Harry Kalas Gets One More Tribute, the Wall of Fame

Today the Phillies announced that they would honor Harry Kalas by placing him on the Wall of Fame in Ashburn Alley. One of the team’s biggest honors is fitting for a man who lived and breathed with the team, broadcasting about three times as many games as the franchise leader for games played.

 

“When we started the Wall of Fame in 1978, the intent was to honor the great players in our history,” explained President David Montgomery. “We believe it is fitting to make an exception because Harry deserves to be remembered along with some of the greatest names in our history. He is indeed a Phillies icon.

“Being a Wall of Famer is our organization’s highest honor. There’s no doubt Harry should receive such recognition,” said Montgomery.

David Montgomery, via Phillies Press Release

A while ago, we took a closer look at the candidates for the Wall of Fame. Now it seems that the fan votes will respectfully put aside so the team can pay one last tribute to Kalas. No complaints here. As always, the Phillies make the classy move.

For the presser and more details on the Wall of Fame night (August 7 prior to the game against the Florida Marlins) click here.

Recap: Phillies Lose Series Finale to Marlins 6-2, Myers Injured?

The offense was lacking, the starting pitcher was hurting, and the Florida Marlins were dealing. In the series finale the Marlins picked up their first series win in three weeks and the Phillies lost yet another home series, losing last night by a 6-2 score.

Brett Myers gave up five runs in 5.2 innings. After getting through the first three innings without allowing a run Myers was roughed up a bit from the fourth to sixth innings. Dan Uggla gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead with a two out solo home run in the fourth inning. Florida scored a second run in the fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Carlos Ruiz put the Phillies on the scoreboard with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the fifth but the Marlins responded in the top of the sixth, knocking Myers out of the game in the process.

Chris Coghlan started the sixth inning with a lead off double and scored on Uggla’s follow up double. After a pair of ground outs it looked as though Myers was going to get out of the inning only allowing the one run to score, keeping the score at a manageable 3-1 deficit.

But Cody Ross had other plans, smacking a two run home run to make it 5-1 in favor of the visitors. Once Myers walked John Baker Charlie Manuel came out to the mound and relieved Myers of his duties for the night.

Myers walked gingerly off the field showing some pain in hi right hip. Reports say that his hip has gotten progressively worse over the last month. X-rays after the game showed “some jaggedness” and he will go in for an MRI today.

Myers is understandably nervous about the situation as he has only been on the disabled list once in his career. After the MRI the Phillies should know if Myers will be available for his next scheduled start.

The offense was listless for most of the night. A pair of solo home runs was all the Phillies could do to cross home plate, with Ruiz and Matt Stairs chipping in. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino each went hit-less on the night. Ryan Howard picked up a pair of base hits to lead the team, but Raul Ibanez backed him up with an 0-for-4 night.

The Phillies have an off day on Thursday and return to action at home this weekend against the Washington Nationals.

Trade Rumors Surrounding Jake Peavy, Adrian Gonzalez

It’s just a week removed from all the trade talks that surrounded Jake Peavy and already there’s another team that seems to have been added to the mix.

Well, not really. But the team was at least mentioned to Jake’s agent Barry Axelrod.

In a coversation with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Axelrod said that Peavy could very well consider playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I have not discussed Philly with Jake because nobody has asked us to discuss Philly. He has a strong preference to play in the National League. He also wants to play for a contender. Both of those two things play into Philly’s hands. The personnel is awesome. If there is one downside, it’s the geographical difference for him, given that he has made his family home in the San Diego area.”

The question that needs to be answered in order for Philadelphia to even be considered is, do they have the prospects to appease San Diego where Kevin Towers would even listen to a proposed trade?

If the answer to that question is “yes,” then is Peavy willing to move all the way across the country when he’s already made San Diego his family’s home?

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman also had an article out talking about how trading Adrian Gonzalez could land San Diego more than what the Rangers got in return from the Braves when they traded Mark Teixeria.

Heyman asked Padres’ GM Kevin Towers about the possibility of trading their star first baseman, to which Towers replied, “Not at this point in time.”

Can you imagine if San Diego traded Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez in the same season?

How bad of a public relations move would that be, especially after deciding not to re-sign their closer of 16 seasons and future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman after the 2008 season. You lose one face of the franchise, then you trade Peavy who was supposed to be the next face of this franchise along with Gonzalez right after that?

I’ve heard of rebuilding, but this is nothing but a fire sale if these scenarious actually become reality.

Phillies Raul Ibanez Is The Best Hitter in Baseball

It’s a cloudy, drizzly day in the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies are trying to distance themselves from the streaking Mets, as the two teams are just a half-game apart.

Joe Blanton has just hurled a great game, mowing down 11 batters. Jayson Werth is attempting to break out of his slump as manager Charlie Manuel gives him chance after chance to turn it around.

And Raul Ibanez is the best hitter in baseball.

It’s been a long road for Ibanez, as he has played on mostly losing teams for his entire career. Raul has always been a serviceable player, four times hitting over 20 home runs (including a career high 33 with Seattle in 2006), and once hitting over .300.

He has muddled through years with a Kansas City team that was still wishing for a final go-around with George Brett, although he had been retired for some time. Ibanez has seen a team stumble to a losing record, although their payroll was above $100 million.

Ibanez has seen it all, perhaps, and now the only thing Raul can see are towering blasts hop off of his bat, slightly illuminating an otherwise dark Philadelphia night.

Ibanez single-handedly powered the Phillies past the Yankees recently. Over three games he went 5-13, launching two home runs and knocking in three runs. The Phillies won the series, 2-1, Ibanez’s home run in the last game being the difference.

If his high at-bat totals in the past few seasons are indicative of how durable he is, Raul will have no problem fitting in on a blue-collar Philadelphia team that fights to win. If you weren’t a Met fan (or a Ray fan) last year, the feel-good Phillies made people remember what baseball is all about, and sparked hope in fans.

Hard-nosed second baseman Chase Utley hitting to the gaps and hustling the basepaths was inspiring to young kids as they watched him embody the tough ballplayer America fell in love with circa 1950.

Those kids saw Cole Hamels flash his ‘gotcha’ smile every time he victimized another battle. They idolized Ryan Howard’s heroics as he swung a powerful stick, a threat to go for the fences every time.

These kids now watch as Raul Ibanez plays beside these franchise faces, and as the little kid in Raul jumps out every time he clears the fence, we are all excited at what the future of baseball holds in store for us.

Perhaps it is this future that excites us because now, as the steroid era begins to end, is such a great time for baseball. We watch player after player make themselves known through their bat, glove, or arm, and we pay our hard-earned money to watch them do just this.

We see Ibanez, the MLB leader in home runs and NL leader in RBI, determined to succeed. The Phillies have certainly benefitted from his offensive prowess, standing at 25-19 on the year. The outfielder’s sweet, left-handed swing showcases discipline and power, all at once, and he is making a case for the designation of the best free-agent pick up.

Among that class are Adam Dunn (15 HR, 40 RBI, .284 AVG) and Mark Teixeira (14, 37, .271), but Ibanez’s stats are by far the best of the three. Raul’s slugging percentage is through the roof, a gaudy .724, showing just how much power he has had through the first part of 2009.

Ibanez is no slacker on defense, either, improving his UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) from minus-12.1 in 2008 to 4.6 with the Phils.

But it is not the league-leading stats, or the major defensive improvement, that makes Ibanez the Phillies’ newest popular face. It is the attitude he has. That mentality you see in an everyday hero. The one who shows up every day for work and does what needs to be done for everything to function properly.

And Raul Ibanez is making sure the Phillies function properly, by coming through in the clutch, playing left field like it’s nobody’s business, and tearing the cover off of the ball. The Phillies have been kept down for so long, some of last year’s hunger has trickled into 2009.

These Phillies fans suffered through a 28-year title drought in which they saw Mitch Williams give up the “biggest home run in Joe Carter’s life,” a player strike, a steroid era, and an upstart Rays team threaten their hopes for a title.

The Phils would not let their fans down, capturing the title in 2008. This year, Raul Ibanez isn’t letting his fans down either.

 

NL East Power Rankings

Time once again to update the weekly NL East Power Rankings.

We have another change at the top of the order, with the Phillies taking hold of the top spot in both the division and the power rankings. It should be easy to see why the change as they are the only team in the division to have a winning record in their last ten games.

Previous Power Rankings

1. (20-16; 2) The Phillies showed no intimidation over the weekend in Yankees Stadium, and capped off their road trip with an 8-2 record. Not surprisingly the Phillies lead the National League in home runs with 64. The Nationals are second in the division with 52. They also have the second highest scoring offense in the National League, with 247 runs scored (the Nationals are second in the division with 224).
2. (25-20; 1) The New York Mets took a road series against the Boston Red Sox but were swept in a west coast series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now Jose Reyes and Ryan Church are on the 15 day disabled list. An easy schedule against the Nationals, Pirates and Marlins should keep the Mets within striking distance of the Phillies though. Carlos Beltran leads the team in just about every major offensive statistic but will really have to carry the load over the next week or so.
3. (23-22; 3) The Braves are 5-5 in their last ten games, including a series sweep over the Toronto Blue Jays. Derek Lowe leads the pitching staff with six wins. Kelly Johnson and Brian McCann lead the offense with five home runs each, showing that there has been little power from the Braves all season.
4. (21-26; 4) The Marlins go for their first series win tonight against the Phillies since taking two of three against the Colorado Rockies three weeks ago. Hanley Ramirez left last night’s game with a groin injury, which could hamper the offense if he has to miss some time.

5. (13-32; 5) The Nationals continue to scuffle with the worst record in the majors. With a record of 5-21 against the NL East the rumor mill is starting to turn in regards to trades. The Mets could be looking to pick some players from the Nationals. The Nationals have what may be the second best offense in the division, but their pitching boasts a 5.63 club ERA, which shows why the Nationals are down as low as they are. If they could just get somewhat adequate pitching they would be a vastly different team.

Philadelphia Phillies: Shane Victorino Proves Size Matters

Shane made a bad decision in the Monday night game against the Marlins. No, he didn’t pass on a Samuel Adams. He tried to steal second after a free pass to first with no outs and power-hitter, Matt Stairs, at the plate.

 

Shane was thrown out by a mile, chewed out in the dugout, and drilled after the game. That’ll cause “bitter beer face.” Oh, well, now he knows.  But he did hustle, he did try, and he looked fabulous doing it. 

 

I won’t fault him for that. Why?

 

I always go for the underdog, the little guy, the small fry; the diamond in the rough. I liked Shane when stitching Victorino on your shirt was a risky acquisition. You could say, I was country when country wasn’t cool. 

 

I’d like to think I “discovered” Shane, but it’s not true. Someone in the Phillies organization saw something in him long before they shared it with me. I just happened to think of checking into his marital status about the time other real baseball babes were. Not that it matters, but a girl can dream… 

 

…of Shane on the “Playmate of the Game” calendar, the luau layout in my mind, or the flyin’ Hawaiian centerfold of my dreams.

 

I almost touched him once—physically. I know, it’s probably illegal. And that’s what kept me from doing it.  Damn those new stalker laws.

 

Here’s how it happened. The marquee at the Granite Run Mall read, “Shane Victorino appearing at the AT&T Store.”

 

My son and I both pushed our eyes back in our sockets, just before I rear-ended a guy.

 

My son screamed, “What!!”

 

I answered, “Here?!”

 

He added, “In the ‘burbs?!”

 

I ended with, “Wow, they must have something on him. He must have been a bad boy. Ah, don’t even tease me.”

 

My son said, “You’re disgusting.”

 

I get that a lot. I don’t just wear my heart on my sleeve, my thoughts splatter unconsciously from my mouth in endless monotony. 

 

You know what I’m talking about. You’re reading it right now.

 

So I thought I’d give you my favorite Shane Victorino moment–the one that’s stuck in my mind, frozen in time, just like my favorite episode of Hawaii Five-O or Magnum PI. 

 

All-time favorite moment: We sit in section 145. Anyone who’s ever sat in the outfield knows that Shane throws his warm-up balls into the seats when he’s done. And he’s usually pretty fair about it.

 

But although I send my son to the front to vie for a memento, I always wait in my seat. That’s because I have a personal strategy when baseball’s approach at a high rate of speed: I cower and scream. Yes, just like a plane crash. 

 

Well, for some magical reason, Shane went deep into section 145 one day. (Keep your mind in the ballpark, Poe.)

Anyway, his ball looked like it would soar just overhead so I assumed the position, tucking my head and grabbing my knees, and when I dared to surface, the ball landed miraculously in my lap.

 

It’s true!  I swear!  Like a beach ball at a rock concert, that rawhide plopped its way down the rows like a pinball until it finally found a hole. 

 

With me. 

 

That’s why seeing Shane’s name on the marquee in Granite Run was so orgasmic. 

 

My son took that ball and got it signed by that man. 

 

That’s why, right there at the AT&T store, I wanted to “reach out and touch someone.” 

 

That’s why, when there was talk last year of trading Shane in a package for Rockie’s hottie Matt Holliday, I was bummed.  But I’m still not encouraged by his signing of a $3.125 million one-year contract for 2009.  That makes him far too dispensable (along with Jayson Werth and/or John Mayberry, Jr.) in a trade for a high-speed arm for the mound. 

 

But after last night’s performance from Chad “Disturbin’” Durbin, my husband says, “Ba humbug.  Let ‘em go.”  The Phil’s poor pitching performance is a bug up my husband’s ass.  Maybe he should try wearing a thong?  It’d not only block all those pesky intruders, it’d give him a reason to tug as this butt instead of just at his balls.

 

Even though Joe Blanton took “Player of the Game” honors last night and a place among the naked pages of my imaginary calendar, the flyin’ Hawaiian soared to new heights. 

 

He went 4-for-5 with a run and an RBI, and pushed his average up 14 points to 284.  I wish a good outing would do that to my bust-line.  Shane’s proved he’s a contributing force even after he entered the season cold from his bench sitting stint at the World Baseball Classic. 

 

I’m glad that only happens every four years.  That’s as often as I can handle that aggravation. 

 

I’m only 5’ 3” tall.  From down here, Shane’s only six more inches of pure power. But I like the view. 

 

Who says size matters?

 

Revisiting The J.C. Romero Suspension Nearly Five Months Later

On January 6th, 2009, J.C. Romero was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for an illegal drug on Major League Baseball’s banned substance list.

Immediately, Romero adamantly defended himself and had the proof to back himself up.

The Major League Baseball Players Association had told Romero that the supplement was perfectly fine to take (the MLBPA then sent out another letter in November saying the supplement could cause a positive test), his personal nutritionist had approved of the substance, and Romero even brought the substance up to Dong Lien, the Phillies’ strength and conditioning coach.

Although Major League Baseball never completely admitted that Romero cheated, they did accuse Romero of negligence.

Negligence? Is checking with the Players Union, his personal nutritionist, and his strength and conditioning coach not enough?

What made the situation worse was the fact that the bottle Romero had bought had absolutely no warning label on it.

Yet, at his arbitration hearing, the bottle MLB showed had a warning label. You can speculate that to be what you want, but Romero’s original bottle had no warning label.

In the end, the suspension ended up costing Romero $1.25 million and the first 50 games of ’09.

That was then, this is now.

Now, the suspension is turning out to be more costly than most supposed it would be.

His 2.75 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 1.34 WHIP, and 24 holds last season in 81 games provided the Phillies with a reliever who can be trusted to be called upon every other day, especially in the playoffs, where he pitched 7.1 scoreless innings.

In 2007 with the Phillies, he recorded a 1.24 ERA in 51 games.

Yet, with the best bullpen in the National League from 2008 returning for ’09, his absence was not expected to create any longstanding conflicts.

While the bullpen still sits at eighth in the Majors and fifth in the NL, the load on Ryan Madson has been increased. More noticeably, Brad Lidge has had to be used in nearly the same number of non-save situations as he has in save situations.

Many believe this constant change in situation for Lidge is what has launched Lidge into his troubles.

Whether this is the case or not, that remains to be seen. Yet, considering the fact that Lidge’s season completely went off when he was forced to make the switch from closer to set-up in Houston, it seems to be a likely possibility.

If you still believe J.C. Romero was and is a steroid user, just take this into consideration:

It was proven the supplement was not found in his body for the duration of the 2008 playoffs, in which he pitched 7.1 scoreless innings.

This was the first time he tested positive for this substance, and he has recorded an ERA under 2.00 two times in his career, 2008 not being one of them, and an ERA under 3.00 three other times in his career, not including 2008.

The fact that he approached three separate sources for confirmation on the substance, one of them being the MLB Players Association, and was assured by the clerks at each of the two stores he bought the substance that it would not cause a positive test shows he was in no way, shape, or form attempting to cheat.

The lack of a warning on the substance’s label didn’t seem to help much, either.

But now, with the Phillies entering their 44th game of the 2009 season this evening, Romero has just six more games to watch and wait before his is eligible to return.

You can bet he’ll be ready.

Finally! A Baseball Game For the Klumps

Philadelphia Phillies: No Butts About It…No Intensity

A-Rod was back in Texas for the first time since his admission. Alex said he loves Texas; he has a lot of friends and support there. 

 

Those supporters chose to encourage him with boo’s.

 

And it worked. He went 5-for-5 in a 19-hit slugfest that scored 11 runs and squelched the Rangers to one.

 

Take that, supporters.

 

And the Dodgers aren’t missing Manny as much as they’re missing his m-antics.  They’ve won 10 of 16 games since his suspension (from my count).  That includes an 8-0 shutout against the Giants, a 9-2 win over the Phillies, a 12-2 trounce of the Marlins, and a 16-6 victory last night. 

 

I think it’s more mental than Manny. 

 

Don’t get me wrong.  Steroids in baseball are wrong.  Taking them is wrong.  Lying about taking them is wrong. And defending their use is wrong.  Okay, are we on the same page before I make my statement?

 

Casting people into hell for their use is wrong.

 

Matt Stairs said it best.  You can’t give a guy in the stands steroids and think he’ll hit 400.  That’s why I say let’s move on.  But no matter what I say, fans can’t.

 

Why?  They’re feeling used, they’re feeling violated, they’re feeling offended; and they’re acting ridiculous. 

 

It’s the same philosophy as punishing your child for days over something he did wrong.  We think as parents, if we let him know how bad he made us feel, he’ll reconsider bad choices next time.  He won’t.  You were a kid once.  Did you reconsider?  Probably not.  Your kid won’t either. 

 

All you can do is make rules and stick with the consequences.  Or I guess you could hate them forever and banish them from your house and your life and pretend they’re dead to you.  Some families do. That doesn’t work for me.  And it definitely doesn’t change what that child did.

 

The MLB has made a rule and they’re sticking with the consequences.  It’s a 50-game suspension. Period. But some people think it should be a lifetime suspension.  Users should be cast into hell and their names banished from history. 

 

Off with their heads!

 

You know what I say.  Let he who’s without sin cast the first stone. 

 

Look at your entire life there, Mother Teresa.  You’re no daisy.  Neither am I.

 

“But…!” you say. 

 

That’s what’s going really through your head.  “But this is baseball!  But they’re paid a lot of money!  But they’re…!!!”

 

No buts.  But butts… now that’s a topic in baseball I’d like to review, or rather “view.”

 

Jayson’s, Shane’s, Chase’s, Jimmy’s, Pedro’s, Carlos’, Ryan’s, Raul’s, (take breath here) Happ-y’s, Clay’s, Cole’s, Brett’s…you get my point.  And let’s spend a moment anticipating the stocky one that will return on June 3. 

 

The Phils proved last night that the harder you work the behind-er you get.  Jamie Moyer tried hard for number 250.  Jayson Werth tried hard to hit out of his slump. The last thing Chan Ho Park wanted was a Marlins RBI to slip by. 

 

And Shane Victorino tried way too hard to steal second in the ninth, although his dive gave me a wonderful view of his backside.  That’s always a treat.

 

But…the intensity wasn’t there.  It’s no secret the Phils have stunk at home.  Some of the guys say it’s because there are too many distractions.    

 

You know what I think?  I think the Phils need to fight distractions with distractions.  A “fight fire with fire” type of thing.  I think the Phillies need cheerleaders.  They need something to keep their right brain from thinking too hard and their left brain from falling behind. 

 

Outside of Ryan Howard’s multiple home run game last night, I saw few smiles.  Cheerleaders would change that.  Even on the worse of nights, they’d show their behinds and harden some bats. 

 

They’d occupy player’s thoughts with a different type of performance and put fans’ minds on a different type of performance-enhancement (like the ones you see advertised during the game, not injected).

 

Now what could be better than that?

 

Scoring–during and after the game.

 

Get my point?

 

Can’t wait ‘til tonight.

Brad Lidge: Phillies’ Once Mr. Perfect Faltering in 2009

What happened?

 

Mere months after providing a final flourish to a World Series victory and capping off a fantastic year for himself, Phillies closer Brad Lidge is enduring a miserable 2009 thus far.

 

After blowing saves on consecutive days at Yankee Stadium this past weekend, the rumblings and speculation about Lidge’s immediate future are spreading like wildfire.

 

But before everyone goes off the deep end, things have to be put into perspective. Phillies fans were so spoiled by Lidge’s perfection of a year ago that he is now held to a different standard.

 

Going into this season, the thought of him blowing a save seemed unimaginable. That kind of thing is reserved for the Jose Mesas and Jeff Brantleys of the world.  And Billy Wagner.

 

But four blown saves later, Lidge’s bloated 9.15 ERA has now become great cause for concern. How could a man who went 41-for-41 during the 2008 regular season be so shaky this year?

 

First, while Lidge was very good in his first season as a Phil, he was quite fortunate to have gone the entire season without blowing an opportunity. He posted a sparkling 1.95 ERA, but fellow closers Joe Nathan, Mariano Rivera, and Joakim Soria all bettered him in that department while failing a combined ten times.

 

Lidge also sported a much higher WHIP than any of those three, as well as other closers like Jonathan Papelbon, Bobby Jenks, and Trevor Hoffman.

 

Lidge’s season, while very good statistically, was quite the anomaly. On four different occasions where he entered games with a two-run lead, he surrendered a run before closing out the game.

 

But of the 19 times he came into a game with a one-run lead, he tossed a shutout frame every time. You can perhaps make the case that he bears down more with just a one-run lead, but shouldn’t he take the same approach every time he enters a game?

 

There were also six different times where he walked at least two batters in a save opportunity but still closed out the game successfully. And, he managed to allow just two home runs in 69.1 regular season innings after entering 2008 with a career ratio of one home run allowed every 10.2 innings.

 

All of these numbers point to Lidge being far from infallible, even after 2008. He simply had a career year thanks to his natural ability, a good defense behind him, and a few lucky bounces here and there.

 

Unfortunately, momentum does not carry from season to season. We all had to realize his streak would end at some point. When it finally did, there was almost a sense of relief. No more built up pressure. Lidge could go back to being dominant.

 

Instead, it hasn’t happened that way. He has been eminently hittable and lacking the kind of control we all know he possesses. Opponents also find it very easy to run on him, which forces Lidge to press for a strikeout, often with bad results for the Phillies.

 

One almost hopes that Lidge’s knee or some other physical malady is chiefly responsible for his struggles this season. There is simply no other explanation for how someone can go from dominant to pedestrian in such a short time frame.

 

Lidge himself will never use injury as an excuse, but the team may be forced to shut him down for a period of time in the very near future. Luckily, the Phillies have an ace up their sleeve as JC Romero will return from his 50-game suspension next week. 

 

In the meantime, I suggest that Ryan Madson be given ninth inning duties right now. Lidge can either trade roles with him or be used in whatever capacity Charlie Manuel sees fit.

 

Once Romero returns, Lidge can then move back into the closer role and the Phillies will be able to work their bullpen like they did so successfully last year: with Romero being used in the seventh inning or situationally against lefthanders, then turning it over to Madson and Lidge.

 

If results do not improve in a week or two, and Lidge continues to falter, then he will need to be shelved so that he can work on his mechanics, rest his body, or whatever the case may be.

 

The Phillies would not have won the World Series without Lidge’s brilliance last season. And, they surely will not return to October glory unless he delivers a second act of almost equal greatness.

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