My Top 10 Memories at Philadelphia Phillies Games

In 1972 in between games of a double header, me and a school chum sat in the upper deck at the Vet and saw Karl Walenda walk across Veterans’ Stadium. To my memory, Walenda always worked without a net. It caught up t several years later: On March 22, 1978, at age 73, Karl attempted a walk between the two towers of the ten-story Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a wire stretched 121 feet above the pavement. Karl lost his footing in the 30 mile per hour winds and fell to his death.

Jimmy Rollins Ignites Phillies To Series Sweep Of The Mets

As I was heading home to southern New Jersey from a Wimbledon party just outside of Philadelphia, I drove by Citizens Bank Park in southern Philadelphia on the way to the Walt Whitman Bridge and peeked into the stadium while driving.

All I saw was a sea of red.

The Phillies, on their way to the World Series, took care of business at home.

Something they have not done so far this season, until now.

Yes, you’ve got Ryan Church hitting clean up followed by Nick Evans, Jeremy Reed and Brian Schneider for the Mets. Not likely to scare any opposing pitcher.

But for the Mets, they had Johan Santana on the hill. The ace of the Mets’ staff.

I knocked Jimmy Rollins recently for his play, but he has redeemed himself this weekend. Rollins led off the game with a solo home run, which would stand until Chase Utley connected for a solo shot in the sixth.

The double play was the pitcher’s friend as the Mets grounded into two of them. Joe Blanton out pitched Santana and the Phillies completed their sweep of a depleted New York Mets team.

The win gave the Phillies a one-game lead over the Florida Marlins, and four games over the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.

The Phillies continue their home stand against the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, while New York and Florida head to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively. The Braves open a series with the Cubs.

No sense beating a dead horse about putting space between you and your rivals, but I am glad the Phillies took care of business and swept the Mets. It keeps them firmly in first place in the National League East, when they could have just as easily fallen into second or third.

Rollins raised his average to .217 during the weekend series, getting at least one hit in each game.

When Rollins reaches base, things happen for the Phillies and that is a good sign. Closer Brad Lidge looked good also, striking out the side for his 16th save of the season.

Without getting into detail, I feel much better about the team and am confident they will stay in first leading into the All-Star break.

Note: Speaking of the All-Star break, two of the three starting outfielders may not compete in the game. The Phillies’ Raul Ibanez, The Brewers’ Ryan Braun, and the Mets’ Carlos Beltran were the top vote getters. Both Ibanez and Braun are on the disabled list and may not play. Just an odd circumstance and for sure, an irony, especially for Mets’ fans.

Phillies Limp Home for Important NL East Series with Mets

It certainly is a long way from Oct. 29, 2008.

That is the day when the Philadelphia Phillies celebrated their second World Championship of baseball, having defeated the Tampa Bay Rays four games to one.

Oh yes, the Phillies are still in first place, although tied with the Marlins for first. The Phillies, losers of 12 of their last 15, are 39-37, while the Marlins are 41-39.

What lies ahead? Either a chance to squash a division opponent, or as my picture displays, sit in a pile of dog poo.

‘Cause while the Phillies and the Mets beat each other up at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for a three-game series, the Marlins are at home to face the Pirates and Atlanta plays at Washington.

Um, excuse me? Are the baseball gods laughing at Philadelphia and New York? ‘Cause you can’t expect the Pirates or the Nationals to take more than one game in their series, although the Pirates, losers of their last two, are more likely to play spoiler.

Stranger things have happened. The Mets, who are one game off the pace, are without Carlos Delgado and J.J. Putz, and Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran have both spent time on the disabled list.

Mets fans cry, “Wait ’til everyone gets off the disabled list.”

Phils fans howl, “Hey, we are still the World Champions.”

My feeling? Atlanta, two games out of first, is ready to take the throne. Their pitching is getting better, the bats are hot, and the Nationals are God-awful.

The Braves, who just swept the Phillies at home, are a better team then the Marlins.

The Mets and Phillies, the preseason favorites, are in good company with each other, both playing dog ball.

Go figure. Jimmy Rollins was 2-for-4 last night. Maybe that’s a good sign.

Livan Hernandez (5-3) faces 33-year-old Triple-A call-up Rodrigo Lopez. Hernandez has been very good lately, and it could favor the Mets.

On the positive side, Phils fans know that at any time, against any pitcher, they can post a 10-spot on the scoreboard.

They better, or the Marlins and the Braves will be ready to pounce.

My prediction?

Atlanta sweeps, Marlins take two of three, and the Mets take two of three.

That’s not good news for the Phillies.

But as a Phillies fan, I am in a very, very dark place.

Owwuuuuuu, woof, woof, woof.

Jimmy Rollins’ Success To Mirror Phils’ Fortune In NL East Race

Recently Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel sat shortstop Jimmy Rollins down for the entire series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Why? The former MVP of the National League was hitting just above .200 and making mistakes on the field.

Rollins came back last night, in a 5-4 10-inning loss to the Braves and went 0-5. What the Phrig is going on here?

The Phillies, at 39-35 heading into Wednesday’s game, are 1.5 games ahead of the Florida Marlins. The Mets could not take advantage of the Phillies recent 11 of 13 loss streak. The Marlins are a young, loose team and will take full advantage if the Phillies slip.

And it starts with Rollins. He is second in the National League All-Star voting behind Florida’s Hanley Ramirez. For Rollins to make the All Star team this year would be a joke.

I still believe he is one of the best players in the league, but that being said, with a .207 batting average almost half the way through the season, I can’t see him hitting more than .250.

Whether it is the pressure of the season, he is hurt, or he simply lost his ability and confidence, which I doubt, the Phillies will not win without him.

Remember 2007? The team to beat? It won him the MVP and pushed the Phillies into the playoffs.

The bottom half of the lineup is carrying this team. Pedro Feliz is having an All-Star worthy season, hitting .295 and playing terrific defense.

Last night, John Mayberry, Jr. and Feliz hit back-to-back home runs to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. The Braves scored a run in the bottom of the eighth and then won the game in the 10th inning, 5-4.

Last year, the Phillies were undefeated with the lead after the eighth inning. Brad Lidge was a perfect 41-41 in regular season saves. This ain’t 2008.

Ryan Madson could not hold the lead in the eighth and Park was the pitcher of record in the 10th.

It is not Madson-Romero-Lidge for a seventh, eighth, and ninth inning win this year.

So that means the team has to hit better.

If Rollins doesn’t hit well in the lead off spot, another option is to move him to the sixth spot in the batting order. That will mess up the bottom half of the line up if he continues to scuffle. And Eric Bruntlett is only a short-term solution.

Something’s gotta happen. Raul Ibanez is probably a week away from coming back from a groin injury and he is the team’s top hitter.

This is still a strike-out, home run team. And it starts with the top.

Jimmy’s gotta get it going, or the season is done.

Phillies Need To Make Hay Heading To All-Star Break

With a series win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Brad Lidge back and Raul Ibanez on his way back, it is time for the Phillies to take hold of the National League East.

Phils fans held their collective breath when closer Brad Lidge entered Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays holding a slim 5-4 lead.

Raul Chavez dropped a bunt and Lidge’s field and throw were late. John McDonald pinch ran for Chavez, and after Brad Lidge ran a 3-2 count on Marco Scutaro, he walked him to put runners on first and second with no outs.

Oh-oh.

Aaron Hill fouled out, then McDonald, leading off second, was picked off in a bad blunder.

Vernon Wells grounded out to end the game and it was game, set, match, Phillies. The Phillies won the series 2-1 and will hold either a one and a half or two-game lead over the Mets in National League East after Sunday’s evening game.

The Phillies stand at 39-34.

They head to Atlanta for three games starting Tuesday, then come home for an important weekend series with the Mets and end the home stand with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh heading into the All-Star break.

After Friday’s 6-1 loss to Toronto, the Phils were reeling, losing 11 of 13 games.

A few things happened and give credit to Manager Charlie Manuel and Phillies pitchers and thirdly, timely hitting.

Manuel sat down struggling shortstop Jimmy Rollins for the whole Toronto series. His play on the field has been more disturbing than his struggles at the plate.

The double play has not been as crisp and his play, going for the force at second rather than throwing out the slow Pat Burrell in a recent loss to Tampa Bay, have been troublesome.

J.A. Happ gave a complete game, five-hit shutout of the Blue Jays in a 10-0 win on Saturday, as Jayson Werth continued to dominate the Blue Jays, going 4-for-4 with two home runs.

Chase Utley’s two-run triple capped the Phillies offensive attack Sunday.

Utley continues to lead the All-Star second basemen voters, but it is Rollins who sets the table for the Phillies in 2009. The former MVP is the heartbeat of this team. He needs to hit and raise his average to around .280 and make the plays on the field he is known for.

My opinion about Rollins?

He is tired.

After saying his team was the team to beat in 2007 and winning the MVP and following up with a great 2008, Rollins has no where to go but down.

What needs to happen?

Realistically, I think Rollins can get his average up to .250. Ibanez will return and another pitcher will come along, whether it be Carlos Carrasco, who might pitch Thursday, or in a trade.

The Mets have had a tough time against cross-town rival New York Yankees and were unable to take advantage of the Phillies recent slide.

Manuel was right to bench Rollins and continues to prove that managers—after winning the World Series—are less afraid to do what they want, rather than following public opinion or managing scared.

Take two-of-three from the Braves, win the Mets series and lose one or two against both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Is it possible? Yes.

Probable? No.

But it is something championship teams do.

Let’s make some hay.

The Glitter is Gone as Philadelphia Phillies Try to Figure Out Home Woes

During the chatter before Tuesday’s home game pitting the Philadelphia Phillies and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, television personnel were trying to figure out why the Phillies had a worse home record than on the road.

Most said that they were tight and there was a letdown after all the World Series hype died down. The defending World Series champions currently lead the National League East with a 36-26 mark, but are 13-17 at home and a league-best 23-9 on the road.

As another Bleacher Report writer said, they will not win the National League East if they can’t win at home.

I concur.

I have my own theories, some about why, but mostly the difference of the team playing at home or on the road.

1) The Glitter is Gone. Not only are all the championship rings, White House visits, television talk show appearance are over, the Phillies lost their number one fan. And it hurts. On April 12, longtime Phillies Hall of Fame television announcer Harry Kalas died.

The services were held the following weekend at Citizens Bank Park. It has happened to many teams: Jack Buck and Harry Caray were beloved announcers for St. Louis and Chicago Cubs, respectively.

But Kalas flew with the team, traveled on the team bus. He was an eternal optimist. Kalas is not all of the reason, just a large reason why this year is different.

2) The defense is worse. Ryan Howard made a throwing error to second base on a potential double play ball and Jimmy Rollins failed to pick up two balls he normally would gobble up in Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays. Whether they are tight, wanting to play better, I am not sure. I just believe they play worse defense at home.

Remember Rollins gobbling up the ball up the middle to start a double play in the division-clinching win over the Washington Nationals last year? The double play is not as crisp as last year, mostly at home. The double play combination has been sweet on the road.

3) Even though the Phillies are near the top in home runs in the National League, the home run advantage does not exist at home. According to an Internet web site: There were just 38 homers in the first 26 games at the Met’s Citi Field—a fraction of the 105 in 29 games at the new Yankee Stadium—but seven were hit, two more than the previous high set when the Mets beat the Phillies 7-5 on May 7.

I think the Phillies hit four home runs in that game and the Mets three. In last night’s loss, Toronto hit one home run and the Phillies one. The June 17 edition of the Philadelphia Daily News, bore out my observation. The Phillies have a 51-42 home run advantage on the road, while a 39-49 dinger deficit at home.

4) The Phillies have to get the mojo back at home. The fans are still into it on every pitch, screaming wildly at a two-strike, two-out count. Ryan Madson showed his is not better than Brad Lidge last night, loading the bases and blowing a save by giving up the tieing run in what would become a blowout extra-inning loss.

The Phillies were undefeated at home during the playoffs last year. They owned Citizens Bank Park. They have to take control back at home.

5) The Phillies enjoy the underdog status. Nobody, except the fans, believed they would win the World Series last year. On the road, they still enjoy the underdog status. At home, they are the World Champions. They have a big target on their backs. Teams come into Citizens Bank Park fired up to win.

Get over it. Show that this 2009 team, warts and all, is better than the 2008 World Series team.

 

** Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Daily News. Clay Condrey reacts after giving up five runs in the 10th inning of an 8-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Phillies Earn Tough Split against NL-Leading Dodgers

It’s been an eventful week for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cole Hamels pitched a five-hit complete game shutout victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, and the Phillies moved to a season-high 32-20 record. They took a four-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East.

Phillies fans who write for Bleacher Report began to chatter. Me? My story was “Philadelphia Phillies Making Own Breaks on Way to Third Straight NL East Crown.”

Other headlines included: Philadelphia Phillies Post-World Series Future Bright…for Once ; Phillies Are 30-20 With Five Wins In a Row!; and Asked and Answered: The Phillies Win Seven Straight, What About Eight?

Yep, the Phillies fans, including myself, were feeling pretty good about things. The Phils were playing .600 baseball, and closer Brad Lidge was settling down at last.

Then came two winnable games lost—two straight blown saves by Lidge, his sixth of the season, with 13 of 19 games saved and a 7.27 ERA. At the same time last year, Lidge was 16-16 in save opportunities with a 1.00 ERA.

The letdown was like getting a brand-new, shiny bicycle for your birthday and seeing the air slowly leaking from your tires. Was it going to be a flat, or could you patch it up, just like you did last year by adding Joe Blanton and having Eric Bruntlett fill in for an ailing Jimmy Rollins?

The stage was set for a nationally televised ESPN game Sunday against the Dodgers. Here was an opportunity to split the series with the National League’s best team. The Phillies were the second best entering the series.

Phils rookie Antonio Bastardo pitched a strong five innings, leaving with a 3-1 lead. Former Dodger Chan Ho Park got a run-scoring double-play ball and the final out, with the Phillies holding a slim 3-2 lead.

Not to worry. Park finished with a strong three innings, and long balls from Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, and Ryan Howard led the Phillies to a 7-2 victory and a hard-fought and respectable split with the Dodgers.

Next up for the Phillies? Finish up a long road trip with a pivotal series against the Mets, 7-0 winners over the Nationals on Sunday.

From what Mets fans have indicated to me, the team is injury-depleted and not playing their best ball at the moment.

Lidge? If the Phils have a one-run lead going into the ninth inning of any game of the Mets series, he will be out there to save the game.

Last year, Lidge was 41-of-41 in save opportunities. The Phillies were undefeated heading into the eighth inning with a lead.

Not this year. The Phillies are 32-5 when they have scored four or more runs in a game.

And Cole Hamels is on the hill Wednesday against the Mets.

The lead remains three games for the Phillies. Brad Lidge is not perfect and might be kept on a leash. Don’t read anything into Ryan Madson pitching the ninth in the finale of the Dodgers game. That game was far out of reach.

Two things are for sure (and it ain’t the playoffs): The Phillies will, at worst, be tied for first following the Mets series, and Brad Lidge will be the closer for the Mets series. But if he blows two or more games, he could lose the closer’s role—most likely to Madson.

Hey, the Phils are still the top dog. And it probably won’t change for a while.

All is not lost. The brand new bike continues to run and shows no sign of slowing down.

Phillies Making Own Breaks Toward Third Straight NL East Crown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another break.

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

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

Good scouting and a fruitful minor league system.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strike While the Bats Are Hot: The Anatomy of a Winner

As I field through the myriad of baseball stories pondering the whys and hows of one’s favorite team with perpetual problems, my mind wonders: What makes a winning team and one who falls short?

Obviously, good pitching, defense, and offense are the tenants of any winning team, but each World Series champion gets to its goal by minute points of greatness, winning attitudes, and never-say-die approach.

I watched my team, the defending World Series champions, the Philadelphia Phillies video highlights on my iPod, which showed the highlights of a 12-5 victory on May 21 against the host Cincinnati Reds. One thing I noticed was that the Phillies scored six of their 12 runs with two outs. Not enough can be said about two-out hitting.

Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Reds showed the Phillies can win one-run games. Last year, the Phillies were 27-23 in one-run games. American League champions Tampa Bay had a 29-18 record in one-run games.

Key role players are an important tangible elements of winners. Jim Eisenreich was a key role player for the 1983 National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs are key role players for the Phillies today.

Defense is another key element of a champion. Why do I feature the Phillies Chase Utley for my story about winners? Utley breathes winning. His video studies of pitchers is well-known among Phillies fans.

I also thought about the two Phillies World Series wins. Pete Rose helped the Phils to a championship by his attitude in 1980.

In 2008, Chase Utley’s defensive plays in Game Four of the NLCS for an inning-ending double play and Game Five of the World Series when he faked the throw to first and shot a bullet home for a bang-bang out demonstrates the difference between winning and losing.

Pitching? One team comes to mind when you talk about winning teams and pitching. And it ain’t da Phils.

In 1971, the Baltimore Orioles had four 20-game winners. Mike Cuellar: 20-9; Pat Dobson: 20-8; Jim Palmer: 20-9; and Dave McNally: 21-5. How did they do? They won the American League pennant and lost the World Series, 4-3, to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who featured legendary Roberto Clemente in his last season before his tragic death.

And not to be a homer, I looked at why the 1986 Mets won the World Series, their last championship.

Some might credit Billy Buckner, but to be fair, they had two hitters with .300 or more batting averages: Wally Backman with a .320 average and Keith Hernandez with a .310 average. Their outfield consisted of George Foster, Lenny Dykstra and Darryl Stawberry, who hit 27 home runs.

Their starting pitching: Dwight Gooden, 17-6; Ron Arling 15-6; Bob Ojeda 18-5; and Sid Fernandez, 16-6.

The bullpen? Roger McDowell had 22 saves and Jesse Orosco had 21 saves.

They were in the top four in many pitching and hitting categories. That was a solid team. That team went 108-54. Whew!

Managing? You can’t win managing scared. The Phillies did for many years, until Charlie Manuel came along. What get Charlie upset? Blown umpire calls. That is it. He sits there and blows bubble gum. Why? ‘Cause he won a World Series.

Think about Joe Torre and his look in the dugout with the Yankees.

Winning cures all ails.

Even the Washington Nationals have hope. The future of the Nationals is their starting pitching. Jordon Zimmerman lead the crop of fine young Nats pitching. Their bullpen is why the Nats are terrible right now.

I also submit to the 10-games over .500 theory. It is mine, maybe others. Once you get 10 games over .500, you can start playing those bench guys who might have potential as starting players.

An injury to Geoff Jenkins paved the way for Jason Werth’s ascension from platoon player to the every day left fielder. But it could have also happened once the team was playing near .550 or .600 ball.

Confidence and a pack rat mentality separated the Phillies and Mets bullpens in 2008. A perfect 41-41 save opportunities from closer Brad Lidge did not hurt.

As a baseball fan, I’d like to see the Chicago Cubs win a World Series. Many would like the Tampa Bay Rays, with their under-Alex Rodriguez payroll team to break through and win.

And I even think the Mets winning the whole shooting match would help the rivalry with the Phillies and be good for baseball.

How ’bout 2012?

Just kidding…

Round One to the Metropolitians

Saturday, May 9: The New York Mets, by virtue of their 10-1 win over the Pirates, coupled with the Phillies 6-2 loss to the Braves, captured first place in the National League East for the first time this season.

News flash: It won’t be the last time.

Round one goes to the New York Mets as they vaulted over the Phillies for first place. Buoyed by their mini-sweep of the Phillies and wins against the Pirates, the Mets won their sixth game in a row. Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran led the 17-hit barrage to pace the Mets on Saturday.

If I sound pro-Met, I ain’t. I am a lifelong Phillies fan, but a baseball realist. The Phillies will get back into first in the near future and this race will last the season long, with the Phillies and Mets battling it out.

Sorry Braves and Marlins, move aside. The Big Boys are movin’ in.

The Mets’ problem this year has not been the back end of the bullpen. That is solid with the addition of Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz. No, it is their inability to come back from significant leads by the opposing team.

With Johan Santana pitching every fourth day, they won’t need to come back as often as the Phillies.

The Phillies? In their first 10 wins, nine were come from behind. This is a potent offense. Their problem has been the starting pitching and giving up the long ball.

The Phillies, some nights, should be an American League team. There was an April 27th game against the Washington Nationals where Phillies pitching gave up five home runs in the game and they still won, with the Phils hitting two home runs. The score was 13-11. Huh? How is that? Most of the Nats’ home runs were solo shots, while the Phillies pounded two grand slams. That’s eight runs on two swings.

The Phillies offense will keep them in games.

But if the starting pitching does not turn around, it will be a very short race in the National League East.

The Mets will be National League East champs.

Cole Hamels pitched six good inning against the Braves on Friday, giving up two runs. It’s a start. The Phils are going to need at least three good starting pitchers to make a race of this thing.

And I don’t wanna be wearing a David Wright jersey in front of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City come October.

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