Its that time again

Time for another Phillies rant. 2 weeks ago the Phillies had won 12 of 13 games at home and were packing up for a road trip against two of the AL West's lesser teams. So confident was I that they would keep the hot streak alive that I told a friend they would win 5 of 6 against Oakland and Seattle. That may have been asking a bit much, but winning each series? Easily doable to go 2 outta 3 in each town. After all, how much could a 3 hour time zone difference really slow down a team as hot as the Phils? Way too much. The Fightins are hardly that, 3-9 in their last 12 with the exclamation point being swept at home by the Boston Red Sox - a team I have constantly said has no shot of repeating their World Series title run - at home. Figures. So while Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu have gone ice cold in the Phillies' recent skid, Ed Wade made another typical Ed Wade trade. Ill-timed and trying to do too much by trading Placido Polanco to Detroit for Ugueth Urbina. Make no mistake. I was calling for Polanco to be traded as much as anyone so that it would free up second base and Chase Utley would be able to play every day. But I was not a fan of this particular trade. Polanco was having (and in Detroit still is having) a career year and I felt the Phillies could have gotten more for him. Urbina is a proven closer and god knows the Phils need bullpen help - but the timing? The Phils were in the middle of a red hot home stand which Polanco was a key part of. He was getting on base, and doing the little things to help the team win. If its not broke, don't fix it. There was no reason for the Phillies to make a trade at that point. The bullpen was spread thin, but the Phillies were dealing with it. Wade once again botched a trade opportunity as he has done so many times in his 8 year tenure in Philadelphia. He should have let the Phillies at least cool off before he made a trade - possibly in a effort to reboost the team back to their winning ways. As it stands now, the Phillies only major bargaining chip is AAA phenom Ryan Howard who is absolutely destroying the minor leagues. Jim Thome I'm sure is a nice guy, and you can't wish injuries on people, but he has not done one productive thing for the Phillies this year and the Phillies desperately need Ryan Howard in the middle of the lineup. This like watching the end of a bad action movie knowing whats going to happen and you wish you could change the ending because you know you're going to look back on it and say that was awful. That will be the Phillies in a few years when Ryan Howard is on another team and absolutely tearing up the big leagues while Jim Thome is in the last year of his contract hitting .230 with 7 HRs before the All-Star break. Thats if he's healthy. Anyway back to the task at hand, the Phils could have held onto Polanco and traded him and maybe another reliever or a lesser prospect for a pitcher like Ted Lilly of the Blue Jays. Urbina meanwhile has given up 5 homeruns in 5 2/3 innings since being in the red pinstripes. Another notch in the belt Eddie. The Phillies are sinking faster than U-571 but have a chance here before the All-Star break to prove they can at least give the Wild Card a shot. Little side note...whoever gave up on the Braves 2 weeks ago - have you learned anything in the last 13 years? Guess not...they're heading for their 14th straight NL East title. But the Phils play the Mets, Braves, and Nationals all before the All Star break and the Marlins right after. By the time Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell pack their bags for Detroit and the All-Star game, Philly fans will know whether or not to continue attending the daily home run derby that is Citizens Bank Park in the second half of the season.

6/22/05

With a couple of day baseball games most notably the Yankees one would figure that living in New York City they'd give me at least one channel that the Yankees are broadcast on at least occasionally. No such luck. So I have experiences like today where I follow the game online and put something else on TV. After Unsolved Mysteries wrapped up, keep in mind these are all cases from the 1980s, one of those absurd Lifetime made for TV movies came on. Ya know what why not how bad could it possibly be? Bad. "Murder at my door"was absolutely awful. About 20 minutes in it was clear that the son in the tragically dysfunctional family was the murderer at the aforementioned door. But thinking the director couldn't possibly be boring enough to give it up that early I took the rest of the field for 2-1 odds. I lost. And he wasn't just any typical murderer - this kid was messed up. But his dad was an alcoholic, his mom had an affair, his baby brother died when he was younger in a fire that he started - I couldn't make this up. So he goes around murdering attractive girls - usually after they make an advance on him? Go figure. And so as he's about to have would-be victim #4 meet the same fate as the rest, his parents show up at the familys summer cottage which is currently engulfed in flames to stop him. And what does he do? He lets the girl go and walks back into the cottage without so much as flinching. We're talking Backdraft type flames. The heat would have knocked him over before he got close. But he walks back into the burning house without stopping and we assume he burns to death. OK this is one of many problems I have with this movie. The bad guy in most movies usually dies in some agonizing pain no matter how tough they are - aside from John Travolta welcoming an A-bomb in the chest in Broken Arrow - but this 18 year old kid burned to death without a sound. As believable as it was to this point - the movie lost me there. This is what I was forced to watch as opposed to the Yankees blowing today's game to Tampa Bay after their 13 run 8th inning last night. Sorry Bernie Williams, looks like this isn't the turning point yet. Carl Pavano throws his one walk of the game, gets two outs, then hits a guy and finally serves up a 3 run home run and the Yankees lose 5-3. So now that the only movie I will ever watch in lifetime is over, its back to watching the college kids in the College World Series and surprise surprise another pop-up overran. Is it the pressure? Seriously its like watching the kid on your little league team who you tried to hide in right field but he happens to get every ball hit to him. But back to the non sports world for the highlight of the day. Daniel M'Mburugu a 73 year old Kenyan farmer killed a leopard with his bare hands. You think thats impressive? It gets better. M'Mburugu had a machette in his hands when the leopard attacked him but heard a voice from god that told him to drop the machette and stick his hand in the leopard's mouth. So this guy sticks his hand in the leopard's mouth and rips the thing's tounge out - thereby killing it. I can't wait to see what tonight brings seeing as the Mets and Phillies will most likely be blacked out and without MSG, I'll be at the mercy of another lifetime or bravo classic.

This and That

With the All Star break right around the corner and the trade deadline looming just six weeks away, the would-be buyers and sellers are becoming slightly clearer. But there are still plenty of questions that still need to be answered. Are the Yankees finally back for good after sweeping Pittsburgh and Chicago? Or was last night's loss to Tampa Bay the beginning of another decline in this rollercoaster season? With Mike Cameron hurt and Carlos Beltran hardly living up to his $119 million price tag, the Mets' seasons hangs in the balance this week with 6 games against division rival Philadelphia and 3 against the cross-town rival Yankees. Those same Phillies who won 12 of 13 at home faltered on the road going 2-4 against Oakland and Seattle. The Phils scored a measly 14 runs in those 6 games after averaging more than 6 runs per game in their season-resurrecting home stand. The Fightin Phils return to the comfy confines of Citizens Bank Park and host the Mets and Red Sox before hitting the road again. With Washington showing no signs of cooling off, Philly needs to get back to form on this short homestand - most notably Pat Burrell who went a dismal 1-19 on the road trip. The Philly faithful will find out if the Phillies are for real in the next month as the Phils face the Mets home and away, the Red Sox, the Braves, Pirates and Nationals before the midsummer classic; and the Marlins Dodgers and Padres immediately after the break. Good news for the Phillies - of those series, only the Mets and Pirates are on the road.
In the AL East the race is just as tight if you leave out Tampa Bay who is almost 20 games back. 6.5 games separate first place Baltimore from 4th place Toronto. This division consistently produces two playoff teams but chances of a team from the East taking the Wild card this year grow slimmer by the day. The Orioles have cooled off since their hot start, but are still treading water at the top of the division. When it comes down to it though, the O's just don't have the pitching to stick it out to the end. No one expected the Orioles to do this well and they may even compete deep into September; but in the end their lack of playoff experience and lack high caliber pitching will be their downfall. Boston is also in the mix but pitching will be a problem for the defending champs as well. David Wells is washed up, Matt Clement will not be as good in the second half, and between Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo you have a decent number 3 pitcher but not anyone to carry this staff. The Blue Jays are the dark horse and have Roy Halladay (10-4 2.53 ERA) leading the charge. The former Cy Young winner had an awful year last year but bounced back very nicely and is again a candidate for Cy Young honors should he continue his dominance of AL hitters. The rotation doesn't stop there with Gus Chacin a solid number two with a 6-4 record and a 3.39 ERA. If Ted Lilly can finally live up to his potential and have a solid second half then Toronto could make their first run at the playoffs since the Joe Carter days. Now that we've lined up all the contenders its time to talk about the defending champ (of the division). The Yankees have been unpredictable this year. The Bronx Bombers started out slowly then just as everyone thought that they were back, the went on a 3-9 road trip which started with a sweep at the hands of the major leagues' worst team Kansas City. New York got back on track at home sweeping the Cubs and Pirates both of whom had been on relative hot streaks coming in. From the looks of their schedule, the table is set for the Yankees to resume their usual spot at the top of the AL East. New York hosts Tampa Bay for 4, the Mets for 3, at division leading Baltimore for 3, at Detroit for 3, Baltimore at home for 2, and 4 against Cleveland in the Bronx to wrap up before the All Star game. Will the real Yankees finally stand up?
In the Central the White Sox have yet to cool off. This team has won a ridiculous 20 games by 1 run and are 25 games over .500. Jon Garland continues to amaze - he's pitching for his 12th win tonight in an attempt to tie his career high - and it’s not even the All Star break. The pitching has carried this team so far, but Frank Thomas is coming back to potentially spark the offense. The man formerly known as the Big Hurt is doing his best to re-earn his reputation – Thomas has 8 hits in 30 AB's. 6 of those hits are home runs.


Little side note on the College World Series: Between the Arizona St. v Nebraska game and the Baylor v. Tulane game college kids cannot play defense to save their life. It was the most pathetic display of defense I've ever seen. I seriously thought I was watching Little League. Overrunning pop ups and fly balls not to mention disgusting baserunnings mistakes especially in the ASU v NU game. Is this the Little League World Series or College World Series?

Ramblings

The Phillies trade Placido Polanco for Ugueth Urbina and an infielder Ramon Martinez .....when I first saw this trade I thought that the Phils could have gotten something better for Polanco. After all the guys trade value is never going to be higher - he's having a very good season. And also in the back of my mind is that Philadelphia is where closers come to die. Think Heathcliffe Slocumb, Jose Mesa, Tim Worrell...get the idea? But after thinking it over this could be exactly what the Phils need...obviously their bullpen is struggling and it was only a matter of time before Ryan Madson got overworked. Urbina's last 10 innings have been scoreless and he should be the perfect set up man and give Philly's bullpen a much needed boost. And now Chase Utley can finally play every day. And maybe get more than 20 at-bats to prove he can hit leftys.

And the Phils have already taken at least 2 of 3 from Texas - a team leading the majors in home runs ..someone told me the Phils would get swept by the Rangers...try again....this is their 6th series win in their last 7 series.


Will A-rod's 400th home run be enough to get the Yankees out of their funk? Don't count on it. The Bronx Bombers now heading to St. Louis and face the 2nd best team in baseball. Doesn't bode well for the struggling Yankee pitching staff.

Pedro flirts with a no-hitter before giving it up on a home run in the 7th...Being at Shea Stadium this place was electric...of course it had to be my roommate who said "8 more outs!" right before Pedro gave up the home run to end his no-hit bid. Strikes out the side in the 9th to preserve the win and a 2-hitter.

Afleet Alex and Giacomo race in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to see if one of them can win the rubber match. I'm giving Giacomo the edge over Afleet simply because he's a closer horse and he made that late push at the Derby. The distance suits him. But my pick to win....30-1 longshot AP Arrow with jockey Jerry Bailey.

Just Over 100 games left...

Now that the Phillies have caught fire thanks largely in part to an inspiring column on this very own website, its time to take a step back, look around baseball and outline the season to this point and see where things stand. Derek Lee is running away with the MVP in the NL and somehow managing to keep the Cubs in the playoff hunt with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood on the DL. Bobby Abreu is not too far behind Lee and he and the rest of the Phillies are finally showing the potential this team has. The Phillies are the hottest team in baseball right now and stand just 1 1/2 games out of first place in the tighest division in baseball -- only 2 1/2 games between first and last place. Surprising Washington sits at the top for now. The team formerly known as the Expos have gotten a big boost from another former Yankee Nick Johnson. Larry Bowa's nephew is hitting .343 with 35 RBI and Livan Hernandez has resurfaced winning 8 games in the first couple months. In the West, the Padres overcame a slow start and hold a 3 game lead in the NL West. They have lost 4 in a row but no one else in the division has gotten hot. The Barry-less Giants are playing like a team who used to have BarryBonds and are unable to replace the big void left by the slugger. Arizona might be the biggest surprise in the NL other than the Nationals. The D-backs are just 3 1/2 games off the pace after losing their ace - Randy Johnson. Javier Vasquez has been pitching like the pitcher the Yankees thought he might be before he inexplicably imploded in NY.

Which brings me to the Yankees and the rest of the American League. The Yanks are on a monster tilt and have won only 2 games in June. This after a slow start, and then a winning streak that had everyone saying the Yankees were back. But then who else but the Boston Red Sox took 2 of 3 from the Bombers in the Bronx to start the slide. Heading to lowly Kansas City you would think New York would just shake it off and beat up on the worst team in baseball; but instead new manager Buddy Bell had his Royals sweep the Yankees out of Kansas City. Since, New York has dropped their next two series in Minnesota and in Milwaukee. Sitting 6 games out of first, the pinstripers now head to St. Louis and face the 2nd best team in baseball. Despite all this, I still think the Yankees will win the AL East. The Orioles are a good team and have had a great start to the year but they don't have the pitching to last through the season. The starting staff is 25-17 but has 3 of them have an ERA close to 5.00. Erik Bedard is quietly their best starter at 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA but he's on the DL. Down the stretch the high ERA's are going to do the O's in. Boston as well is a case of pitching. Matt Clement and Bronson Arroyo have done a very good job with Curt Schilling on the DL. But Clement who started 6-0 is not going to last. His shelling the other day at the hands of St. Louis is a sign of things to come. He will probably win 15 games again this year, but he's not going to continue at the pace he's at. Bronson at 4-2 will drop off too. These two cannot carry the pitching staff throughout the season. They're doing a nice job without Schilling, but who knows when he is coming back if he even comes back this season. David Wells is a joke. He's 4-4 with an ERA over 5.00 and hasn't stepped up the way he needed too with Schilling down. It was a great World Series run last year, but the Red Sox won't get a chance to defend their title in the postseason.
The AL Central will likely provide the AL Wild Card along with the division winner in Chicago and Minnesota. Maybe slightly more surprising than Chicago's great start is that the Twins are only 3 1/2 games off the pace. The White Sox are for real and have as solid a 5 man rotation as anyone. The pale hoes have been winning the 1-run games - 19 to be exact and are no coincidence 21 games over .500. The offense for the White Sox shows up in spurts like last nights 15 run outburst at Colorado; but Frank Thomas coming back to the lineup could be the one piece this team might be missing. If the ChiSox add a consistent offensive production with their great pitching, they'll play deep into October.
The AL West looks like it could go down to the wire between Texas and Anaheim. Both teams have powerful offenses and the Angels will get a boost when Vlad Guerrero returns. The starting pitching in Texas has been something of a surprise with Kenny Rogers at 40 years young going 6-0 in May to bring him to 8-2 on the year and a 1.62 ERA. And the young nucleus of Alfonzo Soriano, Michael Young, Mark Texiera and Hank Blaylock has been a run producing machine helping the Rangers to lead the majors in home runs with 90. The Angels bullpen is as good as any in baseball with Brendan Donnelly and Scott Shields getting the ball toFrancisco "K-rod" Rodriguez in the 9th.

So I'm going to stick for the most part with my preseason picks....Yankees take the AL East. White Sox and Twins in the Central -- Sox take the division and Twins take the Wild Card and Angels out West. In the NL...Braves take the East with Phillies taking the Wild Card...Cardinals in the Central and I'm going to go with my sleeper the Padres in the West.