World Series Game 7, Guaranteed

This may be illogical, this may be naive, or this may just be a home town Phillies fan wishing his positive thinking helps his team fight back in the World Series...but I GUARANTEE a Game 7 will be played in the Bronx this Thursday.

Cliff Lee has pitched better than anyone over the last 3 months and tonight he takes the mound against an overrated A.J. Burnett. Yankee fans should be cheering for Lee to win any way so they can see their beloved bombers "win it all" (cough, cough...it won't happen) in the new Yankee Stadium on Wednesday against NYC's number one enemy, Pedro Martinez. That is the story book ending for Yankee fans...but there is always a twist.

Pedro will win Game 6 in the Bronx on Wednesday, get the last laugh once again, and walk off the field into the sunset as a bigger legend than he already was.

That brings us to Game 7 on Thursday night rather easily doesn't it.

Does Charlie Manuel give the ball back to Cliff Lee on three days rest to finish one of the most amazing World Series's ever? Does he give Cole Hamels yet another chance to redeem himself? Or are Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ the unlikely hero's of this tale...we will see...but one thing is for sure...A GAME 7 I GUARANTEE!!!!!!

EAGLES

The NFC East seemed to be a lock for the Giants but how quickly things change...the young stars of the Eagles are truly making an impact and the veterans are making a push to return to the top of the division. The window for this team has been supposedly "closing" for the last 5 years and yet this could be the best Eagles team since 2004. WHY THE HECK DID THEY NOT SHOW UP AGAINST THE RAIDERS THOUGH?! That's in the past and let's hope they bring the same toughness against the Cowboys next week as they did last Sunday.

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

With Halloween two days away, it looked like Pedro Martinez would bewitch the bats in the Bronx but A.J. Burnett was able to do just a little bit better, tricking Phillies hitters all night long.

Phillies went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first after A.J. Burnett threw a first pitch strike to each batter. Pedro started off by striking out Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon while Yankee fans obnoxiously chanted, "Who's your daddy."

Let me comment on that chant by the way...Pedro came up with it and it does not bother him so please be quite. Come up with something original. The Wolf Pack, Duck Pond, Howard's Homers, Coste Guards, Padilla Floatia, Cole Miners, Burrell's Girls, RAAAAUUULLL, and the Philly Phanatic are all original ideas New York Yankee fans cannot possibly conceive by themselves.

Excuse the little tangent...back to the game:

Raul Ibanez came up big again, scoring the first run and making a nice diving catch in the 2nd inning. Remember that this guy was leading all of MLB in AVG, HR, and RBI over the first few months of the season.

Burnett started to unravel in the third like a tempestuous teenage boy and I enjoyed every second of it. He was too focused on Jimmy Rollins on first base, got stuck in a battle with Shane Victorino, and when Chase Utley came to the plate Burnett missed the strike zone badly. Oh sureeee he was worth every penny Yankee fans...in typical NY fashion--over pay for something of low quality because of the hype.

(Martinez, World Series Champion, 3 Cy Young's, 8 time All-Star, 1 year deal $1.4 million---Burnett, ...?..., 5 year deal $85 million.)

Unfortunately, Ryan Howard was unable to kick the door open in the third, especially when considering how poorly the Yankees bullpen has been pitching. Burnett buckled down and got through 7 innings.

Even after Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui hit solo shots, there was no sense of panic from the Phillies and no energy from the Yankee fans. Martinez must have put a spell on them.

Eventually the Yankees were able to tack on another run but the Phillies continued to fight til the final strike.

This series features the two most talented teams in baseball...the teams I predicted to be in the series together...and so far it has lived up to the hype. At some point I would like to see a double digit sluggfest. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy some masterful pitching.

Looking ahead to a big day at Broad and Pattison:
SUNDAY, NOV. 1
GIANTS VS. EAGLES 1PM

YANKEES VS. PHILLIES 8:20PM

SIXERS: They opened the season against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic and lost by more than 20 points. Marreese Speights went 10-11 from the field for a career high 26 points.

WORLD SERIES BABY!

Fighting back from behind in clutch situations...jumping out ahead early on...forgetting mistakes and making the next play...this Phillies team has done it all this postseason.

They removed the hearts of the LA Dodgers for the second year in a row and have shown the character of a championship team.

This team has captured the hearts of the city of Philadelphia and their chemistry is unmatched--even by the New York Yankees which is basically a team of mercenaries, free agents with big contracts and low levels of loyalty...(Damon and Boston...A-Rod and his wife and the integrity of baseball...Teixeira and the Braves/Angels/Texas...Burnett Blue Jays...Sabathia Brewers).

Regardless of who makes it from the American League (Angels or Yankees) this World Series will be enjoyable simply because of the Phillies. They can and have done it all: homers, small ball, steal bases, amazing starting pitching (see Cliff Lee), and left fans holding their breath (sometimes for negative reasons like errors and bases loaded jams).

I can't wait and I can't believe that the Phillies are going to back to back World Series for the first time in team history.

I am sticking with my initial playoff prediction--PHILLIES OVER YANKEES.

TUNE IN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH--and cheer for not only the most talented team in baseball or the nicest group of guys...but the team that is the most fun to watch.

Some of the Phillies fans are fun to watch too.
(Most Watch!!!)

Phillies 10 Wins Away From Repeat Title

Hearing nearly 50,000 people chanting "Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee" in the 9th inning at Citizens Bank Park gave me goosebumps. It also helped the Phillies starting pitcher dig deep and finish off the Rockies in a 5-1 win after he threw 113 pitches.

If Harry Kalas were alive he might have said at the end of Game 1, "Cliff Lee, You are the MAN!"

Cliff Lee: 6 hits, 1 run (late in the ninth), 5 strikeouts, and (most importantly) 0 WALKS. Not to mention he went 1-2 from the plate and recorded the first stolen base of his career.

He got into a few jams throughout the course of the game but was able to work his way out of them. The key was that pounded the strike zone (113 pitches-79 strikes) and he avoided the big mistake or critical walk.

Trivia: In his first career game with the Philadelphia Phillies, Lee pitched a complete game in a 5–1 victory. In 2002, Lee was drafted and traded by the Expos along with Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore to the Indians for Bartolo Colon.

Cole Hamels goes tomorrow and the bullpen is fully rested (shhh...don't say it...don't even think it...have faith in them).

Phillies Offense:

Chase Utley is now 24-24 in steals in 2009. Taking into consideration all that this guy does, could he be the most underrated player in baseball? He very well may have a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger coming his way...and hopefully another World Series Ring.

Every single player in the Phillies lineup got a hit in the game, showing the depth of the lineup. The knock against the Phils has always been their inability to manufacture runs. Well, on a windy day in South Philadelphia this powerful group of hitters put 5 runs on the board without one home run.

Can't wait to see what these guys will do when they swing the bats at Coors Field.

Speaking of lineups--looking at the Rockies team you wonder how in the world this team made the playoffs...the Braves and the Marlins had much more talent on their rosters but that's the beauty of the Rockies playing the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Giants.

First Pitch: Geoff Jenkins threw out the first pitch to try and was greeted by the fans with great warmth. That goes to show you how one timely hit in the World Series can wipe away a season of below average play.

Count Down to Repeat Title: 10 more wins.

FLYERS

The Orange and Black are now 3-0!

First, a shut out. Then, a 5-2 win over the Devils. Tuesday, a 6-5 OT win over Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals.

Thursday, they face the interstate rival and defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

If you don't know about this Flyers team you better ask somebody.

Sixers

They started their preseason schedule and defeated the Toronto Raptors on back to back nights. The regular season starts Wednesday October 28 at the home of the defending East Conference Champion, the Orlando Magic.

Phils Boast Most Talent in MLB

Take a step back from the regular season and begin to think about playoff baseball.

It is about power pitching, experience, defense, and timely hitting. Most of all, it is about match-ups and I will take the Phillies roster over any team in the playoff picture. Needless to say, I really like the Phillies chances of repeating as World Series Champions.

Starters: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, and Pedro Martinez.

The Cardinals have a nice one-two punch with Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter but luckily the Phillies will only face them in a seven game series were depth players a larger role.

Line-up: Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Pedro Feliz, and Carlos Ruiz. The first six batters on the team have made an all-star team, five did so this season. Speed. Power. Average---they've got it covered. Utley and Howard will likely finish in the top 5 in MVP voting.

Bench: Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs (lefty), along with John Mayberry and Ben Francisco (righty), have the pop needed in the late innings from both sides of the plate.

Bullpen: No, I will not even attempt to make an argument for the Phillies bullpen as the best of the playoff teams but I do think it is definitely strong enough to accomplish the job. All they have to do is stay healthy and get mentally prepared for the most important month of the season.

Defense: Pedro Feliz, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino should all be in consideration for a Gold Glove. Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Jayson Werth are all solid at their positions as well. No Pat Burrell liability on this squad.

Here are my playoff predictions:

National League
Phils over Rockies Cardinals over Dodgers

Phils over Cardinals

American League
Yankees over Twins (or Tigers) Red Sox over Angles

Yankees over Red Sox

Philadelphia Phillies over New York Yankees

Bring on the Yankees...then Alicia Keys and Jay-z can change their song "Empire State" to "Keystone State" and every time they say New York we'll say Philly.

Other Philadelphia teams:

Flyers are 2-0! A shutout in the first game and then 5-2 win over the Devils...it will be a good year on Broad Street.

Eagles should have two easy wins coming their way against Tampa Bay, followed by Oakland.

Sixers start their preseason schedule tomorrow.

Birds Fly High; Phillies Just Get By

Eagles

Michael Vick returned to the field Sunday for his first regular season game in 33 months but the Eagles offense was dynamite without him against Kansas City.

The most talked about third string quarterback in the history of the NFL (Vick) lined up at wide receiver on the second play of the game, only to serve as a decoy. He would continue to attract attention from the fans, media, and the opposing Chiefs defense but he did not come up with that one spectacular play.

Even without the big play from Vick, the Eagles handled their business and played well on in all phases. The Chiefs were an inferior opponent and the Eagles demonstrated that, defeating them 34-14 and improving to 2-1.

The game was a true testament to the superb job done by the Eagles front office and coaching staff: drafting, signing, and incorporating new players into the system. Of the eleven starters on offense, only two started for the team this time last year (C Jamal Jackson and WR DeSean Jackson).

Little side note on DeSean Jackson: He has four career 100 yard games, all coming in September. He really needs to show he can be a force against solid teams, late in the season before we call him a superstar and he needs to stop with the ridiculous showboating , as well, before he breaks his arm, leg, or neck. This is not the first time he has acted like a complete fool going into the end zone. His first NFL TD was actually a fumble on the one yard line because he was immature and prematurely celebrated. DeSean, you are a year and a month older than me--making millions of dollars--grow up. Have fun, even celebrate some, but tone it down a little.

Kevin Kolb threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns. That might be the first time in NFL history that a QB threw over 325 yards in his first two career starts...check it out.

"Back-to-back 300-yard games. That's quite a compliment to the kid," said Head Coach Andy Reid.

The jury is still out though to see how he does against divisional foes with more talent than the Chiefs.

Phillies


Magic number is 3 with 7 to go. Ryan Madson held on to the lead and picked up his ninth save as he tries to provide some stability in the bullpen. The Phils left 29 guys on base today and still won 6-5...phew. We are so close...and getting closer, as a closer emerges.

Cole Hamels takes the mound tomorrow at home against the Astro's.

RBI Title: Ryan Howard has tied Prince Fielder for the league lead in RBI's (137).

FLYERS

The regular season starts this Friday in Carolina against the Hurricanes. They are 2-4 this preseason.

The Rise and Fall of Brad Lidge

How the mighty have fallen.

This will be the fourth and, I pray, final time I write about Brad Lidge blowing a save. The same Phillies closer who was perfect last season. He finished 4th in Cy Young voting and 8th in MVP ballots in 2008.

Now, his stats are looking eerily similar to the horrendous year in 2006 only worse!

Tonight, he lost his 8th game of the season, has blown his 11th save, and increased his ERA to an unheard of 7.48. One run lead, bottom of the ninth....Phillies have a problem. I have ignored this obvious concern to the best of my ability but I can no longer turn a blind eye to how pathetic Brad Lidge has been this season.

I am not sure what season was more remarkable and beyond belief: the success of last season or the failure of this one.

This Phillies squad has everything, and I mean everything, a championship ball club needs.

Pedigree (defending champs), power (4 guys over 30 home runs), speed (Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Werth, and even Ryan Howard), defense (2 or 3 potential gold glove winners), starting pitching (AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, League and World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton having a career year, possible NL Rookie of the Year JA Happ, and a future Hall of Famer named Pedro Martinez), and even a solid set up man in Ryan Madson.

The only ? is the mental state of Brad Lidge. Physically, he must be fine because he still has nice velocity with his slider and fastball.

I thought his perfect season last year was a sign he was past the Albert Pujols saga.

However, it seems the fans in Philadelphia are reliving what happened in Houston a few years ago.

I have offered various opinions on what to do regarding Lidge and the closers role in general. Nothing has worked, although Charlie Manuel gave Ryan Madson his fair share of opportunities to no avail.

Post Season play begins in 2 weeks and the magic number remains at 5. The Phillies are a team that everyone fears, but Brad Lidge is one pitcher that batters are happy to face at the moment.

Don't count him out yet. You must have faith because the Phillies will continue live and die with Brad Lidge as their closer this season. Like it or not.