Philadelphia Phillies: A Tip of the Hat and an Eye To the Future

Well, they by no means disappointed. Last night, in a rather anticlimactic fashion, the Phillies relinquished their title of baseball’s best to the clearly superior Yankees.

Make no doubt about it, folks. The Yankees were the better team. They had three reliable workhorses who left little to guesswork.

They synchronized timely hitting with flashes of power. And, much like the Phillies did last year, had the luxury of summoning an absolute stopper to put the game away.

Back-to-back National League titles is no simple accomplishment. Completing such a feat required every ounce of grit this Phillies team had.

Remember, the Rockies were the hottest team in the league before they ran into the Phils. The Dodgers had just finished waxing the floor with the Cardinals before they subdued to the champs.

While the Phillies had very little trouble dispatching those two stoutly built teams, the Yankees were not only more talented than the Phil’s previous challengers, but more intelligent.

Every single weakness was exploited.

The lack of a DH. The breaking balls down and away that Ryan Howard just couldn’t lay off. The bullpen no more stable than a ticking time-bomb.

All of it was exposed. All of it was revealed. The 10 scouts that watched this team in the NLCS compiled the perfect blueprint to take this giant down.

And thus, today begins the march to next year. This is not a team that was built to win now and flounder. This is not a team that was built on career years.

In fact, it may be quite the opposite. Cole Hamels was awful this year. There’s no way around that. He flashed very little of the form that made him a household name just one year ago.

Brad Lidge’s most recent meltdown carried all the way over into Game Four of this series. Chase Utley started the season with a questionable hip. After a blazing start, Raul Ibanez settled into approximately his career norms.

Jimmy Rollins was one of the least productive players in baseball for three months. Yet despite all these shortcomings, the Phils still comfortably won the NL East and cruised through their foremost competition in the NL playoffs.

Considering those circumstances, the fact the Phillies even stretched the Yankees to six games is incredible.

But nonetheless, this team has weaknesses. The most glaring hole in this team is in the bullpen. Many a win was lost in the back-end of a formerly lock-down bullpen.

Does Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro address the closing situation? How much longer can Charlie answer questions about who his closer will be? Aside from Ryan Madson — who wasn’t even close to good this year — who did you ever feel comfortable with out of the ‘pen? Chan Ho Park, maybe?

J.C. Romero, who missed nearly the entire season due to a 50 game suspension and then an injury, will provide a boost to the ‘pen. But where else will they find help?

The starting pitching, which at the trade deadline looked to be phenomenal, now also faces questions.

Cliff Lee will undoubtedly be back next year after the Phils pick up his option. Cole Hamels, like it or not, will be the No. 2 starter, hopefully with a reliable third pitch. Right now, Joe Blanton will settle in as the No. 3. After that, who’s throwing?

Will Pedro return? We could have seen the last of Jamie Moyer this year. What about potential R.O.Y., J.A. Happ? Could blue-chip prospect Kyle Drabek pitch his way into the rotation?

This will be an interesting situation to monitor over the next three moths leading up to spring training.

The lineup is pretty much set. The only position that might be upgraded, or at least looked at, is third base. The Phillies have to decide whether Pedro Feliz is the best option there. He’s by no means even a decent hitter. But that’s not what he’s there for.

The Phillies basically concede sports two spots in the order in return for a solid defense. A sound decision in my estimation, but it might be something Amaro addresses with perhaps a more reliable option than Greg Dobbs or Eric Bruntlett.

Which brings us to the bench. This has been a glaring weakness all year for the Fightins. The likes of Miguel Cairo, Eric Bruntlett, and Matt Stairs simply are not good enough.

Ben Francisco was a welcome addition to this group, but he alone is not enough. They need another right-handed bat off the bench. They need a better utility player than Bruntlett or Cairo.

They need to be aggressive. Complacency cannot set in. Ruben must not be happy with what he is.

Constant improvement with sustained continuity will bring more success. Last offseason, the Phillies seamlessly plugged Ibanez in for the castoff Pat Burrell in LF and a move that paid dividends in spades.

There needs to be that type of aggression again. There needs to be a sense of urgency.

We’ve had a taste of what it feels like to win. Now it’s time for more.

What’s needed is not an overhaul, but a fine-tuning. With a few soundly calculated moves, this team could find itself another advantageous position entering October.

What a run it’s been over the past two seasons. It’s a run the likes of which Philadelphia has rarely seen. But let’s not be satisfied. Let’s not be happy.

This could be the greatest era in Phillies history. Enjoy it. But don’t settle.

Few franchises ever have this opportunity. Embrace it.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmy Rollins’ Prediction Proves How Stupid Sportswriters Are

So Jimmy Rollins proved once again that when it comes to playoffs and predictions, he’s an idiot. Picking the Phillies to win in five games was clearly an act of a delusional man. Thank God the mighty Yankees proved him wrong.

Wait. Hang on. Scratch that.

Rollins shouldn’t be criticized for making a prediction. He should be applauded for pointing out (indirectly and probably unintentionally) the laziness of sportswriters.

Asking a player for their prediction in a series is the most cliched, pointless thing a sportswriter can do. It baffles me that people continue to ask, and more amazingly, get upset at the results.

Exactly what is a writer hoping for when asking a player for a prediction? Do they honestly think some ground-breaking answer is going to come out? Some piece of prose, so eloquently worded we’ll be showing video clips of it for years to come?

Realistically, there are two things that will occur when a player is asked this question:

1) They will say they think their team will win

Of course, they won’t do this without first admitting their opponent is a great team/player. After all, we wouldn’t want to offend anyone here. But once the required pleasantries are out of the way, it’s all their team, all the time.

Again, why would this be suprising to people. What player doesn’t have the confidence in themselves and their teammates that they think they’ll lose? Even if they did, who in their right mind would say it? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out.

Of course, some people don’t want to ruffle any feathers, so you get a variation of this response:

2) “I think we’re two evenly-matched teams, and it’s hard to know how the game(s) will play out, and they’ve got a lot of great players in that locker room, so I really can’t say what will happen”

Well, great. Thanks for that insight.

You know when I’ll applaud a player for making a prediction? When I hear this:

“Well, we’re a great team, but our rotation isn’t lined up so great, and they have home field and we’ve got some guys battling injuries and we don’t have their depth. I like the other guys in six.”

At least that quote will have some meaning to it.

At least then you’ve got a story with something interesting to say.

At least then I know the guy is being honest, and not just worried about how he’ll look in the press.

But we all know that will never happen. We all know every sportswriter wants to get the next Joe Namath quote. The next Mark Messier guarantee. So, they keep asking and we keep hearing the same bland responses. Think “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” minus the fury part.

Now I don’t blame athletes for making these predictions. If a sportswriter sticks a mic in your face and asks you the question, what choice do you have but to give an actual answer?

And I certainly understand why sportswriters ask. For one, it’s an easy, no-brainer column to write. And second, it will get a ton of views/clicks/comments. Nothing gets the people going like someone asserting that their team is inferior to another and once you get an argument going, viola! You’ve done your job as a writer, namely, increase your readership. I get it.

But at the same time, it makes me sad. That as writers, we can’t even come up with a decent angle to cover, so we fall back on the cliched prediction piece. 

It’s sad that as fans, we still seem to be surprised that there are people out there who don’t think our team is the best there ever was.

So here’s hoping that someday soon, we all wise up and rid ourselves of the fascination of the prediction. I figure it’ll happen around 2013. Guaranteed.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Anatomy Of a Loss: Scenes From a World Series

During the course of a series, there are always a few plays that spell the difference between drinking champagne and drinking to forget. Here is a look back at four pivotal sequences that helped the New York Yankees win the 2009 World Series.

Game Three, bottom of the second inning

With one out and a 1-0 lead, the Phillies loaded the bases against Yankees starter Andy Pettitte. Here was a chance to bust the game open and knock Pettitte out early. Jimmy Rollins walked to make it 2-0. So far, so good.

But Shane Victorino swung at the first two pitches in the dirt. Chase Utley then struck out swinging to end the inning. The Phils put three on the board, but failed to deliver the knockout punch. 

Game Three, top of the fourth

With one out, Cole Hamels came unraveled after a questionable ball four to Mark Teixeira. Two pitches later, Alex Rodriguez homered off a FOX Sports camera; a hit that would’ve been a double a year-and-a-half earlier in that now quaint pre-replay era. Hamels got out of the inning, but wasn’t the same.

Five of the six batters he faced in the fifth reached base, including Pettitte who picked up a rare RBI. It was Hamels, not Pettitte who met an early shower giving up five runs in four and one-third, one year after winning the World Series MVP award.

Game Four, top of the ninth 

After Pedro Feliz’s two-out solo home run tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, it seemed like the Phillies were going to knot the series at two games apiece. Closer Brad Lidge came on to preserve the tie. 

With two outs, Johnny Damon singled. No big deal it seemed, but then the type of calamity that seems to only befall the Phillies happened. Because of a defensive shift, third baseman Feliz ran to cover second on Damon’s attempted steal. Damon was safe and noticing the vacant third base, kept running. Neither catcher Carlos Ruiz nor Lidge thought to cover the bag.

With Damon on third, Lidge may have been reluctant to use his nasty slider for the fear of a wild pitch scoring Damon. Instead, after plunking Teixeira, Lidge threw a fastball to Rodriguez who doubled and in the process, created the moment that will top all his highlight reels for eternity. That’s something that Phillies fans will have to live with like having the most losses in the history of professional sports.

Jorge Posada singled, extending the lead to third. Mariano Rivera, who would not have been pitching in a tied bottom of the ninth, threw a one-two-three inning. What seemed like an inevitable Phils win, turned into a 3-1 Yankees series lead.

Game Six, bottom of the third

After halving the Yankees lead to 2-1 in the top of the frame, the Phillies were looking for a shutdown inning from Pedro Martinez. Derek Jeter hit what appeared to be the second out, only Victorino misjudged the ball and trapped it for a single. After a Damon walk and a Teixeira hit-by-pitch, Martinez struck out Rodriguez. That should’ve been the end of the inning. But with the extra out created by Victorino’s fielding, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run single, RBIs three and four of ultimately a six RBI night.

And now, just like that, the season is over. Johnny Damon’s back-to-back swipes will take their rightful place in Phillies ignominy alongside 1964, Black Friday, and 15-14. For the Yankees, it’s World Series title No. 27, for the Phillies, it’s wait until last year.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: World Series Shows Why Chase Utley Is Underappreciated

If the Philadelphia Phillies had forced a Game Seven of the 2009 World Series, Chase Utley would have had a genuine chance at the Series’ Most Valuable Player award. Regardless of whether the Phils’ won a second set of rings, Utley’s monstrous display probably would’ve garnered him the honor if nobody from the New York Yankees had an outstanding finish.

As we all saw on Wednesday, Hideki Matsui lived up to even the craziest billings of Godzilla-hype and Philadelphia gave up the ghost in six games. Consequently, the Yanks wore yet another crown, Matsui took home well-deserved MVP honors, and Utley’s six games will be remembered as cute footnotes.

What two players share the record for most home runs in a single World Series?

Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley.

Who are the only two left-handed hitters to hit two home runs in a single World Series game off left-handed pitching?

Babe Ruth and Chase Utley.

As cool as those nuggets are, it’s a shame they’re all that will endure from such a fantastic performance.

With all due respect to Hideki Matsui, who had several good games and one spectacular one, the Phillies’ second baseman was the best player in the World Series. That’s not to say he was the most valuable—he wasn’t. His team didn’t win and a player on the victorious side made a good push for the hardware.

One last time—Godzilla was the right choice for World Series MVP.

However, look at what Utley did at the plate in six games:  21 at-bats, seven runs-scored, one double, five homeruns, eight runs batted in, one stolen base, four walks, five strikeouts, a .286 batting average, and a 1.448 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

The OPS looks like something generated by a blue-chip prospect in high school as do the five taters in six games. Other than Matsui, nobody hung with Chase offensively and the first-ever Japanese MVP was merely a designated hitter for three contests while being reduced to a pinch-hitter in the other three.

The pride of the Phillies played six full games and contributed with his leather in addition to his splinter.

Yet, it all came in a losing effort—if the Phils win, everyone is singing Utley’s praises for the next week. Shoot, even if the Phightins had come a little closer and the Bronx Bombers had remained a bit more vanilla, his name would echo into the offseason.

But it won’t.

That’s the way it’s been with the 30-year-old perennial All-Star as he’s risen to the rank of superstar in Major League Baseball. Which is why, as strange as it is to hear about an admitted-superstar, Utley is underrated.

Chances are, if you don’t reside in the City of Brotherly Love or pledge allegiance to its sports teams, you aren’t aware that Chase Utley has arguably been the best player not named Albert Pujols in the National League since 2005.

Consider his yearly averages, including the year that saw him take over full-time at the keystone (’05):

G	AB	R	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
151	582	111	39	5	29	101	15	67	109	0.301	0.388	0.535	0.922

 

Those are incredible numbers before you toss in the fact he plays a premium defensive position and provides thump from the middle of the diamond, something historically rare in the Bigs. Still, they are just numbers.

 

If you go beneath the stats, you’ll find that the 2009 postseason is not the first time Chase Utley has delivered on an expansive, well-illuminated platform.

In 2005, he took over regular duty for Placido Polanco and simply disappeared in a cloud of dust—he finished 13th in NL MVP voting that year. In 2006, he led the Senior Circuit in runs-scored, made his first All-Star appearance, finished seventh in MVP voting, and began to establish himself as a force with which to be reckoned.

Only to be overshadowed by team-mate Ryan Howard’s MVP season.

In 2007, despite missing significant time due to an injury suffered on one of Utley’s NL-leading 25 hit-by-pitches, Mr. Reliable tallied another superb campaign. He registered an All-Star appearance, an eighth-place finish in the MVP voting, and was upstage by yet another team-mate’s MVP season (this time it was Jimmy Rollins).

Finally, on the way to the 2008 World Series, Chase Utley found another gear.

He put together arguably the best year of his glittering career to date, participated in the now-tedious All-Star game, finished 14th in MVP voting, and propelled his team into the Fall Classic by putting together a dominating NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodger.

Of course, the virtually untouchable postseason twirled by Cole Hamels stole all the headlines and absorbed all the spotlight.

Now, 2009 is just one more entry—Utley’s scintillating season has been but the backdrop for blustery stories about Cliff Lee’s domination or Rollins’ verbosity or Howard’s prodigious clout. His scorching Classic will be railroaded in favor of the Yankees’ 27th championship and Philadelphia’s ultimately doomed effort to repeat.

Obviously, there’s an element of poor timing at work that’s keeping the Southern California native in the shadows a bit. There’s something else, too.

If you want to know what, look no further than the telling coverage of this World Series, where so much lip service was paid to guys like Rollins and Pedro Martinez and the other really snazzy interviews. Never have I heard and read so much praise and hype heaped on guys because of their tendency to give a good sound byte.

In the face of a .217 average and 6.30 ERA.

Contrarily, Utley posts terrific numbers while playing the game as if he were the dean of the old school.

He gives max effort day-in and day-out without contributing much to the circus sideshow that revolves around professional athletics in America (and other countries if rumors are true). He just shows up, does his job better than 99 percent of his contemporaries, respectfully answers questions, and then repeats.

For this, his play gets overlooked—the dude had to hit FIVE HOME RUNS IN SIX GAMES to get a word in edgewise. In the World Series.

Chase Utley is a total failure in one aspect—the man is not a self-promoter.

And that only means there’s more to appreciate.

 

**www.pva.org**

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia’s “Every Fourth Year” Curse

The Phillies have just completed a great ride back to the World Series, ending up just two games (or three Cliff Lee clones) short of repeating as champions.

 

But don’t be surprised that they didn’t bring the trophy back home.  They were just the latest victim of Philadelphia’s “Every Fourth Year” (EFY) Curse.

 

And you thought the Curse of Billy Penn was bad. At least the Phillies eventually broke that.

 

The EFY Curse has proven completely unbreakable and has taken turns stifling each of our four professional sports teams on multiple occasions.

 

It all began in the year 1977.

 

Philadelphia had just been the focal point of our nation’s bicentennial celebrations and was enjoying a period of sports prosperity, with the Flyers having made three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final (two wins) and the Phillies in the midst of several division titles.

 

In that spring of 1977, the Sixers made the NBA Finals and led the Portland Trailblazers two games to nothing before being overwhelmed by Bill Walton and company, losing four straight.

 

And so it began.

 

Fast forward three years later to 1980, as the Flyers and Sixers both fell in the finals. But this was not the EFY Curse at work, as the Phillies were victorious in the World Series later that year. Instead, the EFY Curse reared its ugly head just three weeks into 1981, with the Eagles losing to the Raiders in Super Bowl XV.

 

The Curse would lie dormant as the Sixers lost the NBA Finals in 1982 and then finally broke through for a title in 1983, but it reached out and bit the Flyers in 1985.

 

When the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers again in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final, it appeared that Philadelphia no longer needed any opposition from the EFY Curse to lose a finals series and it had all merely been a coincidence.

 

The pattern appeared to be broken for good in 1989. None of the teams made it to the finals, with the Flyers falling a round short. Maybe the Eagles were ticketed for the Super Bowl that year, but the Fog Bowl on December 31, 1988 made sure that wouldn’t happen.

 

Little did anyone suspect that the 1993 Phillies would come out of nowhere to play in the World Series. But we all know what happened there.

 

The Curse was reborn.

 

The city’s next chance at glory came four years later, in 1997, but the Flyers were swept quietly aside as the Stanley Cup eluded them once again.

 

Four years later, the upstart Sixers met the mighty Lakers for the NBA title. They managed a game one win, but were ultimately no match for the Curse.

 

The Eagles had a strong 2004 NFL campaign. But when the playoffs arrived and the calendar turned to 2005, the EFY Curse kicked in, denying the Eagles in their Super Bowl bid again.

 

Fortunately for all of us fans, the Phillies were able to break through and triumph in the 2008 World Series, impervious to the EFY Curse.

 

But it sat there, just waiting for 2009.

 

It has been claiming them in order recently, ever since Macho Row and the ’93 Phils.

 

The 1997 Flyers.

 

The 2001 76ers.

 

The 2004 Eagles, playing in the 2005 Super Bowl.

 

It was once again the Phillies’ turn this year. There was no stopping it.

 

And so you see, we are still cursed.

 

Yes, our teams are still able to make the championship round, and even win it, as the Phillies did last year.  But every fourth year? Forget about it.

 

Since 1977, the EFY Curse is an undefeated 8-0.

 

Teams making the finals in other seasons since then are 3-4. Not great, but better than zero.

 

With the World Series having come to a sad conclusion, Philadelphia’s fans turn the page on a very good season, but one that ultimately came just short.

 

Still, one of our teams will be back in this position soon, with a chance to give us a title and a parade and that warm feeling we all had last year.

 

Let’s just hope it happens before 2013.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

For Yankees, John, Paul, and George Enough: Who Needs Ringo?

As I sift through the rubble that was the New York Yankees 27th World Series title, being a Phillies fan, I feel not shame, but respect for our conquerors.

A 7-3 victory in Game Six gave the Yankees a 4-2 victory Wednesday night in the Bronx.

As I have stated several times in this format, and to friends, I thought the series was over after Game Four, a 7-4 Yankees victory. The Yankees at that point, had a 3-1 series lead.

But in Game Five, for fans of both teams, the pendulum swung, as the Phillies lit up A.J. Burnett for six runs in two innings and with an 8-6 win, closed the series gap to 3-2.

Burnett left the game in the third inning without recording an out.

I jumped on the opportunity to write a pro-Phillies story that stated my team would take the next two games, largely due to the Yankees’ use of a three-man rotation. Obviously, it didn’t happen.

But Monday’s Yankee loss was enough for New York fans to question Joe Girardi’s decision to use a rotation of C.C. Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte, pictured above exiting Wednesday’s game in the sixth.

While writing the headline, I thought of other great, four-men groups.

None better than the Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were the orginal members, along with drummer Pete Best. Best was dropped and Ringo Starr added.

Their song, P.S., I love you by the Beatles is running through my head (“As I write this letter (story) ..”), but the song should be Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla .

“Stupid DH rule,” I texted my buddy after Hideki Matsui hit a two-run home run off Pedro Martinez.

Matsui, the Yankees designated hitter who went 3-4 with a home run and six RBI, accounted for most of the Yankees offense on Wednesday.

His .615 series average and monster Game Six, earned Matsui the Series’ MVP award.

Pettitte won two games in the series, and the Phillies could not take advantage of his five walks in the deciding game. Sabathia pitched well, and although Burnett imploded in Game Five, he got the win in Game Two.

So, while Phillies fans gloated following Game Five, and Yankees fans shivered in fear, Tuesday’s off day gave me pause, and some clearer thinking.

Going into Wednesday’s game, I realized that from the Yankees’ point of view, they absolutely needed to win Game Six, and not allow a Game 7.

I heard on the FAN, WFAN, 66-AM on Wednesday, that Mariano Rivera would pitch three innings if necessary.

It wasn’t. Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte got the job done.

Too bad. Because in Game Five, one thing was true for Phillies fans:

Things go better with Coke.

Congrats, Yankees.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

World Series: Yankees Emerge Victorious, but Phillies Are Hardly Losers

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Top 12 Consolations for Phillies Fans

12) Red Sox Fan will hear about this much more than you will

11) A-Rod got hit a lot

10) It’s not like your laundry hasn’t won recently

9) New York Fan is still bent over that Giants game

8) With any luck, you won’t have to watch Brad Lidge ever again

7) It was getting kind of hard to never second-guess Charlie Manuel anyway

6) Cole Hamels wanted the year to be over anyway

5) While the millennium is no longer free of Yankee championships, it still doesn’t have a single Cowboys playoff win

4) Harry Kalas didn’t have to watch it

3) Judging from the crowd noise at games in Philadephia, many of you made out like bandits by selling your tickets to Yankee Fans

2) By any measure, there has never been a period in the 120-year history of the franchise where it’s been a better time to be a fan

1) Mets Fan still has his head in the oven

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies-Yankees: Game Six Notes, Watching the Guillotine

Coming into tonight’s game, despite my love for Pedro Martinez, I knew that a win was going to be all on the offense. They weren’t ever going to win a 2-1 game in New York, not against this offense, and not with this bullpen.

There was hope that they could slug their way to a win, of course; the Yankee starters weren’t used to working on three days rest, and the bullpen wasn’t airtight.

It’s still a disconcerting way to start a game.

I tuned in a little late, as part of my continuing effort to avoid Fox’s pregame programming, and wound up only seeing the Utley double play to end the first. Not an auspicious start to what felt like a coronation anyway.

At no point was I seeing how Pedro Martinez’s last meaningful start against the Yankees would end in happiness. Anyhoo, eight pitches. Way to make Old Man Pettite extend himself on short rest, guys.

After one pitch, Pedro needed a conference and a new ball. Considering how often Jorge Posada has been out there this series, I’d like to see that happen after every pitch. Let’s just go all the way towards killing the sport with delays.

On a 2-2 count to Damon, Pedro turned, spit violently, then threw a 77 mph change-up to strike the man out; when you are hacking up stuff between pitches, you are officially getting them out with guile.

Fox later informed us that Martinez didn’t break 85 on the gun in the second inning. The man doesn’t look well; HD is doing him no favors.

I’m pretty sure he’s not over the illness he had in Game Two. Either that, or he’s fantastically old, which is what we were sure of before the year started.

Pedro got a little squeezed to start the A-Rod at bat, and it went to 2-0 on a near HBP. The 3-0 pitch was low and away, and McCarver was all over Martinez’s lack of velocity; one had to wonder how fast Charlie Manuel’s hook would come.

A four-pitch walk ended A-Rod’s at bat. Here we go…Matsui up, Pedro not paying any attention to Rodriguez, who used to be a threat to run before the hip problem. He got ahead of Matsui on a loud foul off of an 86 mph fastball, then got it up to 88 on a high fastball.

After ripping a 2-2 pitch just foul, Matsui took ball three inside.

Suddenly watching this game is like waiting for the guillotine.

Matsui fouled off a 3-2 change-up, then served up a home run to right, down the line, for the 2-0 lead. Yeah, that was unexpected.

Just a batting practice fastball there, and if I were Charlie Manuel, I’d be warming-up pitchers. Pedro’s got nothing, and that’s two straight at bats where Matsui has gone deep against him.

Pedro recovered with a sad little strikeout of Posada, a high 80 mph fastball that the catcher looked disgusted to have missed.

A moment of Not Happiness for Yankee Fans: Posada will make a ridiculous amount of money over the next two years to be the second coming of Jason Varitek.

Anyway, back to the game…Cano followed with a first pitch line drive at Utley, and the inning ended with a five-pitch fly ball to Francisco in left. After two innings, it’s 2-0 Yankees, and if the offense doesn’t answer fast, this will get out of hand.

Francisco started the third with a fast ground out, and Pettite worked with very few pitches to that point. Chooch Ruiz then did what he’s been doing his entire postseason, which is hit balls hard into the left field gap, slamming one off the wall. Brett Gardner misjudged the hit, which gave Ruiz the opportunity for his fourth career triple.

Huge.

Rollins’ at bat quickly went to a 2-0 count, and the shortstop flied out to right, scoring Ruiz. The inning ended on a first-pitch pop up from Victorino, and that’s really not helpful on the pitch count, but at least they are on the board.  The score was 2-1 Yankees after 2.5 innings.

Martinez started Gardner with pitches on the corners for an 0-2 count, and finished him off with an up-and-away 86 mph fastball.

Jeter then used his Jedi skills to get Victorino to take a bad route to a sinking liner for a single, and that’s just a big damn deal. Really. Especially with Jeter a threat to steal.

Damon worked the count to 3-2 as part of Pedro’s game-long problem of not being able to finish off hitters, then drew a walk.

That was Pedro’s 51st pitch.

The Phillies called to the bullpen to get J.A. Happ warm.

With the kill shot opportunity on the first pitch, Pedro drilled Teixeira square on the leg, near the knee.

Good grief. Bases loaded for A-Rod, and, while you can’t bring in anyone but Happ here, he’s not ready. Considering the importance of the hitter and situation, you could argue for Chan Ho Park or Ryan Madson, but that’s not how baseball works.

Guillotine time again with the bases loaded and one out.

First pitch is 82 and on the black, and A-Rod misses it. Second is bounced, and Ruiz keeps it in front of him. Third is up and 82 again, but A-Rod misses it as well, and the called strikeout is on the outside.

Rodriguez and West get into each other, but the third basemen isn’t ejected. A man can dream.

Of course now Matsui, who has owned Pedro, is up. A first-pitch fastball is fouled off. A second-pitch fastball is crushed down the line and foul. Fox tells us the last pitch was 90 mph, a game high. The 0-2 pitch is a high fastball that’s lined to center for a two-run single, and Matsui now has all four RBI for the game.

The Japanese DH is now hitting .636 for the Series, and he just might have won it.

Posada ends the inning on a fly ball to right, and it’s 4-1 Yankees after three.

The fact that they couldn’t even waste a pitch to Matsui and see if he’d get himself out is telling.

Damon came out of left field on a pulled muscle and was replaced by Jerry Hairston, which might help if the Series goes to nine or ten games. The Yankees might be short some outfielders.

With Fox touting his 1-for-11 lifetime mark against Pettite, Chase Utley whiffs on seven pitches to start the fourth. Howard followed with a soft line drive to second.

With Pettite at just 47 pitches, we’re getting fairly close to counting outs until Rivera territory.

Werth drew his second walk of the game and advanced on a rare passed-ball swinging strike before Raul Ibanez drew a walk.

Balls one and two to Feliz continued a squeeze play by West, and strike one was in more or less the same place. Strike two was a no-doubter with late movement. Ball three was in the same place, and ye-gads, Pettite’s sharp on the black here.

The drama ends with a ground ball to third, because you only get one huge hero moment from Pedro Feliz in a series.

Martinez started the fourth, and I’m not sure why. Chad Durbin warmed up in the bullpen, and Cano sent Francisco to the track in left. Have I mentioned how Pedro’s got nothing in this game? It might be relevant.

Martinez picks up his fifth strikeout of the night up and away against Swisher. A line drive by Gardner to Utley ends the inning, and you’d think that four innings, five base runners, and five strikeouts would be better than this.

Score is 4-1 Yankees after four.

How many outs until Rivera? Probably not enough, really. Francisco goes down on three pitches, and wow, he’s been useless. Ruiz drew a five-pitch walk to improve matters.

Durbin appears to have the bottom of the fifth, and at least we’ll be spared a farewell chant for Pedro.

Pettite got ahead of Rollins, then induced a 2-2 double play, his second of the game, and that’s a fast and awful end to the fifth inning.

Six outs to Rivera, 12 outs to elimination.

Chad Durbin was in for the sixth and the top of the order, with Happ getting warm in the pen. Why not Park? One more run makes this game just about impossible, and Park’s been your best reliever in this series, but what the hey, he’s got to work the seventh, I suppose.

Jeter greets Durbin with a ground-rule double to left that’s just out of reach of the cursed Francisco, and I swear, every one of Jeter’s hits in this series has been a foot from being caught. It’s what he does.

Hairston, batting for Damon, sac bunts Jeter to third perfectly on the first pitch, nearly beating it out himself.

Teixeira, against a drawn-in infield, and the guillotine feeling is back. Shrugging off his 2-for-20 streak, Teixeira laces a single to first for the RBI, and it’s 5-1, Yankees.

This one’s just about over, with a 93 percent expected Yankee win on the ever-annoying ESPN app that I’m using to track pitch counts.

Durbin loses A-Rod inside on a one out walk to end his evening, and I’m struggling to pay attention. There’s laundry to do, and other posts to write, and a million better ways to spend the next hour…

Poor J.A. Happ gets to face Matsui for the kill shot, and he continues his postseason habit of falling behind the first hitter, because he’s really not a reliever, he’s a starter.

On a 3-1 count, Matsui sews up his MVP with a double off the wall, and it’s 7-1 Yankees.

I kind of hate that I have to watch the rest of this game.

Posada whiffs, Cano whiffs, and they might be the only people in the building who care.

Twelve outs to over.

In the sixth, Joe Buck starts to fellate the Yankees for signing Pettite to a trivial $10.5 million contract for this year, ignoring the fact that no other team in baseball had money to spend.

On cue, Victorino grounded out to start the inning, and the next hour of my life would be better spent on mute. Utley, with a loud foul on a 3-1 pitch, then drew Pettite’s fifth walk of the night.

Howard then shrugged off the goat horns to muscle a ball out to left for a two-run Yankee Stadium-special homer, as hope crept into the conversation. Werth can’t keep up the momentum, however, on a called third strike with Pettite on the black again.

Ibanez hit a two-out double, and that’s the end of Pettite’s night: 94 pitches and a very likely season-ending win.

Joba Chamberlain in to face Game Four nemesis Pedro Feliz, but really not counting on repeat lightning here. On a 2-1 count, Chamberlain reared back and threw it by the hitter, then induced the inning-ending groundout to third. Nine outs to over, and the Yankee pen has been, even independent of Rivera, better than advertised.

This is the point in the game when the Phillies give back any momentum with weak relief pitching. Happ goes 2-0 to Swisher, then fights back to 2-2 with a foul ball that The Cursed Francisco just barely misses in the stands. The at-bat ends in a lead-off walk, because the Yankee offense never takes an inning off, really.

With McCarver in full fellate mode over his bunting skills, Gardner fails to get it down on two of the first three pitches, and winds up getting rung up on a nice low fastball from Happ.

That ends his night, as Phillies manager Charlier Manuel goes to Chan Ho Park. Park got Jeter on a ground ball to Howard for the second out, and Hairston on a soft fly to right. Had Manueal gone to him earlier, this game might not be out of reach. A man can dream.

Joe Buck lobbied for a pinch hitter for Francisco, and the only problem with that strategy is that I’m not sure who else on the bench can play left field. The cursed one whiffs for the first out, and Chamberlain looks like his old seventh inning self again.

Ruiz continues the magic with a single to center, the third time he’s been on base tonight. Rollins watches a hanging slider for strike one, then grounds out weakly to second for the second out of the inning.

The leadoff hitter has been less then helpful, really. I’d have Rollins try to steal second here, just to see if it could rattle Chamberlain a little, and he just made it on a perfect throw from Posada. A four pitch walk to Victorino puts two men on for Utley, and that’s it for Chamberlain.

It’ll be Damaso Marte to try to keep the game locked down.

Utley against Marte in the last actually dramatic moment of the Series. Marte has retired his last 10 hitters. First pitch strike on the outside black, or just off. A slider with movement for strike two. And a called third strike on a checked swing.

And that’s your ball game, Utley’s MVP award, and the series, decided by pitchers that appeared to be a weakness before the Series, and were not when the game was on the line.

After the 9/11 Hootenanny, Park whiffed Teixeira, then got A-Rod to duck on a breaking ball that was almost a strike. If I were Park, I think I’d hit him with the next pitch on general principle, but instead, he gives up a bleeding eye single to left, and that’s his night; Scott Eyre in to face the most valuable porn enthusiast.

Rodriguez stole second on a checked swing strikeout of Matsui, setting up an intentional walk to Posada, and an inning-ending Cano whiff. It’s amazing to me how the Yankees are going to win this Series with auto-outs all over the lineup, but that’s the nature of baseball.

Marte to start the eighth against Howard, and he merely strikes the man out on three pitches, which means he’s gone through Utley and Howard on six pitches. Girardi over-manages and goes to Rivera now for the final five outs, because heaven knows that Marte was so ineffective, really.

It’s not going to matter, but if Rivera is actually ineffective here and the Yankees somehow blow the game, the over-managing will be the reason why. Honestly, there was no reason to replace Marte here; you let him pitch until someone reaches base.

Hey, it’s not a real save opportunity! That means Rivera’s gonna stink. Or, um, not. Werth whiffs, four outs to finish. A shattered bat from Ibanez as the rain suddenly falls, not that anyone in New York seems to care.

A Yankee fan screams for a punch-out on a pitch that’s a foot outside. Ibanez battles to a nine pitch at bat and double to center, and why Gardner was playing shallow, I’ve no idea. Rivera gets Feliz to pop up, and that’s the eighth.

Feliz with a great play on Swisher to start the bottom of the eighth, just one of those bare-hand do-or-die plays that the third basemen makes maybe one try out of ten. After Gardner grounds out to Utley, Manuel brings in Madson just to make sure he works every possible game, and to ensure that the game doesn’t end before midnight.

Oh, MLB. My grandkids will wonder what the big deal was, really. Jeter greets him with his usual inside-out single to right, and the man now has 175 post-season hits. Ridiculous. Madson gets Hairston to pop out to shallow left, and that’s eight innings.

Matt Stairs in to star the ninth, because this just always works— ignore the 1-for-11 postseason to date. A tiny shred of hope on a 3-1 count, and Stairs hits an upper deck foul to make the count full. A line drive to Jeter ends the at bat, and all semblance of hope, given how Rivera is already up to 20-plus pitches from the ridiculously early move away from Marte.

Ruiz is smart enough to see a lot of pitches, and even draws a one out walk; I can’t say enough about his postseason. Rollins, the true goat of the lineup, has a chance to redeem a little, but anyone who has watched him all year knows that won’t happen; he flies out to the track in right for the second out.

Victorino tries to avoid the history at bat, and falls behind 1-2 on a cutter at his ankles. Victorino battles to a full count and nine pitches, but eventually dribbles out to Cano.

And that’s your ball game; Pettite beats Martinez, and the Yankees are the champions of baseball. My team tried hard, but the New Yorkers were just better, and not by a little.

Congratulations, you humble and plucky people, you.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels Can Still Make This a Memorable World Series

I admit it.

I didn’t expect anything from Pedro in game two which saw him go 6+ innings and give up a few runs, two of which came via the home run to Traitor Tex and Hideki Matsui respectively.

Let me rephrase that. I expected one thing out of Pedro—I expected him to get rocked by the experienced Yankee$ lineup. Something along the lines of 10+ runs in three innings wouldn’t have surprised me in the least. But to be fair, I also expected A.J. Burnett to get similarly hit hard, but to a bit lesser degree as he got absolutely smashed in his lone interleague matchup against the Phillies where three home runs were hit, if memory serves me right.

I’ve been listening to the over-hyped, and frankly, lame “Yankees are my daddy” quotes that the ESPN-hype machine is trying to drum up. Hopefully it’s Martinez who can claim after the game, “Who’s your Daddy, now, Yankee$?”

I honestly don’t know what to expect tonight, but something tells me that this Pedro is too good to be true. After all, he pitched brilliantly in game two only to lose to an even better Burnett. It would be wise for the Phillies to 1) finally run in this series on the basepaths and 2) additionally try to create some early scoring opportunities by swinging at the first pitches like they did last game as Baseball Tonight’s John Kruk accurately noted.

Don’t let Pettitte get into a groove, especially an early one. If the first-pitch thing isn’t working, work the count, get into that vulnerable inexperienced bullpen.

Cole Hamels can still play a big role

Earlier this week it was reported by just about every media outlet that Phillies reliever, Brett Myers got into an altercation with former Phillies ace, Cole Hamels after a recent game. Allegedly, Myers asked Hamels “What are you still doing here? I thought you quit” referring to Hamel’s reply when pressed by the media how he felt after his last outing, to which he talked about not being able to wait until the season was over.

Much was made and depending on who you believe, Hamels actually said this after reiterating how much he wanted the ball in Game Seven, if and when there indeed is one. A few guests on the “Jim Rome is Burning” show earlier this week also remarked how manager Charlie Manuel is in a bit of a bind since he “risks losing Cole forever ” should he decide not to pitch him in a possible game seven, as expected.

I disagree with this analysis as you go with the hot hand and I’d personally go with ace Cliff Lee on three day’s rest. The Yankees do it all the time with SOBathia and are prepared to do it tonight with un-tested Andy Pettitte who hasn’t done this since his younger days.

Still that’s not to suggest I don’t expect a good game. In fact, I could see this one being a suspenseful scoreless game into the fifth or so until someone makes a costly mistake. Who will it be?

Pedro drama aside, can you similarly imagine the feel-good response from Hamels should he pitch the Phillies to their second consecutive World Championship after the controversy that ensued? That would be a bigger headline than the 3-1 choke job at the hands of the Yankee$ in their new billion dollar-plus playground.

Not that I’m saying that’s going to happen as I expect the high priced hired guns to will their way to their 27th World Title which is easy to do when 2/3 of your rotation isn’t really yours as the ink from Burnett’s and SOBathia’s contract’s is hardly dry. Must be nice, Yankee$ fan$, must be nice, but then again, you never really played by the same rules as anyone else anyway, have you?

Damon, Matsui next to go

Much has been said, and will be said about possible MVP Johnny Damon, who at current time is hitting .381 with a particular penchant for getting two out hits and keeping innings alive. However, watch how quickly the greedy Yankee$ abandon one of their own, after the free agent to be is let go this winter in favor of a younger player with a better arm.

Johnny, I hope you keep this in mind when signing your next contract. Too bad neither the Orioles or Jays have any room or use to you, and your simply too expensive as a role player. Also, rationale Yankees fans, and I, know there are a few of you. Play close attention to the Bernie Williams like treatment Damon gets this offseason from his mother team. Just saying.

Matsui, you think your immune? Think again. I remember when you spurned my Orioles years ago, as they were the only other team in the bidding for your services before you forced your way onto the Yankee$ inspired by their wining tradition and large Japanese fanbase. Never really that clutch, you still remain solid, and fiercely loyal, as to be expected from Japanese players, you reminded me of a David Justice or Williams type where a big hit was never that far away as you still have that potential.

Still, you’re 35 and similarly a free-agent-to-be like Damon. Watch how the Yankee$ drag their feet before offering you a token one year, incentive laden contract-that is, if you’re that lucky. Never one to sit around, the Yankee$ are constantly in the market for upgrades and your position and roster spot might be too tempting to pass up, even if it is expected to be a weak market.

Now you may be asking “Why would the Yankee$ simply get rid of players like Damon and Matsui? This isn’t their history.” If Williams is any indication, they’ll spit in your face if they think they have a chance to improve elsewhere and you are no exception.

Random thoughts

As equal a shame it would be to award a Championship label and official ring to overrated Yankee$ first baseman, Benedict, I mean, Mark Teixeira, who’s hitting a hefty .105 (2/19) in the World Series, to be fair, so to would it be for the similarly un-clutch Ryan Howard who has just one hit more in the same number of at-bats.

One of them is bound to get hot and justify his status and salary. Lets hope it is the latter. We’ve had to hear about Teixera’s childish boyhood crush on Don Mattingly and his signing with the Yankee$ immediately told me he’s simply a coward-wannabe who is trying to imitate him from his team selection to his position on the field. Fortunately for him, as his jersey number implies, (25 vs. 23) he simply doesn’t add up and falls just short-yes that is a shot at you Tex.

That jackass aside, twenty years from now we’ll probably hear about how A-Roid was on something in this World Series should they win it and he get token MVP, which as discussed earlier, should go to Damon at this point.

Encouraging for non-Yankees fans, no matter what happens tonight, someday Derek Jeter is going to retire along with Mariano Rivera and I don’t care how good Joba Chamberlain projects to be as a future Yankee closer or whoever the next hired gun the Yankee$ steal in attempts at trying to replace a local legend, both will be instant downgrades by default. (this is about as complimentary as its gonna get Jeter/Rivera so take what you can get).

Naturally the Yankee$ won’t be as good as they are right now. They are going to lose Posada too in similar fashion perhaps as soon as after next season when he is replaced with Joe Mauer as I’ve already predicted numerous times. These members of the old guard got it done. These young punks are simply along for the ride.

Will it end tonight?

Enjoy it if you get it Yankee$ fans, you bought it.  

And you know what, Yankee$ fans wouldn’t have it any other way-partially through no fault of their own as they simply know no better.

Turns out all you needed to end your “embarrassing” nine year funk was a brand new $1.2 billion dollar braggart stadium. Nice. Keep on enforcing what we already think about you—that being “look-at-me!” self-centered, self promoting people who live in their own little world absent of reality. And you wonder why the rest of the league and majority of the fans can’t stand you?

It takes a special person to be a New Yorker. Many words come to mind, none of them flattering. But you don’t care, right? After all, it’s always about you—we’re just lucky you let us share the experience with you, right?

Game Seven or bust.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »