{"id":291,"date":"2009-04-05T19:08:14","date_gmt":"2009-04-06T00:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=291"},"modified":"2009-04-06T09:37:39","modified_gmt":"2009-04-06T14:37:39","slug":"running-diary-phillies-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=291","title":{"rendered":"Running Diary: Phillies Opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

7:56:\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, folks, here we go.\u00a0 The beginning of a WORLD SERIES TITLE DEFENSE!!!\u00a0 This is great.\u00a0 I wish I could have been there.<\/p>\n

8:01:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, ESPN goes to the field and\u00a0the viewers get their first glimpse of their World Champions and who do we see?\u00a0 Utley?\u00a0 Howard?\u00a0 Rollins?\u00a0 Starting pitcher Brett Myers?\u00a0 No, Chan Ho Park and Raul Ibanez.\u00a0 The only two guys without rings.\u00a0 Well, not yet…<\/p>\n

8:04:<\/strong>\u00a0 I don’t care what anybody says.\u00a0 I LOVE Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.\u00a0 I watch Sunday Night Baseball just because of them (the only announcing pair that I would do that for).\u00a0 And, now they’ve added Steve Phillips.\u00a0 I don’t care what anybody says, I LOVE Steve Phillips too.\u00a0 Sunday nights are all baseball for me for the next 6 months.<\/p>\n

8:09:<\/strong>\u00a0 I don’t think this Braves lineup is all that good.\u00a0 A lot of people have them competing…why?\u00a0 I just don’t see it, honestly.\u00a0 I’m terrified of the Mets and even a little scared of Florida, but I’m not worried about Atlanta (famous last words, huh?)<\/p>\n

8:13:<\/strong>\u00a0 I just saw Chipper Jones’s OPS of 1.044 last year, which is really good.\u00a0 I mean, obviously, the guy is a power-hitter that hit .360.\u00a0 Has anyone seen Albert Pujols’s numbers from last year?\u00a0 I knew he had a great year.\u00a0 And, I know that he is the best player ever, but, seriously, have you looked at the numbers?\u00a0 He had a .462 on-base percentage, and a .653 slugging percentage.\u00a0 Uh…WOW!<\/p>\n

8:16:<\/strong>\u00a0 Two-run BLAST by Brian McCann.\u00a0 Myers does not look good in the first.\u00a0 Do I have blinders on about Myers?\u00a0 I think he is a fantastic pitcher.\u00a0 His stuff is so good, and I know that it’s not all about “stuff,” but this guy really is an ace, he just needs to get his head together.\u00a0 I think it’ll happen this year.\u00a0 I expect 18 or 19 wins from him this year.\u00a0 Am I crazy?<\/p>\n

8:19:<\/strong>\u00a0 Looking at the 3-4-5 hitters–all lefties–makes me a bit upset that the Phils haven’t replaced Jenkins with a right-handed bat.\u00a0 I wanted Sheffield (and am not <\/em>happy to see him in New York), but if not him, go get someone.\u00a0 I heard an interesting idea the other day–Shannon Stewart is available.\u00a0 He might be a nice fit.<\/p>\n

8:24:<\/strong>\u00a0 As Utley hits a long fly ball to the track (one that would have been gone in July or August), it might be a good time to mention how amazing it was the Utley did what he did with that injury last year.\u00a0 I don’t think that gets enough “press.”\u00a0 He put up those numbers, played 159 games, and led his team to the title with a pretty serious hip injury.\u00a0 And, he did it all without complaint or excuse.\u00a0 What a gamer!\u00a0 And, speaking of the difference between April baseball and July baseball, I wonder if that is part of why the Phillies struggle in April.\u00a0 They are so dependent on the long-ball.\u00a0 I’ll have to give it some more thought, but it’s possible.\u00a0 The ball definitely carries a lot better in the dog days of summer.<\/p>\n

8:26:<\/strong>\u00a0 Another bomb–this one by Francoeur.\u00a0 I hate Francoeur.\u00a0 I know it’s a good “story” and all–the hometown kid playing for the Braves with his buddy, McCann.\u00a0 I really like McCann, but I just hate Francoeur, and I don’t really have a good reason.\u00a0 And, I’m actually looking forward to hating Jordan Schafer for the next 15 years.\u00a0 Chalk it up!<\/p>\n

8:30:\u00a0 <\/strong>Mr. Schafer just hit a home run in his first major league at-bat…to quote the great Doc Holliday, “Now, I know I hate him.”\u00a0 By the way, how can you possibly give up a\u00a0solo home run to the 8-hitter making his major league debut?\u00a0 Goddammit!\u00a0 Maybe this is why Myers is not the ace that his stuff deems he ought to be.<\/p>\n

8:38:<\/strong>\u00a0 Lowe strikes out Howard on\u00a0six straight\u00a0breaking balls.\u00a0 He is such a professional pitcher and a really nice acquisition for the Bravos.<\/p>\n

8:39:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, ESPN just went to a SportsCenter In-Game to tell us that the women’s Final Four is going on on ESPN.\u00a0 Do you think anyone<\/em> just switched over, saying “Wow, I didn’t realize that was on tonight!\u00a0 Man, forget this Opening Day game, I want to see if Bubba Paris actually has to payback his daughter’s scholarship.”\u00a0 I’m not saying that no one is watching that.\u00a0 I’m not even saying that no one is excited about watching that.\u00a0 All I’m saying those people are\u00a0probably already<\/em> watching it.\u00a0 I don’t think that the random sports fan who is\u00a0sitting here watching a national baseball game (the first of the year) is probably not changing the channel to watch women’s basketball, no matter who is playing and what the score is.<\/p>\n

8:48:<\/strong>\u00a0 Maybe this is just the former light-hitting shortstop talking, but I love Pedro Feliz, no matter what he hits.\u00a0 He is so good in the field that he’s worth it if he hits .220.\u00a0 Look at the two league champions last year–arguably, the two best defensive teams in their respective leagues.<\/p>\n

8:52:<\/strong>\u00a0 I know Joe Morgan is one of the greatest secondbasemen of all-time, but how can he possibly blame the secondbaseman for Francouer blatantly dropping a pretty routine fly ball?\u00a0 The infielder is only responsible for not running into the outfielder.\u00a0 All the outfielder has to do is catch the ball.<\/p>\n

8:54:<\/strong>\u00a0 With Ruiz at second and one out, Myers swings at the first pitch and grounds out.\u00a0 I know that he is a hitting superstar now after the playoffs last year, but I firmly believe that the pitcher should almost NEVER swing at the first pitch.\u00a0 God, if nothing else, make the pitcher throw an extra pitch or two.\u00a0 Ugh.<\/p>\n

9:07:<\/strong>\u00a0 After watching the highlights of how that women’s game ended, maybe more people should have switched over, huh?\u00a0 Maybe not…<\/p>\n

9:10:<\/strong>\u00a0 Does Rich Dubee have the most underrated name in coaching?<\/p>\n

9:12:\u00a0 <\/strong>So, the bottom line just showed that Lebron dropped 38 on the Spurs today and it looks like the Cavs are going to win home-court in the East.\u00a0 Tiger won his second tournament back from knee surgery.\u00a0 Is it possible that both of them (probably the two most talked about athletes in the world) are under-<\/em>rated?!?\u00a0 I think it’s very possible.<\/p>\n

9:14:<\/strong>\u00a0 As much as I hate Chipper Jones (and, trust me, I really <\/em>hate him), he has an absolutely beautiful swing.\u00a0 It is one of the best and most beautiful that I have ever seen–from both sides of the plate.\u00a0 It reminds me of watching Troy Aikman throw a football.\u00a0 As much as I hated that guy, I could never take anything away from the beautiful ball he threw.<\/p>\n

9:19:<\/strong>\u00a0 If I ever get to have dinner with Charlie Manuel, I am going to ask him what his rationale is behind hitting Werth at the top of the order and Victorino in the middle of the order.\u00a0 I know it’s not a big deal because they’re very similar players, but still.<\/p>\n

9:21:\u00a0 <\/strong>Okay, never mind, apparently Steve Phillips had the same curiosity and actually did ask Uncle Charlie that exact question.\u00a0 He said that Manuel doesn’t think that Victorino is as good of a situational hitter, and he’d rather have him just swinging away at #6.\u00a0 Wow, that was really weird that he just answered the EXACT question that I posted.<\/p>\n

9:26:<\/strong>\u00a0 There is no doubt in my mind that the Phillie Phanatic is, by far, the best mascot in sports.\u00a0 I’m not big on mascots, but he has perfected the trade.<\/p>\n

9:31:<\/strong>\u00a0 What’s with this new trend in catching where, when the catchers want their pitchers to throw a high fastball, they stand up?\u00a0 I understand that they really want the ball up and no over the plate, but I find it hard to believe that the hitters can’t at least feel the catcher getting out of his crouch.\u00a0 I don’t get it.<\/p>\n

9:35:\u00a0 <\/strong>Quick college hoops tangent:\u00a0\u00a0Xavier coach Sean Miller is meeting with Arizona?\u00a0 I hope he stays at XU (though, I totally understands if he takes the ‘Zona job).\u00a0 It sucks that the A-10 has so much trouble keeping talented coaches.\u00a0 Sorry, back to the Phils.<\/p>\n

9:41:<\/strong>\u00a0 All these great stories about Mark Clear and Mike Boddicker are exactly why Jon Miller is the best.\u00a0 I feel like I’m watching baseball with my grandad, who just happens to have an endless number of relevant and\u00a0interesting baseball stories.\u00a0 I almost enjoy Miller and Morgan more during the late innings of a blowout because then the stories really come out.\u00a0 They’re the best.<\/p>\n

9:46:<\/strong>\u00a0 I wonder what odds I could have gotten on Jack Tachsner as the first reliever used in the 2009 MLB season.<\/p>\n

9:47:<\/strong>\u00a0 From Doogan:\u00a0 “Not a complete loss of a start for Myers. He didn\u2019t walk anybody (except the intentional), struck out 6 in 6 innings, and the curveball looked great. Some things to build on going forward.”\u00a0 I agree.\u00a0 He gave up a couple pretty hard-hit balls, but all were in the first three innings.\u00a0 The curveball did look very good and the control was there–for the most part–and those are the two most important things for him.\u00a0 You know, other than his head.<\/p>\n

9:53:<\/strong>\u00a0 The Phils, down 4 in the bottom of the 7th, have the heart of the order coming up.\u00a0 They need to get something going right now, if they are going to start 1-0.<\/p>\n

9:57:<\/strong>\u00a0 Four minutes later and Lowe is through Utley, Howard, and Ibanez with ease.\u00a0 What a gem he is throwing tonight.<\/p>\n

10:00:<\/strong>\u00a0 As Scott Eyre takes the mound, it made me think of\u00a0a funny story that I heard about Eyre.\u00a0 When he got traded to the Phillies, he didn’t know anyone and had no idea when to arrive at the field on game day.\u00a0 He flew in the night before his first game, and had no idea how to find out when to arrive.\u00a0 So, he called Ryan Dempster (a friend from the Cubs) and asked if he knew anyone on the Phillies.\u00a0 Dempster said that he had Brad Lidge’s cell phone number, which he gave to him.\u00a0 So, Eyre called Lidge, sheepishly introduced himself and asked, very politely, what time he needs to report to the ballpark.\u00a0 Lidge, always looking for some fun (typical of anyone who has spent their career in a bullpen), acted real put-off and simply said “Who gave you this number?”\u00a0 When Eyre told him, he said, “Fine.\u00a0 Well, as soon as we hang up, delete it from your phone, I try and keep my personal number to myself.\u00a0 Be at the field at 5.”\u00a0 And, he hung up.\u00a0 Well, Eyre felt awful, deleted the number and was not looking forward to fitting in to his new bullpen.\u00a0 When he finally got to the field, he avoided Lidge like The Wild Thing avoided Dorn in Major League<\/em>.\u00a0 When Lidge saw him, he scoured and said “did you delete my number?” and then cracked up.<\/p>\n

10:15:<\/strong>\u00a0 Lidge, huh?\u00a0 I guess there is an off-day tomorrow, so might as well.\u00a0 Interesting move, though, down 4-0.\u00a0 Gotta keep him fresh, I guess.<\/p>\n

10:17:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, Joe Morgan just said something that I had never heard before.\u00a0 Apparently, Lidge’s struggles in Houston had something to do with him tipping his pitches.\u00a0 If true, that would explain a lot of those troubles.\u00a0 Even more reason to think that that whole part of his career is over and done with (not that I had much doubt).<\/p>\n

10:24:<\/strong>\u00a0 I know it’s not a big deal (and he made it with ease), but why is Bruntlett tagging and going to third, down 4 runs in the 9th against Francoeur, one of the best throwing outfielders in the game?<\/p>\n

10:27:<\/strong>\u00a0 Watching Gonzalez’s struggles in the 9th (Howard is now the tying run, at the plate), why did Cox take Lowe out of the game?\u00a0 He was CRUISING.\u00a0 Not a good decision by one of the best managers in the game.<\/p>\n

10:31:<\/strong>\u00a0 After Howard watched a fastball down the middle for called strike three, there is a huge spot for Ibanez the new guy.\u00a0 What a first impression this would be, huh?<\/p>\n

10:33:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, that will do it.\u00a0 The Braves win 4-1, as Howard and Ibanez strike out with two on in the 9th.\u00a0 So, we’re a game back of the Braves and a half game back of everyone else.\u00a0 And, though they lost, there were some positive points.\u00a0 Myers (as we talked about above) was decent, though he did give up another first-inning homer (he led the majors last year with 11 first-inning home runs given up last year).\u00a0 Lidge looked fantastic.\u00a0 And, the two lefties looked very good, as well.\u00a0 Plus, they didn’t give up and\u00a0made it a game in the 9th.\u00a0 They just ran into\u00a0a good pitcher on a great night tonight.\u00a0 We’ll go back at it on Tuesday when Jamie Moyer faces Jair Jurrjens at\u00a0The Bank.\u00a0 Go Phils!\u00a0 Good night, everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

7:56:\u00a0 Well, folks, here we go.\u00a0 The beginning of a WORLD SERIES TITLE DEFENSE!!!\u00a0 This is great.\u00a0 I wish I could have been there. 8:01:\u00a0 So, ESPN goes to the field and\u00a0the viewers get their first glimpse of their World … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[568,16,567],"class_list":["post-291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mlb","tag-braves","tag-phillies","tag-running-diary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}