Written by Mike Mariano | 09 October 2009

Sorry for the delay, but it's been a hectic one thus far and I am just now finding time to write some words about yesterday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies.  Honestly, I didn't get to watch the game but I listened to most of the game on the radio including the dramatic, yet disappointing finish.  Here are my thoughts:

1. Can we really fault Cole?

I don't know.  I'm decidedly on the fence on this one.  Yeah Ol' King Cole wasn't very effective and seemed to be in his own world during a playoff game.  However, the fact that his baby was potentially being born while he pitched is one of the few excuses that I'm willing to accept.  So yeah, I think he deserves a little bit of a pardon for his subpar effort.

2.  Now's the time for Yorvit to break his homerless slump?

The guy hasn't homered since May and now he finds his power swing in what is one of the biggest home runs of the Rockies season.  Come on.  Hamels wasn't pitching great, but serving one up to Yorvit is a sad thing.

3.  Now, the series has begun.

The old saying is that it isn't a series until one team wins on the road and the Rockies accomplished just that.  Now the Phillies have to go to Colorado and take at least one.  This isn't the most daunting of tasks, however sweeping the opening games at home would've made a Rockies comeback nearly impossible.

4.  I really thought it was going to be a walk-off win.

Listening to the game you could hear the excitement in the stadium and I was sure that somebody was going to get it done.  Stairs battled and walked and then Jimmy got on base.  With Shane at the plate, I really thought magic was about to happen and Mets fans everywhere would puke knowing that their Most Hated Phillie drove in the winning runs.

5.  Chris Berman announcing baseball sucks.

I don't know how in the world Chris Berman got the assignment to announce the game, but it was a nice of telling Phillies and Rockies fans to shove it.  The back-to-back day games is bad enough, but having to listen to Chris Berman announce it was a direct kick to the groin.  Most of the time it was a struggle to have any idea what was going on during the game.  It's not entirely Berman's fault, how is he supposed to have a feel for baseball play-by-play he never does it.  Why take chances with weird booth combos in the playoffs of all times?  It makes no sense.  Stick to what works.

6.  Pedro is on the hill for game 3.

This isn't so great, as Benny pointed out, because it might be snowing and that can't be good for an old tired arm.  However, the cold will only make it more difficult to hit and Pedro's old guy stuff should be that much more difficult to hit.  Saturday night should be a good low scoring game.  But if the homers start flying you didn't hear that from me.

Written by Mike Mariano | 07 October 2009

Well that was easy.  Cliff Lee went out and nearly threw a compelte game shut-out.  Also, the offense put togther a strong 5 runs on extra base hits all over the field.  Jayson Werth had a triple and Ibanez, Howard, and Victorino added doubles combining for 3 of the 5 runs.  Carlos Ruiz and Ibanez added the other two runs on singles.  Howard's double might've hit Ashburn Alley in dead center if not for a wind blowing it straight in.

More on Cliff, he retired the first 16 batters he faced and was a strike away from the elusive shut-out.  Cliff had it all working and the little pressure he faced didn't seem to bother him at all.  Lee was the beneficiary of 2 blown calls early in the game, but we'll just file that in the lucky us department.  One being Jayson Werth throwing out a runner at third who was actually safe.  The other was rather unorthodox.  Cliff stole second after a solid base knock, then was picked off by Ubaldo Jimenez but the ump called him safe.  This play was much closer, but he still should've been called out.

Most impressive about Cliff's outing was his fastball control.  From the first inning to last Cliff was delivering knee high fastballs for strikes on both sides of the plate.  As a hitter that is obviously one of the hardest pitches to hit and it inflates the opposing offense when you start down 0-1 because that's not a desirable pitch to hit on the first offering.  Lots of Rockies hitters were taking the low fastball and looking back at the ump after a strike call.  However it seemed that they were more in disbelief that he could continuously do it, not so much mad at the ump's call.  Impressive throughout.

Cliff's outing also reflects very, very brightly on Chuck's decision to start him over Hamels despite the fact that Hamels is technically our ace and has been in the past.  The choice made perfect sense when you factor in days rest.  This start gave Cliff an extra day rest and keep Cole on track, whereas a swap would leave Cliff on 7 days rest and Cole on 4.  That factor makes it a simple decision and Manuel chose wisely.  Then again if Cole sucks tomorrow, people might be second guessing the whole thing again.  However, I don't think that'll happen, nor will it be warranted to bash Charlie if it does.

Written by Mike Mariano | 07 October 2009

I didn't see the leaked roster until this morning while cruising the Phillies blogosphere.  The Good Phight has the projected/leaked/reported roster and it looks as seen in the table on the right side of the screen.

Uncommonly, there are some surprises.  Namely, Eric Bruntlett has been left off the list.  I'm on the fence about the move.  TGP seems to be in favor of it and I can certainly understand their logic.  Bruntlett is a crappy hitter and isn't a stellar enough defensive guy to warrant being in the lineup.  My only question is, how much of an upgrade is Miguel Cairo?  Bruntlett may not bring a ton to the table but he's a smart veteran who understands his role and the game.  Yeah, I guess Cairo does too so it doesn't really matter.  Moving on.

Bastardo and Kendrick are also surprising additions.  Bastardo is a nice choice because he is an interesting lefty who should give the Rockies trouble.  Party because of his South Paw orientation and partly because they haven't faced him this season.  Kendrick on the other hand, well it sucks.  Phillies fans have less faith in Kendrick than they do in Lidge.  And that is saying something.  Tyler Walker and Clay Condrey got left off and I think either of those guys would be better choices that Kendrick.

Only one more day until we can stop chatting about what may or could happen and we get to see it all play out on the field.  Cliff Lee takes the mound for the Phillies in game one.  The title defense hits full gear, starting today at 2:37 p.m. E.T.

Written by Mike Mariano | 06 October 2009

Phillies vs. Rockies should be a good series, however it appears to be getting the short end of the tv schedule stick presumably because the people up top think that the Phillies are going to roll over the Rockies and into the next round.  I'm not that confident, however I can see where they're coming from.  On paper, Hamels and Lee trumps Cook/Marquis/Jimenez any day.  Also, their lineup doesn't have half the star power that the Phillies have.  So that's why we've got back to back games at 2:37 p.m. which sucks because who's home every day at that time?  Not this guy.

Let's dig a little deeper and break down this matchup a little more.  The Phillies play the same style of baseball they did a year ago.  Play for the long ball and out slug everyone.  The better the pitching, the easier that strategy is, but at this point no one knows what the Phillies will get from their starters or bullpen right now.  Lee and Hamels have been up & down recently and most of the season.  The bullpen has been shakier than Parkinson's and is a crapshoot at this point. One thing that allows for some confidence is that this is a team full of guys with rings.  Everybody already knows what it takes to win the big one and everyone has played on the biggest stage in baseball and succeeded.

The Rockies on the other hand are a strange case.  This is a team that swept the Phillies in the 2007 NLDS like we were a AAA-team.  The lineup and pitching staff is solid from top to bottom.  There may not be anybody on either side of the ball who strikes the fear of god into you, but if the Phillies take them lightly (like in '07), they're going to get smacked (like in '07).  Many of the lesser known pitchers in Colorado have put together much better stats in the last few weeks of the season.  Also, the Rockies are playing considerably better baseball than the Phillies are coming into this match-up.

My prediction: the Phillies win in 5 games.  That's just my gut reaction.  I think the Phillies come out flat in game one.  Win both 2 & 3, then suffer the let down in game 4 to send the series to a final fifth game.  In that game I think the Phillies will rise to the occasion and push themselves into the next round.  It won't be pretty, but it'll do.  No matter what happens, it's great to be back in the playoffs and great to watch October baseball again.

Written by Mike Mariano | 05 October 2009

It's playoff time and the NL East Champion Phillies have drawn the Colorado Rockies as their NLDS matchup.  I was going to write a little preview on the matter and most likely will tomorrow, however to tide you over here is some great Phillies/Rockies stuff from around the net:

Reasons why the Phillies will and won't win it all this year from The Good Phight: They’re gassed. Rich Hoffman has noted it,  as has Ken Rosenthal. And you’ve seen it too: Chase Utley’s weak swings, Shane Victorino’s disappearing strike zone judgment, Pedro Feliz’s regression, Jayson Werth’s flails and corkscrews. No lineup in baseball has been worked as hard as this one, and it’s shown in their September hitting performances. A few days of rest and the adrenaline boost of the playoffs will help—but the accumulated fatigue of eight solid months of baseball can’t be argued away. Facing some of the best pitchers in the game, the Phils hitters might also have to battle the limitations of their own overtaxed bodies.

Series preview from Recliner GM:  Bottom Feeders Jayson Werth / Pedro Feliz / Carlos Ruiz vs. Brad Hawpe / Clint Barmes / Yorvit Torrealba This might look like a easy category for the Phillies as Jayson Werth was one of only 8 players in the NL with 35 HR and 99 RBI this season, but there is more to it than that. Not only did both Hawpe and Barmes drive in more than 75 RBI this season, but the Rockies have several players (seen below in the bench category) that can be inserted into these spots in the order based on match-ups. This gives the Rockies slightly better depth on any given day because they can play to the opposing teams’ pitchers’ weaknesses. For those looking to argue that Feliz also knocked 80+ RBI, keep in mind that that was primarily because of the number of people on base in front of him. His .694 OPS ranks 69th out of 76 eligible NL players. Slight edge to the Rockies.

The most extensive series preview you're going to find at Crashburn Alley:  Four of the Rockies’ top-five hitters are left-handed and the same goes for the Phillies if you count switch-hitter Shane Victorino. The Phillies will throw out two lefty starters against the Rockies’ lefties gaining the platoon advantage while the Rockies will use two righties against the Phillies’ lefty mashers. In the batter/pitcher match-ups, the Phillies have a nice advantage here.

20 Things about the Rockies from the Daily News: 1. The Rockies started the season a paltry 18-28, prompting general manager Dan O'Dowd to replace Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy. The move paid immediate dividends as the team rallied around its new skipper. Colorado went an astounding 74-42 under Tracy, becoming the first team in major league history to go from 10 games under .500 to at least 20 games over, and making him the favorite to be named NL Manager of the Year.

Written by Mike Mariano | 01 October 2009

Finally.  The Champagne and the beer flowed long last night after a Phillies win and Braves loss to clinch the Phillies third straight NL East Championship.  It's in the bag and now all we've got to think about is the playoffs and the possibility of another WS run.

Written by Mike Mariano | 30 September 2009

The team meeting is the manager's universal sign for "I don't know what the hell you guys are doing out there, figure it out and win some games."  Before Tuesday's game, Charlie Manuel thought it appropriate to have one and refocus his team that has been stumbling down towards the finish.  Jayson Stark has some good quotes and thoughts about Charlie's meeting decision:

That Manuel chose to have the talk before the game with Houston, which beat ace Cole Hamels in an 8-2 Phillies' loss on Monday, was a considerable step because Manuel isn't typically a big fan of meetings. But he hasn't been happy with the way his team has approached the job at hand over the past week and he wanted to re-focus the club on the concept they embraced so well last October -- worry about winning each game as it comes along and not try to look ahead to clinching.

"It was a good time for it," shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "I think a lot of players actually enjoyed it, hearing Chuck talk. To be honest, some players wish he would talk more, but that's not Chuck's style."

Manuel expressed worries about his team not having the same hunger this year. When Rollins was asked about his manager's concerns, he said he'd seen the same thing at times.

"I think sometimes when you haven't won anything you fight for it more, but when you've won -- sometimes you expect things to happen rather than fight for them," Rollins said. "People aren't just going to let us win, just because we did it last year."

While I find it hard to believe that anyone in the locker room understood what Charlie said (he's a classic mumbler), he shows time and time again that he has a great feel for the mindset and psyche of his ballclub.  I don't mean for this to come off as "Phillies win, Manuel a genius", I think the statements from guys like Rollins are a much more telling sign of Manuel's capabilities as a manager.

From the 7-4 win over the Astros:

• Pedro Feliz got all heroic with a grand slam.
• J.A. Happ was effective.
• Jay Werth has 35 homers on the year, he continues to make this an incredible season for the former part-timer.
• Ryan Madson held it down for the save.
• The Magic Number is now 2.

Written by Mike Mariano | 29 September 2009

Here's a little something for the new forum section that no one appears to be interested in.  ForeverShea has joined us and contributed a great post about the Most Hated Phillie and what the title means to him.  I'm posting it here for two reasons: it's a good commentary and worth sharing, also if you write something interesting and insightful in the comments or forum area, I'll relay on here for more people to see and read.

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Trying to think of a Phillie I hate the most was actually harder than I had anticipated. I'm ashamed to admit though that the last time I watched any Philly/Met game of any sort of significance was last season and therefore the Phillie I hate the most comes off last season's roster:

Pat Burrell has 42 HR and 104 RBIs lifetime versus the Mets. Thanks Pat. Thanks that you usually look like a fool and strike-out 12 times a game versus everyone else in the league but pound the Mets. Pat is a Met killer but deserves his Philly boos against everyone else. When the Mets roll into Citizen's Bank Park he's all of a sudden the most popular jersey in the place. I hate that he'd be a Hall of Famer if only ever played against my favorite New York squad. I hate that stupid picture of him working out like he's the coolest thing to ever walk on the earth  (small side note, I did enjoy WS parade Pat leading the way, riding on his Budweiser wagon being pulled by Clydesdales- saying to Philly, you didn't think I could ever bring you a ring, now I did, now I get to ride down Broad Street like I literally own the place, forget my teammates, give me my beer, pick up my horses' poop, and kiss my ring).

Burrell's slaughtering of the Mets is second only to the extremely hated LARRY (Atlanta's Chipper Jones). At least he appeared to be a class act, ran hard, kept his head down, and even named one of his kids Shea in respect of how much he loved to play there. Not much can be said about Pat. He doesn't hustle, he makes dumb plays, he strikes out too much and he shows a genuine apathy while doing it all. All he does is hurt the Mets. I can't respect a guy like that. At least Larry has the Hall of Fame waiting an awards all over his shelves at home.

I'm glad to see Pat go. Enjoy the AL! Cool move going to the team you beat in the World Series the previous season, I wonder if he wears the ring in the locker room? Probably does. Sometimes watching Met/Phils games I still expect to see Pat in the on-deck circle, waiting to hit more game changing home runs off Mets pitching.

So yea, last Phillie player I've taken the time to strongly dislike is Pat Burrell. A lot. Still.

Written by Mike Mariano | 28 September 2009

3 is the magic number.  Any amount of Phillies wins or Braves losses equally that total will put the Phillies into the playoffs for the third consecutive season.  It's a wonderful thing.  Mets fans everywhere are praying that the Phillies will collapse and give them something to cheer for this season.  The Mets season may be a waste of a large payroll and a year of Wright and Reyes' primes, however if the Phillies collapsed down the stretch I have to assume that Mets fans would take some solice in the moral victory.  A big difference however would be that the Mets wouldn't be jumping us down the stretch it would be the Braves and Mets fans hate the Braves very much also.  There can be no happiness in Mets Nation.

Bullpen woes have continued (Tyler Walker meet Ryan Braun), however on Sunday the Phillies won the game doing everything that they've lacked lately.  There was one run from home runs for your Phightins and the bullpen held the Brewers scoreless over 3.2 innings.  That's what I'm talking about.  Condrey, Escalona, Durbin, & Madson combined to shut it down and pick up the save.  Things got a little hairy in the ninth in a one run game with the winning run up, but Madson took care of business.

In playoff race news, the Braves continue to win seemingly every game, however they have a mountainous task to try and jump the Phillies.  It's a classic case of too little, too late.  If the season ended today, the Phillies take on the Rockies, a team that the Phillies beat 4-2 in the season series.  That could easily change between now and the final seven games, who knows.  A win is a win is a win and the Phillies only need 3 more before we can rest easy and worry about the playoffs.

Written by Mike Mariano | 24 September 2009

Should I even write something for a Brad Lidge blown save or should I simply copy and paste and old thought?  I want to trust Lidge and I want him to be our closer.  Also, I think he should be the closer.  However, Brad is doing everything possible to play himself out of the role.  I don't know what Lidge did this offseason, but he certainly pissed off the baseball gods.  How you can go perfect for a whole season and postseason and then be the walking dead, is beyond me.

Cole Hamels did a great job pitching deep into the game despite being in some trouble.  Ryan Howard led the offense with a double, a homer, and four RBIs.  Lidge just couldn't manage to close down a good win for the Phils.  Charlie Manuel is putting himself on the line with the way he's handling the closer situation, but it is a credit to him that he's built a psyche within the club such that the guys can handle struggling and bad losses.  Charlie is a baseball lifer, yet still manages to make a mess of different in-game situations and strategies.  However, Manuel is a fantastic clubhosue and personality manager.  The team can handle a faulty bullpen mentally,  The only question remaining is whether the team can handle a collapsing bullpen on the scoreboard.