Phils Fall to Padres 8-7: Don’t Give Up on Them, 150 Games to Go!

Cole Hamels allowed eight hits, five runs, one walk, and three home runs on the day of honoring announcer Harry Kalas. Hamels played terribly. Worse than worse. Horrible!

The Phillies did have the game but blew the lead. They had a two-run lead in the eighth inning but couldn’t hold it with Ryan Madson allowing three scores.

Greg Dobbs came in with the tying run and the inning ended with Ryan Howard up to walk the plank. The Phillies did mess up Padres’ Chris Young. He allowed seven runs in almost four innings!

Chase Utley started out with a three-run home run in the first inning. The Phillies came back in third, including a triple by Raul Ibanez and a run scored in the fourth.

Hamels had allowed 11 hits in pretty much three innings in his debut on Friday versus the Rockies, who made it to the World Series a couple of years ago. He did improve from 85-86 mph to 89-90 mph.

But it couldn’t hold a win in the ballpark. Let’s hope they come back strong. Don’t give up hope like Cody Swartz said. Got 150 games to go, they can improve, easily.

Just don’t give up hope. If you do, nothing can be satisfied.

Records for comparison:

Phillies: 4-5

Padres: 8-3

ARTICLE ALSO FEATURED ON:

1. Phillies 4 Life
2. Sports Guys
3. The Good Phight

Padres-Phillies: Padres Rally for an 8-7 Win Over the Phillies

If I told you that Padres’ starter Chris Young would only pitch three and two-third innings and would give up seven runs on nine hits, would you think the San Diego Padres had any chance to come back and win? They did just that, coming from behind for an 8-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Over the last few weeks, I think this team has made believers of all of us. Down 7-1 after three innings, it looked like the Phillies were using the emotion of losing long-time announcer Harry Kalas to jump all over San Diego.

That emotion may have gotten the best of them as the Padres clawed their way back into the game thanks to two-run home runs from Scott Hairston and Nick Hundley to pull them to within 7-5 after six innings.

In the top half of the eighth is when things came unraveled for the Phillies. Chase Headley, who had a three-hit game, would start the inning off with a single and then be moved to second base when Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded out to first baseman Ryan Howard. With Headley on third and short stop Luis Rodriguez on first after a walk, pinch-hitter Jody Gerut with single home Headley to cut the Phillies lead down to just a single run, the comeback was almost complete.

Scott Hairston, already with a two-run home run under his belt, would put the Padres ahead for good with a two-run double, a seven-run rally just needed one final touch, a Heath Bell close out.

Bell wouldn’t disappoint the Padre fans watching and cheering. He would get Ryan Howard to strike out swinging and after a Raul Ibanez single, Bell would get Jayson Werth to fly out to right, leaving Matt Stairs as the Phillies last hope. That hope would be dashed as Bell would get Stairs to strike out looking to end the game, his sixth save in as many chances, closing out an unbelievable 8-7 victory.

This is definitely not the Padres’ team that us fans have been used to seeing. The normal Padres team would pack it in down six runs, but over the last week and a half, the Padres have had three come-from-behind victories, all three of them have been from three runs down. This was more than even I thought they could undertake.

The more surprising stat, you ask? Clean up hitter Adrian Gonzalez was a non-factor all night long, not getting his first hit until the top half of the ninth inning, he would strike out twice and leave four runners on base, not the atypical night for the Padres’ first baseman.

The Padres’ bullpen came up huge tonight as well. After Chris Young’s struggles, the combination of Luis Perdomo, Luke Gregerson, Cla Meredith, Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell combined to shutout the Phillies over the final five and one-third innings, giving up just five hits.

After Gregerson’s wild night against the Mets on Wednesday night, he settled down and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, striking out Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard to end that inning.

Padres’ reliever Cla Meredith would get credit for the win, he’ll improve to 2-0 on the season, the loss goes to Phillies right-hander Ryan Madson (1-1) who gave up three runs on three hits in his one inning of work.

The real story tonight was the touching tribute to long-time announcer, the late Harry Kalas. Kalas’ three sons, Todd, Brad and Kane, threw ceremonial pitches to long time Phillies’ third baseman and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, John Kruk, and Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies plan to honor Kalas all season long by playing “That ball’s outta here,” over the ballpark’s public address system after each home run the team hits.

The two teams will be back at it on Saturday night. The Phillies will have Brett Myers (1-1, 5.54 ERA) take the ball against Padres’ right-hander Shawn Hill (1-0, 3.60 ERA). Game time is scheduled for 7:05pm EST.

Shortstop Mania in the NL East

There are many great shortstops in baseball, buy very few come to mind when you try to think of “the best” in baseball.

Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, and Hanley Ramirez are considered by many as the top three shortstops in baseball, and they have a lot in common between them.

 

1. They play in the NL East.

2. They are really fast and steal a lot of bases.

3. Each one of them would be the No. 1 shortstop in any other division in baseball.

4. Without them, their respective team does not stand a chance to make the playoffs.

 

Most baseball fans think that Ramirez is the best out of the three, so we don’t even need to put him in the race.

No. 2 is close because Rollins and Reyes are both great. Rollins is better on defense, while Reyes is better on offense. But it is close, and a betting Phillies fans will not agree with me.

But I think they will agree with me that these are the three best shortstops in baseball.

There are a few players that many people are thinking of and asking why do I think they are not in the top three.

Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is great, but as the years go by, he is getting worse. His fielding percentage is lower than the other three, and he does not cover much ground.

He has less at-bats than the other three since he is the No. 2 hitter in the Yankees’ lineup, while the others are lead-off hitters.

Michael Young also comes to mind when you think of great shortstops, but there are two reasons I think he is not in the top three: 1). He is on the best hitting team, yet has the fewest RBI, and 2). He is slower than the top three, and thus has less steals and triples than the others.

Some people are thinking about  J.J. Hardy  of the Brewers right now, but I do not think he is even close to top three. He does not have as good of an average as the top three, and he also lacks the same speed and durability as Reyes, Rollins and Ramirez.

Jose, Jimmy, and Ramirez should be very proud of themselves.

They are not only the top three shortstops in baseball, they are also in the race for the top all-around players in baseball.

The Honor Is All Ours, Harry

April 13, 2009.

This will be a date that every Philadelphia sports fan will always remember where they were. It ranks up there with World Series wins, Stanley Cup Championships, and championship parades.

The day the Voice spoke no more.

Harry Kalas passed on Monday in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park before the Phillies opened a series with the Washington Nationals. Our lives are forever changed.

One of the luxuries of this Web site is that there are no deadlines.  There are no ninth inning winning home runs that make you scramble to write a new lead. We can sit in our living room or office or Starbucks and write at our own pace. With the number of Harry memories that I am privileged to have, it has taken me this much time to put together.

If you are under the age of 40 and grew up in the Philadelphia area, all you have ever known is Harry the K. His voice is synonomous with the Phillies. Heck, he has been the face of the Phillies.  

Harry and Whitey were mostly on the radio in the 70s and 80s.  If there was ever a romance between the listener and the announcer, then Harry was the matinee idol.  I think back to falling asleep as a kid to Phillies games in the 70s, Harry and Whitey’s priceless back-and-forth banter leaving a smile on my face and hoping to hear a timeless Harry home run call.

I remember listening to Harry in the car driving home from my own baseball games. After particularly good games, I would dream that Harry would one day belt out, “Swing and a long drive, that baby’s OUTTTA here!” for me, like he has done thousands of times for hundreds of others.  

On particularly bad nights, his voice was representative of the surrogate family member in the car, comforting me and breaking the silence of a quiet and disappointing drive home.

Harry was with us everywhere. The Jersey shore. The Schuylkill Expressway when trying to beat the crowd home. In young kid’s bedrooms. In work lunch rooms. In cars sitting in traffic on I-95. I can even remember tuning in to listen to Harry in Martinsville, Va.  He represented home and needed a friendly voice.

In later years, I was fortunate to work in the Phillies’ front office and meet the broadcasting legend. He was truly a kind soul and a gentleman to everyone.

Harry was all substance and no schtick.  He was graceful, he was professional.  He had a voice for the ages.  Harry was wonderful with the dramatic (“Struuuck him out!).  But his brilliance was interweaving his Midwestern style and charm in a 7-1 loss for a team that was 20 games out of first.  He captured our attention and captured our hearts.

I will always remember where I was for Harry’s 500th home run call for Mike Schmidt.  I will always remember where I was for Harry’s 2008 World Series call. And I will always remember where I was when I heard the legend died. 

Harry Kalas: A Legend Is Lost

A few days ago Harry Kalas was stolen from us quicker than a Jimmy Rollins swiped bag.

The longtime Phillies broadcaster and voice of NFL Films exemplified all that is good with sports, providing countless memories for fans everywhere.

Harry Kalas is being six-years-old and discovering the sport of baseball.

Harry Kalas is “outta here!”, “you are the man!”, “watch this baby!” and “Michael Jack Schmidt!”

Harry Kalas is full of high hopes.

Harry Kalas is pretending to go to sleep, and sneaking in a few extra glorious innings.

Harry Kalas is getting caught for the above offense, but having a completely valid excuse.

Harry Kalas is watching the first three innings on TV, going outside maybe to shoot some hoops and listen for the middle three, then closing out the night back on television with a win or loss.

Harry Kalas is a warm summer night on your porch, in your backyard, driving in the car, or relaxing at the shore.

Harry Kalas is attempting to imitate an impossible to imitate voice.

Harry Kalas is your childhood, your adulthood. Your entire fanhood.

Harry Kalas is a World Champion in more ways than one.

Harry Kalas is Philadelphia.

The man was appropriately recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Inducted in 2002, Harry the K was simply the best.

He was passionate, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, genuine, elegant, unique and absolutely legendary.

The voice itself brought joy to everyone. Man what I would do for some vocal chords like that! It had the power to capture an entire city, and it did.

Through good times and bad, winning streaks and slumps, blazing heat and rain delays, we had Harry Kalas to relate to.

His personality is what pushed him over the top. Tell me of a person who disliked Harry Kalas and I would have no choice but to call you a liar. He had no enemies. What he had were millions of friends.

His voice has awoken me for the past few months after an unforgettable call in the World Series. “The 0-2 pitch, swing and a miss, struck him out, the Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of Baseball.” I can’t get enough of it. It doubles as my ringtone and will continue to for quite a while.

During every game, usually in the early innings, Harry would always say something like, “We’d like to give our well wishes to the Smith family and to Bob for a quick recovery.” Now it’s our turn. On behalf of all the Phillies fans I’d like to say, “We want to send our well wishes to your family, Harry.”

An empty feeling will linger around the team, the city, and all of baseball. Harry Kalas as a person is irreplaceable. There will never be anyone whose voice resonated like Harry’s.  No one will capture a city so completely like Harry.

The fabric of the Philadelphia Phillies is “outta here” but Harry Kalas will never be forgotten.

Harry Kalas Was Philadelphia

Apr. 12 was a sad day in Philadelphia. Everyone in Philadelphia loved Harry Kalas. It was hard not to. He had the best voice in baseball, ever. He was immensely talented.

When Kalas spoke, Philadelphia and baseball fans listened. He just knew how to captivate you. He made every game seem so freaking important. You would never know that the Phillies were 22 games out of first place, as they typically were.

Kalas made you feel like part of a family. He made you care. He made you want to play baseball or wiffleball growing up. He made you want to sit on the porch and gather around a radio, sipping on a few adult beverages and getting some fresh air.

Hitting a home run in little league or wiffleball was so important, just so I could scream to myself, “That ball’s outta here!” Man, I do a terrible impression of Harry the K, but it never got old.

He will be sorely missed.

Harry and Whitey Ashburn easily made the best announcing team of all time. I used to love sitting up late at night listening to those two announce a game. Even though the Phillies stunk, my brother and I listened to them as often as we could.

The people in Heaven just got a little luckier today. They get to see them teamed up again. Maybe they are calling a game against famed Cubs announcer Harry Caray.

It just won’t be the same without Harry Kalas.

He went out on top. He got to see (and finally freaking announce) the latest Phillies World Series in 2008. It was long overdue. The prime time event of a World Series needs and deserves the best announcer. Last year the event finally got one.

He got to see the World Series pennant raised into the air on Opening Day. Harry the K got to slide his 2008 World Series ring onto his finger last Wednesday. He got to walk into the booth one last time.

I am sure he would have wanted his family to be present, so he can say his goodbyes and see them one last time, but it was not to be. The way he left this earth was a fitting and appropriate way to pass on, if there ever is one. It probably would have been his second choice.

It was much deserved.

A city will be in mourning for a long time. The voice of the city has fallen silent.

I only had this feeling one other time in my life; it was when Mel Blanc passed away. I was in eighth grade. When Blanc died, it actually hurt. He was freaking awesome. He did the voices for Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, the Woody Woodpecker laugh, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety Bird, Pepe le Pew, Sylvester the Cat, and Porky Pig, just to name a few.

I essentially grew up with Bugs Bunny episodes tattooed on my brain. I loved them.

I loved the boxing episode when Bugs brings a slingshot into the ring, and hands it to the Crusher (the big boxer guy) and he holds it. I think the slingshot had an anvil or a bolder in it.

He knocks the Crusher silly.

The Crusher speaks like the guy from of Mice and Men. “Duh, which way did he go, George, which way did he go?”

Bugs was all about smashing people in the head with anvils. I have never seen an anvil, but I bet that would really hurt. Do they still make anvils? What are they used for?

Anyway, that is the biggest compliment I could give anyone. Harry Kalas is my modern day Mel Blanc. It truly is a sad day.

Kalas got to announce all 548 of Michael Jack Schmidt’s home runs. More importantly, Phillies fans got to hear him do it.

The Waltdog is outtaaaa heeeeere!

Links This Week

Here’s a quick shot around the baseball blogosphere…

• On the same day that we lost Harry Kalas, Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors finished up his Offseason In Review series with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Dustin Hockensmith at Imaginary Diamond makes the case for Tommy Hanson.
• Brian Joura at FanGraphs gives you some targets to trade for and away, even this early in the season. I agree with him about Bonifacio, Lind, Rollins and Haren… but Chris Davis? Hypehypehype.
• FakeTeams implores you to sell on Brandon Webb.
• Mike Bock at Fantasy Hurler puts his signature spin on high draft values who may be dropping off radars this season in The Drop Dead Pool.
• Dierkes strikes again in his RotoAuthority blog, with an update to the incredibly valuable closer report.

Phillies-Nationals: A Preview

The Phillies will be back in action today in Washington in game two of the series with the Nationals. Monday was course a tragic day but in the baseball sense the Phillies rallied together to win their third straight game. Looking to keep the winning streak going before heading home, the Phillies will send Joe Blanton to the mound.

The Phillies won in Blanton’s first start of the year, but it had nothing to do with the starting pitcher. Blanton has an ERA of 15.75 after his first outing, but the beauty of early season games is that stats can change dramatically in a hurry.

The Nationals counter with Shairon Martis, who went three innings against the Braves in his first start and allowed three earned runs on five hits (including a home run) and walked one. His night was cut short due to a rain delay.

The Phillies offense seems to have come alive after a sluggish start against Atlanta. Now if they can just get a solid outing out of a starting pitcher in which early runs (and home runs in general) don’t make it necessary to score a lot of runs. Brad Lidge already has three saves but he has also made for some interesting endings, giving up a quick two-run home run in the series opener.

The Nationals are still looking for their first win of 2009 and they are always a pesky team for the Phillies and don’t expect that to change anytime soon. They are due for a win, and it could very well come today.

Phillies Record: 4-3
Nationals Record: 0-6

NL East Standings (Team, Record, Games Behind)

1. Marlins 6-1, –
2. Braves 5-2, 1
3. PHILLIES 4-3, 2
4. Mets 3-4, 4
5. Nationals 0-7, 6

NL East Power Rankings

1. Marlins
2. Braves
3. PHILLIES
4. Mets
5. Nationals

Pitching probables: Blanton (0-0, 15.75 ERA) vs. Martis (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

TV: MyPHL17

First pitch: 7:05 pm

Game thread will be posted at 6:30 pm. Game recap will be up tomorrow morning.

 

This was originally posted on Macho Row.

Kalas Was a Piece Of Every Phillies Fan’s Life

To say that legendary Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas will be missed is akin to saying that Richie Ashburn, Kalas’ longtime broadcast partner and fellow MLB Hall of Famer, was a good centerfielder.

Yeah, it’s true, but such a bland compliment only begins to tell the story of how much Kalas meant to the city of Philadelphia.

Kalas, 73, died Monday while getting ready to call the Phillies-Nationals game in DC. It was fitting that he died in the press box, because that’s where “Harry the K” was able to touch the most people.

Kalas and his velvety Midwestern voice began calling Phillies games in 1971, long before a large chunk of the fan base was even born.

But whether you heard Phillies games before the Kalas Era, like my 68-year-old dad did, or not, there is no denying that everybody has stories about summer nights spent listening to Harry and “Whitey” Ashburn call games on WPHT 1210.

There are few, if any, Major League Baseball cities with as many fans still listening to games on the radio as Philadelphia. And why is that? Kalas, of course.

Once you started growing up listening to him, whether it was during the prosperous 1980’s or the mid-90s endless run of 90-loss teams, there was no better way to follow the “Phightins.”

Thankfully for Kalas, he got to witness, and call, the Phillies’ World Series victory last October.

Had this not happened, and Phillies fans been subjected to the uber-irritating Chris Wheeler, the whole thing just would  not have been the same. Now, Wheeler shares the broadcast booth with former Phillie Gary Matthews and play-by-play analysts Scott Franzke and Tom McCarthy.

While that foursome is OK, and the product on the field is as good as it has ever been, Phillies baseball just won’t be the same without Harry and his famous “Long drive…Watch that baby…OUTTA HERE!” calls every time Ryan Howard puts another into row 20 in right field.

As former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Jayson Stark said in his recent column, “Harry Kalas was so much more than the voice of the Phillies; He was the Phillies.” No one, with the possible exception of Kalas himself, could have said that any better.

 

Harry Kalas: Heroes Live Forever

Perhaps the most famous and well-liked broadcaster in the history of sports died today after he collapsed in the booth getting ready to call a Phillies game in Washington.

I suppose its fitting that “Harry The K” died in the one place where he felt most at home—the broadcast booth.

We all knew Harry was getting old, but I don’t think anyone expected his death to be so sudden. It’s bittersweet in a lot of ways. On one hand, he got to see (and call) the new generation Phillies win a World Championship in 2008. But, he will miss the Phillies visit to the White House, which was supposed to be tomorrow, and has since been postponed.

He will also miss the Phillies run to defend their title this season. And if any of the players need extra motivation to win another championship, they shouldn’t have to look much further than the black “HK” they will be wearing on their jerseys for the rest of the season.

Harry was only 73, which in my mind, is too young.

When talking about a legend—which Harry was in every sense of the word—death never really crosses your mind. I never imagined Harry’s career ending, because watching a Phillies game without him seemed impossible. He had a conversation with the city, with me, every night—a conversation that I was confident would go on forever.

My only real-life encounter with Harry happened about 10 years ago. I was with my uncle at a meet and greet for Phillies and their sponsors. I think I was 12 or 13. It was the middle of summer and the Phils were already out of playoff contention. It didn’t matter because these guys were still my heroes.

At one point, I was walking by myself from the clubhouse back to the field. I looked behind me and there he was. I have no idea what I said, but I remember his image like it was yesterday.

He was wearing his signature white shoes, khaki pants, and a polo. I handed him a baseball with numerous other signatures. He signed it, smiled, winked, and was gone.

Of everyone I met that day, Harry was the only one that still sticks in my mind. When my Mom asked me how the day went, the first thing I said was, “I met Harry!” The whole moment was surreal, something only true baseball lovers can understand.

Baseball is a sport like no other. I’ve been playing baseball since I was five years old and listening to Harry call games since that time. Harry’s voice was a fixture in my life and defines some of the fondest memories from my childhood.

I can recall traveling to little league games with my Dad and best friends, listening to Harry’s baritone voice call games on the ride home. And then getting back into the house and listening to him call the seventh, eighth, and ninth. I didn’t care if they were up by 10 or down by 10, whether they were 20 games out or battling the Mets for the NL East title, I was there and so was Harry.

His voice will live on and his name will never be forgotten, but now there is a void that can never be filled. I guess the only thing we can do is move on and remember how Harry carried us through summer after summer, chronicling the seasons of our beloved Phils. It won’t be easy.

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