Now that the Phillies season is all but over( Sorry kool-aid drinkers) it is time for us to be thinking about which of the Phillies should receive the not-so- coveted Dick Stuart Dr Strangeglove Award. Our problem is that we have a plethora of candidates and only one trophy to give out. As of now the three leading contenders are of course Utley, Rollins, and Polanco who got on the leaderboard in last nights game when he booted what looked like a routine ground ball. ( I'm told that Dick Stuart was quoted as telling reporters "see, I told you that fielding routine grounders was hard)
Fortunately we have one more game to play - so I'm hoping that one of the aforementioned Fools Gold Glovers can separate himself by either booting a routine ground ball or making an errant throw at a critical juncture in the game causing the Giants to drink their champagne.
The Steve Jeltz (.210 career ba) Limp Bat Award is so far safely in the hands of Raul Ibanez who has swung the bat often in this series and has managed to hit nothing but air. ( I must note that the Phillies are hitting below the .200 for the series so there were other contenders for this award. Ibanez is the standout to date.
Blanton did not cost his team the game last night. Blanton giving up only two runs is like Halladay pitching a no no. Blanton can't do any better than he did. I do have a problem with him however. I give him a big cheer for hitting Cody Ross on the wrist - but he didn't get the job done - he didn't break the guys wrist, and the wannabe rodeo clown was able to come back and deliver again for the Giants. Hey Joe, if you're going to do something, do it right. If you would have hit him in the nose as I suggested, he couldn't have gotten the hit later in the game which helped make you and your friends losers again. You would have also greatly improved his appearance for which he might have been grateful to you.
I must congratulate the Sillies for scoring 4 runs last night. Way to go! Unfortunately it wasn't enough.
I understand that the Phillies have not been eliminated yet. I understand that they still have a chance of pulling it out. And the Democrats could gain seats in the House on Nov 2. Well, they could. Some guys love to play long shots, so if you are so inclined, brew up another batch of red kool-aid and call your bookie and go all in. Actually I believe that the Democrats have a better chance than do the Phillies, but what do I know.
Another positive is that because of their stellar play, the city of Philadelphia won't have to spend a bunch of money putting on a parade. The Phillies are doing their part to keep the city fiscally responsible and I applaud them for that.
Our one and only hope is that the baseball gods have a very special outcome planned for the city by the bay, and that they will sprinkle pixie dust on the Phillies slumbering bats awakening them so that they get to Lincecum, Sanchez & Cain early & often. If the gods will it - it will occur. If they don't, well gang, tonight will be the last time any of us will have to hear how hot Jason Werth is, and that isn't a bad thing.
The gods may be angry at the Phillies for an observation made last night by my son. The Phillies seem to be playing like the pennant was theirs before the games started. They are playing like they thought that all they had to was show up and the Giants would have crumbled before their presence. It doesn't work that way, the gods have said. The gods like hungry teams and guys who play with all their heart exposed on their sleeves. The candy stripers didn't do that and they can now be listed along with all of the other under-achieving squads that have worn our city's name on their uniforms.
Another pleasantry is that once again the pundits will have been proven wrong. Almost to a man they picked the Phillies to go all the way, and once again they will almost to a man be proven wrong.
Lastly. On the long plane ride home I'd like the pilot to play the songs "Here's To The Losers" by Sinatra, and the Broadway hit "You've Got To Have Heart" by Ethel Merman. The baseball gods would find that a fitting ending to the 2010 edition of the Philadelphia Phillies.
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