Schmitters Says: Unconfirmed 2003 MLB Steroid List Revealed

The 2004 World Series was one of the most memorable in baseball history.

It was between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Red Sox had an incredible postseason. They came back from the brink of elimination in both the Division Series and Championship Series. Then, they won it all.

It was a great Series to watch.

Now, it will be looked at in disgust.

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, who were both key members of the 2004 Red Sox team, reportedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. 

They are two of 103 players who tested positive that year. 

The list was supposed to be destroyed, but nothing really goes according to plan does it?

Ramirez and Ortiz aren’t the first names from the list. It also includes Alex Rodriguez.

Rotoinfo.com has an UNCONFIRMED list of the steroid users that tested positive in 2003. Names such as Miguel Tejada, Alfonso Soriano, Francisco Rodriguez, and Gary Sheffield are on it.

But more importantly, the list also includes Nomar Garciaparra, Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, and Trot Nixon.

If the Rotoinfo.com list is accurate, that means that SIX of the 2004 Red Sox’s KEY players were steroid users.

It is time for baseball to take a good long look at what is going on. Many big name players are on this list.

If it is accurate, many players will be ruined.

If it is accurate, the record books will be tainted.

If it is accurate, the Baseball Hall of Fame will surely suffer.

Many future and possible Hall of Famers are on this list including Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Gary Sheffield, Todd Helton, Roberto Alomar, and Ivan Rodriguez.

It also includes many notable players such as Bobby Abreu, Carlos Delgado, Adrian Beltre, and Luis Gonzalez.

Many players already linked to steroids are also on this list, including Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmerio.

It’s time for baseball to strengthen it’s steroid policy. If need be, they should suspend first-time offenders for the season. If they test positive again, they should get a lifetime ban.

If Pete Rose gets a lifetime ban for betting on games, what does a steroid user deserve?

It’s time for baseball to do something about steroids.

It’s time for a change.

 

Should The Philadelphia Phillies Trade For George Sherrill?

After the acquisition of Cliff Lee by the Phillies on Wednesday, the possibility of trading for Roy Halladay became almost non-existent. The window remains slightly open for a deal involving a lower-level starter, yet is also unlikely.

Now that the Phillies have the No. 1 pitcher to go along with current ace Cole Hamels on the pitching staff, is there a need deserving of enough attention that the team should address?

There absolutely is.

Last season, the Phillies had the most dominant closer in baseball. That man was Brad Lidge.

As we all know, Lidge returned to All-Star form in 2008 by not blowing a single save all season. This season has been a polar opposite.

Through 42 appearances, he has blown six saves in 26 opportunities. His ERA currently stands at dismal 7.11.

In the regular season, letting Lidge work out the kinks in his game makes sense. You can send him into the game with a three-run lead and feel secure that the game is locked up, even if he allows a run or two.

In the postseason, you won’t have those three-run leads. The opportunities where you can feel secure with Lidge in the game will not exist.

A closer who is capable of entering the game in a crucial spot and getting the job done is needed. As of right now, Brad Lidge does not quite fit that role.

So where do the Phillies turn for a solution?

Could Brett Myers return in mid-August as the team’s closer, or should a trade for a closer be considered?

If a trade is in the realm of possibility, who is on the market and who could the Phillies give up?

The most attractive reliever worth trading for is 32-year old George Sherrill.

The Phillies have reportedly had interest in Sherrill, who has 20 saves in 23 opportunities. Sherrill also serves as an eighth inning pitcher for the Orioles, who do not put their relievers in many save opportunities as it is.

The left-hander has struck out 39 batters in 41.1 innings pitched, while recording an impressive 2.40 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

If Sherrill were to be involved in a trade to Philadelphia, is there any current member of the Phillies the Orioles would be interested in acquiring?

They have expressed that if Sherrill were to be dealt a closer would likely have to be sent back in return. Does that mean what you think it means? Would Brade Lidge be included in a trade?

I’m not positive the Phillies brass would be willing, but if George Sherrill was closing games as opposed to Brad Lidge this postseason, I would feel much more secure.

Brad Lidge was the Phillies’ Lord and Savior in 2008. Without him, the team would never have won the World Series. He will forever be regarded as a hero in Philadelphia.

But that was then, and this is now. In 2009, Lidge has been anything but what he was in 2008. His pitches are there, but his command isn’t.

Could he potentially work out his issues by season’s end and be back to form by the postseason? Possibly. Is the risk worth it?

George Sherrill is as good as it gets right now in Major League Baseball. With him enters a pitcher who is already pitching consistently well, not a pitcher who might pitch consistently well.

Many Phillies fans will balk at the possibility of trading their Zen Master of 2008. But when you simply look at the state of their current closer role, Lidge is not the answer for the Phillies.

In the postseason, the pitcher closing out games becomes just as important as those starting the games. If you can’t finish the game, why even start it?

Simply put, if you could have a consistent pitcher with a 2.40 ERA as opposed to a struggling pitcher with a 7.11 ERA, which would you take? The former, of course.

In no way, shape, or form am I declaring the Phillies as players for George Sherrill, nor am I lobbying to trade Brad Lidge.

But if the possibility to acquire Sherrill comes along, wouldn’t you support swapping Lidge and one other player for the top-notch reliever?

Trading for Lee two days before the deadline leaves the Phillies with time to make another move.

Technically, the team is still able to assemble a package of prospects to acquire Roy Hallday (what a menacing rotation that would be). The only problem would be the depleted farm system the Phillies would be left with.

Aside from Halladay, there are other pitchers to be had.

Yet if the Phillies are to make a deal for a Zach Duke-type starting pitcher, would bringing in a closer be more sensible?

If it involves George Sherrill, I believe so.

Phillies Fans: Prepare For Second Consecutive October Celebration

In Major League Baseball, defending a World Series title is a tall order. Few teams are up to the task while many more fall short of defending their crown.

As the sun rose Wednesday, the Phillies were among the favorites to win the National League pennant…like they were for much of the first half of the 2009 season.

By sunset, though, they became the favorites to win it all this October.

The Phillies added reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee Wednesday, bolstering a starting rotation that wasn’t exactly struggling. Lee and his 3.14 earned run average-which ranked sixth in the AL before the trade-join a starting rotation, led by young guns J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels.

Jamie Moyer is no slouch and two-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez will make one heck of a back-end starter once he makes his Philadelphia debut.

Lee will undoubtedly flourish over the next month or two. First, most National League batters will be seeing Lee for the first time. Second-and most importantly-Lee will shine now that he will finally receive run support.

In Cleveland, Lee’s lack of run support was instrumental in his 7-9 record, despite having a top-flight ERA. The only legit threats he had backing him up were Grady Sizemore (who is having a down year) and Victor Martinez.

In Philadelphia, Lee will have the support of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, and Jayson Werth. Quite a contrast to the lack of firepower in Cleveland.

If Lee’s four interleague starts are any indication, Philly’s opponents are in for a lot of trouble. In 29 innings, Lee allowed only eight earned runs (a 2.48 ERA) while striking out 20 and walking nine. He was only 1-0 in those four starts, but he never allowed more than three earned runs in a single start and received more than three runs of support once.

Despite there being 16 teams in the NL, only two-St. Louis and Los Angeles-pose even the slightest threat to Philadelphia’s throne. Both teams have otherworldly hitters but lack depth in the rotation and the bottom of the batting order.

The defending champs are stacked from top to bottom, both on the mound and at the plate. They are, essentially, an American League team playing in the National League. Come October, when the Phils take on the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers or Angels, they will have the power to top the AL’s best once again.

Long-suffering Philadelphia will host back-to-back victory October victory parades. Hopefully the formerly pessimistic Philly sports fans will smile a bit more after their Phillies claim another world championship.

What’s The Difference Between Chad Billingsley And Cole Hamels?

After Chad Billingsley’s mediocre outing a couple days ago, I suppose it was to be expected that the local media would continue to press for a trade, especially if it netted Roy Halladay.

The Blue Jays also said they would take fewer players if Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley were one of them. The Dodgers said no to that too.

No to Kershaw? Of course.

No to Billingsley? There has been discussion within the organization about whether to reconsider that stance, although the Dodgers are not expected to do so.

So the same people who wanted to trade Clayton Kershaw last year have now deemed him untouchable. They are a fickle bunch.

But putting the media’s revised opinion of Kershaw’s value aside, all the trade talk got me thinking about a certain lefty who seems to share a very similar resume with Billingsley: Cole Hamels.

Don’t think their value is equal? Why not?

Dodger fans and media alike have been willing to throw Billingsley’s name into trade discussions as if he were some expendable piece, but you never hear Hamels’ name being mentioned in trade talks, and both the Dodgers and the Phillies were pursuing the same players.

So despite the obvious disparity in their perceived value, the similarities between the two pitchers are plentiful. They both came up in 2006, they were both highly touted prospects, and both of them have experienced a great deal of success early in their major league careers. Both Hamels and Billingsley have also had a declining ERA and FIP from the time of their debut until this year, where they’ve both hit a bit of a rough patch.

Chad Billingsley

ERA/FIP

2006=3.80/4.88
2007=3.31/4.02
2008=3.14/3.35
2009=3.96/3.57

Cole Hamels

ERA/FIP

2006=4.08/3.98
2007=3.39/3.83
2008=3.09/3.72
2009=4.42/3.81

Billingsley’s career ERA is 3.48 and his career FIP is 3.81. He has thrown 576 1/3 innings in 90 starts and 28 relief appearances.

Hamels’ career ERA is 3.61 and his career FIP is 3.82. He has thrown 661 innings in 104 starts and zero relief appearances.

Again, the commonalities between the two pitchers is obvious, yet one of them is thought of as expendable, and the other isn’t even asked about in negotiations because everybody knows he’s untouchable.

I still don’t quite understand why though.

I suppose the main reason for the disparity in perception between the two pitchers lies in their respective postseason performance in 2008.

Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 5 starts for the Phillies, and his team ended up winning the World Series. Billingsley went 1-2 with a 8.49 ERA in three starts for the Dodgers, and his team lost in the NLCS.

It’s obvious that Hamels was better than Billingsley in the postseason last year, but are we really so foolish as to presume that one pitcher is better than the other based on a combined 11 career playoff appearances? I would hope not, but that’s the only reasonable explanation for the difference in value and status between the two players.

Unfortunately for Billingsley, he seems to be the only pitcher who gets so severely punished for a poor playoff showing. After all, if all it took was a few crappy postseason starts to unravel the value of a great starter, then why is somebody like C.C. Sabathia getting a gargantuan contract? Sabathia is the proud owner of a 7.92 ERA in five postseason starts, but where’s the criticism and devaluation of him? I guess people forgot, right?

Furthermore, if the logic is that postseason performances creates a player’s value, then why are pitchers like Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay so sought after in the first place? They have a grand total of 0 postseason starts between them, yet they have already been crowned by the media as pitchers who will lead their team to the promised land. If they get shelled in their first shot at the playoffs, will they be punished like Billingsley? Somehow I doubt it.

So what’s the difference between Billingsley and Hamels?

For all the reasons i’ve listed above, there really isn’t any difference at all. Yet, they are thought of very differently, and that continues to puzzle me.

If two players have similar regular season performances, scouts have similar projected ceilings for them, and the only factor that separates the two is some foolishness stemming from a small sample size and faulty logic, then what’s really at fault for the disparity in value?

In my opinion, the answer’s really simple: stupidity.

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee

Philadelphia fans wanted Roy Halladay. I wanted Roy Halladay. Some have said they don’t care what it took to get him. It had to be done. It became an obsession. It became so big that if it didn’t happen, Ruben Amaro Jr. would have a good deal of explaining to do.

It didn’t happen. Instead the Phils obtained the services of another Cy Young winner in Cliff Lee and a not-too-shabby right-handed hitting outfielder in Ben Francisco from Cleveland for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.

The reaction by the fans is somewhat unexpected—they approved.

At first glance, I had mixed emotions about the deal. To get a pitcher of Lee’s caliber is out of this world, but in the same token, not getting Halladay stung. It took a little bit for the storm to settle, and for the positives to outweigh the negatives.

Like many other Phillies fans, I was a little sour that they didn’t get the guy we deemed to be the guy. Knowing the Phils passed up the best pitcher in baseball when they had the prospects to get a deal done angered me just a tad bit.

My feeling was that Amaro dropped the ball by not getting Doc Halladay. Then I let everything calm down, and really started to think about it. Philadelphia dropped the ball on Halladay, but picked it right back up by adding Lee.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old is quietly having another solid season for the Indians after winning the AL Cy Young last season with a 22-3 record and a 2.54 ERA.

Lee has a losing record for Cleveland but that has much to do with his lack of run support. With the Indians, Lee received on average 5.03 runs per game—which ranks ninth worst among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched.

In 22 games with the Tribe this year, Lee is 7-9 while posting a 3.14 ERA. He leads all of baseball with 152 innings pitched so he’s the work horse they’ve been seeking for some time now.

Lee has 107 strikeouts to just 33 walks. Even more impressive, he hasn’t walked a batter in 27 2/3 innings dating back to July 10th against the Detroit Tigers.

In his last four starts, Lee is 3-1, with a 1.97 ERA, while striking out 22 batters in 32 innings. After a rough first two starts of the season, Lee has a 2.66 ERA in 20 of his 22 starts.

Philadelphia has a abundance of quality starting pitchers on their roster, even more so with Lee. The Phils now have Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, J.A. Happ, Rodrigo Lopez, Pedro Martinez, and now, Lee.

Not only did Amaro get Lee for relatively cheap, he managed to fill another need at the same time. Francisco, 27, is exactly what the Phils have been looking for since Amaro took over as GM: a right-handed bat.

Francisco is hitting .250 with 10 homers and 33 RBI for the Indians as an everyday outfielder. Coming over to the Phils, he’ll be the fourth outfielder, but in the same token, he’ll be a very valuable piece.

Think about the job Amaro has done in this deal. He managed to get a Cy Young winner without giving up one of his top three prospects: Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, or Michael Taylor. And he didn’t have to trade Happ either.

To acquire Halladay from the Blue Jays, it would have required Drabek and one of the other three prospects mentioned above, along with one or two more prospects. There are a good amount of people that would be upset with that type of package, but the majority would be ecstatic.

This past weekend, we learned that the Blue Jays wanted Brown, Drabek, and Happ. To me, that’s a fair offer. The Phils didn’t want to trade Drabek; that’s evident with the Lee acquisition. But to me, what has he proved? Nothing, exactly.

For all we know, Drabek could be another Carlton Loewer, Tyler Green, Gavin Floyd, Pat Combs or Adam Eaton. The list goes on for the Phillies with producing pitching prospects.

I understand why people didn’t want to trade Drabek, but what gets me is the sudden love-fest with Happ. While he’s having a great season, he’s a mid-rotation pitcher. He certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

But at the end fo the day, to acquire Lee without giving up those prospects was the best course of action, and for that, I have to give props to Amaro for surviving the pressure to get Halladay by acquiring the next best thing in Cliff Lee.

Who says they still can’t get Halladay, they still have the assets to get Doc. Could it happen? Yes. Will it happen? No.

Could you imagine a rotation of Halladay, Hamels, and Lee?

I couldn’t.

I Want It Now, Phillies Vs. Yankees In World Series

I was at work the other day and saw a Yankees highlight on ESPN Sportscenter and had a thought of the near future rifle through my mind.

I could see a Yankees-Phillies World Series in 2009. Sorry Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Write your own stories.

I waited and watched as other Phillies fans did, waiting for the Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay to be traded to the defending World Series champions.

I wanted the Phillies to do something and my thought was this: If Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro hung his hat on getting an iffy Pedro Martinez as an answer to the pitching situation; it would be looked upon as Amaro not pulling the trigger to improve the team.

But I had faith, considering the team brought home the World Series last year that they would not stay put. To stay good, you have to continue to improve. No resting on last year’s success.

The trade announcement Wednesday restored my faith the Phillies would make a move: they acquired 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians.

I pay scant attention to the rest of the league and for most of the season, the Boston Red Sox lead the American League East. I knew of the controversy over Alex Rodriguez and his substance abuse admission, his hip injury, and his return to the Yankees.

Mark Teixeira is having a huge year, hitting .282 with 25 home runs and 72 RBI. Derek Jeter, shown above, the heart and soul of the Yankees, is hitting .322, and Rodriguez is hitting well.

C.C. Sabathia, the big free agent signing, is having a good year with a 10-7 record, but the other free agent pitcher, A.J. Burnett at 10-4 with a 3.53 ERA is even better.

The Yankees are red-hot right now at 61-39, a major-league best .610 winning percentage and with a 2.5 lead over the Boston Red Sox.

The Phillies are no slouches themselves. The arguably have the best offense in baseball. Ryan Howard has 26 home runs and the Phillies free-agent signing Raul Ibanez also has 26 home runs while hitting .305.

Chase Utley reminds me a lot of Jeter, in his heads up play, and the ultimate student of the game. I love his compact 3/4 swing, which generates a lot of power.

The Phillies, at 58-40, have a seven-game lead over the Florida Marlins.

Stats aside, I will talk now as a fan: The Phillies could win the National League East this year in their sleep, starting Jamie Moyer every day. No offense, Jamie. At least we could play the Marlins every day, who Moyer has a 13-2 career record against the Fish.

It is the playoffs I am worried about.

Lee should help, with a playoff rotation of Hamels, Blanton and Lee.

Lee is 7-9 this season with a 3.14 earned run average, giving up 33 walks and striking out 107 opponents. Last year he was 22-3 with and 2.54 earned run average, winning the Cy Young Award in the American League. Lifetime he is 83-48 with a 4.01 earned run average.

Most of the Yankees’ stars are right handed or switch hitters, which could be bad news for the Phillies predominately left-handed rotation. That is why Blanton would probably pitch over J.A. Happ or Moyer, who are left-handed pitchers.

My gut also tells me the Yankees would win the World Series, four games to two.

The Yankees are the granddaddies of the World Series, with 26 championships. The St. Louis Cardinals are next with 10. The Phillies, along with the Mets, Marlins and other teams, have two World Series crowns.

But to be considered one of the greatest teams of the 2000s, or in the same breath with the Cincinnati Reds, who were the last National League team to win back-to-back World Series (1975-76), the Phillies have to beat the best.

Bring it on!

Cliff Lee Traded to the Phillies

As the MLB trading deadline approaches, the Philadelphia Phillies have definitely improved its chances to repeating as World Series Champs with its acquisition of Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians.

The deal has been in the works ever since the Philadelphia and Toronto have come to a standstill through their negotiations for the trade of Roy Halladay. Philadelphia was just not willing to give up their best blue chip prospects such as Kyle Draebek, Michael Taylor, and Dominic Brown along with 7-1 starter J.A. Happ. 

However, Cliff Lee, even though he is not as great a pitcher as Roy Halladay is this season, is definitely a good second option. In fact, Cliff Lee was last year’s AL Cy Young Winner, not Halladay. Clearly, Cliff Lee has not been doing as well this year as last year as shown how he posted a ERA of 2.54 when compared to this year’s ERA of 3.14. However, his win-loss total of 7-9 is slightly misleading.

As of today, Cliff Lee has started for the Indians 22 times. In 19 out of those 22 starts, Cliff Lee has been great as evidenced when Cliff Lee goes 6.0 innings into a game, he gives up at a maximum of only 3 earned runs. However, for that kind of good pitching in a span of 19 games, Cliff Lee has only seven wins to show for it. What this shows is that Cliff Lee’s superb pitching has been wasted because of a lack of run support. If you gave Cliff Lee half of the disputed remaining 12 games, Cliff Lee would have 14 wins right now, which would lead all AL pitchers….including Halladay.

What this trade shows is that the Indians are officially conceding this season in an effort to be a better team next season by gathering as many quality prospects from trade-able pieces as evidenced its trade of 1B Ryan Garko, and the trade of pitching ace Cliff Lee.

Also, catcher Victor Martinez has been rumored to be involved in trade rumors. With this trade, it has marks two consecutive years that Cleveland has traded away an ace with Lee this year and C.C. Sabathia last year. 

Even though the Phillies really wanted Roy Halladay badly, at the price that Philadelphia needed to pay for Cliff Lee, I can’t complain. Philadelphia virtually got Cliff Lee, a slightly worse pitcher than Halladay, at a vastly lower price. Philadelphia actually got to keep J.A. Happ, Kyle Draebek, and both their blue chip prospects outfielders, giving up some mid-level prospects for Lee.

For Philly, this was a huge win in that the acquisition of Cliff Lee not only gives them an ace to put alongside Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation, but also puts the Phillies as if not the team to beat, the second best team in the National League only to the Dodgers.

Also, it fills the Phillies’ pitching need which was evident when Brett Myers went down with an injury earlier in the season. This trade also keeps the Phillies prepared for the future as if Kyle Draebek becomes as advertised a future ace, the Phillies would have a strong starting rotation of Lee, Hamels, Happ, and Draebek.

If everything goes according to the plan, the Phillies should be contenders to win the World Series for the next several years.

Hey Baseball! Get Ready For Another RED October!

The Philadelphia Phillies have been hot recently. Everything has come together for them.

At this time last year, the Phillies were in a struggle with the New York Mets for first place in the NL East division. They had just acquired under-the-radar pitcher Joe Blanton from the Oakland Athletics.

It sounded like every other Phillies season. Except last year, they won the World Series.

Now everything has changed… for the better.

This year, they are leading the division and are threatening to run away with it.

Their pitching has settled down from the start of the season and is now heating up while their bats are just the same.

Someone should call the fire department because the Phillies are on fire.

The Phils are arguably the frontrunners to win the World Series this year, especially since they recently acquired last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee.

That gives the Phillies the best one-two pitching combo in baseball.

If the Phillies continue to pitch the way they have recently, they will have the best rotation in baseball.

J.A. Happ, who has been great so far this year, has a record of 7-1 with an ERA under 3.00.

Joe Blanton has been extremely dominant recently. 

In four July starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA. He has one more start this month against the San Francisco Giants.   

Cole Hamels is finally becoming the pitcher he was during the postseason. He pitched a great game yesterday against the Diamondbacks.

Jamie Moyer has also pitched well recently including a great game against the Diamondbacks. He’s won five of his last six games.

Newly added Cliff Lee had a shaky start at the beginning of the season but quickly turned things around. He is 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his last three starts with Cleveland.

The Phillies bats have been hot this month as well. Maybe it has something to do with the All-Star game? Who knows?

All I know is they are “hotter than the Phoenix forecast.”

The only thing holding the Phillies back is their bullpen, but don’t look into that too much. Though if you do, you will see they are going to turn around.

How you ask?

They have three pitchers on the DL in J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, and Clay Condrey. Romero is expected to be back next week, and the others will quickly follow.

Also, Brett Myers could be back by late-August. He said he is willing to work out of the bullpen. That will definitely help late into ballgames because remember, he was their closer in 2007.

Finally, the Phillies have Pedro Martinez. He may not get a shot at the rotation, and if he does, he probably won’t take a spot away from the others. He can be used out of the bullpen as well though.

There are two months left in the regular season, and the Phillies are first in the division. If the Florida Marlins or Atlanta Braves want to challenge the Phillies, they will need to step it up quickly.

But if they don’t, the Phillies can relax in September for the first time in a long time.

 

City of Brotherly Loathe: Why Philadelphia Sports Fans Are Scumbags

A man was beaten to death in a savage and needless fracas that occurred outside of Citizen’s Bank Park in the final innings of the Philadelphia Phillies 14-6 home win versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

 

Police said the brawl initially erupted between a group from a bachelor party and other drunk patrons inside McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon next to the Phillies’ ballpark.

 

Bouncers employed at the watering hole were reportedly able to successfully eject the fighting degenerates from the establishment.

 

However, the melee, which involved as many as 30 patrons, moved outside into parking lot “M.”

 

When the vicious bloodbath that originated over a spilled cup of beer ended, 22-year-old Lansdale resident David Sale was taken to the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he was pronounced dead at approximately 8:00 pm.

 

“One of the individuals was holding him (Sale) in a headlock while the other two were beating him,” Captain James Clark explained. “He went down to the ground, on all fours, and then they started kicking him and stomping him until he went unconscious. And even after that, we have information they continued to kick and stomp him.”

 

Authorities said Charles Bowers, 35, James Groves, 45, and Francis Kirchner, 28, have been charged with murder in the attack.

 

Shockingly, all three “City of Brotherly Love” scumbags have prior criminal records.

 

Saturday’s fatal incident is the latest chapter in the notorious history of Philadelphia’s disgusting and subhuman sports fanbase.

 

To name only a few despicable Philly episodes, these worthless, cheese-steak-eating cretins have gunned snowballs at Santa Clause, shot a flare gun across a live playing field, and thrown D-Cell batteries at Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew after he understandably rebuffed the Phillies offer to play for them.

 

In 1997, actions of Philadelphia Eagles fans during a 34-0 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys were so barbaric that the city assigned a Municipal Court Judge, Seamus McCaffrey, to Veterans Stadium to preside over the legions of trash banished from the stands.

 

Supporters of Philadelphia sports teams are largely pathetic excuses for life, and they need to be exiled from the world of athletics for the greater benefit of society.

 

There are three, albeit extremely unlikely, possible solutions for dealing with these immoral miscreants from the Keystone State.

 

One potential resolution would be to administer extensive background checks on every lowlife that attempts to enter a sporting event in the city of Philadelphia.

 

Granted, because most Philly natives have rap sheets, no contest would ever be filled to capacity. But attending games in “The Quaker City” would be a vastly more enjoyable experience.

 

Another idea would be to mandate that all ticket holders must pass a breathalyzer test before they are permitted to enter the stadium.

 

Again, considering that Philadelphians need to be constantly blitzed, no contest would ever be filled to capacity. But, attending games in “The Quaker City” would be a vastly more enjoyable experience.

 

Lastly, the four major sports commissioners could convene and immediately disband all of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams.

 

Frankly, the last option sounds the most appealing.

 

“Filth-adelphia” is also known as “The Birthplace of America.”

 

For the betterment of civilization, all athletic franchises based in Philadelphia should be removed from the American sports landscape without exception.

Cliff Lee and Jack Wilson: Big Deal

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