Friday, May 6, 2011

RAUL & FRIENDS

The Candystripers completed a sweep of Mr. Worthless and his Nationals last night. Very nice, but the Phillies should never lose to the team from the District. The Nats are a work in progress while the Phillies, despite their periods of anemic hitting, are one of the better teams in baseball. However, while the long suffering fan would be very happy if the guys in red took two out of three games every series, a sweep every now and then certainly helps make up for those rare times when they lose to teams they shouldn't lose to.

Given how often I have been critical of Raul Ibanez, and the belief I still have that the guy is essentially finished, I must give credit where credit is due. The guy tore up Nats pitching and, at least for now, is out of his mind-numbing slump of the past few weeks. He punctuated it all with a deep home run last night that was a joy to see. I need to see more production from him before I get on his bandwagon, but again it was nice to see the guy hit for a change.

Let's not forget that he accomplished his heroics against the Nats. This weekend he'll have to take his swings against a real team, and perhaps the results will be different.

Moving Rollins back to the lead-off spot also provided offensive dividends. He isn't the ideal lead-off hitter, but he may still be the best the good guys have for the all important number 1 spot. Rollins needs to think CONTRACT all the time, and maybe he can help the team win it all this year. The so called window is closing on these Phillies for a variety of reasons and Rollins must contribute in order for these guys to win. Yes, we have one of the top two or three pitching staffs in baseball, but even Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt need some run support.

The LSF sees this as a transition year given the age and health issues of the everyday players. It certainly is nice to see Utley about ready to start playing again, but what he'll bring to the table once he returns to the line-up is by no means a sure thing. He won't be the player he was a few years ago, but he'll have to contribute in order for the line-up to produce. If he can do a credible job at the plate it will help Superstar see better pitches, although someone needs to remind him that swinging at pitches that bounce is not helpful. The wannabe Babe has hit a few home runs of late, but in my opinion is still not doing what we need him to do.

So, what will Charlie do once Blanton is ready to come back? Having Worley pitch two nice games in a row certainly is helping Blanton recover from whatever is ailing him, but what happens to Worley once Blanton comes off the DL has caught my interest. Now, two good games certainly doesn't elevate Worley to elite status, but how do you make the guy wear an IronPig shirt after helping the team to two wins? Maybe the team will look to ship Blanton to a team in need of starting pitching - Yankees - and keep Worley as the number five. The kid has shown promise, and I hope he gets the shot to stay here and show us if what we have seen is for real. Then there is the closer's spot. Contreras has done a good job, but what he'll do after he comes back is open to debate considering the fact that he is 74 years old. What Lidge can bring is a huge question mark, so let's not get too carried away yet on the team's chances to get it all done.

Despite all of my concerns, the team is still winning. However, the season has a long way to go, so once again my advice is to forgo the Kool-Aid for a while longer. There will be plenty of time to lose our sanity over the team so, for now, lets just chill out. Just look at what is happening to those fans who overindulged on the orange & black Frozen Kool-Aid.

Speaking of the guys in orange - will tonight be it? They may just prolong the agony of being a Flyers fan by winning one against the Bruins, but who out there is willing to put a chunk of money on the proposition that they will be able to pull a miracle on the ice out of their butts and win four in a row, climbing out of a three game hole for the second year in a row against THE SAME TEAM? Maybe our friend Johnny Dollar will do so but even he will need some long odds to do that. Sorry gang but, while they might win tonight, I see Boston advancing.

Given that tomorrow is the first Saturday in May, there is a horse race being run tomorrow in Louisville. The long suffering fan is not into playing the ponies, but it will be a hoot to see all of those white folks dressed up sipping their mint juleps. One of my friends is into the Sport Of Kings, and he has given me a tip from "tipland" that he swears cannot lose (Haaven't I heard that before?). He is putting his money on a nag named Pants On Fire, claiming that this horse is THE ONE. The horse has a woman in the saddle, which is one of the reasons he is so hot for the horse. He also loves Danica Patrick, who I don't believe has ever won any big races. In any event, he has spent a great deal of time figuring the whole thing out and plans to bet not only on his favorite horse, but also on some trifectas and other such nonsense. Bookies love guys like him because even if he is right on Pants On Fire, he'll give back his winnings on that horse with his other bets. This guy also does the parlays during football season - which is a great way to pay for the bookie's kids' tuition.

May is a great time of the year. Baseball season is in full swing, the NBA playoffs are starting to heat up, and we get a horse race in the beginning and an auto race at the end of the month. I am, of course, speaking of the Indy 500 where they trot out Gomer Pyle to sing the Indiana song - which always produces tears in the eyes of those from the Hoosier state. I do watch the beginning of the 500, but I can't imagine tuning in for the whole thing, when I know that ESPN will show any fiery crashes on every show. Watching red necks and guys from Brazil make left turns all day just isn't my thing.

That's it for now, so have a great weekend!

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