Phillies. We know long ball.


Courtesy of MLB.com

Poor poor Ricky Ledee.

Once again he came off the bench and homered, and while he may not have pulled the Phillies ahead, he at least made it possible for following batters to make it happen. Key word being POSSIBLE.

Telemaco did a fine job. You can't deny him that. We basically had only Wagner left in the bullpen, and for several reasons, I wouldn't have brought him in at that point either.

I'm most disappointed in the bats. The opportunities were there.

These extra innings are often the most painful. But ... 4-2 on the road is not bad at all, in my humble opinion. We'll keep the broom in the closet for now.

I'm curious to hear more about Pat Burrell's bat being taken out of the game.


Courtesy of MLB.com

4:30 a.m.

I hadn't planned on watching the entirety of tonight's game after getting home from work around midnight. But I couldn't resist.

After the runs stalled out around the fifth inning, I had to keep watching as Madson jammed batter after batter. Neither the Cardinals, nor their broadcasters, knew what to do as they watched this kid unleash such nastiness. I had to keep watching.

An alien. That's what he is. Have that kid tested. He's a god damned alien from outer space sent to earth to take over the sport.

Four innings later the Phils finally pull ahead. Of course I listened to the game earlier. I knew how the game would end. But I had to keep watching.

The robot. All too easy is the bottom of the ninth for the machine we call Wagner. Good night, Sanders. Good night, Matheny. Good night, Luna.

Good night, St. Louis.

Heard most of the game on the radio at work tonight, although I won't comment until I watch all of it on MLB.TV.

However, from the sound of things, Madson (among others) really shined tonight.

Time to get the broom ready.


Courtesy of MLB.com

Hi, my name's Pat Burrell and I'm a stud.

Hi, my name's Scott Rolen and my 3-run homerun was stolen by Pat Burrell.

The Phils rocked the Cardinals tonight with a help from (almost) everyone. It's nice to see that Abreu really is back in his groove again and that his hits lately haven't been a fluke (not that I ever doubted him). But 'back in his groove' is an understatement. This guy is on a mission.

Burrell, you're the man. What else can I say? 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs -- not to mention a magical glove and a shotgun arm in the outfield. You win the PhilliesBlog Player of the Day Award, a fake title I just made up for the purposes of saluting your greatness. Thank you, my greatness, sir.

Unfortunately Lieberthal still isn't doing much, although his HR was nice to watch, wasn't it?

And Thome ... I've figured you out. You're my second father. I want to be like you when I grow up, even if I already am. (Grown up, that is.)


Courtesy of MLB.com

In other news, I finally caved in and subscribed to MLB.TV yesterday, and boy, I can't get enough of it. Tonight, for example, I've been watching the Marlins-Rockies game, and it doesn't get much better than this. At the time that I'm writing this, Marlins are ahead 10-8 in the bottom of the 8th with Rockies up and bases loaded. This game has been one hell of a battle. Die, Marlins, die!

Anyway, I recommend subscribing for anyone who has a half decent Internet connection. Did you know that you can also watch any game from the last week too? How will I ever sleep?

RandomThoughts@PhilliesBlog:

1) What was Vukovich thinking today when he waved Abreu around third on Pat Burrell's single?

What was he thinking? I'm all about aggressive base running, but Abreu is not exactly the fastest person in the league. I could beat this guy in a race running backwards. Plus, at about 6-feet, 210 pounds, Abreu didn't look too happy once he saw the sign to keep going, not because he disagreed with the sign, but because he could barely run any further! I was surprised he had even made it to third. For those that's missed it, Abreu was coming from first! That's a long way for a big guy like him, and I highly doubt he's been practicing such sprints on off-days. The poor guy was made to look like a fool at the plate. Good effort though, Abreu.

Vuke: Either get your eyes checked or take your Ritalin. You're getting a little trigger-happy over there with those wave-arounds lately.

2) Although apparently tickets are going fast, I hope to head back to Citizens Bank Park this Friday as the Phillies finally return home for a series against the Diamondbacks, and here is one of many many reasons why:



Cupholders in the seats.

Man, this is luxury. If I had to pay for every person's drink that I knocked over while exiting and returning to my seat over the years, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be so poor, not only would I not be able to afford a computer, I'd be living on the streets.

But now people's drinks are safe, including my own. Never again will I fear losing my hand to what ever foul creatures lurk beneath the seats as I search for my beer. It's always right where I need it, safe and in clear view. Luxury.

3) Fellow Phillies fans: I'm curious; who have you been rooting for in Marlins/Braves matchups? A year or two ago, the answer was easy. We could only hope that the Braves would meet complete misfortune, humiliation and loss at every matchup. But now this pseudo-rivalry seems to be dissolving with the Marlins taking the Braves' place.

But the Braves are still beating the Marlins. They are both threats. If you were Larry Bowa, you would say something like, "Just let them beat up on each other." But as I have been watching the Braves/Marlins series this weekend, I have been rooting for the Braves. Am I alone in this?

4) Have you bought your tickets for the series against the Red Sox yet? This WILL NOT be the last time I will remind you. June 25, 26, 27 in Boston. Tickets available on Ebay and at plenty of different ticket brokers.

There better be a sea of Phillies fans there, or I'm coming after all of you personally.

The Phils really should have won today. I don't care what you have to say about Zack Day or anything else, we had some solid hits in this game but we left all the runners standing. Alas, we lost to the Expos.

Chalk up an L and let's get over it. I can't wait for St. Louis.


Courtesy of SI.com

PhilliesBlog Quotables: The Expos have 32 runs, the fourth-lowest total through 18 games in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, ahead of only the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas (20), the 1909 Washington Senators (28) and the 1966 Kansas City Athletics (31).

"I've never seen a run like this," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "We go through ballgames where we don't hit the ball hard. And I'm not saying we only hit the ball hard once or twice, what I'm talking about is our outs are not hit hard, and I've never seen anything like that."

The game drew just 6,899 despite a kids' opening day promotion. On Friday night, the Expos drew 30,112, the smallest crowd for an Olympic Stadium opener since 1985. (Courtesy of SI.com)

Did you see the look on Chad Bentz's face when Randy Wolf homered? One might say he just couldn't HANDle it.

Oooh, Hiss Hiss. That's just wrong.

But seriously, Randy Wolf and the Phillies today were just remarkable. Giving up just 4 hits and 1 walk, Wolf pitched the first complete game this year, and by far the best from our bullpen starters. And just to secure his win even further, he backed it up at the plate with a powerful homerun, a stand-up double, and 2 RBIs.

Unfortunately, Thome ended his 9-game hitting streak, but every other player (with the excpetion of Polanco) had at least two hits. Even Rollins started swinging the bat, albeit just a little.

My personal heroes for the game: Pratt, Ledee, Byrd.


Courtesy of MLB.com

But this is the Phillies team we expected this year. I just wish it wasn't against the worst team in baseball. On the other hand, one of the reasons this team IS the worst in baseball is because the Phillies have taken 25% of their games from them.

Regardless, superb game today. More later.

"But for some reason the Montreal Expos turned their home opener last night into a Survivor-themed experience before the Phillies picked up a much-needed 8-6 victory. The pregame ceremonies came complete with dramatic theme music, fake flames behind the outfield walls, and Expos starters who actually sprinted onto the field from behind the center-field fence holding tiki torches like contestants on the TV show. "I really felt bad for those guys," Phillies starter Kevin Millwood said. (Inquirer)

"I really have to credit Ricky [Ledee]. He helped me out ... I hit early today and I worked on my mechanics. A lot." -- Bobby Abreu (Inquirer)

Courtesy of MLB.com

Let's play a fun game. Jimmy Rollins is ________________ .
(There's no wrong answer! Comment now!)

Big Bobby Abreu with the bat tonight. Nice job, Bobby. Three doubles, a homer, 5 RBIs. It's about time.

The Phils finally got some early action from the top of the lineup. First inning: Byrd single. Polanco walk. Abreu homer. Thome homer. What more could you ask for? (Besides maybe a following HR from Burrell.)

We could have done without all those Expos runs in the 6th, but at least the Phils have another win, so I won't complain.

On the other hand, I'm getting a little worried about Burrell again. He just looks like he's losing his confidence. And I absolutely I hate to see him do nothing after Thome is intentionally walked. I tell you, I hate it!

I say we put old Milt Thompson back on the roster. Come on, Milt. Get in there.

Amusing player comments about yesterday's little rumble between the Phils and the Marlins:

"This game is our livelihood. Testosterone levels sometimes jump in half a second. I like Alex, but I didn't like him today because of some of the things he said and the way he tapped my glove twice ... Once a man has to defend himself, life is more important than baseball. He raised his hand, so I raised mine. It was on at that point ... I was trying to protect Brett, then myself." -- Todd Pratt (MLB.com)

"We were a little tired, a little sluggish. And then Mr. Myers decided he was going to wake us up. Mr. Myers was going to play Mr. Macho out there. If you're going to play Mr. Macho, you'd better back it up. Act like a pro. Who the hell does he think he is? He thinks someone can't hit [a homer] off him? What is he, 0-2? We handed him his lunch both times. Maybe that's the only way he can try to beat us. Maybe he doesn't have enough stuff to beat us the old-fashioned way." -- Manager Jack Mckeon. (Inquirer)

"He ran into the wrong dude. I grew up fighting. He underestimated me." -- Todd Pratt (Inquirer)

"I'm a big guy, but I can box, I'm sure you would've been proud of my footwork." -- Todd Pratt (Inquirer)

"I had to defend myself as soon as he raised his hands. He underestimated me. I'm a big guy, but I can box. I grew up in a rough neighborhood." -- Todd Pratt (SI.com)

"I'm back there charting pitches in my shorts and a T-shirt. I had to throw on my uniform and shoes. It was a fiasco." -- Kevin Millwood (Inquirer)

"I was trying to get back to Pavano." -- David Bell (Inquirer)

"I wasn't trying to hurt anyone." -- Carl Pavano (Inquirer)

CC: Bobby Abreu; Mike Lieberthal

April 23, 2004

Dear Jimmy Rollins:

In case you haven't noticed, that's a baseball bat you're holding. It comes in handy sometimes when it makes contact with things other than air. I learned that somewhere. Physics or something.

But, ah, Jimmy. I am being facetious. Unlike a lot of people, I still have some faith in you. Heck, even my friend Darren Daulton said you had some serious potential during preseason. I trust that Darren ... when he's not drunk.

But Jim, you can't deny that you aren't getting it done at the plate right now. How much longer do we have to wait for you to get through this? How much longer would you wait if you were manager? Do you really think that one of our AAA guys couldn't replace you? I guarantee we could bring up even a AA guy who would still hit better than you. And, at this point, I'd rather trade in the glove talent for a guy that has a fraction of your fielding abilities but will at least get on base every once in a while.

Don't take offense. You're a good guy. You just need to calm down and start fresh. Think about the pitches. Don't be afraid to ask the older guys for some help with your swing. But most importantly, just have fun. Unlike the majority of the population in this world, you were born to play baseball. So just play. Stop worrying; grow a little hair on your chest. These pitchers don't have any real tricks up their sleeves. The ball has to pass over the plate sometime. What better an opportunity to hit it!

Alright, Jimmy. I'm done preaching. Just get out there this weekend and surprise those who express no hope for you, because the world is full of people who were born to do that too.

Best wishes,

Michael

P.S. I know it was a tough ball to stop today, but I wouldn't make many more errors if I were you.

Courtesy of MLB.com

Pratt and Gonzalez sure know how to make a baseball fight look ridiculous.

But at least you can't say the Phillies aren't trying. Despite the continuing offensive woes, we still managed to score 14 runs in the last two games. Some of them were ugly, some of them were not.

Marlins, we'll see you guys again after the All-Star Game. For now, we're heading back to basics to sweep another series against the Expos.

More later.

This just in ... Jimmy Rollins knows why he's not getting any hits. It's because he doesn't see the ball.

Well, great. Get some glasses then, Jimmy, or get out.

Full article, courtesy of Philadelphia Inquirer.

From another Inquirer article:

The crowd roared as Wagner sprinted onto the field. He had been so automatic in his first six appearances that people probably forgot he was human. The crowd went silent as Lowell's ball landed in the seats.

See, I knew I wasn't the only one who thought he was a robot!

Also, thanks to the wonder that is Comcast Sportsnet I was able to catch some of the replay of last night's game. Watching Ledee's homerun was somehow just as exciting as when I heard it on the radio hours earlier, yet so incredibly sad at the same time.

The Phillies must win today's game. They just have to.

Oh, and one more Inquirer article about the fans throwing homeruns back, in case you missed it.

There comes a time every season when your players aren't doing as well as you'd like and you think to yourself (or, if drunk, you shout aloud) that you could do better if someone gave you a bat and sent you to the plate.

Well, I've felt this way since opening day.

Tonight's game was yet another score for the sport of baseball, yet another loss for our fightin Phils. Although I could not watch the game tonight, I heard the majority of it on the radio while at work tonight and I was on the edge of my seat for a good 7 innings ... 7 out of 12, mind you.

I probably won't get a chance to post all my thoughts on this game since I'll surely have even more to say after tomorrow's BPS, but I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed listening to it tonight, no matter how painful it was ... and it WAS painful in so many ways.

But those of you who remember what baseball was like pre-1994, you know that something has been brewing in the last couple years, and I don't mean the Phillies specifically. Baseball is coming back, and it is coming hard.

I can't relate with so-called fans who say the Phillies suck and refuse to watch them after a few losses. I don't know what it is, but I don't care if the Phils lose the next 50 and finish last in MLB, I'm still going to keep watching, not just because I consider myself a fan, but because I love the sport, and the sport is just excellent right now. Perhaps I'm the only one who feels like this. But I leave you tonight with the score of tonight's game and a link to a coincidental Reuters story about record high attendance in ballparks across the country:


Courtesy of MLB.com

Courtesy of MLB.com

Wow. I don't care what you say about the loss, this was an interesting game.

There's really a lot to talk about and it's a shame I won't be doing so without the feeling of having won against Dontrelle and the Marlins. But we must go on.

Top of the 8th. Dispite the fact we walked two and allowed four men on, the Phils' defense was outstanding.

Pat Burrell. Damn. This season could be monumental for him. Caught the bounce of Alex Gonzalez's pop fly in a fully extended dive. One might say this is more impressive than if he had actually caught the ball. One might not say that.

But let's step away a play and go back to batter Mike Redmond who bunts at Telemaco. In a split second's thought Telemaco throws it to second where Jimmy Rollins, already long charging, catches the toss, taps the bag, and gets the force out, keeps second base clean.

Rollins ... someone has to teach you how to use a bat, but man, keep doing what you're doing on the field. That play simply amazed me.

Blah Blah, some walks, a single, and a decent bunt attempt later: Juan Pierre flies to left, Burrell, again ... charging hard, catches the ball in foul territory, just feet in front of the fans watching from the stands behind him, launches to Lieberthal, right on target, gets the out on a sliding Redmond, double play. Just ... wow.

I don't know why I act like this is an October game, but we'll figure that out later.

Errors. Another reason this game was so interesting, no one could catch. I think a few players might have been celebrating 4-20 a little early. Right-fielder Miguel Cabrera? Definitely.

Madson. Christ, kid, welcome back.

Padilla. We were ready to throw you off the team, guy! Send you back to Arizona, even though you haven't played there since 2000!

But I think Padilla showed he's at least slightly better than that when he began to throw some real pitches later in the game. Although, if I have to blame anyone for the loss, it's you, Vicente ... well, that and the fact that the offense can't hit for their lives. Hell, our only run came from an error of a stoned outfielder.

Anyway, it was an interesting game, and I know that those of you who saw it know exactly what I mean. And if not ... I wish you could, because I still feel pretty optimistic after a loss that bothers me more than any other so far this season.

But you know you're obesessed when you begin to leave work an hour early to watch April baseball on TV.

Billy Wagner, on hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park:

"This place ain't nothing like Houston ... Heck, I get ticked off when they just go over the wall. I want them suckers tape-measured. There ain't no use in just giving up a little dinker. Let it hang out, get it all. I can't go out there and be scared to give up a home run, because I'm going to give up a home run. I can't worry about that. Those fellas get paid, too." (Courtesy of MLB.com)

John Donovan's 10-reason commentary on why "baseball is weird" mentions this:

"Good teams look bad at this time of year, and bad teams look good. Doug Glanville, for crying out loud, looks like Barry Bonds in April. At least this April. For one game.

Larry Bowa is sitting pretty. Everybody figured a slow start would spell doom for the Phillies' combative manager, and starting off 1-6 constitutes a slow start. But just when you think the guy's spikes are about to be held to the fire, the Phillies rip off four straight wins, Pat Burrell is hitting .350 and Glanville, of all people, smacks a walkoff home run to beat the Expos 5-4 on Sunday. If Glanville is hitting homers at Citizens Bank Park, that thing's not a hitter's park. It's a T-ball field."(Courtesy of SI.com)

In an attempt to find a Florida columnist or news writer predicting the outcome of this week's series or, at the very least, talking about baseball, I came across absolutely nothing. My next search therefore took me to Baseball Blogs, where I found five Florida Marlins fans but all with nothing new said in at least a week. For these reasons alone, the Phillies should take at least 2 out of 3.

Off-days are the bane of my existence. The only thing more painful than an off-day is the off-season.

But there is still plenty to discuss before the Phillies welcome the Marlins into Citizen's Bank Park for the first time. It seems, to me at least, that the Phils may be able to take the division lead even sooner than my May 6 prediction. However, I'm not going to change my psychic visions just yet.

To make things interesting, let's name an MVP for the series.

It's easy to pick Burrell or Thome, or even Wagner, since clearly these guys are the most popular (for good reasons though) right now, but for this series, I'm banking on:

Mike Lieberthal.

The poor guy is ... (and I hate to use the word) ... cursed.

The guy has broken almost every bat within a few minutes after touching it. In reality, he's only a few inches away from some pretty solid hits, and I'm thinking these are going to start on Tuesday. I predict two homers for the series and a hell of a lot of single base hits. These won't be as grand as the bombs that Thome will hit, but they will give us the win nonetheless. With the help of Mike Lieberthal, the Phillies will dominate the Marlins every game.

Now is the time, Mike.

More later. I'm posting from work right now, which isn't very conducive to doing ... you know ... work.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Boston Red Sox. Doesn't that sound like an incredible matchup?

Well guess what, folks. This matchup is happening this year, in a three-game series in Boston. On June 25, 26, and 27, the fightins will be at Fenway for what I say will be one of the best interleague battles this year.

Regardless of which team you are rooting for, these games are a must-see. All three games have already sold out and I watched a pair of tickets sell for more than $800 tonight on Ebay. The Saturday/June 26 game will also be broadcast on Fox.

Before I editorialize on why I think Phillies fans are better, more devoted, loyal fans than those of the Red Sox, first let me implore all my readers:

WE MUST GO TO THIS GAME! I want Phillies fans to take over Fenway Park. Okay, perhaps not take over ... but definitely infiltrate and infect with true Phillies pride.

My plan to score about 25 tickets to make a Red Sea in the outfield bleachers of Fenway was quickly impeded when I saw the game was sold out. But I have since bought many tickets for this game (most of which I plan on reselling at much high prices closer to gameday) on ebay, and there are still many many more reasonably-priced tickets available in other auctions. Phillies fans: BUY NOW! There will be plenty of us there already, but we need more.

Look for me on CSN June 25. I will be waving a huge red Phillies flag in the middle of the outfield stands ... and I will be the one getting murdered right after I do. Join me at the game. Get tickets! Don't wait until the last second when all that's left are obstructed seats at exorbitant prices.

Now, back to the subject of fans. In Philadelphia, we like to believe that we are the best sports fans in the country, and I honestly believe it is true. Despite our harsh reputation as mindless booers, the players we give our appreciation to know that we lavish our thanks and affection more than anyone else, and there's not a moment in the game that we miss. We understand every little aspect or seemingly trivial play of every game. We know what's going on and we'll never let the players think otherwise.

Let's talk about Boston fans. These people are hardcore. They have an ancient stadium that is rotting away and they love the place more than they love their own homes. They're obsessed with the 'Curse' and they always will be, even long after it's broken. Red Sox fans are the reasons why baseball is our national pastime. They will continue to be fans until they die.

But there is something not quite right about Red Sox fans. When I have gone to Boston and witnessed the excitement firsthand, something has seemed lacking. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I MIGHT venture to say that these fans just like the idea of being fans. They like the idea of getting drunk and having something to really get excited or angry about and they like getting more drunk afterwards. They don't appreciate the sport as much. They aren't as cognizant as Phillies fans. The actual game doesn't matter as much to them as does the act of being there. Don't get me wrong ... the best fans appreciate the simple act of EXPERIENCING the game too, but combine this with a true understanding and love of the sport and you have Phillies fans.

But I will admit, not all Red Sox fans lack this intelligence. I blame the hoards of late-teen/twenty something college students who stumble into Fenway every night with the help of their rich parents just so that they can get drunk, pick a fight with someone who says the word "Yankees" and then riot in the streets of Boston if their team wins.

I know, these are bold assertions, but it's about time that we started some discussion around here! Red Sox fans ... bring it on ... prove me wrong.

Phillies fans are just better. That's all there is too it. And when that weekend in late June rolls around, we're going to prove it right in their own house.

Free video of today's homeruns, with commentary by none other than Harry, Larry, and Chris. (Under 'Plays of the Game,' these videos are always free.)

Courtesy of MLB.com

Bam. Glanville. Homer in the ninth to win the game. Doesn't get much better than that.

As for the rest of the game, admittedly, it wasn't the prettiest, but we pulled through for the win and the sweep, and that's all that matters.

Also, we need to accept that we just swept one of the worst teams in baseball. This week we will play one of the best. There will be some difficulties ahead, but I can't wait.

And, among other things, Thome never ceases to amaze. Tack on another HR, another double, and 2 more RBIs to his incredible stats.

What do we think about Wolf? He really didn't do so bad. I have a lot of faith in this guy. He was a little shaky at first, but settled down for the next five innings. More later.

Courtesy of MLB.com:
"[Wagner] got me twice now. After he throws a pitch, you drop your head. The first time [on Thursday], I thought the Flyers scored a goal. When he hits 100, it's a standing ovation. I've never seen fans get revved up over 100. Then he went 101 [on Friday]. I just hope he doesn't blow his arm out trying to top every pitch." -- Bowa, on the crowd cheering for each of Billy Wagner's 100-mph pellets, on Thursday and Friday.

"When the big guys hit 'em, they're going to hit them out of Yellowstone. But I think when it warms up, it's going to be a hitter's park." -- Bowa, on the suggestion, based on homers hit by Thome and Pat Burrell on Friday, that Citizens Bank Park appears to favor hitters.

"I like stations where they talk sports, strategy, moves, who's a good hitter, who's tough in your division -- not all that other [stuff]. The same people call every day; they just disguise their voices. That's entertainment. But some people take it as the Bible, and that's sad." -- Bowa, on whether he listens to the sports talk radio stations.

Also, since I haven't been doing much talk about defense (besides pitching, of course), I'd be amiss not to mention that the Phillies have only one error so far this season, currently the lowest in baseball.

According to an SI.com article, Thome's double today was his 1500 career hit.

Also, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Thome's home run [Friday] was the 382d of his career, tying him with Jim Rice and Frank Howard for 45th place on the all-time list.

Way to go, Jimmy!

Courtesy of MLB.com

Well, if it's homeruns Bowa wants, he's got 'em. After bombs by Burrell and Thome last night, the Phils racked up four more today by Polanco, Burrell, Bell, and Abreu.

Today's game was great to watch. Although the Expos tied it up in 4th, the Phils had sole control of this one.

Speaking of Burrell and Thome, they are simply the best on our offense right now, not that you didn't know that already. Batting .324 and .371, respectively, these guys are exactly what we need to get the rest of the lineup energized. In all seriousness, once we solve our leadoff problem and get Lieberthal and Abreu our of their slumps, this team WILL be unstoppable. There's no question about that.

Wagner. Did I mention robot? I just hope this guy doesn't throw out his arm any time in the near future. But, man, this guy is going to make this season so much fun.

My only worry is that someone like Bonds might one day get a good piece of one of those 100 mph fastballs, and when that happens, it will be a monster of a homerun. And yet, I can't wait for such a matchup.

May 6. I am making a bold prediction that the Phillies will be in first place by this time, by the end of their series against the Cardinals in Philadelphia. First place by May 6. Who's with me?

Fans were ecstatic when this was happening last night. Fans would cheer every pitch, wait for the speed to be shown and then cheer even harder. This guy is really a robot, I swear.


Courtesy of MLB.com

Courtesy of MLB.com

A true field of dreams.


My first trip to Citizens Bank Park was indeed all that it could ever be. Homers by Burrell and Thome, 101 mph fastballs by Wagner, and a simply beautiful night made for a perfect game at the Phillies new home.

Words can't express...




This picture was actually taken from inside the stadium. The openness of the ballpark allows some beautiful views of the sky and horizon that you could never get in the Vet unless you were completely outside the stadium. From where I was standing here, I could also see the field.


This was some crazy guy pretending to play a keyboard.


This was a somewhat awkward moment in between innings when these girls were dancing and everyone started cheering (well...all the guys, at least)...and then the screen would show something else and the crowd booed until they showed the girls again. This happened for several minutes as the girls seemed to love it and started taking their clothes off. I was actually quite surprised at what I was witnessing.


After the Phillies won, the sound of a bell continued to ring as the crowd was leaving the stadium. There was something chilling about it, but in a very good way. It was unique but almost commanding. We had won. The first night game at CBP, we had won. And the bell continued to ring.

You can hear that same bell in this video, taken right after Thome's homer.

Click this:

Once you do, it may look like it's not loading, but if you have quicktime (and a decent broadband connection), give it a few seconds. (If not, just right click and 'save target as...')

Courtesy of MLB.com

Missed all of today's game and haven't seen any highlights. Hope to catch Sportscenter tonight.

For those not in Philadelphia, we're about one rain day away from building the ark out here.

I hate postponed baseball games. I also hate sitting behind people who open umbrellas at the game and don't even realize the slightest bit that someone behind them might care about that.

In 1993, I was at the Phillies double-header against the Padres that lasted almost until sunrise the next day. But, unfortunately, I left the sixth inning of the first game because my sister was sick with mono. Damn dirty whore.

(Just kidding, sis, you damn dirty whore.)

(No really, just kidding.)

Here is an interesting SI.com article. It questions everything from Bowa as manager to the new ballpark. Not a bad read.

On the issue of Bowa, I do think he needs to go and I have thought so since last year. I think he knows the game more than a lot of other guys, but I think we could get another guy in there who knows the sport just as well but would mesh with the players much better. An Andy Reed of baseball, perhaps.



Regardless, we need to stick with Bowa for the rest of this year, and I'm confident he'll do what's necessary to lead us to the championship.

You'll see.

Since no one opted to comment, I will give the answer to the Mitch Williams trivia question.

The answer, of course, is 28.

When Wild Thing changed his number from 28 to 99 on April 6, 1993, he picked up a save for the day and promised to throw 99 mph during every subqequent game. Silly Mitch.

Courtesy of MLB.com

Missed the game again because of work. Not happy about that. Even less happy about our sixth loss. What exactly is going on here? I welcome any theories, seriously.

I know I'm not the only one who expected (and still expects, by the way) the Phillies to be unstopable this season. All the major sports analysts predicted the same.

But it has gotten to the point now where some people can honestly say, "The Phillies suck." And while I like to believe differently, this statement certainly isn't completely off base at this point.

Another loss. Unfortunately, I was in Boston for the weekend so I was not able to catch any of the last few games. Perhaps that's why they keep losing.


Courtesy of ESPN.com

My other theory is that the baseball gods are really just testing our fan base right now. The wins will come, and they will come hard. I am still confident of this. And if this doesn't happen until 2005, so be it. Let it be another worst-to-first season if that's what it takes for the players to learn humility (and how to score runs).

No comment.

One win out of the last four games?

I suppose my frustration is now turning a bit to anger. Clearly someone forgot that we're going to actually need to win some games if we want first place by the end of the season.

As a point of comparison (or contrast), in 1993 the Phils won 8 of their first 9 games, sweeping the Astros and Reds, and losing just one game in a three-game series against the Cubs (A loss, I'm sure, we can directly attribute to fine pitching talent of Ben Rivera, who started for the Phils that day. Ben Rivera was a waste of space for the '93 team.)

On April 6, 1993, the second game of the season, Mitch Williams debuted his new jersey, sporting the first '99' in the history of baseball. Easy trivia question: what was Wild Thing's number before he changed it to 99?

No one said winning the world championship would be easy.


Courtesy of MLB.com

But the magic is not there. Yet.

It was nice to finally see Lieby blast one though. I had predicted he would homer in the season opener ... instead he just kept breaking bats.

Despite our giving up 6 runs, I really feel our major problem is offense. I thought after last year that we would be at least a little bit better with the leaving-men-on-base situation. Right now, I'm worried that we're not getting to the bases enough in the first place! True, 9 hits...can't complain about that. But we need a spark. The players just don't seem excited.

On another note:



Courtesy of Brian, this photo was taken right after Thome's bomb on Saturday. This is the first picture of the new stadium that truly gives me a semi-real sense of being there, and man ... it's just so hard to believe that this place exists ... and in Philadelphia to boot!

Courtesy of MLB.com

Happy W=1, everybody (even if it was a crappy one).

Courtesy of MLB.com

A disappointment, no doubt. Who doesn't want to win opening day? I missed much of the game as I was at work, but I was able to see enough when I got home to see the runs scored against us. Militia wasn't bad really, although he makes me nervous. Sometimes he's completely on ... other times he's giving up homeruns like someone was paying him to do it (although I'm not implying such). I'm interested to watch his play this year. I don't expect much from him honestly.

And we left men on base, surprise surprise. Looks like we have to work on that a bit. Burrell had some hits though, which is always nice.

Typical Phillies game really.

First game at Citizen's Bank Park. In case you missed it, Jim Thome's upper deck bomb landed somewhere around here ...



As for the game, you can only say so much about exhibition. But everyone knew this game was not your everyday spring training stretch-and-swing session. Our best players stayed in the game a bit longer than usual, and you have to assume that every player on the bench wanted to win, even if it meant nothing.

In the end, the game didn't look so much different from many last year. Phillies got an early 1-run lead, lost it, struggled but came up with more runs, and in the end lost the game. But ... a few key differences must be pointed out.

Burrell. Very key. Despite strikeouts, it is becoming more clear that he's got his groove back...or, he's at least getting it back. There's confidence in his swing and in the way he walks. I had my doubts last year, but now I'm certain Burrell will be a powerhouse once again.

Wagner. He came in and did what he had to do. If, say, he had let up a homerun, the baseball gods would make me think differently. Our closers will be extremely valuable this year.

Thome. No difference here, and that's what matters. He must continue to lift our team again this year, and it's clear he'll be able to do it.

So we lost the first game at the new stadium. Folks, if you don't believe this is a championship year, then you're watching the wrong sport.

It will be a little while before I check out the stadium firsthand, but my support will only continue to grow until then. Finally, baseball is back.

Now is the time.