So, I sit down at the computer because tonights Phillies BIG WIN over the Braves needs to be spoken of before I forget what is on my mind. Papa's delicate condition means that I cannot be held responsible for any misspellings, run on sentences, piss poor grammar or for saying something that offends anyone. Anyhow as I the machine is turning on I see on the MSN home page a story headline that Charlie Sheen is being replaced by some pretty male actor. DUH? Do they thhink that anyone gives a flying fuck about Charlie Sheen? They must. Then it dawns on me that MSN does market research to tell them the kind of stories we the people want to see. My god. If a headline about Charlie Sheen being replaced for a gig that he was already fired from is what attracts us, then our collective brains have finally turned to complete mush and there is no hope. We may as well give in to the oligarchy and thank them for whatever crumbs they choose to give us. Shit, why not put Blankfein on a 100 dollar bill instead of locking him up in a cell with John Boehner and throwing away the key. Boehner, you are full of shit. You speak utter lies and we are not all stupid. Please burn up in the tanning bed!
I digress. Wow, the LSF was really encouraged by the way the Phillies beat the Braves. I didn't watch the whole game because of the BBC mini-marathon of Law & Order U.K., but during commercials I'd tune in to check what was happening. I missed Superstars 1st inning 3 run shot, but I did catch him running his ass off in order to score. The dude was hustling hiss ass off, and this LSF salutes him for that. Of late Superstars game has started to firm up, and it has been noticed. I still don't like his Babe Ruth pointing happy horseshit, and he still swings at too many bad pitches, but if he start hitting home runs at a decent pace he will carry this team.
It is good to see the bats starting to awaken from their April slump, but what I really want to see is something like a 14 run outburst against the Braves this weekend. That would mean another series victory and could be the thing that gives the offense the confidence to start supporting the staff the way the staff has supported them.
Speaking of the staff. How 'bout the great job that the young guys did when they took over for Hamels. Worley, Stutes, and Bastardo all did what they needed to do giving Madsen the save opportunity. I never think of Madsen as having high heat, but tonight he was tossing some pitches up there at 95! Madsen wouldn't be Madsen without adding some drama, and he did it again tonight. Wasn't looking for any drama tonight, but at least he manned up for the final pitch. Madsen has not a certain killer instinct that I want in my closer, but until Contreras can come back - Madsen has to get the job done.
You all know how the LSF worries, and tonight my worry is about the closers slot. If the three young people can continue to develop, we will have an excellent long, and middle relief contingent. Based on the assumption that we have seen the last of Brad Lidge, I believe that we'll need to acquire a closer. (Do you think the Yankees would give us Rivera for Blanton?) With money being tight the Phillies will be hard pressed to acquire anybody decent without giving up some major league ready talent. To get a stud, Dom Brown might have to be included in a deal. I wouldn't want to be Ruben if he pulls the trigger on that kind of deal and, the Phillies don't win the whole thing and Brown becomes the next Griffey. (Sr. or Jr.) There would be no where on the planet where Amaro could hide. he would be hunted down and brought back for torturing by Dick Cheney.
Another problem I see is that the Phillies need to start having replacements ready to step in as the current guys get past it. Next year we will definitely need a new left fielder, and possibly a shortstop, so I would be careful what we are willing to give up now if the closers slot develops into a season long problem. Now, about Lidge. I believe that only reason that the Phillies continue to have Lidge on the 40 man 'in rehab' does not mean that the braintrust thinks he can come back and contribute. Lidge is making ten plus million this year whether he pitches or not. The Phillies are obligated to pay him, but have insurance written to pay them about 75% of his salary in the event that he is physically un able to perform. The insurance company can refuse to make payment until THEY are convinced that Lidge can't pitch. This forces the Phillies to play the game that he is rehabbing, and not finished.
So despite my fears, the team continues to winn a whole bunch more than they lose, and that is a good thing. Have a great weekend!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
PATHETIC!
Today started out just fine. I woke up without too many things hurting. When you reach your 63 birthday you will understand what I mean. If you are already there, then you already know. I had a bunch of errands to run, which I knew I wouldn't mind doing because the weather was so perfect. The long suffering fan loves being outdoors especially when his travels take him to Center City around lunch time since the scenery is so awesome. I was meeting a friend for lunch, waiting in front of Wanamaker's. To the LSF it will always be Wanamaker's. There is something not right with the department store at 13th & Market not being Wanamaker's and I will not mention the New York name that hangs from the front of the building like bad graffiti. In the ten minutes I was waiting I must have fallen in love a gazillion times. The scenery, as I said earlier, was nice. I never said that the long suffering fan wasn't a dog - since that would be a lie. All men and most women are dogs.
Anyhow, my friend showed up and we decided to walk towards the Gallery. It was downhill from there. We took a detour to the Reading Terminal and, it being lunch time, it was packed. The problem was, there were a ton of rude assholes in the place. You know the type. How about two fat women who are stopped in the middle of a crowded aisle so they can have a conversation? When you say, "excuse me" in order to get them to let you by, you get the dirty look with extra attitude. Those ladies are perfect examples of what an asshole is. From the time I entered the "Market" the rest of the day was spent bumping into assholes. Gang, they were everywhere.
The nice thing about assholes is that they let you know early that they are an asshole which is very considerate of them. Once you know somebody is an asshole it allows you the choice of either avoiding them or allowing them into your life until they show you directly just how much of an asshole they are. You make the call.
After we had a bite, my friends lunch hour was over and she went back to her job at WANAMAKER'S and I walked to the Gallery where I planned to take the El back to West Philly (where I had to walk the dog). The scenery at the Gallery was just sick but the assholes were all over the place. There were tons of assholes congregating at the bottom of the escalator, which made getting off the thing an adventure. There were the food court assholes who occupy their table for hours after they've finished the food designed to kill them. The aroma of fried foods is everywhere causing one's cholesterol to spike even if you haven't eaten the Gallery fare. And there were the usual idiots working at Modell's who, despite wanting to be helpful, had no clue as to what day it was let alone where the four for $20.00 Russell T-shirts were. At least they have jobs.
Then I hopped on the El at 8th Street and ran into more assholes. A young woman gets on at 11th Street pushing a stroller the size of a Sedan De Ville. This thing had every option available including super large wheels and saddle type bags. The woman may have been eighteen or nineteen and was more interested in the video game she was playing on her i-phone than she was with the baby who was crying. A crying baby in a crowded subway car is a real treat. Of course, she parked the thing so that she was effectively blocking a set doors. Mom is an asshole.
There were the "I smell really funky" assholes as well. These are the folks who either haven't washed their clothes in a minute or believe bathing is for somebody else. It is a double treat when one of them sits down next to you. Sometimes, the funk transferred to you stays with you the rest of the day. If you are really lucky, a double-stuffed funky asshole will sit next to you. When this happens, you are truly fucked because you can't move with this large blob of protoplasm sitting next you and you are slowly asphyxiating because the stink is so bad. A truly fortunate happening is when a double-stuffed funky asshole who is eating fast food (usually fried chicken with hot sauce). This lucky commuter may have to have his/her family notified because fatal events have been known to occur when sitting next to a double-stuffed funky asshole.
I finally dragged my now-weary ass home, made some dinner, fought with the lady whose fucking lap dog I walked (it's name is Munchkin and everybody I know saw me walking it and had a good laugh), and then settled in to watch Halladay go against Josh Johnson.
Both pitchers pitched good baseball - good enough to win. Unfortunately, the rest of the Phillies were, for the most part, PATHETIC! Yes, I saw Superstar's home run, and it was nice to have since the bats went dead after that. When you leave bases loaded in two consecutive innings you don't usually beat good teams, and Florida is a good team. I know that some of the players are starting to hit the ball (which is a good thing) but there seems to be a big void when there are scoring opportunities. The Phillies are getting a lot of useless hits lately - they had some tonight. A useless hit is when someone near the bottom of the order gets a two-out hit with a guy who can't hit even a little bit coming to bat. A useless hit is a hit that doesn't help the team score. What we need that we are not getting on a consistent basis are hits in bunches so that we can score runs and support a strong pitching effort. This is unacceptable because, even against good pitching, teams like the Marlins and the Braves and the Reds will score runs.
Some Phillies faithful believe that all will be well when Chase Utley can finally play. Sounds like a plan to me, but how well he'll be able to play remains to be seen. Facing Josh Johnson is a little trickier than batting in the extended spring training league.
Tonight, it wasn't just the hitting that was pathetic. How 'bout the defense? The defense took the night off and cost the Phils the game when Polanco threw late to Howard, allowing Ramirez to beat out the ground ball and giving the Marlins the opportunity to score their second and winning run.
Well, tomorrow is another night and Cliff Lee takes the mound for the candystripers. The guy needs to pitch a great game and hope that the line-up can provide enough run support. If they can't, the Phillies will lose a second series in a row against a good team in their division before heading to Atlanta for a rematch. The tension and drama with this team is starting to wear on the long suffering fan and when the pain gets more than I can handle I will shut these assholes out. "No more," I will say! "Shut up Wheels," I will scream!. As for you, McCarthy, don't even think about saying something that everybody knows. We are not idiots, you asshole. I already knew that the Phillies needed baserunners in the top of the ninth trailing by a run. You didn't have to offend me by telling me that.
Yes, the LSF is almost at that place when I remove my emotions and enjoy watching teams like the Indians where there is no emotion involved. Not quite there, so I still get my bile up when the Phillies fuck up, but soon...
Anyhow, my friend showed up and we decided to walk towards the Gallery. It was downhill from there. We took a detour to the Reading Terminal and, it being lunch time, it was packed. The problem was, there were a ton of rude assholes in the place. You know the type. How about two fat women who are stopped in the middle of a crowded aisle so they can have a conversation? When you say, "excuse me" in order to get them to let you by, you get the dirty look with extra attitude. Those ladies are perfect examples of what an asshole is. From the time I entered the "Market" the rest of the day was spent bumping into assholes. Gang, they were everywhere.
The nice thing about assholes is that they let you know early that they are an asshole which is very considerate of them. Once you know somebody is an asshole it allows you the choice of either avoiding them or allowing them into your life until they show you directly just how much of an asshole they are. You make the call.
After we had a bite, my friends lunch hour was over and she went back to her job at WANAMAKER'S and I walked to the Gallery where I planned to take the El back to West Philly (where I had to walk the dog). The scenery at the Gallery was just sick but the assholes were all over the place. There were tons of assholes congregating at the bottom of the escalator, which made getting off the thing an adventure. There were the food court assholes who occupy their table for hours after they've finished the food designed to kill them. The aroma of fried foods is everywhere causing one's cholesterol to spike even if you haven't eaten the Gallery fare. And there were the usual idiots working at Modell's who, despite wanting to be helpful, had no clue as to what day it was let alone where the four for $20.00 Russell T-shirts were. At least they have jobs.
Then I hopped on the El at 8th Street and ran into more assholes. A young woman gets on at 11th Street pushing a stroller the size of a Sedan De Ville. This thing had every option available including super large wheels and saddle type bags. The woman may have been eighteen or nineteen and was more interested in the video game she was playing on her i-phone than she was with the baby who was crying. A crying baby in a crowded subway car is a real treat. Of course, she parked the thing so that she was effectively blocking a set doors. Mom is an asshole.
There were the "I smell really funky" assholes as well. These are the folks who either haven't washed their clothes in a minute or believe bathing is for somebody else. It is a double treat when one of them sits down next to you. Sometimes, the funk transferred to you stays with you the rest of the day. If you are really lucky, a double-stuffed funky asshole will sit next to you. When this happens, you are truly fucked because you can't move with this large blob of protoplasm sitting next you and you are slowly asphyxiating because the stink is so bad. A truly fortunate happening is when a double-stuffed funky asshole who is eating fast food (usually fried chicken with hot sauce). This lucky commuter may have to have his/her family notified because fatal events have been known to occur when sitting next to a double-stuffed funky asshole.
I finally dragged my now-weary ass home, made some dinner, fought with the lady whose fucking lap dog I walked (it's name is Munchkin and everybody I know saw me walking it and had a good laugh), and then settled in to watch Halladay go against Josh Johnson.
Both pitchers pitched good baseball - good enough to win. Unfortunately, the rest of the Phillies were, for the most part, PATHETIC! Yes, I saw Superstar's home run, and it was nice to have since the bats went dead after that. When you leave bases loaded in two consecutive innings you don't usually beat good teams, and Florida is a good team. I know that some of the players are starting to hit the ball (which is a good thing) but there seems to be a big void when there are scoring opportunities. The Phillies are getting a lot of useless hits lately - they had some tonight. A useless hit is when someone near the bottom of the order gets a two-out hit with a guy who can't hit even a little bit coming to bat. A useless hit is a hit that doesn't help the team score. What we need that we are not getting on a consistent basis are hits in bunches so that we can score runs and support a strong pitching effort. This is unacceptable because, even against good pitching, teams like the Marlins and the Braves and the Reds will score runs.
Some Phillies faithful believe that all will be well when Chase Utley can finally play. Sounds like a plan to me, but how well he'll be able to play remains to be seen. Facing Josh Johnson is a little trickier than batting in the extended spring training league.
Tonight, it wasn't just the hitting that was pathetic. How 'bout the defense? The defense took the night off and cost the Phils the game when Polanco threw late to Howard, allowing Ramirez to beat out the ground ball and giving the Marlins the opportunity to score their second and winning run.
Well, tomorrow is another night and Cliff Lee takes the mound for the candystripers. The guy needs to pitch a great game and hope that the line-up can provide enough run support. If they can't, the Phillies will lose a second series in a row against a good team in their division before heading to Atlanta for a rematch. The tension and drama with this team is starting to wear on the long suffering fan and when the pain gets more than I can handle I will shut these assholes out. "No more," I will say! "Shut up Wheels," I will scream!. As for you, McCarthy, don't even think about saying something that everybody knows. We are not idiots, you asshole. I already knew that the Phillies needed baserunners in the top of the ninth trailing by a run. You didn't have to offend me by telling me that.
Yes, the LSF is almost at that place when I remove my emotions and enjoy watching teams like the Indians where there is no emotion involved. Not quite there, so I still get my bile up when the Phillies fuck up, but soon...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
HAPPY BABY MAMA"S DAY!
OK, so the other night we saw Cliff Lee strikeout sixteen batters and lose. I've done some homework, and can report that Lee did not break the record for most K's by a losing pitcher. There is a beautiful Philly connection with the guy who does have the record, and to the pitcher who ended up winning the game. After you read the facts, please do not tell me that you do not believe that there are gods of baseball, because only those having supernatural powers could set this up.
On September 15, 1969 the St. Louis Cardinals were hosting the then New York Mets in a day game played in front of 13,086 fans. I thought STL was supposed to be a great baseball town. Maybe they were watching the Mississippi flood instead of attending the game. On the mound for the hometown Redbirds was none other than a young left-hander from Miami Florida named Steve Carlton. The starting pitcher for the visiting Mets was a guy named Gary Gentry who was a pretty fair pitcher.
Carlton proceeded to strikeout nineteen Mets. That is correct, I said nineteen. Carlton lost the game due to some sloppy fielding by the Cards, and because of Ron Swoboda's two home runs. The Cardinals supported Lefty the way the Phillies supported Lee the other night by managing only three hits against Gentry. The guy who pitched three innings of relief ended up with the win. True Phillies fans have probably already figured out the name of the Mets reliever that day since I stated earlier that there was a Philly connection with the winning pitcher. If you haven't figured it out you are either too drunk, too high, or a Johnny-Come-Lately Phillies fan. I'll give you five more seconds to get the name of the reliever. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sorry times up. The name we are looking for is none other than Phillies 1980 NLCS and World Series hero reliever, Tug McGraw.
While the long suffering fan is not drunk, or high (too early in the day) I am truly freaked out by the fact that both of these guys would later become Phillies and lead the team to its first World Series win. This tells me that the gods of baseball are long term planners, and should thusly be feared a great deal. Hell, they probably have already figured out how the Phillies will break the hearts of their fans in the year 2030, and perhaps beyond.
I can't even imagine how the mood must have been in the Cardinals' locker room after the game. Steve Carlton as you may know is more than a little bit crazy. I'm certain that none of his teammates said anything to him after the game for fear that he would tear them apart limb by limb. Guys probably had heart palpitations from his glare, which could have melted a heat shield on the space shuttle.
To put an exclamation mark on the story, the following season Carlton struck out sixteen Phillies, and lost that game to one of the worst Phillie teams of all time. Another Phillie connection! Rod Serling, I'm sure enjoyed all of those events.
Now that we know that Cliff Lee is not a record holder, we can anxiously await the next great performance by a Phillies pitcher that goes for naught. I trust everyone has had a great day, and remember - there are gods of baseball who will fuck with us again, and again, and again.
On September 15, 1969 the St. Louis Cardinals were hosting the then New York Mets in a day game played in front of 13,086 fans. I thought STL was supposed to be a great baseball town. Maybe they were watching the Mississippi flood instead of attending the game. On the mound for the hometown Redbirds was none other than a young left-hander from Miami Florida named Steve Carlton. The starting pitcher for the visiting Mets was a guy named Gary Gentry who was a pretty fair pitcher.
Carlton proceeded to strikeout nineteen Mets. That is correct, I said nineteen. Carlton lost the game due to some sloppy fielding by the Cards, and because of Ron Swoboda's two home runs. The Cardinals supported Lefty the way the Phillies supported Lee the other night by managing only three hits against Gentry. The guy who pitched three innings of relief ended up with the win. True Phillies fans have probably already figured out the name of the Mets reliever that day since I stated earlier that there was a Philly connection with the winning pitcher. If you haven't figured it out you are either too drunk, too high, or a Johnny-Come-Lately Phillies fan. I'll give you five more seconds to get the name of the reliever. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sorry times up. The name we are looking for is none other than Phillies 1980 NLCS and World Series hero reliever, Tug McGraw.
While the long suffering fan is not drunk, or high (too early in the day) I am truly freaked out by the fact that both of these guys would later become Phillies and lead the team to its first World Series win. This tells me that the gods of baseball are long term planners, and should thusly be feared a great deal. Hell, they probably have already figured out how the Phillies will break the hearts of their fans in the year 2030, and perhaps beyond.
I can't even imagine how the mood must have been in the Cardinals' locker room after the game. Steve Carlton as you may know is more than a little bit crazy. I'm certain that none of his teammates said anything to him after the game for fear that he would tear them apart limb by limb. Guys probably had heart palpitations from his glare, which could have melted a heat shield on the space shuttle.
To put an exclamation mark on the story, the following season Carlton struck out sixteen Phillies, and lost that game to one of the worst Phillie teams of all time. Another Phillie connection! Rod Serling, I'm sure enjoyed all of those events.
Now that we know that Cliff Lee is not a record holder, we can anxiously await the next great performance by a Phillies pitcher that goes for naught. I trust everyone has had a great day, and remember - there are gods of baseball who will fuck with us again, and again, and again.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
PHILLIES BATS SIGN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!
After coming alive last week against the Nats (Battle Of The Bulge) the Phillies have succumbed to a lack of hitting (clutch or otherwise) and have signed an unconditional surrender. Today is the 66th anniversary of the Germans signing an unconditional surrender to the Allies that took effect on May 8, 1945.
In last night's game the locals managed but two hits against Lowe and the Braves, spoiling a sixteen strikeout performance by Cliff Lee. Lee pitched just seven innings and except for his grooving a few pitches in the third was amazing. Even Koufax grooved a few but, when you fan sixteen, you should have the expectation of putting one in the left column. Lee learned last night that expectations mean nothing here in the greatest city in the world.
Lee came within five K's of the MLB record for the most K's in a single game. Tom Cheney K'd 21 Orioles in a 1962 game to set the record, but that was in sixteen innings. I guess nobody was counting pitches in that one. The record for a nine inning game is co-held by Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood at twenty, which is the pace Lee was on when he left the game. Despite leaving early, Lee came within three of the record for most K's by a lefty, held by Randy Johnson at nineteen - who did it twice in a nine inning effort.
MLB keeps records on most everything, but I was unable to find a record for most K's in a losing effort. I can't imagine there have been too many pitchers who have fanned sixteen and still lost. If someone did, I assume it would have been years ago before the era of using relief pitchers the way they do today. Perhaps someone out there could do some research and find out if Lee has set a record because the LSF would like to know and doesn't feel like doing the work.
In one of this morning's papers, Cliff was philosophic about the game and suggested that he wasn't worried by the lack of hitting. The not-being-worried attitude sounds like a good sound bite for a guy not wanting to throw his teammates under a bus but, if that is true, then Lee hasn't noticed that the Phils have scored but ONE run in his last three starts. If it were me, I would DRIVE the frigging bus!
Through it all, our hometown heroes have won 21 games and are still in first place in the division. Being in first place is a good thing despite the lack of production, isn't it? Yes it is, even if the first thirty games were against mostly AAA-caliber opposition. I wonder where the candystripers will be after the next nineteen games against the Braves, Marlins, Cards, Rangers, Rockies, and Reds - most of whom are teams that are either in first or second place in their respective divisions. The Braves are currently in third but can certainly change that after the next two games here and the upcoming series in Atlanta against the Phils.
Somewhere, the baseball gods are smugly sitting and watching the Phillies' troubles while laughing their asses off. They have set us up for the BIG FALL. The gods seemingly blessed us with the BEST ROTATION OF ALL TIME and then arranged for the Phillies' bats to die. They got us singing Four Aces songs even though the lead singer of that 50's elevator music group has been dead for years. Remember all the hoopla? Remember the photos of the guys with capes on? The baseball gods created all of that and then decided to make our disabled list look like an all-star line up. The gods know that injuries are a part of every game but they certainly have "blessed' the Phils with more than their fair share of visits to the DL - especially given how early it is in the season.
With Oswalt joining the ranks of the disabled and Ruiz about to, the Phillies will have no choice but to give Worley at least another two starts, and are even giving Kendrick another start today. That's sort of like trying to draw an inside straight in poker. With Ruiz saying "Oy Mein Back" in Spanish, Schneider and Sardena will have to handle the catching chores, and we can have no expectations of any offensive production from these two if what they have done so far is any indicator of what they will do in the future. Neither one of them seem to know how to hit with anything resembling consistency.
The baseball gods have decided that Polanco was having too much fun and I am convinced they arranged for the foul ball hit off his foot and cause him to have to leave the game last night. He is now on the dreaded day-to-day status ride which, given the way things are working out for the team so far, will mean a trip to the DL, followed by an Ibanez type slump upon his return. In the meantime, I suppose we'll have to watch Valdez, Orr, and Martinez make it onto Charlie's line up cards on an everyday basis.
I am quite proud of myself that I have not spoken ill of Superstar in this posting. This guy needs to pick up his game if the Phils have any shot of surviving the next nineteen games.
There is some good news to report. Former Phillie Lenny Dykstra was indicted for fraud and obstruction relating to his 2009 bankruptcy filing. Dirt is facing up to eighty years if convicted. Shit, just spare us the cost of a trial and send him away since we all know the guy is guilty. It's too bad that they don't have chain gangs any more because Dykstra belongs on a dusty Mississippi highway with a ball chained to his leg. Sorry Dude, no more unhappy maids for you!
I wouldn't be me if I didn't at least mention that hockey season is now over here in Philly. What can I say except, HOW 'BOUT THEM FLYERS!
In last night's game the locals managed but two hits against Lowe and the Braves, spoiling a sixteen strikeout performance by Cliff Lee. Lee pitched just seven innings and except for his grooving a few pitches in the third was amazing. Even Koufax grooved a few but, when you fan sixteen, you should have the expectation of putting one in the left column. Lee learned last night that expectations mean nothing here in the greatest city in the world.
Lee came within five K's of the MLB record for the most K's in a single game. Tom Cheney K'd 21 Orioles in a 1962 game to set the record, but that was in sixteen innings. I guess nobody was counting pitches in that one. The record for a nine inning game is co-held by Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood at twenty, which is the pace Lee was on when he left the game. Despite leaving early, Lee came within three of the record for most K's by a lefty, held by Randy Johnson at nineteen - who did it twice in a nine inning effort.
MLB keeps records on most everything, but I was unable to find a record for most K's in a losing effort. I can't imagine there have been too many pitchers who have fanned sixteen and still lost. If someone did, I assume it would have been years ago before the era of using relief pitchers the way they do today. Perhaps someone out there could do some research and find out if Lee has set a record because the LSF would like to know and doesn't feel like doing the work.
In one of this morning's papers, Cliff was philosophic about the game and suggested that he wasn't worried by the lack of hitting. The not-being-worried attitude sounds like a good sound bite for a guy not wanting to throw his teammates under a bus but, if that is true, then Lee hasn't noticed that the Phils have scored but ONE run in his last three starts. If it were me, I would DRIVE the frigging bus!
Through it all, our hometown heroes have won 21 games and are still in first place in the division. Being in first place is a good thing despite the lack of production, isn't it? Yes it is, even if the first thirty games were against mostly AAA-caliber opposition. I wonder where the candystripers will be after the next nineteen games against the Braves, Marlins, Cards, Rangers, Rockies, and Reds - most of whom are teams that are either in first or second place in their respective divisions. The Braves are currently in third but can certainly change that after the next two games here and the upcoming series in Atlanta against the Phils.
Somewhere, the baseball gods are smugly sitting and watching the Phillies' troubles while laughing their asses off. They have set us up for the BIG FALL. The gods seemingly blessed us with the BEST ROTATION OF ALL TIME and then arranged for the Phillies' bats to die. They got us singing Four Aces songs even though the lead singer of that 50's elevator music group has been dead for years. Remember all the hoopla? Remember the photos of the guys with capes on? The baseball gods created all of that and then decided to make our disabled list look like an all-star line up. The gods know that injuries are a part of every game but they certainly have "blessed' the Phils with more than their fair share of visits to the DL - especially given how early it is in the season.
With Oswalt joining the ranks of the disabled and Ruiz about to, the Phillies will have no choice but to give Worley at least another two starts, and are even giving Kendrick another start today. That's sort of like trying to draw an inside straight in poker. With Ruiz saying "Oy Mein Back" in Spanish, Schneider and Sardena will have to handle the catching chores, and we can have no expectations of any offensive production from these two if what they have done so far is any indicator of what they will do in the future. Neither one of them seem to know how to hit with anything resembling consistency.
The baseball gods have decided that Polanco was having too much fun and I am convinced they arranged for the foul ball hit off his foot and cause him to have to leave the game last night. He is now on the dreaded day-to-day status ride which, given the way things are working out for the team so far, will mean a trip to the DL, followed by an Ibanez type slump upon his return. In the meantime, I suppose we'll have to watch Valdez, Orr, and Martinez make it onto Charlie's line up cards on an everyday basis.
I am quite proud of myself that I have not spoken ill of Superstar in this posting. This guy needs to pick up his game if the Phils have any shot of surviving the next nineteen games.
There is some good news to report. Former Phillie Lenny Dykstra was indicted for fraud and obstruction relating to his 2009 bankruptcy filing. Dirt is facing up to eighty years if convicted. Shit, just spare us the cost of a trial and send him away since we all know the guy is guilty. It's too bad that they don't have chain gangs any more because Dykstra belongs on a dusty Mississippi highway with a ball chained to his leg. Sorry Dude, no more unhappy maids for you!
I wouldn't be me if I didn't at least mention that hockey season is now over here in Philly. What can I say except, HOW 'BOUT THEM FLYERS!
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
I'VE COME TO PRAISE HAMELS, NOT TO BURY HIM!
Let it not be said that the long suffering fan will not give credit when it is deserved. This morning, I must tell of how delighted I was at the performance turned in by Cole Hamels in last night's game against Jayson Worthless and his Washington Nats. Hamels, as many of you know, has been pitching lights-out ever since his first outing when the Madoffs burned him. A few nights at 3rd & Indiana seems to have done the trick.
The LSF must also mention that your favorite left fielder, one Raul Ibanez broke out of his multi-year slump by hitting not one, but two doubles against the Nats. Congratulations, Mr. Ibanez. While I was pleased at his effort last night, I'm still not convinced that his time to retire hasn't come. Please remember that Hernandez was tossing 80 MPH "fast" balls which is just what the slow bat speed of Ibanez could hit. I want to see how he gets the bat around when faced with real heat.
Your 0-2 Flyers take the ice again tonight in an attempt to climb back into their second round series against the Bruins. A loss tonight and the fat lady can sing anything she wants because the jig will be up. I will not watch, but certainly will be pulling for the home town darlings of "The Joke On Ice."
That's it for now, so get out there in the rain and have a great day.
The LSF must also mention that your favorite left fielder, one Raul Ibanez broke out of his multi-year slump by hitting not one, but two doubles against the Nats. Congratulations, Mr. Ibanez. While I was pleased at his effort last night, I'm still not convinced that his time to retire hasn't come. Please remember that Hernandez was tossing 80 MPH "fast" balls which is just what the slow bat speed of Ibanez could hit. I want to see how he gets the bat around when faced with real heat.
Your 0-2 Flyers take the ice again tonight in an attempt to climb back into their second round series against the Bruins. A loss tonight and the fat lady can sing anything she wants because the jig will be up. I will not watch, but certainly will be pulling for the home town darlings of "The Joke On Ice."
That's it for now, so get out there in the rain and have a great day.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
HOW 'BOUT THOSE FLYERS?
OK, so I'm a smartass. Your fly fly boys either suck big time or they feel sorry for the Bruins and wanted to let them win the first two games here in Philly so they could make a heroic comeback from the 0-2 deficit.
I have yet to see them play since I've already watched 8 1/2 minutes of hockey inaction this year and am afraid that if I watch more guys skating around without scoring I will bore myself to death.
I did watch quite a bit of the NFL draft, and have no problems with the Eagles picks. That probably comes as a surprise to some of you, but how can I be disappointed with an Andy Reid draft? He's always come through in the past. Given how porous the O-line was last year I am not surprised that the fat guy chose Watkins as his first pick. God forbid the Linc ever has a fire, at least the guy can put it out. I would have preferred that he would have chosen Penn State's OL man Wisniewszi who I saw play for four years and watched become a helluva blocker, much like his uncle and father were before him. Perhaps it is fitting that he follows his uncle to Oakland, but he would have looked good in green.
That's it for football, at least for now since there is no football because of the lock-out. It is so hard for me to take sides in this dispute because I either have to root for billionaires or millionaires. I can't decide, so instead I'll root for people who get up in the morning, no matter how they feel, get dressed and go to work. My hat is off for the Septa drivers, trash men, and others like them. If there is no NFL this coming season I'll still have plenty of college games to watch. I can't wait for Penn State to play Indiana State!
Once again, I was criticized the other night for not writing an ode of praise for the Phillies explosion of hits. Once again, I was called on the carpet for not being effusive in praising Superstar for the big bombs he hit over the weekend. I had planned such a post Sunday after the game with the Madoffs. I was going to point out that Superstar had had a good weekend, including a grand slam, but as the game entered the ninth inning (with the hard hitting Phillies having made but two hits), Dan Shulman announced the news about Bin Laden. I turned on MSNBC (I don't even know what channel FOX is on) and forgot about the Phillies. I didn't even know that they had lost until I woke up Monday, as if it mattered.
Yes, the Phillies bats did come awake against the Madoffs in game 1 & 2 of the weekend series. Yes, Superstar did hit some balls into the ionosphere which, I remind you, is what he gets paid to do. Yes, he did show some fancy hitting to drive in the run that tied the game Sunday night. Hopefully his stroke will stay with him for a while because if it doesn't the team will start losing as often as they win.
What I didn't understand about Sunday night's game was Charlie allowing Ibanez to bat in the 8th when the score was tied, the bases were loaded, and with the guy on a 0-33 tear going into the at-bat. None of the guys available to pinch hit for Raul will make anyone forget the '27 Yankees or even the '54 A's, but they are all hitting better than Ibanez. Valdez, Gload, Martinez, and Sardinha were all available, but Charlie let Ibanez pick up the bat so he could hit a weak ground ball to the second baseman, ending the inning and ultimately forcing the game to go into extra innings and a loss in the 14th. I assume that Charlie didn't want to show the guy up, or harm his confidence, but yo - isn't it about winning games? In my opinion, any of the guys available to hit for Ibanez would have given the team a better chance of scoring the go ahead run. Charlie and his girlfriend are looking at property near 3rd & Indiana as this is being written.
Raul Ibanez has been a good player - the operative word being "has," as in past tense. He no longer has the bat speed to hit for average in the majors, and I truly feel sorry for the guy - as he makes a bigger fool of himself every time he picks up a bat. The time has come to sit him down and play Mayberry every day. Ibanez is in the final year of stealing his check and we need to see if Mayberry can get the job done. Thanks for the memories Raul, but now you need to go home.
Ibanez is not the only goat on this year's team. Rollins should not be brought back, and perhaps it is time to make the hard decision about Utley.
OK. Tonight, our friend Jayson Worthless and his Nationals come to town. We need to win at least 2 out of 3. I'm not sure we can do it, but I will watch and hope for the best.
I have yet to see them play since I've already watched 8 1/2 minutes of hockey inaction this year and am afraid that if I watch more guys skating around without scoring I will bore myself to death.
I did watch quite a bit of the NFL draft, and have no problems with the Eagles picks. That probably comes as a surprise to some of you, but how can I be disappointed with an Andy Reid draft? He's always come through in the past. Given how porous the O-line was last year I am not surprised that the fat guy chose Watkins as his first pick. God forbid the Linc ever has a fire, at least the guy can put it out. I would have preferred that he would have chosen Penn State's OL man Wisniewszi who I saw play for four years and watched become a helluva blocker, much like his uncle and father were before him. Perhaps it is fitting that he follows his uncle to Oakland, but he would have looked good in green.
That's it for football, at least for now since there is no football because of the lock-out. It is so hard for me to take sides in this dispute because I either have to root for billionaires or millionaires. I can't decide, so instead I'll root for people who get up in the morning, no matter how they feel, get dressed and go to work. My hat is off for the Septa drivers, trash men, and others like them. If there is no NFL this coming season I'll still have plenty of college games to watch. I can't wait for Penn State to play Indiana State!
Once again, I was criticized the other night for not writing an ode of praise for the Phillies explosion of hits. Once again, I was called on the carpet for not being effusive in praising Superstar for the big bombs he hit over the weekend. I had planned such a post Sunday after the game with the Madoffs. I was going to point out that Superstar had had a good weekend, including a grand slam, but as the game entered the ninth inning (with the hard hitting Phillies having made but two hits), Dan Shulman announced the news about Bin Laden. I turned on MSNBC (I don't even know what channel FOX is on) and forgot about the Phillies. I didn't even know that they had lost until I woke up Monday, as if it mattered.
Yes, the Phillies bats did come awake against the Madoffs in game 1 & 2 of the weekend series. Yes, Superstar did hit some balls into the ionosphere which, I remind you, is what he gets paid to do. Yes, he did show some fancy hitting to drive in the run that tied the game Sunday night. Hopefully his stroke will stay with him for a while because if it doesn't the team will start losing as often as they win.
What I didn't understand about Sunday night's game was Charlie allowing Ibanez to bat in the 8th when the score was tied, the bases were loaded, and with the guy on a 0-33 tear going into the at-bat. None of the guys available to pinch hit for Raul will make anyone forget the '27 Yankees or even the '54 A's, but they are all hitting better than Ibanez. Valdez, Gload, Martinez, and Sardinha were all available, but Charlie let Ibanez pick up the bat so he could hit a weak ground ball to the second baseman, ending the inning and ultimately forcing the game to go into extra innings and a loss in the 14th. I assume that Charlie didn't want to show the guy up, or harm his confidence, but yo - isn't it about winning games? In my opinion, any of the guys available to hit for Ibanez would have given the team a better chance of scoring the go ahead run. Charlie and his girlfriend are looking at property near 3rd & Indiana as this is being written.
Raul Ibanez has been a good player - the operative word being "has," as in past tense. He no longer has the bat speed to hit for average in the majors, and I truly feel sorry for the guy - as he makes a bigger fool of himself every time he picks up a bat. The time has come to sit him down and play Mayberry every day. Ibanez is in the final year of stealing his check and we need to see if Mayberry can get the job done. Thanks for the memories Raul, but now you need to go home.
Ibanez is not the only goat on this year's team. Rollins should not be brought back, and perhaps it is time to make the hard decision about Utley.
OK. Tonight, our friend Jayson Worthless and his Nationals come to town. We need to win at least 2 out of 3. I'm not sure we can do it, but I will watch and hope for the best.
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