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.

Phillies Ready to Clinch; Eagles Lose Opener

The Phillies and Eagles were both in action on Sunday but only one team came away with a W.

We start, of course, with the more important team in Philadelphia at the moment.

Phillies magic number: 6!

Brad Lidge gave up a run in the ninth ...again...but the Phils hung on to get a 4-2 win over the Braves on the road. With a 3 game sweep of the Marlins, and some bad luck for the Braves, the Phillies could clinch back to back NL East Division titles this week. Obviously this team has loftier goals then a divisional championship.

They are currently 2nd in the National League in terms of winning percentage....waiting to see how the standings shake out to see who their opponent will be in the first round and whether they will have home field advantage.

Eagles

The final score of 48-22 really does not indicate how close the game was at Lincoln Financial Field. Saints FS Darren Shaper picked off the ball in the end zone and returned it 97 yards--causing a big 14 point swing. Eagles KR Ellis Hobbs fumbling the kickoff in Eagles territory to start the 2nd half hurt most of all, giving Drew Brees prime field position and he capitalized.

The good news:

QB Kevin Kolb managed the game well. He was put in some very difficult positions since the special teams played so poorly. There was an infraction or turnover on almost every single special teams play. His yardage numbers were padded a little towards the end when the game was out of reach and the Saints coverage dropped way back.

All Kolb was asked to do was to give the Eagles a fighting chance, control the ball and the clock, and don't try to do too much. Except for one interception, he pretty much accomplished those tasks.

The starting QB in Week three will be...??? Kevin Kolb or Donovan McNabb (highly unlikely...recovering from broken rib). Michael Vick will be activated though and considering how many times the Eagles ran the wildcat formation against the Saints (around 10) Vick should get a number of snaps and hopefully build on the success of DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook (ironic side note: Westbrook's Alma mater, The Villanova Wildcats, defeated my Alma mater, Penn, 14-3 Saturday at Franklin Field. Nova is #3 in the country in D-1AA).

Scary but slim possibility: Will the Eagles keep Kolb in over Vick and Jeff Garcia simply to try and prove a point that their first selection in the 2007 draft was not a bust? This team is way to talented and deep to allow a young QB to stand in their way of victories. As Herm Edwards said, "You play to win the game."

Possible Pro Bowl Picks: Trent Cole is a beast, recording a sack and an interception. DeSean Jackson has really made a name for himself and still has not reached his full potential. Way too soon to tell but it's fun to speculate...especially in regard to success.

Thank God for good hands: Jason Avant showed his ability as a tough, sure handed slot receiver last season and he continued to impress against the Saints on a couple of occasions, including a TD. He also happens to love Jesus and can be heard singing Gospel music on the field during practice.

Phillies Poised for another Parade

JA Happ, Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer, Pedro Martinez, Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. Who ever has been on the mound to start the game for the Phils over the last month has seemingly been successful. Guys are pitching deeper into games, throwing well over 100 pitches some nights. People may say that means the arms will fall apart in October. Others argue that will build endurance. I am happy sitting back and enjoying the best starting pitching in all of baseball over the last months.

The offense continued to impress last night against Tim Hudson of the streaking Atlanta Braves. Ryan Howard homered twice and Ben Francisco followed Jimmy Rollins 9th inning two run home run with a solo shot of his own. Chase Utley and Jayson Werth are continuing to add to their fine seasons and all that remains is the bullpen...(this is a happy article...no need to bring it down so we will move on).

The Phillies are now 26 games over the .500 mark, the first time that has happened since they went to the World Series in 1993. The magic number is eight...let the countdown begin.

Prediction:
Phillies over the Yankees in the World series.

_________________________________________________________

Quick Eagles note:

I am glad Kevin Kolb is getting his first NFL start so the team can properly assess his ability. With that being said, I think his security blankets will be dumping the ball off to Brian Westbrook and Brent Celek so look for them both to have big games.

Tune in to see Drew Brees and that highly touted New Orleans offense get smashed by a fundamentally sound and highly intelligent Eagles defense.

Flyers preseason hockey is under way...if nothing else, they will be fun to watch and cheer for but I anticipate another competitive playoff appearance.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

A big win by the Eagles, 2 wins by the Phillies in a day-night double header against the Mets, and a sunny 80 degree day...perfection in Philadelphia on September 13th.

Bravo and congratulations to Sean McDermott: an extremely kind, qualified, and gracious successor to Jim Johnson who had to LOVE what his defense did today forcing 7 turnovers and scoring a touchdown.

TE Brent Celek and FB Leonard Weaver both will be welcomed starters and could DeSean Jackson possibly eclipse 1,000 yards this season? Let's not get crazy, it was only week one but I did not expect a win, let alone a 38-10 blowout against a playoff team.

QB issues and articles to come later in the week I am sure. Sadly, since being the Eagles first draft choice in 2007, Kevin Kolb has had chances in the preseason and sporadically when it counts and hasn't shown anything to really hang your hat on.

Bring on Michael Vick in week 3 I guess, or Jeff Garcia, but whatever happens mark September 13th on your calendar for being a wonderful Philadelphia sports day.

Phillies

First, Kyle Kendrick bounces back and looks like the Kendrick of 2007 that went 10-4...blanking the Mets in the first 7 innings and giving up 2 runs, 1 walk, and 7 hits in 7.1 innings of work.

I will skip past all of the late game theatrics with Brad Lidge, I've covered that issue enough over the last two weeks, and just say that he recorded his 29th save.

Kendricks performance and Jamie Moyer's start the other day provide more evidence that Pedro Martinez could be used as a closer.


Then!!! Pedro goes out a turns back the clock for the whole country to see as the game was aired on ESPN...tell me this guy doesn't perform well in the limelight.

8 innings, 2 walks, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, and 0 runs...now 5-0 with the Phillies 2.87 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.

Ryan Madson gave a much less dramatic performance in the night for his 8th save.

Another nice pick up for the GM Ruben Amaro and the Phillies front office was outfielder Ben Francisco who has provided some right handed production since arriving with Cliff Lee. The 28 year old went 2-4 with a stolen base and a home run in the day game. He has 14 sb's and 14 hr's on the season (He has a long way to go but could he be the future Jayson Werth or Shane Victorino... anyone???).

Side note: In case you haven't seen or heard of the sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which airs on FX, might I suggest looking it up on hulu.com.

Phillies Closer Nightmare

Enough Already!!!

To quote Green Day: Wake me up when September ends.

I don't want to write or debate about the Phillies current closer predicament any longer. This is ridiculous...and almost laughable because the team is on the verge of collapsing like the Mets have the last two seasons.

The Florida Marlins are five games back and play the Phillies six more times, including the final series of the season at home which should make things interesting.

I don't want an interesting pennant race. It has been interesting the last few seasons and incredibly exciting but with health care in the state that it's in, I can't afford any late September heart attacks.

I think it is safe to say that Brett Myers, Brad Lidge, and Ryan Madson are not capable of closing a game at the moment. Whether it's health, confidence, or an amazing series of bad luck...further experimentation is needed.

I hate saying this especially after previously writing adamantly against this but...Pedro Martinez needs a shot at closing.

There I said it---knowing full well the list of arguments I have made against it:

1. He is old and might not be able to pitch night after night.
2. He has more value as a starter (he is better than J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, and Kyle Kendrick)
3. We have three "capable" pitchers in the bullpen (Myers, Madson, Lidge)--this point is fading quickly.
4. He has three career saves and the last one came in 1994 when he was with the Expos.
5. Putting Pedro in as the closer could potentially destroy any confidence Madson and Lidge have left.

Other options: J.C. Romero but he walks guys a lot and isn't expected back until mid September.

Martinez is supposed to start tomorrow night (Game 2 of the double header) against Tim Redding so it is highly unlikely a move would be made the day of his start but within the next few weeks Pedro Martinez should at least get one shot to come out of the bullpen.

The Big Baby

The Eagles franchise, 26 year old offensive linemen, Shawn Andrews, is a dominant and gifted football player.

He has a love-able, youthful personality that earned him the nickname "The Big Kid." Andrew lists Willy Wonka as his favorite movie of all time and owns a framed copy of a golden ticket. A few years ago, he went up against professional sumo wrestlers outside of the NovaCare Complex. He even sports a dyed "bro hawk" hairdo to show that he can joke around and have fun.

BUT...he has rarely been on the field since 2007 and many issues have arouse from the start of training camp in 2008. The 6-4, 335 pound guard/tackle has had many people in Philadelphia asking questions about his heart, maturity, loyalty, dedication, mental/physical/emotional stability, desire to play football...you name it.

After the Eagles took Andrews with 16th selection overall in the 2004 draft, he stood out from the rest of the guards in the NFC and made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2007 (he was the 1st alternate in 2005).

His play on the field and his personality made him a fan favorite--so much so that many people (myself included) still have hope for him and believe he will return to being an integral part of the Eagles offense in 2009.
The trouble began when it was reported that Andrews was unable to work out with the team in training camp last year because of mental health reasons. The Eagles front office did an amazing job this off season in acquiring two-time Pro Bowl and All Pro selection OT Jason Peters who happened to be Andrews roommate at Arkansas. They also brought in Shawn's older brother and former starter for the Cincinnati Bengals Stacey Andrews. Now, Shawn has talent and emotional support on the O-line and in the locker room, but he is still unable to get himself on the field.

Going into the season opener against the Carolina Panthers, it would have been nice to have "The Big Kid" going up against Julius Peppers instead of Winston Justice.

All of the questions and concerns with Shawn Andrews will be put to rest once he gets on the field and we all anxiously await that day.

Bio: http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/eagles_files/html/andrews_shawn_1.html

The Comeback that almost was...

Last night was the most enjoyable, exciting lose I may have ever seen from a Phillies team.

Down, 8-2 in the 9th against the Nationals...a Matt Stairs grand slam...some small ball from the top of the lineup and then the big man, Ryan Howard up with a man on first and third with one out and down 8-7.

The Nationals catcher, Wil Nieves, had difficulty all inning keeping the ball in front of him and the rain was pouring down so I was screaming at the TV...SEND UTLEY!!! He hasn't been caught yet this season (18 SB-0 CS), it would put the go ahead run in scoring position, it would remove the chances of a double play (which is what happened), and with Shane Victorino on third the Nats might not have even made an attempt to through down to second base.

Brad Lidge came in during the 8th and struck out two batters after giving up a triple to Willy Harris. One strike out came in a nine pitch battle against Ryan Zimmerman...when you are struggling like Lidge you have to find the positives wherever you can and build off of them.

Concern:

The Marlins are five games back...time for the fightins to get their minds out of the dogs days of summer and into shape for October ball.

Here is a link to explain the significance of having four, 30 home run guys on one team:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090908&content_id=6863766&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

The State of the Eagles

Before I get into all the Eagle talk as they approach the season opener in Carolina let me say that I think the Phillies will win the world series and become the 22nd repeat champions since 1903 (I looked it up and counted...try me). Even with the bullpen issues and mini heart attacks night in and night out, they will win. We've got the defense, offense, and starting pitching...we will win (think, repeat, reality).

Ok--The State of the Eagles

Team President shared that he observed new wrinkles in the Eagles offense during practice that he has never seen before in the NFL. He thinks the teams youth and athleticism will result in a even more explosive and aggressive offense--last season the Eagles set a franchise record for points scored.

In case you haven't heard--Omar Gaither is slotted to start at Middle Linebacker and rookie Macho Harris will be the first man to replace Brian Dawkins at Free Safety. This could be good for Quintin Demps and Sean Jones because as they say, "You don't want to be the guy who replaces the legend, you want to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the legend." (It's something to that effect..anyway).

Jeremiah Trotter spoke at the event tonight at Lincoln Financial Field and he kept talking about how good of shape he was in and how he would consider coming back to play!!!!!!!

Other speakers hinted that Andy Reid was two years ahead of the curve by getting Michael Vick because the NFL will eventually adapt the spread offense philosophy that majority of college teams have. They called Michael Vick the best spread offense QB of all time....please don't let there be QB drama (I am sadly getting the feeling that there will be..eeekk).

Prediction for week 1: Carolina wins 28-24. But I hope I am wrong. Gaither and Harris will be weaknesses. The Eagles running game will be ineffective because the O line has had little time to work together and Westbrook will play through any injury.

Soon it will be time to throw in some Flyers and Sixers talk but first...the Phils will win the world series (think, repeat, reality).

Phillies Closer Experiment #2: Success

What Charlie Manuel did tonight with the Phillies bullpen is probably going to be the best solution to the closer crisis.

It is a term that scares many people but the Phillies might have a closer by committee. I am not sure on how many teams won the world series with such a strategy and I know how reassuring a feeling it can be as a fan to know that the 9th inning is taken care of (Brad Lidge last season), but this looks like a good move.

Brett Myers, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson all pitched late in the game today to help Pedro Martinez improve to 4-0 (3.64 ERA and a WHIP just over 1). Pedro has way too much value as starter so I would argue strongly with moving him to the closer role and reinserting Jamie Moyer, although the 46 year old lefty has done well with his new role.

Fun Fact: With Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez reaching the 30 hr plateau today, the Phillies are the only team in baseball to have 4 guys over that mark.

Eagles

My quick little blurb about the Birds...I would not touch any Eagles wide receiver in your upcoming fantasy drafts. Like the Phillies closers right now, the Eagles WR's work as a collective unit. No one guy is going to break out and have double digit TD's or over 1,000 yards (DeSean was close last year with an injured Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook).

Westbrook is going to fall in a lot of leagues but if he is there in the late 2nd round take a shot.

Donovan McNabb has lots of toys to work with but from what I've seen in the preseason and knowing how unproductive the team has been in the red zone the last few years...I think inside the 20 will be Michael Vick time.

I would also be the happiest fan on the planet if we gave our FB's and RB's more touches near the goal line but that might be asking too much. Leonard Weaver had 2 TD's last year...2 more than all of our FB's combined, however both of his TD's were receptions. So much for smash mouth football and so much for the fantasy value of a LeSean "Shady" McCoy. The Eagles are a great team in reality...not so much in fantasy.

2008 World Series MVP Pitches GEM

Cole Hamels pitched his second complete game shutout of the season and has not given up a run in his last 19 innings pitched (Orel Hershiser holds the record with 59 scoreless innings pitched).

The Phillies offense forced Hamels to pitch superbly tonight as they only managed 5 hits and 1 run thanks to an RBI double by Ryan Howard (who continues to rake in August and September as in years past).

Hamels threw 118 pitches--80 for strikes, 9 strikeouts, 2 hits and 1 walk. It seems that all of the Phillies starters are pitching later into games since the arrival of Cliff Lee and his old school philosophy regarding pitch counts...just throw til I can't throw anymore.

Meanwhile.....

This was Carlos Carrasco's line after his debut in Cleveland against the Detroit Tigers. He gave up 4 runs in the first inning. So far in the Cliff Lee deal---advantage Phillies.

Carrasco, C (L, 0-1)

3 innings, 9 hits, 6 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts.

J.A. Happ should go tomorrow for the Phils against new Giant Brad Penny. Then Thursday it should be Pedro Martinez vs. Lincecum.

My prediction: Phillies win tomorrow with the future NL Rookie of the Year on the mound and then lose the finale to the future repeat NL Cy Young Winner.

Nuggets:

Cole Hamels stole the first base in his 4 year MLB career (110 games). As a team, the Phillies have successfully stolen 92 bases this season and have been caught 20 times (82.1 %). Only the Texas Rangers have a better success rate (82.6%). Chase Utley stole his 17th stolen bases in the game and has yet to be caught in 2009.

Vick Recap & Phillies hold a 7 game lead

I really do not enjoy doing this but being that I am writing a blog regarding Philadelphia Sports I feel it is necessary to give what I observed of Michael Vick's debut in Philadelphia--before I talk about more serious matters at the moment such as the 1st place Philadelphia Phillies.

Vick showed up to a standing ovation. Some sports journalists in the city thought the fans would booo incisively, not sure why they predicted such a reaction, but regardless custom Vick jerseys and t-shirts are all over the city. Outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday there were a hand full of protesters and anti-Vick signage---again more was wrongfully and illogically predicted (but there were a few protesters at Broad and Pattison).

Let's just say that if Donovan McNabb or the Eagles offense struggles, this signing will be more interesting and dramatic than ANYTHING that happened with Terrell Owens (including the sit ups in his driveway and the locker room fight).

Three preseason games down, one more to go and the Birds do not look very sharp but that could be part of the proven coaching staffs master plan. I might be wrong here but I don't think the Patriots that went 16-0 did not have a winning record in the preseason.

Vick Press Conference from PhiladelphiaEagles.com:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/multimedia/index.asp?mm_file_id=7550&play_clip=y

Vick Highlights from PhiladelphiaEagles.com:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/multimedia/index.asp?mm_file_id=7544&play_clip=y

PHILLIES

On to what really matters at the end of August...baseball. If the rain would stop in Philadelphia we might be able to see a very important series play out for the NL East Pennet. Pedro Martinez's last 2 starts were interrupted by rain and ironically the guy Martinez was brought in to replace, Jamie Moyer, has pitched the lions share of the innings. Not only that, but Moyer has pitched very well since Martinez's arrival.

Tonight, Cliff Lee showed that he was human but knowing that pitchers are creatures of habit and do not like to have their routines alternate in any way--I might give Lee a free pass tonight since the game was delayed 30-45 minutes (I despise excuses but I love Cliff Lee).

Jayson Werth was honored before the game for being the MLB Player of the Week last week. It is August 30th, the Phillies lead the Braves by 7 games which is the second largest division lead in all of baseball, and the final game of the series is tonight at 8pm on ESPN (Joe Blanton vs. Jair Jurrjens). Tune in for that. Weather forecasts are optimistic in Philadelphia so it should be a great finale.

The Giants come into Philly on Tuesday-Thursday to try and gain ground on the NL Wild card leading Rockies, they have a 1 game lead.

Looking ahead, dare I say the Phillies schedule does not look too difficult--prepare yourself for third straight playoff appearance.

Correction:

Correction regarding "Happ for ROY" post: Pablo Sandoval had 15 at-bats more than the alloted 130 last season to allow him to retain his rookie status. With that said, J.A. Happ in my opinion should definitely win the NL Rookie of the Year.

Phillies Closer Experiment #1: Fail

Who's next?

Ryan Madson has blown more saves (5) than he has successfully converted (4).

I've heard everything from bringing back Mitch Williams to calling up Scott Mathieson who is just coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2006 and another elbow injury in 2007.

I'm tired, I want to move on...Brad Lidge is the closer--win or lose.

Thank you Ryan Howard for being awesome and saving the Phillies the humiliation of blowing two consecutive games to the Pirates.

Howard: 35 hr's, 107 RBI's..

Eagles

With the high probability that Michael Vick will play tomorrow, the city is buzzing. Will Andy Reid show a wildcat formation (unlikely)? Will Vick play so well that it begins a huge controversy over who is the Eagles starting QB (even more unlikely but interesting)?

This is the most anticipated preseason game in the NFL and my interest is more on how will Joe Mays play at middle linebacker. I want to see Quintin Demps inflict some pain from free safety. LeSean McCoy has had a lot of carriers this preseason and I really would like him to escape the preseason free from injury.

Oh and of course I'd love to see Michael Vick take off down the field but my point is he is not the most important piece of the puzzle in tomorrow's game.

My early prediction for this team...9-7...wild card.

I reserve the right to make my final prediction before week one.

Closer, close to being out???

In my bio, I said that I am generally a positive and enthusiastic analyst and observer of Philadelphia sports. However, if I failed to mention it in the bio, I would also like to say that even though I am from Philadelphia and work in the Philadelphia sports market, I will try to be unbiased and present a verdict based on the facts rather than personal emotion.

So let's talk about tonight's lose to the Pirates:

Emotionally, I desperately want to be loyal to Brad Lidge. The same man who feel to his knees after striking out Eric Hinske to win the World Series. He had a completely, utterly, flawlessly, perfect season and I will always remember that.

I will also remember that was in 2008.

This is 2009.

Lidge just blew his 9th save, is 0-6, and has a 7.33 ERA. All of my posts thus far have raved about how the Phillies are "clicking on all cylinders," but there is one major cylinder that I was hoping we wouldn't have to discuss and that is Lidge's inability to get the job done on a consistent basis.

I thought the unassisted triple play would be a message from God that Lidge's (A very religious man by the way) fortunes would be changing. But after Andrew McCutchen hits a 2 run home run in the 9th for a Pirates walk off win...Charlie Manuel has to honestly evaluate the closers role on the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies team...leaving 2008 in the past.

Here are some thoughts:

Brett Myers? Possibly, but he is coming off of injury and has a black eye from falling out of a car or something along those lines...I don't read the tabloids. He obviously loves the closers role but do you trust him more than Lidge?

Pedro Martinez? He winked when asked about being a possible closer for the ball club once he was signed and there are incentives in his contract for success as a reliever. Isn't he more valuable as a starter than a reliever?

Ryan Madson or another arm out of the bullpen? They did not have particular success when Lidge was on the DL earlier this season and they all have well defined roles already so do you want to make guys readjust in late August...I would not think so but I wouldn't mind guys getting a shot.

Whatever the decision is, even if it is living and dieing with Brad Lidge as the closer, the Phillies have to figure it out now. The post season is not for experimentation and you don't want any player on the playoff roster to have a question to what is their role on this team.

Personally, I say sit Lidge for a few games and let Madson and Durbin have a shot at it to see how that works. If they really want Martinez to have a shot, then bring Moyer back into the rotation, especially after he only gave up 2 hits in 6 innings his last outing for his team leading 11th win. After some experimentation though, I ultimately would not be surprised to hear "This is for the Soldiers" and watch number 54 run out of the bullpen in the 9th.

Lidge is with this team for 2 more years I think, and I just hope he can bounce back from this season and be productive in the future. He does have a history of alternating good and bad seasons...look it up. I'm trying not be emotionally involved and I think the fans need a little time to cool off and before you know it, they'll all be screaming "Lights out Lidge" once again (although calling him a dimmer is pretty funny).

Phil--LEE

C.C. Sabathia went to the Milwaukee Brewers in the second half of last season and carried that team to the playoffs (where they were promptly defeated by the Phillies).

Sabathia went 11-2 in 17 starts, 1.65 ERA, 128 K's in 130 innings, and a 1.00 WHIP.

Cliff Lee is putting on a similar display of masterful pitching. WHAT WERE THE INDIANS THINKING LETTING BOTH OF THESE GUYS WALK AWAY!!! But thank you Cleveland for giving us the best pitcher in baseball over the last month.

In his 5 starts with Philadelphia, Lee is 5-0, has thrown 40 innings giving up just 3 earned runs (0.68 ERA) , has 39 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.75 (only 6 walks and 24 hits)!

All due respect to Marson, Knapp, Carasco, and Donald, the prospects traded to the Indians for Cliff Lee, but there is no way the four of you will ever give Cleveland the type of production that the Phillies have received from the reigning AL Cy Young award winner.

On top of the stats, Lee has helped the bullpen rest...throwing 113 (83 strikes) pitches in today's 6-2 win over the Mets. Brad Lidge and Chan Ho Park provided 2 scoreless innings of relief pitching which means Citizens Bank will donated $300 to the Philabundance community food kitchen. At 30 cents a meal that adds up to 1000 meals for people in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Back to baseball, Ryan Howard hit 2 home runs (34 total)--one was in the third deck--and 5 RBI's (104). Howard is now third in the NL in RBI's and HR's...surprise, surprise.

To sum up: the Phillies are rolling on all cylinders--pitching, fielding, hitting--and they are clicking at the right time to ensure a spot in the Post Season.

REPEAT!!!!

Happ for ROY

Phillies 8-23-09

The Phillies are now 21 games over .500, a season-high for the team now 6.5 games ahead of the Braves in the NL East. In case you haven't seen the highlight yet (I promise you will), Eric Bruntlett became the second player in MLB histroy to end a game by completing an unassisted triple play (the other one was in 1927). The Mets were making a comeback in the 9th after Ryan Howard and Bruntlett made back to back errors and BOOM...triple play--amazing. Brad Lidge converted his second straight save (25th overall), another good sign. J.C. Romero, Clay Condrey, and Brett Myers are all making their way back as they are ready to come off the DL any day...more positives.

Pedro Martinez gave up 4 runs in 6 innings, 1 walk, and 5 K's, although the lead off inside the park home run was really a double. His velocity dropped down to 87 in the 6th but he located his pitches very well, earning him his second win with the Phils.

Yesterday, J.A. Happ continued his campaign for NL Rookie of the Year, maybe he will even make the top 5 in CY Young voting (Top Competition: Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter, Matt Cain, Adam Wainwright, and Dan Haren).

Happ is 10-2, 2.59 ERA, and has a 1.17 WHIP on a first place team. His 2 complete game shutouts are tied for first place in the National League (Bronson Arroyo, Joel Pineiro, and Tim Lincecum).

The only player that I think could take the ROY award away from Happ is Pablo Sandoval of the Giants. The switch hitting third baseman is hitting .333, 19 home runs, 72 RBI, 37 doubles, and .939 OPS.

Regardless of whether Happ gets the personal awards, he has set himself up as an important part of the Phillies run at another title. I can't help but think how fortunate a Rookie pitcher like Happ is to have mentors like Jamie Moyer, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. Hopefully that translates into long term success with this organization from the soon to be 27 year old lefty.

It is still baseball season in Philadelphia

Phillies 8-21-09

The Phillies just defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-3, Jayson Werth has hit 5 home runs in his last 5 games, Shane Victorino hit his 10th triple, the team is tied with the Pirates for top fielding percentage and only the Blue Jays have committed fewer errors, only the Yankees, LA Dodgers and Angels have a better winning percentage, and the pitching (starting and relief--minus Brad Lidge) has been great.

Now, the Eagles had their second preseason game tonight, and thankfully people were more interested in the NL East pennant race involving the defending world champions than if Michael Vick took any snaps in a Wildcat formation (more to come on that nonsense in a later post). The Eagles did lose 23-15 to the Colts though but don't panic. The preseason is all about avoiding injury.

Donovan McNabb did go 5-7, 77 yards, and a TD. DeSean Jackson had 2 catches, scored a TD, and finished with 46 yards. Look out for Bradon Gibson. The 6th round pick has a shot to be the 6th receiver kept with this group.

Back to the Phillies though, Citizens Bank Park witnessed it's 7th largest crowd last night and tonight's attendance was over 45,000...another sellout.

The culture in the this "town" (6th largest in the U.S.) may slowly be changing in a positive direction. (Not to mention we even have a MLS team coming..the Philadelphia Union but they actually play in Chester...close enough). But for many years all the average Philadelphia sports fan cared about was the Eagles, something Jimmy Rollins spoke about a few seasons ago. How quickly a team can become popular after they bring a title to a city that has been yearning for one for 25 years.

Quick, everyone jump on the Sixers bandwagon now while their stock price is low, then when they have big success in a few years you can say that you liked them when they were fighting to make the playoffs.

Little sports side note...Chad Ochocinco (Johnson) successfully kicked an extra point and had a kickoff go to the 10 yard line. That was one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time...or maybe the pure shock rendered me unable to speak for a few minutes.