A Game Six Classic In The Making

Hollywood would be hard pressed to write a better script than the one we have today in real life.

The New York Yankees go after their 27th World Title in the spanking brand new $1.2 billion stadium replica of the House That Ruth Built. They will attempt this monumental feat on the back of 37-year old Andy Pettitte, who has won more postseason games than anyone else in the history of the sport.

He will face the legendary Pedro Martinez, undoubtedly the finest pitcher of his generation in the very twilight of his career. Most of us believed that Pedro’s remarkable career was over when he didn’t receive any offers coming out of spring training this year despite his fine showing in the World Baseball Classic.

I was besides myself for the Mets not to pick up Pedro as their pitching fell apart early enough in the season to perhaps make a difference in their miserable season. However, they, along with the rest of the league passed on Pedro until July, when the Phillies already sensing another appearance in the postseason took on Pedro and Cliff Lee.

We all know what has happened since.

Tonight’s matchup is classic because it’s not two guns firing 95 mph darts at the opposing batters, but two crafty older and experience pitchers who have learned to change their styles over the years to remain effective. Pettitte will still bore you inside until he either breaks your bat or breaks your fingers.

Martinez will throw his patented circle change at 76 MPH after putting one under your chin at 90 or 91 MPH.

Pettitte goes on a three days rest which has worked so far for C.C. Sabathia but not for A.J. Burnett. If Pettitte can’t get the job done tonight, the Yanks will turn to their ace C.C. Sabathia again on three days rest to complete the series victory for New York.

Game Seven, if there is to be one for the Phillies will see Cole Hamels try to make redemption to his teammates and the Philadelphia faithful for his offbeat comments after losing Game Three in Philadelphia and saying he wished the season already to be over.

Prediction: I still believe there will be a Game Seven; however, I don’t see the classic pitching matchup to take place. I believe both pitchers will be gone by the sixth inning and a good old fashioned slug fest to take place.

The winner of this game goes double digits as the Phillies take Game Six, 11-8.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies Down, but Not Out

Charlie Manuel says his team is resilient. He points out the fact that the team has lost 22 games this season in which they led after the seventh inning. That sounds like the 2008 New York Mets to me. But, it was the Phillies and not the Mets who ultimately wound up winning the 2008 World Series. (ouch)

I, too, am quite confident that this series is far from over. On the Yankee side all one must do is just look back a short five years when they were one game from eliminating their most hated rival, the Boston Red Sox and unless you’ve been hiding in a time capsule you know what happened there.

For the Yanks to close this puppy out they are going to have to do it on the arms of A.J. Burnett, who like his counterpart CC Sabathia, will be pitching on three days rest. If he doesn’t get past Cliff Lee they will have to use Andy Pettitte once again on three days rest, and if it goes to a seventh game it will be CC back from the short rest period.

Personally, I can’t see this as a formula for success, thus my unwillingness to count the Phillies out just yet.

With Cliff Lee on the mound tonight I see the Phillies regaining their swagger which has been missing in these first two games at Citizens Bank Park.

Charlie Manuel has made a couple of questionable calls in this series going back to not starting Cole Hamels in Game Two in Yankee Stadium. Last night’s example was a doozy.

I have always been taught as a coach, and listening to countless hours of Baseball Tonight, that in a tied game at home you never bring in your closer to pitch the top of the ninth inning. You save that guy for extra innings. I have seen it done too many times this year and the home team gets beat in extra innings because the visiting team is facing a much less threatening opponent.

It was also Lidge’s first appearance in more than a week, and after two very quick outs he lost control. Three runs later and another blown appearance, Lidge is anxious to get this series back to New York for an opportunity to face these guys again.

I think he will, and I would like nothing better than to see him close out Game Seven. That’s a long way off and the odds of that happening aren’t too good especially here in Vegas. However, if you want to make that prop bet that the Phillies will come back and win the next three games, I know 60 places that will take your bet and most likely your money.

Prediction

I correctly picked the “Skankees” (Now there’s ‘objective reporting’) to win Game Four. I stand by it—it will be the last game they will win.

After Game Two I picked the Phillies to sweep the next three. I apologize for being premature with that pick. So now I give it again, the Phillies will sweep the next three games and repeat as World Champions and be the first National League team to do that since the Big Red Machine in the mid ’70s.

By the way, tonight’s game; Phillies seven, Yanks two.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

World Series Game Four Preview: This Is for You, Nick Adamo

For the first time since they were down 2-0 to the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, the Phillies find themselves in a very uncomfortable position. They are behind for the first time in six previous playoff appearances, and instead of having their ace to bring back for a tying series victory, they are forced to start a guy who has given up only 30 home runs during the regular season.

This, and CC Sabathia again is what the Phillies have to face to get even in this 2009 World Series. The only saving grace is the Phillies are confident they can handle CC here at Citizens Bank Park. They will flashback to the last year’s NLDS, where Shane Victorino parked a Grand Slam home run off a Sabathia fastball, sending him and the Brewers to the showers and virtually out of the 2008 post season.

In Game One this year, Sabathia was effective going seven innings allowing only the two Home Runs to Chase Utley who by the way has disappeared since then.

Alex Rodriguez finally put a bat on the ball last night with a questionable two-run homer. I say questionable only because it had to be reviewed officially being the first time instant replay has been used in a World Series. Given the vast number of poor calls during the postseason, I’m sure we will be seeing some changes in the instant replay process.

Here’s my dilemma regarding this series. As a reporter, I’m trying to be as objective as I can possibly be by not taking sides and hopefully offering the quality insight of a fan who has been watching baseball since 1951. If I had to grade myself so far, and I’m a former teacher and school principal, I feel I’m qualified to give an unbiased grade, I would give myself an A.

The problem is I’ve always been an intense and loyal fan first. I have reading my favorite blogs, sports sites and as much of the media outlook as I can and one of the main topics is which team should loyal New York Mets fans root for in this World Series. For those who said I’m not going to root or even watch the Series, to you I say forgetitaboutit, you’re not baseball fans and I couldn’t care less what you think.

There are amazing arguments for both sides. One fan friend of mine says if the Phillies win, it will help them generate more income and re-sign their better players and put them in position to be more active in the free agent market, which they were after the 2008 World Series. That’s from a 15 year old who is as passionate of a Mets fan as I am.

Then there’s another fan who says he would rather stick needles in his eyes than see the Yankees win another title and rub it in the faces of Mets fans everywhere, validating their superiority once again for bragging rights in the Big Apple.

I’m perplexed, so after hours of thought after last nights game which messed up my nice predictions by the way, I have decided that I’m not rooting for either team to win, but I will delighted to see either team loss on that particular day. In the end I will be so so about the winner of the 2009 World Series and hope I covered it thoroughly but I will be overwhelmed with happiness for the team that loses. Fair enough, NICK A?

Prediction: Talk about a must game for the Phillies; this is surely the one. I think their over anxiousness is going to hurt them. I still like them in the series but after today’s game they will need to win three straight.

Lee, Pedro, and Hamels however will still get it done and for the record how great would it be to see the “Sankees” blow a 3-1 seies lead. By the way, they did it before. I believe it was 1957 and the opponent was the Milwaukee Braves. Look it up.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

There’s No Place Like Home for the Philadelphia Phillies

Game Three of the 2009 World series shifts today to the new launching pad in the National League, Citizens Bank Park. It’s a bit ironic that the Philadelphia “Mashers” at one point in time had a far better record on the road than they did at home. They righted that situation in the second half of the season to finish nine games over .500 at home.

The post-season is a completely different story as the Phillies have lost a grand total of three games over the past three post seasons. They’ve won 12 games and the only team to beat them at home was the Colorado Rockies.

Today they try to keep that streak going with 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels going up against one of the great post-season pitchers, Andy Pettitte.

Game three has always been a critical game in the World Series. In the past 10 World Series where the two teams were tied at one a piece, the team who took Game Three went on to win the World Series nine out of the last ten times. Those are pretty darn good odds for the winner of today’s game.

Pitching has dominated in the first two games which is quite usual since outstanding pitching, which we have seen from all four starters, almost always dominates good hitting. Will Game Three change that?

I believe both teams are looking for just that. Right now there seems to be two Cole Hamels. The one who looks like last year’s MVP or the other one who has trouble getting to the sixth inning and has been prone to the long ball. Everyone has a reason for Cole’s woes this year so I’ll throw in mine as well.

He shouldn’t have called my Mets choke artists in the offseason last winter. The fact that they very well may be, he should have kept that gem to himself. So I put a slight whammy on him. Today, I officially take the whammy off him because I would like mine and Jimmy Rollins prediction to come true.

The Yankees have other ideas. Derek Jeter says no one should be worried about A-Rod’s 0-8 so far. That was said to soothe the nerves of Yankee fans worldwide as their juiced up, lying hero may be diverting back to his previous post-season blues. Anybody seen his cousin recently?

On the flip side, the Phillies big bats haven’t hit their stride after the first two games either. Chase Utley has two home runs and Ryan Howard has two doubles, but as said earlier, outstanding pitching has virtually shut both teams down.

I like Andy Pettitte despite my dis-like of most things Yankees. He is a clutch performer whose consistency has kept him in the bigs for over a decade and he has chalked up some pretty good performances over the years in critical games. He has always been the Yankee stopper in the post-season as he has followed a Yankee loss with a win of his own on so many occasions, I’ve lost count.

Charlie Manuel has already announced that Joe Blanton would start Game Four rather than pitch Cliff Lee on short rest. That shows me how much confidence Manuel has with this team. That’s why I picked the Phillies to win the whole thing. This team, almost to a man, played in last year’s World Series. They are experienced, very tough at home, and unless the Yankees bats start to explode I still feel there will be no need for a Game Six at Yankee Stadium.

Prediction: I am definitely going to jinx myself right here and now. Since the beginning of the playoffs and only picking in games where the Phillies have been been involved I am 10-1. With that said I’m not going to waiver on my original World Series pick.

Phillies 11 Yankees 6 as the bats explode on a 70 degree day in sunny Philadelphia. Game time temps in the 60’s.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

A-Rod Stumbles As Phillies Scorch Yankees In Game One, 6-1

The boo birds are lying in wake. They are getting ready to let loose a tirade the likes of which have not been seen in a very long time in the Bronx. Last night there were rumblings, signs of things to come.

Despite the fact that Alex Rodriguez was hitting over .430 in the post season and hit clutch tying home runs late in games, here he was on baseball’s greatest stage with the opportunity to completely bury his past failures and finally be accepted as a true blue New York Yankee.

The only person to stand in his way was the former Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee, who is having a post season for the ages. What a classic confrontation. Even I was psyched despite my disappointment in the World Series combatants.

Last night clearly belonged to Cliff Lee. Not only did he strike out A-Rod three times but completely shut down the heart of the Yankee lineup with A-Rod, Texiera, and Posada going a measly 1-12 against the crafty left hander. Lee struck out 10 and posted his first win and complete game in the World Series.

Chase Utley supplied all the offense the Fightin’ Phil’s needed with two home runs off Yankee ace and former Lee teammate, C.C. Sabathia. Other than the two blasts, Sabathia held the powerful Phil’s bats in check allowing only those two runs in seven innings.

Then the Yankee bull pen, which I said was a course of concern for Joe Girardi’s troops managed to give up four runs in two innings to put Game One out of reach. With the win, the Phillies grabbed the home field advantage and need to win three more games to repeat as World Champions. With three of the next four games at Citizens Bank Park, I like their chances.

The Yankees find themselves nearing to have their backs against the wall for the first time in this post season and will give the ball to their other gazillion dollar free agent, A.J. Burnett, who many times this season looked nothing more than an ordinary struggling pitcher.

Make no mistake however, when Burnett is on his game he can be one of the most un-hittable pitchers in either league today. He is going to have to be if the Yankees plan on expanding this series into November.

The Phillies counter tonight with my favorite pitcher and player in this past generation, Pedro Martinez. He has been nothing short of sensational since the Phillies picked him up late in the season. One of the great big game pitchers of all time, Pedro brings his expertise to a Yankee organization that he once called his “Daddy”.

Don’t you just love this?

If Pedro does get racked around, Charlie Manuel may be second guessed since he had a choice of starting another left hander in Cole Hamels who would have turned around the Yankee switch hitters to the right side where his patented change-up is a devastating pitch.

Regardless, Hamels will start Game Three in Philadelphia and if the Yankees find themselves down 0-2 they will have to pull out of their past hat from the Series of 1999 where they lost the first two games to Atlanta only to come back and sweep the Braves from there.

Prediction; I have only missed one game in picking the right team in this post season. I expect Pedro to pitch a gem but unfortunately Charlie won’t let him go beyond 105 pitches and then I expect the Phillies bull pen to implode late in the game as the Yankees did last night.

The Yanks will come back and tie this series at one each. It will also be the last game the “Skankees” will win in 2009, and A-Hole-Fraud-Roid’s woes will continue. You see I really believe in “what goes around, comes around” and Alex Rodriguez, once a hero of mine, is the poster child for arrogant, ignorant behavior which is too wide spread in professional sports.

Yankees 7 Phillies 3

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

World Series Preview: Trying To Be Objective

Asked last April who were the last two teams I would like to see in the World Series, anybody and everybody who knows me well enough would have said the Yankees vs. the Phillies.

As a lifetime New York Mets fan and college student Red Sox, fan nothing in baseball could be worse than to have these two rivals competing for a world title. For close to 15 years, I hated the Atlanta Braves. They gave me so many ugly nights and subsequent nightmares it’s no wonder I still can’t get enough sleep.

In the last three or four years or so, the Phillies and their legions where I lived for 20 years, have crept past the Braves to receive my ultimate disdain.

As a kid growing up in Brooklyn during the late 40’s and right through 1955, the Yankees were to me, the “evil empire” long before that name became part of our lexicon.

Even after the Dodgers left in 1957, this 12 year old brain was already entrenched with loathing of the Yankees and they did nothing over the last 50 years to improve their lot with me. They always were, and will always be, the best team that money would try to buy ever since Curt Flood changed the landscape of the game with the advent of the free agency system.

These are and were the villains of baseball while my Mets were the lovable loser underdogs that I grew to love.

So now all that could be bad has finally happened in this first “Turnpike” series since 1950.

With all that said, I’m going to try and give a very objective preview of the coming series and will not let me personal feeling get in the way of solid reporting. At least I’ll try.

Hating to admit it, this World Series potentially has the makings of perhaps one of the all time greats. Great pitching, excellent defense and a truckload of power hitting will surely make this series a classic in the making.

For this reason, I will throw away the stats, because by and large they can be interpreted in many different ways and it’s been my experience that in a short World Series, anywhere between four and seven games, it’s hardly ever the superstar that makes the difference. It’s usually the hard nose guy who lays down a bunt, steals base, hits behind the runner and scoots home with the winning run on a passed ball or a wild pitch.

It’s almost November and adrenaline can only take you so far. Most of these guys are dog tired and the prospects of playing baseball into November with temps possibly dropping into the 20’s is, at least, in my opinion, no way to finish the season.

So throw out all the stats and take a pick. I have been mulling this over for almost two weeks and I started out by giving the edge to the Yankees because I thought their bullpen was deeper and I could envision C.C. Sabathia getting into three of the seven games if it went that far.

Then I watched the ALDS and ALCS and the vaunted Yankee bullpen looked very hittable to me. I can imagine Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth just licking their chops waiting to get a couple off swings against them.

The Phillies bullpen which was loaded with holes in September has closed ranks this post season and if Brad Lidge continues on his steady incline, the Phillies pen now gets the edge.

I still like the Phillies starters. I question Charlie Manuel’s decision to start Pedro Martinez in Game Two simply because if he had chosen Cole Hamels to go in Game Two he would have turned around all those switch hitters to the right side of the plate and Hamels best pitch, by far, is his change up which breaks in on the right handed batters and that would be a definite plus for the Phillies.

Pedro brings history end excitement to Yankee Stadium where he last pitched playoff baseball in the 2004 post season. Who could ever forget Pedro throwing 149 year old Don Zimmer to the ground. I loved it. There are risks to Charlie’s move here but if the Phillies outlast Sabathia in Game One against Cliff Lee, even if Pedro is not successful, Hamels will be ready for Game Three at Citizens Bank Park and Pedro, if necessary, would get another shot against the Yankees once again in a Game Six.

I would love to see the ball flying out of both parks which we know can certainly happen and although A-Rod is having an outstanding post season so far, unless he continues it on the biggest stage of the them all, he will not be accepted as a Yankee through and through. You wonder why I hate these guys.

I do admire and respect Derek Jeter to the utmost. I would still pick him to start up any team whether it’s for real of just fantasy baseball. He’s the one guy you can root for on this team of Gold Diggers.

I tried to keep my feelings out of this but it’s just too hard. I can live with the Phillies winning. Maybe a back to back will wake up my Mets front office to get off their collective behinds and get to work. To have the Yankees win and hear about the 27 championships is just way too much to bare. So here it comes.

Prediction: The smart pick would still be the Skankees in seven games, but no, that’s just not going to happen. The Phillies in seven games will mean they will have to win two games in the Bronx. No, that’s not happening either. What’s going to happen is the first two games will be split even Steven, but when the Yanks arrive in South Philly, it’s going to be good morning, good afternoon, and good night. The Phillies in Five. You heard it here first and while I’m at it, Game One, Phillies 7, Yanks 4.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Are One Step Closer to the World Series

The Phillies continue on their quest Wednesday to be the first National League team to win back-to-back World Series since the Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds in the mid-70’s.

They are one win away from getting back to the World Series for that second straight year. Former Phillies starter Vicente Padilla, and the somewhat snake bit Los Angeles Dodgers, remain standing, just barely, in their way.

After a devastating blown save and blown game by 100 mph pitcher Jonathan Broxton on Monday night, the Dodgers are hanging on by a thread.

Manny Ramirez was quoted saying, “The Phillies have just been playing better.” He is 100 percent correct about that no doubt.

This Phillies team has one characteristic which separates themselves from any other team, at least, in the National League East. When bad things happen, at least on the outside, they do not get flustered. They bounce back as quickly as it’s done and move on in the right direction.

That point was proved here in the NLCS a day after Chase Utley made a crucial throwing error that cost the Phillies a shot at Game Two. They came right back in Game Three and put an 11 spot on the board.

They hope to close out this series on Wednesday with their former ace Cole Hamels on the hill. I do believe that having Cliff Lee has taken some of the pressure off Hamels. It’s nearly impossible to top Hamels’ performance in the 2008 postseason and I truly believe he has put a lot of pressure upon himself to do just that.

He had a very short offseason this year, being in demand for interviews, commercials, and the like. He started a major controversy when he called the Mets “choke artists” on a New York-based radio show. He then struggled through spring training and opened the year with a couple of injuries that I believe plagued him throughout the season.

We didn’t get to see the vintage Hamels until after Lee was acquired at the trade deadline. Since then, Cole has had a number of games that clearly resembled 2008.

He is in a great position to put the Phillies over the top tonight. Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth have been clutch in this NLCS and unless Padilla can repeat his best games with the Dodgers in 2009, this baby is going to end on Wednesday.

I love Joe Torre. He actually said his team was not in such a bad situation. He basically said if the Dodgers can win on Wednesday, the Phillies will have to come to us in our home park.

Yes, and face Pedro Martinez and, if necessary, Lee again. Yes, Joe, the Dodgers are in real great shape.

Prediction: My bad, I guess I wasn’t a true believer as I picked the Dodgers in Game Four. I came close, but close doesn’t get it done in the world of predictions and otherwise. So tonight, I do believe, Phillies 9, Dodgers 5, and barring any miracles from the Angels, it will be the Phillies and the Yankees in a Turnpike Series, first one of those since 1950.

Yes, I was around for that.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Dodgers On The Ropes For Game Four

Trying to recover from last night’s thrashing, the Los Angeles Dodgers try to even the NLCS tonight with former Philadelphia starting pitcher Randy Wolf. Wolf was with the Phillies during the time that they were starting to become respectable during the mid- nineties.

Wolf started the first game ever to be played at Citizens Bank Park back in 2004. He has always pitched well in his former home park and as a visitor, he sports a 1-0 record with 17 strikeouts with a 2.25 ERA in two games pitched.

The Phillies will counter with Joe Blanton who was picked up at the trade deadline in 2008 in the same fashion Cliff Lee was picked up this year. Blanton has seen postseason action as a Phillie last year as well as this season.

Blanton was used in the bullpen during the Colorado series, but with this being a best of seven contest it was expected that he would get a start. Joe had a very good and quite consistent year pitching for the World Champions. He went 12-8 in 31 starts and posted an ERA of 4.05. Having the run support which most Phillie pitchers have had this year, Blanton was able to pitch late into most games he started.

The Dodgers will have to put last night’s game behind them and try to forget not only the 11 runs the Phillies put on the board, but also the zero runs the Dodger hitters were able to produce.

The Phillies can beat you with the long ball everyday if given the opportunity. They are also getting great production from their six, seven, and eight hitters in the lineup.

For the Dodgers to even the series, Randy Wolf must find a way to quiet the Phillies hot bats and must find some of their own. Ethier, Kemp, Loney, and even Manny Ramirez have been relatively quiet in the first three games and these guys have to come alive or the Dodgers will have played their last game at Dodger Stadium this year.

With Cole Hamels and then possibly Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee again looming on the horizon tonight is certainly a must win game for the Dodgers. On the other hand, the Phillies are confident they won’t be needing to go back to LA. The only way they want to see the west coast this postseason is if the Angels can come back from a 2-0 deficit against the Yankees.

Not publicly of course, but privately to a man the Phillies want to play the Yankees in the World Series. It means less travel and an opportunity to defend their world title against, who many fell is the best team in baseball.

Prediction: So far so good. I am 3-0 in this series and tonight I see the Dodgers rebounding from last night’s disaster and tying this series up at two games a piece. LA in a close one 6-4.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies-Los Angeles Dodgers NLCS Game Three Preview

In what might have been a game that could have put the Los Angeles Dodgers back against the wall, this series stands even at one game a piece. Charlie Manuel’s decision to remove Pedro Martinez after seven brilliant innings in Game Two, only to see his bullpen give away the game in the eighth inning.

The bright side is that Pedro will certainly be ready for a repeat performance in Game Six if it should go that far. As I have mentioned in earlier stories I like the way the Phillies rotation sets up for the rest of the series.

Today in Game Three, Cliff Lee who has been nothing short of unhittable takes the mound against eight game winner Hiroki Kuroda pitching in his first playoff appearance in the 2009 post season.

Kuroda beat the Phillies last post season in the only game won by the Dodgers. His opponent, Cliff Lee acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline has been sensational this post season.

In two games so far he has given up two earned runs in 16 1/3 innings winning Game One and posting a no decision in Game Four against the Rockies. If he continues on the path he has created this post season the Dodgers are in for a long afternoon.

If the series goes a full seven games the Phillies will have Pedro Martinez to pitch Game Six and Lee to pitch Game seven if necessary.

Citizens Bank Park certainly favors the hitters and the Phillies have been terrific the last two post seasons at home. Their fans are knowledgeable and very loud and the intimidation factor can’t be measured but it is surely there.

Weather may play a role in the three games scheduled to be played in Philadelphia. Forecasts predict some rain and cold in the area. Right now Joe Blanton is scheduled to go in Game Four and Cole Hamels to go in Game Five. That may change if there is a delay.

Prediction: I’m going to stick with the fact that here at home the Phillies bats will come alive and put the defending World Champions up two games to one with an opportunity not to go back to Los Angeles for a Game Six. Phillies 6, Dodgers 2.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

The Almighty Pitch Count

I have never been one to second guess. It’s so easy after the fact to say he should have done this or he should have done that. If you raise the concern before it happens, then you have some validity in making a point.

I am what many would consider an “old timer” when it comes to watching baseball. It’s been over a half a century and plenty of games have happened where it’s very easy to say why did you do this when speaking of a manager’s move.

I am not a “traditionalist.” I like the modern game. I love Interleague Play, even if it’s the Seattle Mariners against the Colorado Rockies. I’m not crazy about the Designated Hitter, but I do wish for consistency for both leagues.

I’m very much against the All-Star Game determining who gets home field in the World Series, simply because that game is nothing more than an exhibition game. I’m all for instant replay, as long as it doesn’t slow each game to four hours.

What really ticks me off is the pitch count. Here is definitely where I love the games of the ’50s and ’60s. Complete games, six out saves, old fashioned 300 inning seasons with 40 starts and 300 strikeouts. That’s what I miss and what brings me to the point of this article.

Yesterday, Pedro Martinez the veteran great that he was and is was on a pitch count. For whatever reason, Charlie Manuel, whom I like as a manager generally, decided that Pedro would only go 75-95 pitchers whether that got him into the fifth or the eighth inning. The reason for this, very vague. He hadn’t pitched a regular game in three weeks.

In early September, all the master did was throw 130 pitches and completely shut down his former team the Mets.

At the end of seven innings, Pedro had given up zero runs with zero walks a couple of K’s and 87 pitches. So, out he comes and the vaunted Phillies bullpen which has been as inconsistent as our economy used five relief pitchers in the eighth inning and after a bases loaded walk. There went Game Two to the Dodgers.

I ask a simple question. Why not let Pedro at least start the eighth? If he gets into trouble, pull him then and give your bullpen a shot at redemption. But no, the almighty pitch count was in effect and that was that.

They say baseball is a game of inches. Now it’s become a game of pitches. For what it’s worth, I was screaming at the TV before the eighth inning when it was announced that Pedro’s day was done.

Right now it seems the only person on board to bring back the old days where pitchers earned their salaries is Nolan Ryan. He has instructed his coaches and managers throughout the Texas Rangers organization to stretch these pitchers out.

I wish him luck. He will definitely need it. So will the Phillies if Game Two comes back to haunt them. We will see.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »