old guy who was at the game played back the video he took of the Rays' final at-bat. As Lidge got the strike-out, the roar of the crowd was just awesome. I had goosebumps just hearing it. As soon as the game ended, the customary fireworks went off all around the rim of the park. This guy said he never even heard them. The crowd was that loud.

The game lasted about an hour and 20 minutes and was packed with timely hits, clutch pitching, and sparkling defense, particularly by the two guys at 2nd. In the end, Charlie Manuel outmanaged Joe Torre and Joe Maddon, who both made odd moves with their bullpens. As in the regular season, everything Charlie did seem to work.

I had picked the Phillies to win in five and they did. But I have never been as nervous before a game as I was last night. Butterflies, palpitations, shallow breathing. As Brad Lidge replied once when asked about about coping with the stress of the postseason, "We just want to throw up all over ourselves." This from a fab guy who was a perfect 41 for 41 during the regular season and 7 for 7 in the postseason. As Jimmy Rollins says, "Do it afraid." Skill, determination, focus, and heart help. Not to mention good pitching. There was really little doubt about who would win the series.

2008 world champion philadelphia phillies!

Thanks, guys. You were great. You deserved it. It took a team to do it and top to bottom you are a real team. You are the best. And, as Pat Gillick said after the game, "Let's do it again next year!" Go, Phillies!

world series game 5 continued

Yesterday's heavy rains and strong winds have done a number on the leaves. Most of these are now gone.

Game 5 picks up tonight at 8:37 pm in the bottom of the 6th. It's bullpen vs. bullpen. Go, Phillies!

Gametime temperature will be around 39F,with a realfeel around 23F. It's now sleeting here in the Lehigh Valley. I've just put on John Coltrane's A Love Supreme to warm things up. We were without electricity from around 6 pm yesterday till almost noon today.

world series game 5: mlb screws up big-time

I'd hate to be stuck in a burning building with baseball commissioner Bud Selig as my only chance at rescue. The man's got no onions. He's a strictly nickels-and-cents kind of guy, with zero ability to think on the fly or to react decisively. He's done good things during his tenure but in the clutch he's got the instincts of a used car sales rep.

Last night's travesty recalled his inept response to the infamously tied All-Star game several years ago. Last night however was far worse. Selig suspended the game in the middle of the 6th inning, after the Rays had been able to tie the game thanks to horrendous field conditions. Worse, he then put the responsibility for the decision on everyone but himself.

I've got no problem with the game being suspended. There's no way a World Series should be decided by a suspended game. But it should either have been postponed in the first place or suspended in the 4th, when field conditions had already deteriorated to unplayable. Instead, the Rays got the opportunity to bat in the 6th with the Phillies fielders and pitcher at a distinct disadvantage. The Phillies never got the chance to come to bat in the bottom with the Rays pitcher and fielder forced to perform in the same dreadful conditions. That's what's not fair.

In his press conference afterwards, Selig stuttered and stumbled. First he threw the CBP groundskeeper under the bus, as if that guy were responsible for making the decision. The grounds crew did all that it could but there was water pooling at home plate, the outfield was slick, and the infield a sodden mess. Selig and his umpiring crew could see that as well as anyone. The field was not fit for a regular season game, much less a World Series game.

Next, Selig blamed the weather forecasters. Now, yesterday morning the forecasts had been for rain starting late and going into the night. By afternoon, Accuweather and the Weather Channel had changed their forecasts, and at least one Philadelphia forecaster was texting and blogging that the rain would build as the game went along, compromising it, and that it should be postponed. A couple of hours before game time, weather people were tracking how the rain would come and how steady it would be. Here it started raining late afternoon. It was raining in Philadelphia before game time. I listened to the game here with the wind howling outside and rain beating against the house. The Doppler showed the same band of rain blanketing all of eastern Pennsylvania. So what weather outfit does MLB use for its reports? And why was Bud Selig unable to process information that was right before his eyes? Muttering later about "the weather guy" was simply disingenuous.

Selig also praised the umpires for doing an "extraordinary job." Was he freaking kidding?

Bud Selig has just announced that Game 5 will not be resumed tonight. Good decision, Bud. It's pouring and windy. Wind, cold, and snow showers are in the forecast for Wednesday; Thursday is supposed to be fine. The game is now scheduled for tomorrow night at 8:37. Meanwhile, MLB assures us that it will "monitor the weather on an hourly basis." Uh, wasn't that being done yesterday? And how did that work out?

After the suspension, Charlie Manuel refused to attend the mandatory media conference. Pat Burrell, asked for his opinion, said, "I only talk after games." As Matt Stairs put it, getting the game tied took the big boys off the hook. It was not a happy locker room. Nor should it have been.

After Saturday's 91-minute rain delay, it's inexcusable that MLB and FOX had no plan in place to deal with another possible weather delay. The Phillies meanwhile have now lost their ace, who was reduced to using one pitch by the third inning but was still dominating. If the series is extended and the Rays, a beaten team on Sunday but now with life and hope, end up winning, you, Mr. Selig, will have turned the 2008 World Series into a sideshow. And you will have done a great disservice to loyal fans of the game of baseball. All I can say is, that sucks, Mr. Selig.

Am I bummed? Damn right.

world series game 4: bats and balls

It was all about the pitching last night. Oh yes, and the bats. Joe Blanton, dissed bigtime by one and all, was again masterful, going six and giving up just two runs on four hits. Jimmy Rollins started off the first with a double, then the Phillies loaded the bases on another bungled call. This one, at third, went in favor of the Phillies. But with the bases loaded they were able only to push across one run on a Pat Burrell walk.

Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine looked tentative from the get-go. Like Garza the night before he seemed a bit overwhelmed. So was the Rays' defense. And the Phillies' bats made them pay. In the 4th, Ryan Howard went to left with a three-run homer to the Phils up 5-1. Blanton gave up a solo shot to pinch-hitter Eric Hinske, activated that day to take the place of the injured Cliff Floyd. But in the bottom of the inning, Blanton laced a ball into the left field stands for the first home run of his major league career and only his second hit of the season. Way to go, Joe! If the crowd Saturday night was electric, last night's crowd, as seen on TV, was electrifying.

So was Ryan Madson, who dispatched the heart of the Rays order in the 8th. The hometown boys then again went to work. Jayson Werth hit a 2-run homer left and Ryan Howard, yes, he's hot, hit a mammoth shot to right to tack on two more runs. J.C. Romero finished things off in the 9th. Final score: Phillies 10, Rays 2. Manager Joe Maddon looked tired and perturbed from the first inning. Several Rays' players were shown shivering in the dugout---and it was only in the 50's. The Phillies by contrast were hot, are hot.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are now 0 for 29, with 15 strikeouts. Much has been made by the media about the Phillies' numbers with RISP, but less about the fact that the Rays have been hitting about .189 as a team. It has been the Phillies pitching that has showed up bigtime throughout the series and throughout the postseason. As they did throughout much of the season, the pitchers have carried the team. It's great too to hear each one credit Carlos Ruiz for his play behind the plate. And Joe Blanton is an instant hometown hero. When he hit that homer, I laughed for about two minutes. And laughed again this morning thinking about it.

It's all on Cole Hamels this evening in game 5. Tonight, on another night of iffy weather, it's Hamels vs. Kazmir.

world series game 3: yay, chooch!

Fans stood for much of the game. It was that kind of night. My view, a pretty good one, from left field.

One way or another, we all did a lot of standing during the game. This is a shot in the 9th from behind my season seats off the first base line.

After all that the doomsayers, especially on the national level, had to say about Jamie Moyer getting last night's start, it was Moyer who shined and Garza who fumbled. Moyer, who according to Ken Rosenthal had spent the previous two days in bed or in the bathroom with a severe stomach virus, was outstanding. In six innings he gave up one run and three hits.

Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the 1st with a welcome-home single. A walk and a wild pitch later he was on third. Chase Utley grounded out to first and Rollins scored to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The Rays tied it in the 2nd, but Carlos Ruiz untied in the bottom of the frame with solo homer to left, just one section over from me. And a great look it was. So was the ball hit by Evan Longoria in the 6th, which also looked destined for the left field seats but was caught by Pat Burrell up against the wall. Whew. Thank you, wind! Then in the bottom, Chase Utley led off with a solo blast to right and Ryan Howard followed with one of his own for some back-to-back action that gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Safe, huh? Well, no.

Things came unglued in the 7th thanks to 1st base ump Tom Hallion. Speedster Carl Crawford led off the inning with a bunt. Moyer sprinted off the mound, made a diving snare of the ball, and flipped it with his glove hand to 1st baseman Ryan Howard, who caught it barehanded. A spectacular play on both ends. And Crawford was out. But Hallion, not in position to see the play, called him safe. There have already been four egregiously bad calls in this series; three have been against the Phillies. Kerwin Danley, who was not at all on his game in Game 2, will not again be behind the plate. Hallion will be there tonight. What is with it with the ragged, bad umpiring?

In any case, the bungled call led to the Rays putting two on the board. Then in the 8th, B. J. Upton, who has some kind of speed, manufactured a run out of nothing to tie the game on an errant throw to third by catcher Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies had a chance to do something in the bottom there but Jayson Werth was picked off (ouch) on second. A usually savvy runner, Jayson has not had a good time on the base paths in the series.

J.C. Romero, who got the final out in the 8th, kept the Rays off the board in the 9th to set up the weird 9th inning. Eric Bruntlett, who had come in for Pat Burrell in the 7th, led off and was hit by a pitch. Shane Victorino was next, ready to bunt. Balfour, now pitching for the Rays, uncorked a wild pitch. Bruntlett went to second, then advanced to third when catcher Dioner Navarro threw the ball into the outfield. So man on 3rd, nobody out. And the fans were in full cry. Manager Joe Maddon elected to walk Victorino, then to walk Gregg Dobbs, in to pinch hit for Pedro Feliz. He then brought in an outfielder to have five infielders. Carlos Ruiz was at the plate and, wouldn't you know, he hits a roller to third base. Bruntlett took off for home, Longoria fielded the slow ball and threw it over the catcher Navarro. Roar of the crowd. Game over. Phils take a 2-1 lead in the series. And Carlos Ruiz went from hero to goat to hero again.

Game 4 tonight: Sonnanstine vs. Blanton. Pena and Longoria, the Rays 3 and 4 hitters, are 0 for 22 in the series. Will Blanton keep it that way? Will the Phillies continue to build their offense? They are now 2 for 33 with RISP. The Rays meanwhile have scored most of their runs without benefit of a hit.

about that ambience

Fireworks fill the sky last night as the Phillies take the field for the first home game of the 2008 World Series.

Despite the long delay and ridiculous starting time, Citizens Bank Park was electric, starting with Jamie Moyer's first pitch. When it became clear that home plate ump Fieldin Culbreth had a pitcher's strike zone, which held for both Moyer and Tampa starter Matt Garza, the fans got even more revved. Cheers for Moyer and jeers for Garza. But the brunt of fan attention went to rookie phenom Evan Longoria. Each time he came to bat, the stands were rocked with full-throated chants of "Eva, Eva, Eva." Longoria must face that each time he plays on the road but poor kid. Still, it was very funny.

What impressed me: The out-of-town scoreboard was completely dark. In other play-off games, a dwindling number of games had been on the board. But last night there was nothing else. And, as in other play-off games but more so, everyone stays in his/her seat. That jostling murmur of the ballpark between innings is muted. Every time I looked around it was nothing but seats filled with people and aisles empty of all but vendors. It was remarkable. And given the time, we seemed to be in a bowl where this magical game was being played out just for those on the field and for those in the stands.

The game took three hours and 41 minutes to play. It ended about 1:47 a.m. At that point at least 90 percent of those present, some 45,900, were still in their seats. I left mine at the end of the 8th inning to take some photos during the 9th. I walked around to the 1st base side and got nothing but the backs of people standing and hanging on every pitch, every play. Photos seemed pretty superfluous. The moment was what counted.

I'm very glad that on Saturday morning I realized my tix were for game 3 not 5!

first there was rain....

What it was like driving to Philadelphia yesterday afternoon at three.

No way the game was going to start on time yet it behooved all fans to get there early enough to find parking. The fog and rain were such that it took me about half an hour longer to get to the park. Even so, at five o'clock, 'my' lot was packed with tailgaters. They started arriving at 11, said the woman at the gate. The really heavy rain was forecast for around game time, then was supposed to clear out by 9. I waited in the car till eight, then went into the park to dig the ambience. The concourse was packed, the seats were empty, tarp was on the field, and the rain just kept pouring down. I ended up standing under cover near a camera station; the guy on the camera kept us updated on possible start times. Finally, a cheer went up for the grounds crew, then another when starter Jamie Moyer plodded out to the bullpen to start warming up, then a louder one when he came back to the dugout with catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Country singer Tim McGraw delivered the first ball to the mound. Only after the game did it come out that while there he scattered some ashes from his late father Tug, one of the more beloved figures in Phillies' history. An awesome gesture. Steve Carlton, old Lefty himself, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game was scheduled to start at 8:35. It began at 10:06, after a 91-minute rain delay. What was remarkable was that within 10 minutes of game time, almost every seat in the park was filled. It was some crazy time to start a World Series game.