Tell Me I’m Crazy

Posted on August 22, 2008 by bry

Well, we are now less than two hours away from the tip-off of the most important game for USA Basketball since the Original Dream Team.  (On a totally unrelated note, I am only working a half-day today.)

Anyway, I know that there is a good chance that I may be proven crazy on this one, but here is my hypothesis:  This year’s “Redeem Team” is BETTER than the Original Dream Team, making it the best basketball team ever assembled.  Hold on one second and allow me to make a couple of points before you rip me apart for this.

1). I would never, EVER claim that if you take the players on the ’92 team in their prime against the players on this team in their prime, that this team is better.  A big part of this argument will rest on the fact that guys like Bird and Magic were far past their peak years.  I mean Magic was retired.

2). I will also not claim that the run that that the ’08 team is having through the Olympics even compares to the run through the Olympics that the ’92 team had.  Yes, the Dream Team opened the Olympics with a 116-48 win over Angola.  They cruised through the Olympics with a 9-0 record and an average victory margin of 44 points per game.  Their closest game was the gold medal game against Croatia, where they won by a measly 33 points.  They only trailed once in the entire tournament, and Coach Chuck Daly did not need one timeout in any of the nine games.

3). I have trouble believing that the Redeem Team would win a one-game, winner-take-all game between the two, even as they were constructed because the ’92 team had guys like Jordan, Barkley, Bird, and others that just would not lose.  However, I still think that this year’s team is better–meaning that if the two teams played the same 100-game schedule the ’08 team would have more wins, and even if the two teams played each other 100 times, the ’08 team would win the majority of them.

Why?  Let us start with personnel.  I think that this team is considerably more athletic (remember, Magic, Bird, and Drexler were all in the back-ends of their careers).  I think that this team is very well-constructed, in that they have a high-octane backcourt, with a lot of depth at the point (Paul & Williams off the bench), and they teamed that up with extremely athletic big men (Howard, Bosh, and Boozer).  Secondly, and this may come as a bit of a surprise, I think that this team plays better defense than that team did–particularly at the point and transistion, full-court defense.  Finally, I think that this team has even more scoring options than the ’92 team, which featured 10 of the 50 greatest players of all-time.  I still have absolutely no idea how anyone could possibly figure out how to stop this team on offense.  Not only do they have absolutely incredible scorers (LeBron, Kobe, Carmelo, Wade, etc.), but they all pass very, very well, so these phenomenal scorers all get good looks.  Then, you can bring a dead-eye shooter (Michael Redd) off the bench or let the offense run through a pair of point guards, who are not too shabby at scoring the ball either (Paul & Williams).  Yes, they lack the back-to-the-basket scorer, but they are proving that that facet of the game is not as important in the up-and-down international game.

Finally, let us just look at results.  Yes, as I stated above, the Dream Team won 9 straight by an average of 44 points per game.  Yes, I know that they only trailed one time (25-23 in the first quarter of the gold medal game against Croatia, which they won by 33).  But, I think it is inarguable that the level of play in these Olympics is astronomically better than it was in 1992.  I am not saying that the Dream Team would not win gold if they were to play in 2008, but I think they would struggle–and this team is not.  At least, so far.

Tell me I’m crazy…

Posted in Tell Me I'm Crazy | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

The Five Stages of Grief After the Frontrunner Comment from Jimmy Rollins

Posted on August 18, 2008 by bry

Last week, on the Best Damn Sports Show Period, Jimmy Rollins told host Chris Rose that Phillie fans were “frontrunners.”  Though Rose tried to soften the blow by alluding to the fact that all cities are like that in certain ways, Rollins would not back down.  “When you’re doing good, they’re on your side.  When you’re doing bad, they’re completely against you.”  These comments – from my favorite current Philadelphia athlete – hit me very, very hard.

There is a psychological theory about the stages of grief that human beings experience when they face loss or emotional damage.  (Please understand that that I am not, in any way, trying to compare anything that happens in sports to the loss of a loved one or any other major life event that creates immense grief.).  And, it seems to be right in line with my experience over the past couple days.

Stage One:  Denial & Isolation
At first, I saw the report, but did not hear Jimmy’s words.  I figured it was just another media creation.  I figured that, because the media absolutely loves to villify Philadelphia fans, they would take anything that remotely sounded like an admonishment of our character from one of our heroes and run with it. I figured that Jimmy was just a little frustrated and just really wants to win.  I mean, after all, he loves Philly, and we love him.  Then, I heard the actual interview.  Then I saw Jimmy’s words…

Stage Two:  Anger
I could not believe that Rollins could possibly have the audacity to call out us.  I really believed that he understood, that he “got it.”  I was irate that he could possibly say such things after all we have been through together.  We watched him and cheered him, as he struggled in the beginning of his career.  We stuck by him when he was clearly one of the worst leadoff hitters in baseball because we saw potential and we loved his defense.  We pushed for him to finally get the much-deserved Gold Glove.  We backed him up when he called out the Mets in Spring Training, saying (correctly) that the Phillies were the team to beat.  We all felt a collective sense of pride – our little guy was all growned up – last year when he played his heart out, logging an amazing 716 at-bats, winning a much-deserved MVP award and leading this team, physically and emotionally, into the playoffs.  And, finally, this year, we have given him all of the breaks he has earned.  He is hitting .266, folks.  He has 41 strikeouts and only 56 runs scored.  He has been difficult to the manager on (at least) two occasions.  And, we have given him a break.  Hell, he deserves it.  So, then, why in the WORLD would he possibly call US out?!?  Why?!? Why?!? WHY?!?  There are a lot of negative things that can be said about Philly fans.  Being “frontrunners” is just plain WRONG.  We stick by this team.  We sell out the stadium EVERY NIGHT for a team whose fans have to be in their mid-30’s to even remember a championship and has not even won a playoff game in FIFTEEN YEARS.  This city, these fans, are loyal – to a fault.  We live and die with these teams, which is great if you root for the New York Yankees or the New England Patriots or the Duke Blue Devils or USA Swimming, but it stings and burns and just plain hurts if you root for any team from Philly because there is a whole lot of “dying” and not much “living.”  Frontrunners?!?  Not even close.

Stage Three:  Bargaining (Rationalizing)
Eventually, I settled down and moved into the third stage, which is when I tried to rationalize these comments.  Maybe he is just frustrated because the team is struggling right now.  Maybe he is irritated because of his nagging injuries that are not allowing him to play at his best.  Maybe this is something that will just pass by, as if it never really happened.  Maybe if the team just starts winning, this will all forgotten (after all, we are frontrunners, right?).  Maybe this will be a spark for a team that seems to desparately need one right now.  Maybe…  Maybe…  Maybe…

Stage Four:  Depression
I can honestly say that this whole thing has brought me close to actual tears.  I have invested all my emotional capital into this team – this man – and now he calls me a frontrunner?  Now, I am accused of being disloyal to a team that has taken me on a roller-coaster with far more down than ups, with me all the while holding on to that one glimmer of hope that this might be the year.  Let us be honest, for a second:  they are not going to win the World Series.  They have one quality starting pitcher, and he has been mediocre for the better part of two months.  They have a flawed lineup that strikes out far too much and is downright terrible after the #6 spot in the lineup.  They have glaring holes at catcher and third base.  They have a patchwork bullpen that is completely overworked and was not even that good to begin with.  This team is just not a World Series-caliber team.  But, I still believe.  I watched the Cardinals win in ’06 and the White Sox in ’05.  I saw the Tigers and Rockies both make runs to through their leagues with blatantly flawed teams.  I know that the Florida Marlins have never had a team good enough to even win their own division, yet they fly not one, but two World Championship banners in their laughably empty stadium.  So, why not us?  I still watch.  I still follow.  I still believe.  But, Jimmy Rollins thinks I am disloyal.  Jimmy Rollins thinks I only care about the team when they are good (when was that, exactly, Jimmy?).  Yes, we may all be just rooting for laundry, but this time, that 5’8″ guy in the #11 shirt has broken my heart.

Stage Five:  Acceptance
Maybe I am naive.  Maybe I am clinging on to a childish passion.  Maybe I should take this as a cue that sports are just entertainment, and that I should not invest as much emotion and passion into a bunch of spoiled, narcissistic, self-serving athletes who have no real connection even to my city, let alone me, personally.  Maybe I should continue to watch Olympic sports, where at least the athletes care about the uniforms they wear and want to represent all those that believe in those colors.  Maybe, one day, I will reach this fifth stage of grief.  Maybe I will understand that what Jimmy Rollins says or thinks or feels matters not at all in my life.  Maybe, one day…

Unfortunately, that day is not today, so I am stuck in Stage Four.

Tagged , , | 2 Comments

More Ridiculous Statistics – Dominance

Posted on August 13, 2008 by bry

1). Michael Phelps has as many gold medals in this Olympics than Great Britain, France, Spain, and Russia – combined.  In fact, if Phelps were his own country, he would be tied with South Korea and a Phelps-less USA for second in gold medals.
Obviously, the dominance of Michael Phelps is remarkable, but this really puts it into perspective.  Wow!

2). Michael Phelps has more career gold medals (11) than the entire history of India (8).
This is even more remarkable.  Granted they are not known for their athletic achievements, outside of maybe squash and cricket (both non-Olympic events), but India has more than one billion people and has competed at 22 different Olympiads.  Phelps is one person and has competed at 2 Olympiads.

3). Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs in 1920.  That same year, the St. Louis Browns were second in the AL in home runs–as a team–with 50.  The 1920 Boston Red Sox hit 22.
Now, I know that this Babe Ruth stuff has been done and done again, but this is absolutely remarkable.  This one guy hit more home runs than any other TEAM.  His individual total was almost TRIPLE that of the entire Boston team.  Oh, and by the way, George Sisler was second in home runs, behind the Babe, with 19.  That is utterly ridiculous.

4). The difference between Tiger Woods’ #1 ranking and Phil Mickelson’s #2 ranking is a wider margin than that between #2 Mickelson and the 110th ranked player in the world.
I apologize for not knowing or understanding the point system than goes into ranking golfers, but I do not think that it makes much of a difference, considering the sheer ridiculousness of that stat.

5). Roy Oswalt is 21-1 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Now, I do love the random stat, but this one is ridiculous.  Yes, I know that Roy Oswalt is one of the best pitchers on the era.  And, yes, I know that the Cincinnati Reds have really struggled during Oswalt’s career, but TWENTY-ONE and ONE?!?

6). Entering their recent 3-game series, Ryan Howard was hitting .114 against the Pirates, with 34 strikeouts in 70 at-bats.
Say what you will about Ryan Howard and his low batting average and high strikeouts, but these numbers are mind-boggling.  He is not anywhere near this bad, and the Pirates do not exactly have a lights-out pitching staff.

Posted in Ridiculous Statistics | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Live Blog: Olympics, Phillies, PGA Championship

Posted on August 10, 2008 by Doogan

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I’ll relax on my couch in Brooklyn today and watch the Olympics in China, the PGA Championship in Michigan, and the Phillies game in Philadelphia.  It’s certainly an interesting Sports Sunday and it starts early with the broadcast of USA vs. China in Olympic basketball.  Predictably, NBC is airing a story on Yao Ming right now.  Also predictably, I know nothing about China’s team other than Yao.  It should be interesting to see how the US decides to defend him, because Dwight Howard is really the only center on the roster.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see them throw a zone defense and see if these Chinese guards can hit some shots.

 10:16 AM: Howard wins the tip from Yao.  USA starting lineup: Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Howard.  Yao hits a 3 to start!  Maybe a zone won’t work (and yes, the US has come out in a zone).

10:20 AM: Oh, China has Yi Zianlian, of course.  They also have a guard that was apparently drafted in the second round by the Lakers in 2007.  He hit a 3 already.  Early 11-9 lead for China, and the crowd is really into it, of course.  Chris Paul checks in.  Many people have pointed out that Paul has surpassed Kidd, and it should be interesting to see who gets the bulk of playing time at the point, with Deron Williams also in the mix.

10:36 AM: The first quarter ends with the US leading 20-16.  Kidd has not come back on the court, and Paul and Williams have on the court together, which I think is a great idea.  China’s been knocking down some 3’s.  I see Jim Boeheim is an assistant coach.  No word on whether or not he tried to get this game played in the Carrier Dome.

10:47 AM: China just keeps sinking the 3’s, they’re 7-11, and have the game tied at 29.  It definitely hasn’t been an encouraging game for the US so far.  Obviously they have a ridiculous advantage in athleticism but they’ve been a bit sloppy and haven’t shot the ball well, which has been the Achilles heel of a lot of these international teams.  If they were playing like this against Argentina, they’d be down double-digits right now.

11:00 AM: It was a disastrous close to the half for the Chinese, as the US delivered what should be a finishing blow and taking a 49-37 lead.  The US started bringing some pressure defense, which you would love to see more of considering their 12th man is an NBA All-Star.  Fatigue will never be an issue for the ‘Redeem Team’.

11:32 AM: The US has really just enforced their will here in the third quarter, carrying over the momentum from the end of the first half.  They still haven’t got the offense clicking on all cylinders but the defense has been pretty stifling and China looks worn down.  It certainly won’t help that Yao just landed awkwardly and looks like he rolled his ankle.  69-48 US with just over a minute in the quarter.

11:57 AM:  Well, it turned into a blowout win for the Americans, but there are still question marks for this team.  They’ll get Angola in their next game, so there probably won’t be much figured out in that one either.  One of my favorite sports quotes ever came from Charles Barkley during the 1992 Olympics.  He was asked what he knew about Angola and responded, “I know they’re gonna lose!”.  Final score: USA 101, China 70.  Craig Sager looks disappointed that he had to wear the NBC golf shirt and not one of his purple and gold suits.

1:17 PM: After catching some rowing events that were probably about as exciting as rowing gets (i.e. not even a little bit), I’m ready for a switch over to baseball, as the Phillies get ready to finish up their series with the Pirates.  The Phillies offense has been shockingly bad lately, but they did manage to break a 23-inning scoreless streak last night and beat the Pirates, 4-2.  They cling to a one-game lead in the division over the Mets, and they’ll send Jamie Moyer to the mound today.  The Pirates starter is some guy I’ve never heard of, Jason Davis, who has appeared in 4 games out of the bullpen for Pittsburgh this year.

1:35 PM:  Rain delay in Philly.  On the bright side, water polo is on the Olympics now, USA vs. China again.  I guess these guys make a bit less money than the basketball players.  This is probably the hardest sport in the world to play.  US leads 3-0.

 2:09 PM:  Ah, the PGA Championship, everyone’s least favorite major.  The CBS coverage is just getting underway.  By the end of the day we’ll know who gets to join such golf luminaries as Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem as champions of this tournament.  It’s quite an underwhelming leaderboard, with Ben Curtis and JB Holmes at the top.  Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia lurk 3 shots off the lead.  It will be interesting to see if either of those two can make a move.  This is one of the 6 days each year that I make an effort to watch golf, so hopefully we get more than a Curtis-Holmes duel.

2:13 PM:  I don’t understand Ben Curtis’s hats.  I remember in the past seeing him wear a Chicago Bears hat while playing and I thought he was just a big fan and/or didn’t have any sponsorships.  But today he’s sporting a Detroit Lions hat, with Titleist written on the side of it.  Does he have some sponsorship deal with the NFL?  Is he just a big football fan?  I need an explanation here.  Maybe Jim Nance will touch on this in a witty aside at some point.

2:20 PM:  Well, Holmes might be exiting stage left, right at the start of his round here.  He put his drive into the trees and then took a hack to get it out and the ball went about four feet.  Now he’s taking a drop.  It’s always fun to watch a professional athlete look completely incompetent.

2:48 PM:  Well, apparently it’s raining everywhere in the whole world.  The Phillies are still in a rain delay, the golf tournament in Michigan has had terrible weather, the beach volleyball match in the Olympics is being played in a torrential downpour, and there’s a severe thunderstorm warning scrolling across the bottom of my screen.  Anyway, the final round in Michigan has gotten off to a crazy start, with Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson making strong moves.  Sergio is still looking for his first major, and that always makes for an intriguing storyline.  Long-time players in search of their first major tend to feel a ton of pressure over those last few holes.

12:15 AM: Well, thanks to Verizon wireless, my internet connection went out just as the Phillies game was getting underway.  The Phillies won an (apparently) exciting game on a 3-run homer by Chase Utley in the 7th inning.  At the PGA Championship, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington DID make a move and it WAS very interesting and entertaining, with Harrington taking his third major in the last two years and establishing himself as clearly one of the top players in the game right now.

Tagged , | 4 Comments

Some Ridiculous Statistics

Posted on August 4, 2008 by bry

If you are anything like me, one of the best aspects of the game of baseball, and all sports, is its ability to act as an incredible outlet for statistics nuts.  Without trying to come off as an uber-dork, I love statistics, in any fashion, so when they can be “analyzed” in the form of something I love–namely, sports–I just can’t get enough.  That being said, this may be a running segment.  The ridiculous part is because I doubt that I will always be able to give credibility to these stats because a lot of them may be from announcers or sports talk radio or just some guy on the street that told me something.  (Or maybe, the ridiculous part is how ridiculous it is that anyone could possibly care about this stuff, but whatever.)  I just want a bit of an outlet for some of the astonishing statistics that come from the world of sports.  Some of them might not be amazing–or, they might just be weird.  I don’t know…

So, here are the first set of ridiculous numbers that I heard…somewhere:

1). Ryan Howard is hitting almost .370 (and slugging almost .800) when he puts the ball in play.
Granted, this is not a good stat for the image of Mr. Howard because everyone knows that he’s hitting around .240, so this just goes to further the already overdone impression of how much he strikes out.  However, I think that, is taken in a positive light, this could show how hard Howard hits the ball, and that if he just figures out the strike zone a little better, he could actually be that .300 hitter that he was in the minors.

2). Joe DiMaggio hit 361 career home runs…and only struck out 369 times
Speaking of strikeouts, I heard this stat the other day, and it completely blew my mind.  My grandad (and every other Italian-American born before 1925) may not have been so crazy in telling me from the time I knew what a baseball was that “no one will every be better than Number Five.”  In fact, in looking up Joltin’ Joe’s numbers, over the course of his 16-year career, he never struck out more than 39 times in a single season, and he had 7 seasons (including 5 in a row) in which he hit more home runs than had strikeouts.  Oh, and in an MVP campaign in 1941, Number Five put up the following numbers in 139 games played:  .344 BA, .440 OBP, .643 SLG, 43 doubles, 11 triples, 30 home runs, 125 RBIs, 122 runs scored, 76 walks, and ONLY 13 STRIKEOUTS.  Uh…wow!

3). The Minnesota Twins are on pace to have a better team batting average with runners in scoring position than any other team in the past half-century
This really goes to show you what wins in baseball these days.  If you have a solid pitching staff, a good bullpen, and timely hitting, you can win about 40 more games than your talent says you are capable of.

4). Trever Miller, of the Tampa Bay Rays, just broke the modern baseball record for most consecutive appearances without recording a decision (121)
I have no idea if this is good or bad.  I would guess that this just goes to say that the guy rarely pitches to more than one batter, and that he might not come into close games.  Maybe?  So, I guess this is not exactly a “good” record to have.  But, then again, he has never blown a lead.  I don’t know.  Either way, this is a pretty strange phenomenon.

Posted in Ridiculous Statistics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Manny to the Phillies?

Posted on July 29, 2008 by bry

Apparently, this might happen.  The Phillies might be able to acquire the notorious Manny Ramirez– a.k.a. the best right-handed hitter since Willie Mays.  This has to be good, right?  Right?!?

For those who say “Yes,” the reasons are simple and straight-forward.  His stats are mind-boggling.  His 162-game averages are as follows:  .313 batting average, .409 on-base percentage, .550 slugging percentage, 40 HRs, 132 RBIs.  Plus, he always hits in the clutch (probably because he does not recognize the difference between a “big” situation and just another at-bat).  As good as Pat Burrell has been, there is no question that Manny is a serious upgrade in leftfield.  Plus, Manny has a deep respect for Charlie Manuel, from their days together in Cleveland, so between Charlie and the Phillies contending ways, Manny would probably welcome a shot in Philly.

For those who say “No,” the argument is much more contextually-based and subtle.  This year, he has shown to be, at the very least, a minor distraction, and, as some may argue, a cancer, in the clubhouse.  Even the hall-of-famer and Red Sox fanatic, Peter Gammons, calls Manny a “tired act,” and blatantly calls him out for being “all about the money” and caring little about his Red Sox “family.”  The opponents may also make the financial argument, in that Manny is convinced that his 36-year old body is worth $100 million dollars beginning next year.  This brings up another interesting situation for the Phils because if they are going to continue to get production in leftfield, they are probably going to have to shell out big bucks this offseason, be it Manny, Burrell, or another available stud.  Or, we may be looking at Jayson Werth hitting 5th next year.

So, what do I think?  Honestly, I think it depends on what (other than Burrell) the Red Sox want in return for Manny.  If it is a straight-up deal, with maybe a marginal prospect thrown in, I think the Phillies have to do that.  If it costs the Phils one of their major prospects (Carrasco, Marson, etc.), then I would probably lean towards the four-year younger Pat Burrell.  However, I think if you hooked me up to a lie-detector today and asked me how I would feel with a Manny Ramirez in my outfield, no matter what the cost, I would probably be doing cartwheels.  In my lifetime, I have seen three hitters that I legitimately feared whenever they came to the plate against a team for which I rooted–Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, and Manny Ramirez.  With all due respect to the Mark McGwires, Ken Griffeys, and Chipper Joneses of the world, it is a different level of fear.  And, I think that if the Phillies do have a legitimate shot to land Ramirez, they have to do it.

And, just think how entertaining it would be–on many levels…

Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

The Big Inning

Posted on July 23, 2008 by bry

There is an old adage about the role of momentum in a long baseball season that says:  “Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.”  Granted, there is some wisdom in this and there is definitely something to be said for the best teams’ abilities to not get too high and not get too low throughout the 162-game season.  However, I do not think that it is quite that simple.  I believe that there are certainly some times throughout a season that can turn the tide, so to speak, and set the tone for a winning streak or a big run.

For example, if you talk to any of the 1993 Phillies about “season momentum,” they will probably all mention things like the miracle comeback against the Giants, the Mariano Duncan grand slam off of Lee Arthur Smith on Memorial Day, the Milt Thompson catch in San Diego, and the infamous Mitch Williams game-winning hit at 4:41 in the morning.  And, all of these things will be mentioned in the context of spurring on the team, building character, and setting the table for the wonderful season that was ahead of them.  Well, 15 years later, if this Phillies team is going to provide magical memories for today’s 14-year olds like the 1993 team did for me at 14, a reference to last night’s game against the Mets might just appear on a Phillies blog in 2023.

Down 5-2 in the ninth, and staring at second place for the first time in close to two months, the Phillies rallied for 6 runs in the top of the 9th to beat the hated Mets.  It seemed as if the Phightins missed their chance in the 8th, as Utley, Burrell, and Howard went quietly, leaving the 5-6-7 hitters due up in the 9th.  But, just as the gloom started to fall in on Jayson Werth and his 0-2 count, he battled back to rope a leadoff single to center.  The next batter was Greg Dobbs, who was intelligently in there as a pinch-hitter for the struggling Pedro Feliz, also fell behind 0-2, but then roped another single, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out.  Shane Victorino also singled and the bases were loaded.  Then the memories were made with the next three hitters, starting with the signature play of the whole comeback.  With the bases loaded and nobody out, down by 3, Carlos Ruiz hit a high chopper over the mound, where Jose Reyes barehanded it and tried to run to the bag for the force at second.  However, Reyes must have misjudged just who was running from first, as Victorino, one of the fastest players in all of baseball (and who always gets a great jump and runs hard) beat Reyes to the bag–safe all-around.  Still down two, however, the Phillies went to light-hitting reserve outfielder, So Taguchi with the game on the line.  Taguchi fought off several nasty two-strike pitches before delivering the big hit–a game-tying double over the head of Endy Chavez in rightfield (which also got new Phillie starter, Joe Blanton, off the hook for the loss).  Jimmy Rollins delivered the third consecutive memory of the inning, as he laced a double down the line, giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead (adding another on a botched double-play back to the mound), which would be more than enough for Brad Lidge to nail it down.

Will this amazing come-from-behind win (led by guys not named Utley or Howard) be a catapult to a second straight NL East championship?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But, if the Phillies do go on to, say, sweep this series and never look back, this game–this inning–will probably be remembered for years to come as a defining moment in the 2008 Phillies season.

Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Phillies Finding Starting Pitching

Posted on July 18, 2008 by bry

With yesterday’s post only a mere hours old, Pat Gillick listened–and got starting pitching.  The Phillies sent three minor leaguers to Oakland for starting pitcher Joe Blanton.  I really, really like this deal for several reasons:

  1. Blanton is an innings-eater.  So, even if he does not end up being a lights-out starter in the playoffs like the Brewers and Cubs hope of Sabathia and Harden, respectively, at least Blanton will give the Phillies more than the 4+ lines that they have been getting from Adam Eaton every fifth day.  And, this resting of the bullpen could go a real long way in August and September as the Phillies continue to try and hold off the red-hot Mets.
  2. They did not really give up that much for him.  The Phillies unloaded three prospects to the A’s, with the best being an A-ball secondbaseman Adrian Cardenas.  Cardenas was a sandwich pick in the 2006 draft and was drafted as trade bait from the very beginning, considering the Phillies are pretty comfortable with their secondbase situation in the foreseeable future.  They also gave up their 2007 third-round pick, Matthew Spencer (an outfielder in A-ball) and their 2005 10th round pick, Josh Outman (a left-handed relief pitcher in AA).  Outman will probably reach the bigs, but does not project to anything more than a specialist left-hander, and Spencer has a decent “upside” and has a chance to reach the bigs, but is only currently hitting .249 at Clearwater.  So, in the grand scheme of things, I do not think that the Phillies will be looking back on this trade and kicking themselves about the guys that they gave up.
  3. This is not a rental.  As I mentioned in my defense of their interest in Blanton, yesterday, I believe that this is a smart move because Blanton is not a free agent until after the 2010 season.  Therefore, the Phillies have acquired a 27-year old pitcher who is clearly on pace to complete his fourth straight season of at least 190 innings pitched (including 230 innings last year).  So, you can expect the Phillies to get 500 decent innings out of Blanton over the next two and a half seasons.  And, in this era of baseball, the so-called “innings-eaters” are becoming more and more valuable because of their increasing rarity and the dearth of (and expense of) quality middle relief.  At worst, Blanton will be an innings-eater in the vein of Livan Hernandez.  At best, Blanton, whose ERA in both of his 200-inning seasons was under 4.00 (and WHIP under 1.25), is a solid #2 starter and possibly a borderline All-Star.
  4. I still believe in Brett Myers.  Again, this is probably going to hurt my “objectivity” credibility, but I still believe in our #2, which means Blanton only has to be a solid #3–something that is a much easier sell.  I am not going to get too far into why I believe in Myers for fear of sounding like a fool, but let us just say that I think Myers can undoubtably be a solid #2 in this league, which means that for the next two and a half seasons, the Phillies can run out solid pitchers at all three top spots in their rotation.  Yes, I am probably completely crazy at this point, but that is what 75 consecutive championship-less seasons will do to a man (I do not count the Flyers seasons as towards my misery because, well, it is hockey).

In summary, Blanton is, admittedly, probably closer to Livan Hernandez than anyone who played in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, but still, I really like the deal because the Phillies had to do something for this year and the next couple years, and this move was not very expensive from a prospect or from a salary standpoint. 

Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Phillies Looking for Starting Pitching

Posted on July 17, 2008 by bry

It is the time of year when baseball fans are constantly checking various websites in hopes of finding news that their team just landed CC Sabathia or Rich Harden.  Well, unfortunately for the Phillies, both of those guys have already been traded–and, to make matters worse, traded to NL contenders.  Regardless of the fact that the only two bonafied top-of-the-rotation guys that are available have already been moved, the Phillies still seem willing to make a move for starting pitching.  And, if you ask me, this is a good thing because this staff may eek out the division again, but almost certainly cannot win the pennant.

To preface this, I just want to say that I do not understand why there has not been more talk about Roy Halladay on the market.  It seems that Toronto is going nowhere and Halladay is not that young and certainly not cheap.  Plus, the price tag that he would command in this pitching-starved enviromment around ML baseball and its wide-open races has to be astronomical.  If I were the Phillies, I would back up the truck for a Halladay, but that is a conversation that seems moot right now because Toronto seems to be refusing to move him.

So, where does that lead us?  There are four names that most often come up as “available” for the Phillies, from what I can tell (in reverse order of who I would like to see in a Phillie uniform):

  • Randy Wolf — I love Randy Wolf, trust me, I do.  He was a warrior throughout his time here and I think he is a very good pitcher.  However, I think it is clear that Wolf is much more comfortable on the West Coast–not because he is soft or sensitive, but just because that is where his family is and that is where he wants to be.  For this reason, Wolf is probably a bit of a “rental,” and personally, I do not think he is good enough to “rent.”
  • A.J. Burnett — I am actually bigger on Burnett than many people, as far as what he could bring to the Phillies for this year.  Plus, I do not think that it would cost all that much, in terms of prospects, for us to get him.  If he was on a one-year deal OR a long-term contract, then I would probably say “Go get him.”  However, he is on neither (or both).  Burnett has a player option for the next two years on his contract at over $13 million per year.  That means that if Burnett comes here and pitches well, he opts out and the Phillies cannot afford him.  But, if he comes over and struggles or gets hurt, he stays on the books for two years.  That is bad for the Phillies.  Still, I would like to see what he can do here because I think his stuff speaks for itself.
  • Joe Blanton — Yes, his numbers kind of stink this year.  Yes, the A’s are incredible at taking prospects from teams that amount to stars.  So, yes, I am terrified to trade with Billy Beane for a bad pitcher.  However, I think Blanton has great stuff and may just need the ole “change of scenery.”  He only makes $3.8 million this year and is arbitration-eligible for the next two years, so this could be a move for ’09 and ’10 also.  I do not think it would take either of the Phillies two best prospects to get him, either.  So, I say, take a shot at Blanton.
  • Erik Bedard — Let me state the following first:  Erik Bedard has proven, on multiple occasions that he has no heart and no onions.  Living in Baltimore, I have heard countless stories from angry, impassioned fans talking about how Bedard would ask out of games and just simply refuse to put it up for his teammates.  That scares the crap out of me.  BUT…he is really, really good.  It is not often that you can acquire a guy of that caliber at all, let alone for about sixty cents on the dollar, which is all it would seem to take to pry him out of a bad situation in Seattle.  The Phillies NEED a pitcher, and Bedard is one of the most talented pitchers on the planet.  Go get him!
Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Goodbye, Billy Packer

Posted on July 14, 2008 by bry

CBS announed today that Billy Packer will not be back as the lead broadcaster for their NCAA basketball coverage throughout the upcoming 2008-09 season.  Jim Nantz will regain his play-by-play role, but will be joined by Clark Kellogg as the color analyst, who is moving from the studio to the booth.  The biggest implication of this move will be felt in March when the Final Four rolls around and the games will be broadcast without the voice of Billy Packer for the first time in 34 years.  Yes, THIRTY-FOUR years.

In an era of opinions that change as the wind blows, and that old saying of “15 minutes of fame” becoming more and more literal, there is really something to be said for a guy who has broadcast the championship of a sport for three and a half decades.  Packer is probably as good as it gets when it comes to in-game basketball analysis, and would probably make a better coach than most people who are currently paid to do so.  So, it would be pretty safe to say that the ending of the career of a guy who is has been the best at what he does for the entire span of my lifetime would cause me some sadness and influence me to “pay my respects” to a great career.  Or, at the very least, have my mind wax sentimentally about all the great Final Four games that Packer has called…all the memories.

Well, I have no desire to do any of that.  I am glad to see Packer go, not because I am tired of him or feel that there needs to be a fresh voice in the Final Four.  Nor is it because I am overly excited for Clark Kellogg to get his much-deserved shot at the #1 spot.  I am glad to see Packer go because he possesses one of the most unattractive personalities in all of sports.  He is (and always has been) obnoxious, condescending, irritating, and above all else, arroggantly inappropriate.  He believes that because he is one of the most keenly insightful basketball analysts on the planet that he can say anything he wants about the game of basketball (and the people affiliated with it) whenever he wants with no repercussions. 

Never was this more on display than by his comments after the UNC-Kansas semifinal this year.  In the first half, Packer decided that “the game was over” because Kansas had jumped out to a 38-12 lead in the first half.  Now, Kansas did end up winning the game, but it was a lot closer than Packer had anticipated.  Now, calling a game in the first half does not irritate me all that much, and I actually think that some people may have gotten a bit too worked up about it.  But, it is in Packer’s response to those people that showed his true colors.  Instead of a somewhat contrite or even a laughing off of the comment, Packer stood up for himself, and in his own unique way, displayed his belief that no one ought to question anything he says about basketball:  “My job is to say what I see, not have some kind of subconscious feelings about offending anybody…It probably annoyed some people, but I don’t concern myself with having some agenda that’s contrary to what I’m seeing.”

His condescending attitudes and statements are not relegated to in-game issues, though.  In 2004, Packer admonished the selection committee for granting an Atlantic 10 team a #1 seed.  He believed that the St. Joe’s Hawks, despite playing a very difficult schedule to the tune of 1 loss all season, would clearly finish in the bottom of the ACC.  Well, St. Joe’s went to the Elite Eight (including a win over Packer’s alma mater and ACC school, Wake Forest), before losing a very close game to Oklahoma State, saving Packer the embarrassment (that I am sure he would not feel) of calling a Final Four game that included the Hawks.

In 2006, the Missouri Valley Conference was granted four bids–3 more than Packer thought warranted.  Again, he brutally attacked the selection committee for their apparent “preference for the little guy at the expense of clearly better basketball teams.”  And, once again, Packer’s comments proved anything but prophetic, as both Bradley and Wichita State reached the Sweet 16 of that tournament.

Now, all of the above incidents were basketball-related and can, therefore, be forgiven and chalked up to a man who just thinks he is infallible when it comes to his trade–not a positive quality, but far from exposing a serious personality flaw in the man.  However, there are several incidents through Packer’s career that may give display to the fact that not only is Packer arrogant and condescending about basketball, but he is probably a cruel, possibly even bigoted individual.

In 1996, Packer referred to Georgetown guard Allen Iverson as a “tough, little monkey.”  Now, Packer claims not to have meant it in a racist way, and even John Thompson, who is very outspoken when it comes to racial relations in the game of basketball believes Packer not to be a racist.  I believe Thompson and do not think that Packer’s arrogance manifests itself in racism.  Other forms of bigotry, however…maybe.

In 2000, Packer was broadcasting a game from Cameron Indoor Stadium on the campus of Duke University.  At the press entrance, he was stopped by two female Duke students and was asked to show credentials–like every other member of the press at the game.  Packer responded with “Since when do we let women control who gets into a men‘s basketball game?  Why don’t you go find a women’s game to let people into?”

Also, in 2000, Packer was forced to publicly defend his use of yet another derrogatory term on national television.  While interviewing Packer before the 2000 Final Four, reporter Charlie Rose asked if Packer needed a runner for the Final Four game, offering his services.  Packer responded with, “You always fag out on that one for me, you know.  You always say, oh yeah, I’m gonna be the runner, then you never show up.  But I’m sure they can find a place for ya.  You’ve got all the connections in the world.  You can go ahead and be a runner anyplace you want.”  Yes, maybe Packer is not bigoted against homosexuals.  Maybe he did not mean to be insensitive.  Maybe he did mean the dictionary.com definition or “to tire or weary by labor, exhaust.” 

Maybe.  But the biggest problem is the same problem that Packer has had his entire career–he does not see his mistakes.  He does not apologize for hurting anyone.  He believes that because he played basketball for Wake Forest and is the only person to have provided color commentary of a  Final Four game for three and a half decades that he is above anyone else when it comes to the game of basketball or anything that remotely has anything to do with it.

Billy Packer, your analysis may be missed, but you will most certainly not be.

Posted in College Hoops | Tagged , , | 6 Comments