MLB On FOX: Where Have All the Quality Broadcasters Gone?

I always used to remember, when the Phillies played on a national stage, it was a big event. Any team that gets a nationally (or partially nationally) televised game, their fans look to it as a little bigger than a local station telecast.

That being said, Eric Karros and Dick Stockton announced today’s Phillies-Dodgers game. Not only was it the worst and most awkward broadcast I have ever watched, they couldn’t even do the simple tasks of being an announcer.

I counted 13 different times where they carelessly announced the wrong pitch count. Three times, they mispronounced names. At one point they announced Greg Dobbs as Glen Dobbs.

Now, I’m not saying I could do a better job, but come on. MLB on FOX has to have their pick of the cream of the crop…right?

Not just any former player should be allowed to throw on a headset and sound like a bumbling idiot…we’ll leave that for John Madden.

This was a game between the two best teams in the major leagues, a re-match of the NLCS…am I crazy to ask for less awkward telecast? Ninety percent of the time they read directly off the screen—sometimes even incorrectly, with breaks and pauses.

Karros paused halfway through every sentence and repeated the same stats throughout. Is this Fox’s fault, careless broadcasting, or are we having a shortage of quality broadcasters?

At one point in the game Chris Rose said, “I’m here if you need me” to the two stooges in the booth. I was sitting in my living room yelling, “please Chris Rose, save them, PLEASE!”

This was the first game I actually wanted to shut off in the 10th inning—even in a tied ball game—that shouldn’t happen.

I think this is the first time I wished Erin Andrews would come in the booth and steal one of the two’s headsets.

Philadelphia Phillies: No Streaking Allowed at Dodger Stadium

The Phil’s streak was halted. I hate it when a fantasy comes to an end. That’s why I miss the 70’s. You can’t fault an era when everyone took it off and let it hang in the wind.

Now that’s an idea for a promotion at Citizens Bank Park—a different type of giveaway.  Trust me, when it comes to hot ballplayers, nothing excites me more than “giving it away,” but what if we didn’t “get” something?  What if we gave something up? 

What if they had retro night at the park and in honor of a lost era, we all took off our clothes? 

I know some young guys in section 145 who’ll be happy they sit in front of me instead of behind me.

Speaking of promotions, there’s a new piece of merchandise already circulating.  It’s a pretty plastic bracelet embedded with the initials: WWCD.

That’s cryptic for, “What Would Charlie Do?”

The Skipper has his work cut out for him, and he’s the one who has to steer the ship while the rest of us hold on and hurl.

Some of that hurling came in a slow, therapeutic form, like the pitching of Old Salty, Jamie Moyer. 

I don’t think the Pedro Feliz error that gave the Dodgers four outs in the ninth was completely his fault. Jamie Moyer tossed his slow ball by them for seven successful innings with such consistency, it was like watching fish.

I think Pedro was hypnotized—I know I was. But the phrase that snapped me back to reality was, “Brad Lidge.” 

After four great outings, Brad’s blown save was something as unexpected as the second term of George W. Bush. 

How were we to tell?

There’s an old cliché that applies: “Oh, those bases on balls.”

Here’s another one: “It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

So now we all look to Charlie Manuel.  He’s been known to make statements he couldn’t uphold before:

Chan Ho Park will remain in the lineup. 
Brad Lidge will continue to close.

The sad part is, the streak ended, and the Phillies put their clothes back on.

I got dressed too.  I pulled on my fat suit and sang a sad, country song. I wailed until I was out of notes like Lidge was out of options.

But I shed no tears.  

Because remember, “There’s no crying in baseball.”

The Leader, Silenced: Philadelphia Phillies’ Rollins Struggles Continue

He promised the Phillies were the team to beat.  He said they would win 100 games, then 112 games.  He said he would break out of his “slump” with a .400 May. 

He was wrong, at least on the last one. 

Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins is mired in a brutal early season “slump.”  But when does a “slump” become reality?

Thus far, JRoll has hit at .219 clip, with a pedestrian .259 OBP.  He’s sporting a nearly 50 percent flyball rate.  By comparison, the newly shelved Brett Myers was hitting .222, before injuring his hip.  

Rollins looks uninspired.  The same lazy swing has ended with the same maddening results through the first 53 games.  Early season struggles are no longer an excuse.  

It’s June.  We’re nearly 1/3 of the way through the season.  Rollins simply needs to start hitting.  

But let’s stop for a second and think about the career of Jimmy Rollins.  Prior to his 2007 MVP campaign, JRoll hit over .290 just once.  His OBP has never climbed over .350. 

His power has always been marginal at-best.  Simply put, Rollins is not an elite player.

Proven results create lofty expectations; Rollins has proven he’s elite just once in a nine year career.

So perhaps we’ve misperceived JRoll as one of the elite, a classification he just hasn’t earned. 

A terror on the basepaths he is.  A strong, vocal leader?  Without a doubt.  But is Jimmy Rollins a top 20 player in the Majors? No.

His MVP season has blinded all of us, including the shortstop himself, into believing he’s more than he is, which is an inconsistent, impatient, six or seven hole hitter, playing the part of a leadoff man.  

Jimmy Rollins is not as bad as he’s been thus far this season.  He’ll begin to hit soon enough, and with those hits will come more Phillies wins, but his career certainly indicates that perhaps we’ve relied too much on atypical results.

Maybe Jimmy Rollins is more talk than walk.

Philadelphia Phillies on the Market for Pitching Help

Overshadowed by their recent seven-game winning streak is the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies are on the market for a desperately needed starting pitcher.  The recent injury and possible season-ending surgery to starter Brett Myers has left a hole in the rotation that the Phillies need to fill if they are going to successfully defend their World Series title.

Lots of speculation has been running rampant about who the Phillies are interested in acquiring.  There is Jake Peavy, who the Padres have been trying to unload since the offseason, Erik Bedard, and, more recently, rumors of Roy Oswalt have popped up.

I think most Phillies fans would be excited if they woke up one morning to hear on Sportscenter that the Phillies had acquired Jake Peavy.  I am not one of those fans.  Peavy has no desire to go to a big market team. 

I’m not sure if that is because he prefers to stay away from the constant rush of a town like New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia or because he is worried about dealing with the added pressure and constant media attention of playing in a town that expects to win.  It is worrisome that it could be the latter.

Peavy is pitching in quite possibly the most pitcher-friendly park and worst offensive division in all of Major League Baseball.  Yet, his ERA for the 2009 season is 4.10.  Move him to the NL East and Citizens Bank Park and we may see his ERA jump close to 5.00 or higher.

Erik Bedard might be made available by Seattle if the Mariners continue to fall out of contention.  Currently, they are only 5.5 games out of first place.  They could find themselves to be sellers by the end of June.

However, it has been documented by others that Bedard can be a cancer in the clubhouse.  Although, I think the Phillies have enough strong personalities in the locker room to keep him in check, there is no need to take the risk on Bedard.  Not to mention, they would also probably have to give up quite a bit for a lefty of his potential.

I have always been a big fan of Roy Oswalt.  I think he is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, but is he really available?  It seems unlikely to me.  Houston owner Drayton McLane is a big fan of Oswalt.  Most speculate that there is about a zero chance of McLane agreeing to deal Oswalt.

The Phillies could look internally for help.  In AAA, they have Kyle Kendrick and Carlos Carrasco as possible options.

Kendrick is 4-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 11 starts for Lehigh Valley.  He has pitched pretty well at times this season, but the organization would like him to remain in AAA and continue to develop his offspeed pitches.

Carrasco is considered to be the Phillies top minor league pitching prospect.  His transition to AAA in 2009 has been a shaky road so far.  He has posted a 5.14 ERA in 11 starts.  Although he has struggled, he also has struck out 63 batters in 61 innings, demonstrating some of his electric stuff.  All signs say that he is not ready for the big show just yet.

Rookie Anthony Bastardo was pulled up from AA to make his Major League debut earlier this week and pitched a great game, admittedly against the offensively challenged San Diego Padres.  In AA, he was converted from the bullpen to a starter and made 5 starts.  He posted a 1.82 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 34.2 innings of work.

The Phillies could choose to roll the dice with Bastardo and hope they catch lighting in a bottle for the rest of the season, similar to what Kyle Kendrick gave them in 2007 when he went 10-4 in 20 starts for Philly.  Most likely, the Phillies will give Bastardo a couple of starts and see what he gives them.

If Bastardo proves not to be the answer, the Phillies are going to need to make a trade.  The question is, with who?

There is one potential trading partner that nobody is talking about yet that could be a very viable option, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles have some good young arms in their system, but there is a veteran on their team that could make a lot more sense for the Phillies.  That player is Jeremy Guthrie.  This season he has posted a 4.86 ERA in 11 starts.  Last season he finished 10-12 with a 3.63 ERA.  The O’s are playing in possibly the best offensive division in baseball.  Move Guthrie to the National League and he might thrive.

The Orioles have a future need at third base with Melvin Mora nearing the end of his career.  The Phillies could offer a deal involving Jason Donald.  The deal makes sense for both teams.  Donald is blocked for at least one more year in the Phillies organization, and if Pedro Feliz continues to hit, possibly longer.

A deal involving Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Donald as the centerpieces would give the Phillies a solid starter in their rotation to replace Myers and wouldn’t cost as many prospects as Peavy, Bedard, or Oswalt would.

Phillies-Dodgers: What Do You Get When You Cross a Dollar Dog With…

I bleed red.

 

I think that’s the silliest way to proclaim your devotion to the Phils.

 

But my loyalty goes deeper. Not only do I bleed Phillie red, mine’s pinstriped—like a candy cane. And when it pools on the floor it forms a “P” and smells like “dollar dog night.”

 

But when it comes to a 10 p.m. game after a seven-course French dinner party, my Phillie blood pooled in my belly and pooped me out. Then this morning, I couldn’t watch the game until I pooped.

 

Sorry, maybe that was too much information. 

 

All these parties are really hard on me having no life. Don’t people understand? My eye candy was pitching last night.

 

Since I got home late and forgot to set my TiVo to record the start of the game, I asked it to tape the encore at 1:30 in the morning. Personally, I don’t see how the pain of missing the 10 p.m. game is lessened by the knowledge that you won’t be able to see it at 1:30 either. But that’s just me.

 

To make matters worse, the encore started late too. But that’s okay. Cole Hamels was getting out batters in sequence for most of the night so the first few innings were full of boring, monotonous, AMAZING PITCHING!

 

Of course, great outings by the likes of Antonio Bastardo and JA Happ will make you pad your bra like you’re meeting your husband’s ex.

 

So how does the 2008 World Series MVP top the Happ-y hurler’s seven scoreless innings and fourth straight win? That’s easy: a complete game shutout.

 

Best of all, the debate over the pitch count didn’t even apply. At 97 pitches, count doesn’t matter, and apparently from the numbers in the stats, size doesn’t either.

 

It was Cole’s third career shutout, fourth consecutive win, and his fifth career complete game. Those might be small numbers for such a great performance but I’ve had a great time with small things before.  

 

Sorry, was I thinking out loud?

 

It put the Phils up four games in the NL East and extended their winning streak to seven. No one enjoys seeing the Phils streak more than me—even if it’s only in my pinstriped dreams.

 

How about Eric Bruntlett? He hops off the bench and takes his spot with such seriousness you’d think he’d seen a ghost. I bet that’s it. He sees dead people. We have to lighten him up. Maybe he needs a nickname—like E-Bru or E-Bra. Yeah, I’ll bet he’d appreciate that. Might as well just name him “panties.” I’ll have to think on this.

 

So, just when the Phillies thought they’d run plumb out of pitching options, they’re bleeding wins. And did you hear? Little Kyle Drabek threw seven shutout innings in his first AA win with a fastball that topped out at 97 miles an hour.

 

I might have more experience with small stuff, but that’s pretty impressive.

 

Maybe size does matter.

 

Go Phils!

Phillies-Dodgers: Cole Hamels Throws Philly’s First Complete Game of the Year

It’s about time.

It’s about time a Phillies pitcher stepped up to the point of completely shutting down its own bullpen. It’s about time a Phillies pitcher dominated and threw less than 100 pitches during his outing. It’s about time the Phillies showed how good they really are.

In Thursday night’s performance, Cole Hamels stifled the Dodgers for just five hits scattered over nine innings, making him the first Phillies pitcher to go the distance this season. Going up against one of the most potent offenses in the National League, Hamels was unfazed…

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Don’t Look Now–Phillies Are on a Roll!

They don’t call him “Hollywood” for nothing.

Cole Hamels continued his mastery of the Dodgers last night at Chavez Ravine, needing fewer than 100 pitches to post a five-hit, 3-0 shutout that extends the Fightin’ Phils’ winning streak to seven games.

The win also increased the team’s lead in the NL East to four games over the NY Mets.

The Phillies now have the second-best record in baseball (32-20), behind only the Dodgers, and have the league’s best road record (20-6).

The defending World Series champions (or WFC’s, if you prefer) also have something else going for them: momentum.

While many, including ESPN’s Chris Singleton, worry about the Phillies rotation—which, admittedly, has one of the highest ERAs in the majors—I see a team that appears to be hitting its stride just in time for the summer push.

In years past, a starting rotation that struggled as badly as this one had early on (now down to a 4.79 ERA, ranked 25th in the majors) would have meant a terribly slow start, leaving the team facing a very long climb over the summer.

The bats have come alive this season, led by offseason steal Raul Ibanez, former MVP Ryan Howard and future MVP Chase Utley.

And now, the pitching may be shaping up for another run at postseason glory.

Hamels appears to have shaken off his early-season injuries, and may be poised for a dominant second half.

Moyer finally got past win No. 250, which may have led to him pressing a little bit—not that he would ever admit it.

Chan Ho Park (or “Duck,” as Bill Conlin likes to call him) is now out of harm’s way, safely tucked in the bullpen for mop-up duty.

J.A. Happ has stepped in nicely and is looking to play the role of Kyle Kendrick (pre-September).

“Average Joe” Blanton may have a 5.86 ERA, but he’s 4-3.  In fact, all the Phillies current starters are over .500, except for Moyer (4-5).

Then there’s this Bastardo kid that seems to like pitching in the majors and may stick around for a while.

Not to mention that the Phillies managed to survive the 50-game suspension of J.C. Romero and early-season hiccups from closer Brad Lidge.

And, after all that, here they sit: first place in the NL East, second-best record in baseball.

If this is how good they are with so-so pitching, imagine what lies ahead if they get their act together.

And they seem to be doing just that.

 

Phillies-Dodgers: Hamels Does Hollywood in Shutout Win

Cole Hamels has a new relationship, a great one at that. That connection would be with LA’s Dodger Stadium.

Hamels threw only 97 pitches, three over the minimum in his complete-game shutout last night against the Dodgers, 3-0. It was the Phillies first shutout this season.

After the sixth inning, Hamels had only thrown 62 pitches. He was in NLCS form last night.

“Pitch efficiency is something I’ve been trying to work on the past couple of weeks,” Hamels said.

The only thing the Phillies left-handed ace could say after the game is that he liked their mound. Modesty is a fun tool to play with. Hamels also said the most important thing was that they won and kept their winning streak alive, which stands at seven.

Hamels struck out five while walking none, and brought his ERA down to 4.40. The most compelling fact is that Hamels has not lost a game since his dreaded 0-2 start to the season.

“This is the best one he’s pitched this year,” Manuel said. “But I’ve seen him pitch some good ones. This is a good game for him. The way the season has kind of gone so far, this was a very good game for him, confidence-wise.”

By the start of the ninth, he had faced just 25 batters in eight innings. Hamels retired a remarkable 15 out the last 16 Dodgers he faced.

Hamels didn’t do all this alone, he had help. The Phillies defense was immaculate and protected their ace better than they have all season.

The Phillies offense was based on small ball last night, zero long balls. Ryan Howard’s sac fly in the fourth scored Chase Utley. Raul Ibanez continued his tear when he roped a double in the sixth to score center-fielder Jayson Werth.

Werth finished the games scroing with a single in the eighth to score catcher Carlos Ruiz.

The Phillies are 32-20, the second best record in Major League Baseball, and lead the horrid Mets by four games in the NL East.

Jamie Moyer will take the mound tonight in LA, and will face former Phil Eric Milton.

 

Other Note

Shane Victorino said yesterday that his injury is not considered serious at all. He left for precautionary reasons. He could be in the lineup tonight, which would be a huge bonus for the Phils to try and continue their win streak.  

Philadelphia Phillies Post-World Series Future Bright…for Once

The Philadelphia Phillies future is brighter than ever. With one championship already under their belt, Cole Hamels wasn’t kidding when he said he expects to be able to have a parade year after year after year.

With the bulk of the current core of stars all signed through the 2011 season this team is a legitimate threat to make another run at a World Series for years to come.

But that’s not what makes the Phillies future so bright necessarily.

Just as they did with the current team of homegrown talent that includes everyday players Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz as well as pitchers Cole Hamels, JA Happ and Ryan Madson, the team looks like they have a second wave of core players emerging in the minor leagues.

With the team being involved in just about every trade rumor involving a top flight pitcher the Phillies minor league system is being analyzed as much as it’s ever been  lately. Out of nowhere, the Phillies have rapidly developed a group of top tier, blue chip prospects that scouts are labeling as potential stars at the major league level.

Outfielder Dominic Brown, 21, is currently the Phillies top prospect, followed by starting pitcher Kyle Drabek, 21, outfielder Michael Taylor, 23, catcher Travis D’Arnaud, 20, and recently promoted starter Antonio Bastardo, 22. All five have been described as having the potential to make an impact at the major league level.

That none of these players were widely known at this time last year to but only the most die-hard Phillies fans says a lot about how far the minor league system has come in such a short time.

It wasn’t too long ago when the team had virtually nothing of interest for potential trading partners when it came time to discuss possible mid-season trades. Hence the Jamie Moyers, Kyle Lohses, and Joe Blantons of the world (although they all seemed to work out).

Infielder Jason Donald, 24, catcher Lou Marson, 22, and pitcher Carlos Carrasco, 22, once the Phillies most prized minor league prospects, have all become expendable.

Last season’s emergence of D’Arnaud has given the Phils hope that Marson’s talent could be replaced. Carrasco, who is struggling mightily at Triple-A, has been surpassed by both Bastardo and Drabek.

Donald unfortunately is caught up in a numbers game. He certainly isn’t going to replace Utley or Rollins anytime soon, and with Pedro Feliz playing at such a high level this season, it seems more and more likely the team will pick up his club option for 2010.

The fact that we haven’t even mentioned outfielders John Mayberry Jr., 25, Anthony Gose, 18, Zach Collier, 18, infielder Anthony Hewitt, 20, or pitchers Joe Savery, 23, Tyler Cloyd, 22, Vance Worley, 21, and Jason Knapp, 19, is a testament to how strong the Phillies minor league system has become.

In a perfect world, the Phillies hope they can acquire a top flight pitcher with some sort of combination of Donald, Marson and Carrasco, but in reality, the team may have to part with one or more of the organization’s “new” top five prospects.

The timing of the future Phillies expected arrival in the majors also seems fortuitous.

Taylor is on schedule to be major league ready at the time Jayson Werth’s two year deal expires in 2010. Brown is on schedule when Raul Ibanez’s three year deal ends in 2011. Bastardo is already getting a chance to show what he can do, and Drabek was just promoted to Double-A Reading where he pitched seven shutout innings in his debut.

Their impending arrivals coincide with Brett Myers potentially leaving as a free agent after this season.

No Phils World Series team has been positioned so well to continue their success than this iteration.

The 1980 team was the culmination of years of strong minor league development—Mike Schmidt, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Lonnie Smith, and Keith Moreland—but the coffers were dry by 1981.

The 1983 team was a over-the-hill gang with little help coming from the farm. The early ’80s drafts were rife with Henry Powell, Johnny Abrego, and John Russell-type talent.

The ’93 surprise was built on toughness, career years, and, lets face it, steroids. Youngsters like Tyler Green, Mike Williams, Mike Lieberthal, and Kevin Stocker were rising to the majors, but even at the time none were really considered future cornerstones.

While baseball history is replete with stories of bright prospects never panning out, the fact the Phillies are even in the position to be disappointed by bright prospects is a phenomenom we haven’t seen in this town for decades. And it gives Phils fans hope that last year’s magical season won’t our last for another 28 years.

[firedforwinning.com]

Phillies Making Own Breaks Toward Third Straight NL East Crown

When the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 10-5 on Tuesday night, a couple important things happened.

The Phils went 10 games over .500 at 30-20 and 2 1/2 game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East. Certainly the race in the NL East is not over by a long shot. But temporarily, it gave the Phillies some breathing room from the week-to-week flip flop with the Mets.

The Phils followed up with a win the following night against the Padres, 5-1. The lead widened to three games, as the Mets got rained out Wednesday.

But more significantly, it was the second win this season by a rookie pitcher, Antonio Bastardo, pictured above, in his first big league game of the year.

Back in May, Triple-A callup Andrew Carpenter pitched 4, 1/3 innings to pick up the win in a rain-shortened game, a 7-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Hey, wait a minute: Wasn’t it a few years ago that Major League pitchers with no prior Big League experience beat the Phillies?

Just another sign that there is a new sheriff in the NL East: The Phightin’ Phils.

Raul Ibanez, who was sought by several teams in the off season, came to the Phillies to take over for Pat Burrell. Pat was good, but is a mere after thought, considering:

Ibanez leads the league in RBI (52), runs (44), second in home runs (19); and seventh in batting average at .337.

Another break.

Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins? From the Phillies minor league system. Howard hit is 16th home run the other night, a monster shot to straight away center field at San Diego’s Petco Park.

Shane Victorino? A Rule 5 pickup. Jason Werth? Free agent signing.

Good scouting and a fruitful minor league system.

The pitching staff is starting to take place. The bullpen is solid again with the return of J.C. Romero from his 50-game substance abuse penalty. Ryan Madson may be the best pitcher in the bullpen. And Brad Lidge is lights out once again.

Once the Phillies stay at 10 games over .500, they can play different ball. Winning ball. Taking two out of three from teams to keep pace.

A lot can happen. Brett Myers is probably lost for the season with a hip injury and Victorino is currently day-to-day with an injury.

But Cole Hamels is coming around to pitching like he did last year, J. Happ looks a lot better than Chan Ho Park as a starter, Joe Blanton is getting sharp and the ageless wonder, Jamie Moyer, recently picked up his 250th Major League victory.

Park is back in the bullpen, where he can be effective.

The Phils could use another starter and a right-handed bat off the bench, but other than that, and injury, I see this team leading the East or jockeying with the Mets and Braves for the top spot.

Heady company, three division crowns in a row. They are not there yet, but they are certainly playing like defending World Series champions.

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