The Spectrum Game/Gagne "Good to Go"

On Saturday, September 27th, the Flyers will host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Wachovia Spectrum. [Philadelphia Flyers]

It would have seemed better to open the preseason at the Spectrum against the Devils, but it is what it is. Most of the tickets will goto season ticket holders anyway. Preseason tickets go on sale September 6th.

Also, Simon Gagne feels that he is good to go and plans on a big return. [Courier-Post Online]

The way I look at it, I might be the free agent the Flyers signed this year," Gagne said. "I wasn't a big part of the team last year and I want to be a big part this season.

For the complete preseason schedule, click below.

Monday, Sep. 22 vs. New Jersey (Wachovia Center)
Wednesday, Sep. 24 at Ottawa Senators (Scotiabank Place)
Thursday, Sep. 25 vs. NY Islanders (John Labatt Centre)
Saturday, Sep. 27 vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Wachovia Spectrum)
Sunday, Sep. 28 at Carolina Hurricanes (RBC Center)
Wednesday, Oct. 1 vs. Washington Capitals (Wachovia Center)
Friday, Oct. 3 at Washington Capitals (Verizon Center)
Saturday, Oct .4 at NJ Devils (Prudential Center)

Continuing reading...

Trade Deadline 2008

Today, I will be keeping a rolling thread open regarding MLB's trade deadline. Check back here often as I will post whatever deals happen or the biggest rumors. All bolded updates will involves deal that have happened.

4:35 PM - Looks like a Manny deal did happen: Manny to the Dodgers, Bay to the Red Sox, 4 prospects to Pittsburgh. [Jon Heyman]

But you never know. Bay might not be involved. That is speculation.

4:00PM - Deadline is over. Deals may have been submitted, but they will take some time for the league to approve them before they are announced. Manny is still in Boston. Bay is still in Pittsburgh. The Phillies did not acquire any pitching.

Same story as last year?

3:45PM - Phillies are unlikely to make a move for a reliever. [Buster Olney]

According to Jayson Stark on ESPN, the Raul Ibanez-to-Toronto deal is dead. It would have been a 2-for-1 deal involving all MLB players.

Also, Stark reported that both the Rays and Pirates are heavily denying that a Bay to Tampa deal is done.

According to Nationals writer Bill Ladson, Washington is discussing Joel Hanrahan, not John Lannan, with the White Sox. [MLB.com]

3:11PM - A source told MLB.com that the Rays will get Jason Bay from the Pirates for Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann. [Rotoworld]

The Rays are again deep into discussions with the Pirates over a deal that would bring outfielder Jason Bay to Tampa Bay, according to major-league sources.

Shortstop Reid Brignac and right-hander Jeff Niemann are among the players the Rays have offered, sources say, but the Pirates are looking to replace Niemann with another pitcher while adding other prospects. [Ken Rosenthal]

Jayson Stark just reported on ESPN that either "Ibanez to Toronto" or "Bay to Tampa Bay" will happen.

3:00PM - Maddux is not going to the Dodgers. [Jayson Stark]

2:43PM - Dodgers are back in the Manny talks and have offered a packaged focused around Andre Ethier, but the Red Sox prefer Matt Kemp [Jon Heyman]

2:31PM - Will Ohman might stay with Atlanta. The Braves feel they can get a bigger compensation with the supplemental draft pick. [Mark Bowman]

2:09PM - The Reds are talking to the Rangers about Nelson Cruz and the Rangers are still talking to the Marlins about Laird. [T.R. Sullivan]

According to Jayson Stark on ESPN, the Jason Bay to Tampa Bay talks are back on. Now, it is mentioned that Reid Brignac would be the centerpiece, with a second tier pitching prospect, but the Pirates want one of Tampa's top pitching prospects in Price, Davis, or Hellickson.

Also, he noted that Brian Fuentes is not going anywhere.

1:55PM - The Mets are talking to the Nationals about a deal for reliever Luis Ayala, SI.com has learned. [Jon Heyman]

Jays are now talking to Seattle about Ibanez, but a deal is not likely. [Jayson Stark]

The Score 670 Chicago reports that the White Sox are close to acquiring John Lannan from the Nationals. [Roto World]

1:45PM - It was reported earlier and Jayson Stark just repeated that he feels the deal is dead again on ESPN. The Marlins are blaming the Pirates and vice-versa.

Ken Rosenthal also feels that the deal is "dead."

1:36PM - The Yankees are unlikely to trade for Byrd. [NY Post]

1:27PM - The Phillies continue to target three left-handed relievers — the Braves' Will Ohman, Pirates' John Grabow and Giants' Jack Taschner. The team also had been in the mix for the
Royals' Ron Mahay, but could not meet the Royals' price.

An executive from one team in touch with the Royals says he does not believe that Mahay will be traded. The Royals have Mahay under contract next season for a salary of $4 million. [Ken Rosenthal]

12:54PM - Blue Jays have entered the talks for Jason Bay. [Jayson Stark]

12:48PM - Manny Deal Close to Dead: A source close to the three-way negotiations involving Manny Ramirez says the deal is close to dead. Florida has reportedly asked Boston for a cash outlay beyond the $7M to cover Ramirez's contract, in addition to two prospects. That essentially would add up to the Red Sox trading Ramirez, $9M and two prospects for Jason Bay. [Peter Gammons]

The Yankees are looking into acquiring Paul Byrd because of their frustration with waiting for Seattle to lower the asking price of Washburn. [Ken Rosenthal]

12:39PM - Manny has approved a trade to the Marlins contingent upon his two options being dropped, which would make him a free-agent next year. This was pretty much rumored to have already happened at some point last night or early in the morning. Nothing has been finalized regarding the trade and the teams are still negotiating. [Jon Heyman]

12:16PM - The Oakland A's are not likely to make any more moves [Buster Olney]

The Marlins are still pushing to acquire Rangers catcher Gerald Laird, but are unwilling to part with the major-league starting pitcher that the Rangers are seeking, according to a major-league source.

For the Pirates to remain involved in the blockbuster deal, but they are looking for a package that is better than the offer they received from the Braves: Triple-A OF Brandon Jones and SS Brent Lillebridge, and two pitchers in low minors. [Ken Rosenthal]

12:06PM - The Phillies have offered Brett Myers, Jayson Werth, and cash for Manny Ramirez. LA is still interested and would include Matt Kemp [Baseball Prospectus] - This rumor came from a forum I am monitoring, so take it for what it's worth.

Greg Golson is not in the lineup today for AA-Reading and he might have been moved in a trade. It was reported yesterday that he and J.A. Happ might be moved for Will Ohman [Comcast Sportsnet]

11:46AM - The Rays are not sure which way their talks are going regarding Adam Dunn and Jason Bay. The Reds are interested in Jeff Niemann and Jeremy Hellickson. Tampa is refusing to give up Reid Brignac. [Jon Heyman] Buster Olney feels that their outfield upgrade may actually be Rocco Baldelli.

The Pirates are still not excited about their return for Jason Bay and that seems to be the hold up in the blockbuster deal. [Boston Globe]

11:20AM - Mets GM Omar Minaya is itching to make a deal, but it'll more likely come as a reliever rather than an outfielder because of the Mets refusal to give up their good prospects. [Jon Heyman]

According to Danny Knobler, the prospects going the other way for Griffey would be Danny Richar and Nick Masset. Griffey has approved the trade.

10:44AM - Marlins acquired RP Arthur Rhodes from Mariners for minor league SP Gaby Hernandez [Peter Gammons]

10:38AM - Mets are "kicking around" the idea of acquiring Ian Snell and making him a reliever for the rest of the year. A dumb move on Pittsburgh. [Jon Heyman]

There is no movement regarding Jarrod Washburn talks. The Mariners' price is outrageous. [Buster Olney]

It looks like the Nationals plan to keep Tim Redding (his value took a hit after a bad start last night). There also no plans to move Lo Duca, Lopez, or Odalis Perez. [Washington Times]

10:10AM - The Rockies want to keep Brian Fuentes and are looking at Josh Fogg, Tim Redding, and Paul Byrd [Denver Post] The Rockies were "shocked" when the Mariners asked for Dexter Fowler and Casey Weathers in return for Jarrod Washburn. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

The Rangers have asked about Zach Greinke and are willing to part with "multiple prospects" for him. [Kansas City Star]

The Cardinals have put Kyle Loshe on the "available list. Kind of shocking. [Jayson Stark]

Ryan Tucker and Mike Stanton will not be traded in the proposed Ramirez-Hermida-Bay trade. [Ken Rosenthal] Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald feels that the deal is at "less than 50-50".

9:52AM - The Rays feel that Adam Dunn is becoming more and more of a realistic acquisition. [Jon Heyman]

The White Sox are working on a three or four team deal to acquire A's closer, Houston Street. [ESPN News]

9:47AM - Seattle has made J.J. Putz available in trade talks. The Red Sox and Mets would be possible destinations. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

9:15AM - Mets might not be making a deal. Sellers are offering their players at extremely high costs and the Mets are not willing to part with any of their good prospects. [Newsday]

9:08AM - Manny deal is at "50-50". If the deal happens, Grabow would goto Florida and NOT Boston. Florida prospect Mike Stanton will not be involved and reliever Ryan Tucker is still in play. [Jayson Stark]

8:39AM - There is no tentative agreement in place regarding the Ramirez-Bay-Hermida three-way deal. [Boston Herald]

8:38AM - Ken Griffey, Jr. has been traded to the Chicago White Sox. The deal is pending his approval. [Fox Sports]

Continuing reading...

Shawn Andrews' Still AWOL

According to Peter King, Philadelphia Eagles pro-bowl guard, Shawn Andrews, is not in camp because he is dealing with personal problems and his mental state. King assures that it is NOT a contract holdout.

Shawn will be back," McNabb said today. "We've been playing phone tag, missing each other, but [he left me a message and] assured me things will be fine and he'll be back."

Max-Jean Gilles is getting all the work with the first team in place of Andrews. If you don't remember, Gilles was labeled as one of the "steals" of the draft when the Eagles selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft. Gilles was likely to challenge left guard Todd Herremans for a starting spot regardless. In the end, the Eagles really need the "Big Kid" back with the team, sooner than later. His value on the line has increased year after year. Hopefully, he takes care of whatever his problems are and gets to Lehigh as soon as possible.

Continuing reading...

Back in First!

The Phillies have returned to first place after beating the Nationals 8-5. After a poor first inning, Moyer rebounded and pitched well only to watch the offense give him plenty of run support. Chase Utley homered for the second straight and Shane Victorino continued his scorching hot July, homering for the 7th time this month. It became the Phillies 3rd come from behind win in their last 4 games. Shane Victorino had 3 RBIs, while Pat Burrell and Chase Utley each had 2.

Moyers allowed 3 earned in 6 innings, notching his 10th straight start of only allowing 3 runs or less. Jamie Moyer also became the Phillies first 10 game winner on the season. Moyer's biggest impact on the game however was when he worked a walk in the 5th inning. Jimmy Rollins followed with a RBI double to tie the game at the 3 and the offensive flood gates opened from there.


So, the Phillies have returned to first place and it feels like a bit of relief. We're still breathing. Tomorrow is the trade deadline and I'd expect the Phillies to be rather quiet. The Phillies best moves are still for their offense and rotation to improve back to their norms. It'll happen, everyone slumps. I expect that the Phillies will try to acquire a left-handed reliever at some point, whether it is before tomorrow's deadline or after through the waiver-trades (similar to how they acquired Jamie Moyer). Their best move this year may be to not make a move at all. We don't want them to make another "Joe Blanton type move" where it looks like they made a move just to say they did.

Continuing reading...

Will the Phillies Make a Move?

Prepare yourself, with the desire to acquire a left-handed reliever the Phillies might do something to make the entire fan base jump off the Walt Whitman.

According to Jayson Stark the Phillies have an interest in former Phillies reliever, Arthur Rhodes. I don't even know to go into the stats he compiled during his one-year tenure with the team. The Phillies have also called about John Grabow, Will Ohman, and Jack Taschner. The Phillies would love to acquire Brian Fuentes or George Sherrill, but it seems that both players are off the market. They've also been mentioned in the Ron Mahay sweepstakes, but it appears that Jason Donald would not be enough.

John Grabow - 53.2 IP, 5-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 45/23 K/BB ratio, 0.88 GB/FB, 29 years old. Lefties hitting .240 off him

Arthur Rhodes - 21.1 IP, 2-0, 2.53 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 26/10 K/BB ratio, 0.55 GB/FB ratio, 38 years old. Lefties hitting .200 off him.

Will Ohman - 44.1 IP, 3-0, 2.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 41/18 K/BB ratio, 1.12 GB/FB ratio, 30 years old, great Harry Caray impression. Lefties hitting .160 off him.

Jack Taschner - 36.2 IP, 2-1, 2.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 29/16 K/BB ratio, 0.98 GB/FB ratio, 30 years old. Lefties hitting .179 off him.

The best two for the Phillies to look for are Jack Taschner or Will Ohman. Lefties are hitting relatively poorly off them and that is what the Phillies need the most. Ohman would be the most appealing as he is just outright better, but it would also cost more to acquire him. Also, the Braves would also look for more from the Phillies because they'd be trading inside the division. Taschner would be an acquistion I'd approve of. I'd like him to get a few more ground balls with that lower K-rate, but you take what you can get right now. The market is pretty weak.

Some other deadline rumors:

Rays are scouting Jayson Werth and feel he could be availble for the right price. [MLB Trade Rumors] If the Phillies look to trade Werth or Victorino, I prefer that it'd be Werth. I like Victorino's speed and ability to switch hit in the lineup. I also like his range and arm more than Werth's in centerfield. If the Phillies were to trade Werth for some pitching, I would have a problem with Geoff Jenkins starting every day.

Also, looks like Manny is coming to the NL East, just not the Phillies. According to reports, Manny Ramirez is likely to be traded to the Florida Marlins. [Baseball Prospectus]

Multiple baseball sources say the Red Sox are on the verge of sending disgruntled left fielder Manny Ramirez to the Marlins in a trade for a package of three players that included low Class A Greensboro outfielder Mike Stanton, an 18-year-old who is hitting .275/.351/.569 with 26 home runs in 96 games.

Continuing reading...

See What Happens When You Throw Strikes, Brett!

Tonight, Brett Myers had a mission. With the addition of J.A. Happ to the big-league roster, Myers has now learned that his tenure in the rotation could be very short-lived if he doesn't pitch well.

Well, Myers delivered a strong outing. He through 7+ innings and likely would have the opportunity to complete 8 if Utley did not boot a double play ball. Also, whenever Myers allowed a runner on base, he generally got the ground ball he needed to end the innings. The Nationals are not Murderer's Row, but in the past, it seemed like everyone was hitting Myers. Even in the minors.

Myers threw 88 pitches and 63 for strikes. Against 26 batters. 72% of his pitches were for strikes and he averaged a little under 3.5 pitches per batter. Granted, it was the Nationals, but he had a 1:1 GB to FB ratio.

Against the Mets last week, Myers threw only 47% of his pitches for strikes. In his last efficient start against Cincinnati, he threw only 56% of his pitches for strikes. Even in his double-digit strike out games, Myers threw less than 65% of his pitches for strikes, which is a quality number, but Myers did a better job of commanding his pitches and letting his defense do the work tonight.

Chase Utley provided the only offense tonight for the Phillies with a 2-run home run in the third. Hopefully this game marks the start of Chase Utley and Brett Myers returning to their success.

Box Score

Continuing reading...

The Eagles D-Line is dropping like flies.

First, the Eagles received news that defensive end Victor Abiamiri will likely be out about 4 months and today newly acquire Chris Clemons was carted off the field due to dehydration. He was taken to the hospital and released, but it is unclear on when he will return to the field.

By the end of practice, only four defensive ends remained: Parker, McDougle, Cole, and Howard.

Outside of Cole, it leaves us with an undersized Parker and two busts in McDougle and Darren Howard. This situation only compounds the other defensive injuries with Bunkley, Samuel, and rookies Bryant Smith, and Trevor Laws.

It's early and the only severe injury has been to Abiamiri. If it was the season, just about every starter would be able to play. It seems as if outside the injury bug, this has been a rather slow camp news wise. Of course, we've had the contract issues of Westbrook and Lito Sheppard, but they're moreso letting their agents do the work than doing talking about themselves for themselves. Shawn Andrews is still missing a camp and that is a huge letdown. I understand that the guy is pissed about his deal for next year, but he did sign the contract.

Offensively, Lorenzo Booker has been reported to look like a playmaker that the Eagles looked for and Brian Westbrook approves. [Daily News]

We got a guy they liked in the third round in 2007 for a fourth round pick in 2008. It was definitely a great move.

The Eagles have yet to see much from rookie DeSean Jackson yet who has a sore hamstring. We'll see what happens closer to preseason. Here is a complete injury update from the Eagles.

Continuing reading...

Abiamiri Fractured his Wrist

Eagles sophomore defensive end, Victor Abiamiri has fractured his wrist according to Fox 29 and the Inquirer.

He'll likely be out for an extended period of time. This puts a huge damper on the Eagles depth at defensive end. Abiamiri was expected to show the team something this year. Jerome McDougle's smile must be really large right now. Abiamiri was expected to be in during running situations for the opposing team.

Continuing reading...

Sixers Sign Kareem Rush

Comcast Sportsnet is reporting that the Sixers will be signing Kareem Rush. Rush is a 2-guard who will come off the bench to provide some shooting from behind the arc.

Rush shot 39% from three last year for Indiana. He averaged a little over 8 ppg in about 21 minutes. He's been in the league since 2002 and it is not a bad move at all as he will provide some shooting depth all the bench. Video of what we might be able to expect after the jump.

Continuing reading...

Peace Eaton...Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Start the parade. Adam Eaton, one of the worst free-agent signings, in Phillies history has been optioned to the minors. He has accepted this assignment and there it has yet to be made clear on which level he will be going to. [Daily News]

Now of course, we should say something about Eaton accepting the demotion. Good for him, I guess, but it shouldn't have happened of his pitching was not downright pathetic and I do mean pathetic.

In his career, Eaton had allowed 182 runs in 268 career innings with the Phillies. Over 1 and a half years, he had a combined record of 14-18. Not only did Gillick sign Eaton and his terrible pitching, but he helped inflate the price on the rest of the pitching market. Good job Pat! At least you're somewhat trying to fix this mess now. However, I am not sold on Eaton's replacement, Joe Blanton, just yet.

Continuing reading...

Happ is Coming Back

After being taking out of his Lehigh Valley start after 3 innings, J.A. Happ appears to be headed back up to the bigs. It would appear that the player being removed from the current roster will be either Adam Eaton or Rudy Seanez.

When a minor league pitcher comes out of a game early for no apparent reason after pitching well, especially when he gets a round of congratulations as he departs, it usually means that he's about to be promoted to the big leagues.

And when a manager, the coaching staff and the general manager huddle behind closed doors, it's often a signal that something is going on. [Philly.com]

Seanez and Eaton have been terrible over their last few appearances and it is hard to see one of them, probably should be both of them, removed from the roster. I'd assume Happ would become the second left-hander reliever out of the pen. It is hard to judge how effective he'd be in that role.

Continuing reading...

For the Love of the Game

As a die hard sports fan, I want to be able to share my passion with my sons one day. I want to buy them plastic Phillies gloves, Brian Westbrook jerseys, or that plastic Flyers hockey kit. I want them to play with the Phanatic doll, wear their favorite Philly tee shirt, and get dirty playing football in the yard. But there is one thing I want the most and I'm sure every father who loves their Philly sports will want to do this for their son.

It's taking them to their first Phillies game. I remember my father taking me to Veterans Stadium when I was 5 to see the classic '93 Phillies team. He made the mistake of getting me cotton candy and soon watch that sugar is the crack of a 5-year old.

I would stand on my seat and yell for "Inky," "Kruker," "Dutch," "Dude," and "Eisy." I loved Pete Incaviglia, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton. I remember Mariano Duncan, Curt Schilling, Kevin Stocker, and Kim Batiste. These were the players that stood out most to me.

I didn't know it at the time but it's safe to say that Joe Carter ruined my childhood.

I was hooked. When baseball season was winding down, I was putting on my starter Randall Cunningham jersey. Later when they went to midnight green, I would rock my Ricky Waters and Mike Mamula jersey religiously.

I also remember growing up watching the Legion of Doom and one of my Philly heroes in Ron Hextall.

But what's the point in my nostalgic moment? I can't wait until I can pass down the tradition my father passed to me that was passed down to him from his father, who I sadly never met. I want to be able to catch a foul ball for my son, spend $30 bucks on a hot dog, peanuts, cracker jacks, cotton candy, ice cream in the souvenir helmet, and 2 sodas. I want to buy him a mini-bat, baseball cards, and anything that will leave a lasting impression on him.

I want to hear him one day yell out Chase Utley's, Ryan Howard's, or Cole Hamels' name. I want to take a picture of him hugging the Phillie Phanatic, who then sticks his tongue out at him, making him either laugh or cry because I don't know how a 6 year old mind can comprehend that green fur ball (hell I can't either).

This experience will open up new doors for his love. It has for me. Growing up I was a huge baseball card collector. I still have them in the shoe boxes, cigar boxers, wine boxes, binders, or anything that can keep them safe. I have game used balls, bats, and sticks. I have signed photos and other things. I want to be able to one day give that him.

But I also want to take his hand as I'm walking around Lincoln Financial Field during the Eagles Carnival so he gets autographs of some scrub player who he will portray as a super hero. When I was little I didn't care if you were the 3rd string QB or the back up kicker or some guy that won't even make practice squad. If you were wearing a jersey, you were the man.

They say you shouldn't relive your childhood through your son. Well that's not what this is. This is sharing a piece of your heart with your son, your future best friend. This passing of tradition is what keeps the love of the game alive.

Continuing reading...

Phillies Take Series From Braves

So the Phillies don't need to be in Atlanta to win a series. Even though they had plenty of bad moments today, it counts as a win and I can not complain. The Phillies won today 12-10 after a 1 hour, 57 minute rain delay.

Before the delay, the Phillies were down 2-0. Joe Blanton got the start and was replaced by Adam Eaton when the game started. He looked horrible, again. Jorge Vampillo got the start and was replaced by Jo Jo Reyes.

When the game restarted, the Braves scored 3 runs on back to back homers (a 2 run and 1 run shot). With the Phils down 5-0, it seemed again like this team was going to embarrass.

And again we stood corrected. The Phillies scred 2 quick runs from a Chris Coste homer and then with 2 men on, Shane Victorino blasted a 3 run shot to tie the game. They added another run in the 5th, 5 more in the 6th, and one more in the 7th.

With a 12-5 lead going into the 8th, Ryan Madson hit a ton of trouble as the Braves were able to put a 5-spot up to make it a 2 run game. Brad Lidge thought he was going to get the night off with the lead he had but instead had to pitch the 9th to get his 24 save in as many chances.

Clay Condrey got the win, improving to 3-2. Ryan Howard added 2 more RBIs to his league leading total of 94, Victorino drove in 4 as he continued his tear on the Braves, and Pat Burrell hit his 26th homer, a solo shot in the 5th.

The Phillies are off tomorrow and will start up their series against the Nationals. Brett Myers (3-9, 5.82) will open the series for the Phillies and Collin Balester (1-2, 5.75) for the Nats.

Continuing reading...

Manny to Philly?

Manny to Philly? Shut up. It's not going to happen. The Phillies have absolutely nothing to trade for a great talent, but awful team distraction type of player in Manny. The Phillies still need pitching and that should be their focus. The offense is slumping (will and has to return at some point) and Manny would fill a great hole, but it's hard to see the trade for Manny not involving Pat Burrell and some prospects.

Right now, I'll take the hit in average and keep Burrell over Manny. They're both slow, can't field great, but Pat has a better arm. Also, you have the conditions of Manny's contract. Will his options be picked up or will he just be a rental? Manny fills one need that the Phillies have, but as a replacement for possibly Burrell, it still leaves another hole in the lineup.

Oh and regardless of Manny being a cancer, when in a pennant race, it'd be absolutely fucking stupid for Boston to trade Manny right now. No one's going to want to give Boston what Manny's talent is probably worth.

Continuing reading...

We Are the Champions or They are the champions?

So, the Soul won the Arena Bowl in exciting fashion over the San Jose SaberCats. The 59-56 victory marked the first championship in Philadelphia since the Phatoms won during the NHL's lockout season in 2005.

I ask you this...does it break the curse? Can we consider the Philadelphia Soul "World Champions?" Hardly not, but they have given us hope. During the final 30 seconds of the game, every fan in Philadelphia put their hands on their hips and said, "Wait, is this shit happening again?" However, the Soul prevailed. Matt D'Orazio becomes the hero the city has been looking for, but is he just not good enough?

The Soul had a great season this year and D'Orazio did what Jeff Garcia couldn't do. When the local football team, albeit arena in this case, lost their starting quarterback (Tony Graziano), D'Orazio finished the job. He delivered with excellence.

Congrats to Ron Jaworski and Bon Jovi for putting together a winner. I hope it continues for the Soul's sake. I hope that it provides hope for us lost Philadelphia fans out there. Not everything is gloomy, it's always sunny somewhere in Philadelphia.

Continuing reading...

Phils Come Back to Beat Braves

Way to shut me up. Even though I know they didn't read my article, it's nice being proven wrong. The Phillies survived a horid start by ace Cole Hamels to beat the Braves 10-9.

Hamels started out strong until he got into deep trouble in the 4th inning. He didn't finish it but surrendered 9 runs, only 4 earned. Rudy Seanez closed out the inning.

It seemed like all was lost and the Phillies were gonna fuck up another game. But that was not the case. The Phillies answered the 9 run inning with a 7 run inning in the 5th.

After 6 singles scored in 4 runs, Greg Dobbs hit a towering 3 run homer into the right field upper deck seats. The Phillies took a 10-9 lead after that inning and didn't look back. Brad Lidge closed out the game for the save.

Jorge Campillo is getting the start for Atlanta tomorrow and Joe "Blow" Blanton is for the Phillies.

Continuing reading...

Asante Samuel is Injured

The Eagles newly acquired cornerback, Asante Samuel, left practice today with a strained right hamstring. He didn't even make it through the first full-pads session.

"We'll just see how he does here," coach Andy Reid said. "I won't know anything for a bit here." [ESPN]

So, it already looks like good news that the Eagles have kept Lito Sheppard. The only problem is that Rosenhaus has just been giving another argument for Sheppard's demands.

I assume the injury is not too severe and it'll keep Samuel out for a week or two, if not less. According to hearly reports, the hamstring is not torn, but they'll likely have an MRI tomorrow or later today.

What bothers me though is that Samuel was trying to catch up to Greg Lewis. The same Greg Lewis that would constantly beat the Patriots defense.

I will post an update once we hear more.

Continuing reading...

2 Games Back and Counting

Editor's Note: John, Spell Check is your friend.

Yes Philly fans it's here. After close to 2 months of futility, your beloved Phillies are surrendering. After the way they have been playing recently, you would think they would be 12 games out of first. But no. The Mets, Braves, and Marlins shared futility kept them in first.

But 2 of those teams turned their shit around. Florida and New York have surged back into the race. The Mets have taken a 2 game lead over 2nd place Florida and 3rd place Philly.

Yes! 3rd fucking place! How? This is the best offense in the NL! Yes their pitching has been over achieving and bull pen was awesome, but with the offense and bullpen faltering, it leaves the starting pitchers wondering if they'll get any fucking support.

Cole Hamels said it himself that there is no way he should pitch as well as he had on Sunday and not win. Jamie Moyer followed suit with a stellar performance and a loss to the Mets, and now Kyle Kendrick was in the same boat.

Kendrick went 6 innings and gave up a run on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strike outs. The offense mustered only 2 fucking hits while he was in. In the top of the 9th, the bull pen completely went to shit as Brad Lidge gave up 5 runs, 4 from a grand slam by Brian McCann. Condrey came in and gave up 2 more runs.

After that debacle, Chase got a 2 out base hit and Ryan Howard homered. If Lidge didn't have his first poor appearance of the year, Howards blast would have been a walk off.

For Atlanta, Jiar Jurjens went 8 shut out innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6. The rookie completely embarrassed this offense. Will Ohman pitched the 9th, giving up the only 2 runs this athletic offense could muster.

After Justin's rant, which was laced with sarcasm for the idiots who think Justin had confidence in this team, I felt it was my turn to give some criticism. And I give a big fuck you to:
Jimmy Rollins for not having his priorities straight.
Chase Utley for looking like a little girl in the batter's box.
Pedro Feliz for being a pussy with back spasms.
Jayson Werth for your shitty at bats.
So Taguchi for swinging like a little Chinese girl.
Brett Myers for being born.
Joe Blanton for being fatter than Howard.

You all make me sick due to your performances or lack of caring.

Thank you Howard for you efforts in getting your season back on track and thank you Pat Burrell for the hustle and great catch in foul territory. Thanks Hamels and Kendrick for being the future of this team and pitching your asses off and to Moyer for defying your age.

I hope this team gets their heads out of their asses because I am embarrassed to wear my Phillies hat.

Continuing reading...

Training Camp News 7-25

Purposely, I am not going in-depth regarding the Eagles training camp right now (maybe Sunday). Why? Well we have, sorry had, a first place baseball team at this point in the year for the first time in a long time. However, they're trying their best to get the talk off themselves and back on football with their poor play.

Good news: Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook both did the right thing and reported to training camp. I think they understand that good antics combined with good performance = monetary rewards.

Bad news: Shawn Andrews has been placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list today. Andrews did not report to camp yesterday for "personal reasons", but it is said that it was an unexcused absence. Also, McNabb's shoulder is still "tender" and being monitored.

And about Favre...

Andy Reid responded succinctly this morning to a published report that the Packers called the Eagles regarding a potential trade for Brett Favre. "They called and there is no interest on our part whatsoever." [Philadelphia Eagles]

The Eagles will conduct their annual conditioning test today.

Continuing reading...

Um, Where did you go Philadelphia?

So, instead of sitting here and writing a post discussing the negative side of the Phillies recent slide to mediocrity, or below it, I will remain hopeful. No, I still have the faith that this team can rebound.

I'm going to pretend that our rotation is not filled with one ace, one 45 year old man, and three fifth starters. I'm going to pretend that our leader, our MVP, our voice of the team actually leads by example and takes the bus with his team in a highly congested city. I'm going to pretend that we have a right-handed bat besides Pat Burrell that can actually hit for average and doesn't strike out over 100 times. Actually, please do not let that statement discount Burrell. He's been awesome. He's been consistent, just about all year. Anyway, I'm going to pretend to not know that our bullpen has been over-achieving this year and with fatigue; I am going to pretend that I do not fear their performances returning to their career norms.

I am going to pretend that Charlie Manuel uses a scouting report for his pitchers every once in awhile and knows who to put in regardless of what inning it is. I am going to pretend that Charlie Manuel does not pull Pat Burrell for Eric Bruntlett or So Taguchi, two players that offer little of a defensive upgrade.

I am going to pretend that we haven't been playing .405% baseball since June 8th. I am going to pretend to not acknowledge that if we maintain our current pace, we're going to finish with 78 wins. 78, not 100. Not even close to 100.

I am going to pretend that we have a front office that for once in my life time makes an acquistion to drastically improve the team. I am going to pretend that the Phillies have won more than 1 world series in 125 seasons. I am going to pretend that Joe Carter never happened.

I am going to pretend that I know nothing about the past trends of Philadelphia sports. I am going to pretend that I didn't start following the Phillies until Howard's MVP season in 2006. I am going to pretend that all that happened since that season is all I know. 2 MVPs, 1 division title. That is all I know. That is it. I am going to pretend that Freddy Garcia was a great acquistion from the start and it wasn't the Phillies fault that it didn't pan out.

I am going to pretend that since my birth in January in 1984, Philadelphia sports have strived for greatness. I am going to pretend that the Phillies acknowledge their holes and try their damn hardest to fill those holes to the best of their capability. I am going to pretend that we actually have a farm system and don't have to get bent out of shape over a guy that doesn't have a true position yet and is blocked by Chase Utley at one of those positions.

I am going to pretend that statistical analysis means absolutely nothing when evaluating a player. I am going to pretend that players should be rewarded on intangibles and not performance.

I am going to pretend that the Phillies even know what situational hitting or small ball is. I am going to pretend that since scoring 20 runs against St. Louis, we have averaged more than 4 runs per game and not less than. I am going to pretend that we are not struggling, but the team was just bored and wanted to let other teams get involved in the race only to turn it on now.

I am going to pretend that our team loves the chase and the hunt, but not the victorious kill.

I am going to remain hopeful. I am going to remain faithful toward the Phillies. I am going to pretend all that just happened, never happened. I am going to pretend that when we had our opportunity to stick the dagger into the Mets hearts, we did it and we did not pull it out to let them survive. I am going to pretend that we didn't give them CPR to continue their lives as they were.

These are our Philadelphia Phillies. They have no holes. They have no problems. They're not struggling. Their offense is the best in baseball. Their offense is the best their ever was.

I am going to pretend that Joe Blanton is our savior.

Continuing reading...

Other Blog

Recently, I have started a different blog as well. Well, I started it a long time ago, but then moved onto this blog as a strictly Philadelphia Sports blog. My other blog, 2:59 AM is not so much that type of blog. Check, it out and tell me what you think.

I'll still be writing about news, rumors, and rants at this one. If you the posts here, don't worry.

Continuing reading...

Oh, Phillies

Winning the first game of a series isn't as cool when you lose the rest of the games. You better win tomorrow. I really wish you weren't 15-21 since you swept Atlanta on June 8th. I really wish you had winning records against teams not from Atlanta in the NL East. Please, please be the team to beat.

I really wish pitchers like Brett Myers and Joe Blanton were not throwing back to back in our rotation. Two pitchers with no control going right after one another to destroy our bullpen. That's not cool. That wasn't a smart move Phillies. Not at all. I didn't write about your 'epic' come from behind victory last night because I wanted to see what would happen tonight first. I wanted to feel compelled to write and I wanted to be excited. Instead, I got the same feeling I got last night for 8 innings and it continued after the game ended this team.

Dear offense, have fucking patience. Make shitty pitchers like John Maine pitch to you. Please, take note of this for tomorrow. Please, tell me there is a coach somewhere in the organization preaching this.

Everyone saw the game, no sense for a recap. No one misses Mets/Phillies games and if you did, you're a prick. If thats you, put your Phillies hat back into the closet or just burn it.

Continuing reading...

Flyers Third Jersey

Isn't it glorious?

Update: Apparently, this is just an Ebay jersey that someone made. HOWEVER, WIP reported that the Flyers alternate jersey will be similar to the 1970s orange jersey with the white name plates. The ones taken by a cell phone picture early in the year.

I cannot wait to get a Richards one with the "C" on the front. It is about time that they brought the orange back. I'd expect this jersey to be unveiled live when the Flyers play their preseason game in the Spectrum.

Continuing reading...

Sorry Cole

Dear Offense,

You really hate coming to bat for your ace Cole Hamels. You love pounding out hits for the old man and the king, but the man that can beat up Chuck Norris with a stare.

According to Chuck, your situational hitting is "absolutely off the chart, terrible." Some of their situational hitting is terrible, yes, but it mostly comes from the bottom of their order. It is such a drastic dip after Burrell, that it is hard to expect much if anything from anything after them. Werth gives you bright spots here and there, but he has some very bad at-bats at times. (See bunting with the bases loaded and 2 outs).

The Phillies really need to go back to playing some more small ball. They're doing everything right to get the runner to third, but at times, they're stranding that runner.

After spoiling today's start by Hamels, they better hope they come out for Blanton's first outing and the rest of the series against the Mets. Losing another series against the NL East is atrocious. They're now 10-15 against their division when they're not playing the Braves.

I already said this once before, but you really to start beating the teams chasing or now tied with you. It's starting to get a little old.

Continuing reading...

Lupul's 4 year extension

Earlier this week, I posted a myspace bulletin regarding Lupul signing a 4 year deal. Now more and more places are reporting what is expected to be a 4 year, $17 million extension.

Lupul, who doesn't turn 25 years old until September, will only be receiving a little less than a $2 million raise. Not bad at all for a guy that had 46 points in 56 games and would have played more games if he had not been destroyed by Derian Hatcher, his own player.

Most of the reports say that the announcement will be made tomorrow.
Lupul who is still young is already a very valuable second line right winger and could develop into a first line right winger. Averaging nearly a point a game last year, Lupul seemed to find a lot of chemistry with centerman Mike Richards. When coming over to Philadelphia, Lupul was much more physical of a player and it opened a side of him we rarely saw in Anaheim and Edmonton. It good to know that the Flyers now ensured that three of their young 20 goal scorers will be around for at least the next 3 seasons and moreso in the cases of Mike Richards and Joffrey Lupul.

It's scary to sit back and look how far this young core went without that guy who had back to back 40 goal seasons...oh yeah, Simon Gagne. Because the move is an extension, the salary cap numbers will not be changed, as he will likely keep his current cap hit.

Continuing reading...

Say No to Fox!

Is it just me or do the Phillies consistently lose whenever they play a 3:55 game on Fox. I know as of right now, we're at least 0-4 in games on Fox this year and they weren't very good last year either. In day games alone, the Phillies are 12-18 this year. Over the past four seasons, they're well over .500 in day games, but not this year. Too hot? Who knows, but it continued yesterday as the Phillies lost 9-5 to the Florida Marlins.

Kyle Kendrick had nothing close to his best stuff as the Marlins pounded out 3 home runs. In a game that went back and forth early on, the Marlins stayed ahead for good when they put together a 3-run fifth on 2 of the 3 home runs allowed by Kendrick. Kendrick watched his season ERA jump nearly half a run in his outing.

The Phillies offense continued to struggle with RISP and they left 9 men on base. Pat Burrell was the lone positive for the Phillies as he hit two home runs to up his total to 25. The Phillies now have 3 players in the lineup with at least 25 home runs: Howard, Utley, and Burrell.

Today, another day game, the Phillies will have Cole Hamels facing off against Josh Johnson who just recently came off the 60-day DL. In the past, the Phillies have hit up Johnson. Let's hope it continues today. On the other side, Hamels has somewhat struggled against the Marlins in the past, at least for Cole's standards. The team has lost its last two starts against the Fish, but in his last start, he threw 8 innings and gave up 2 earned, while striking out 13.

Continuing reading...

Moyer Filets Fish

Jamie Moyer went 6 fantastic innings as he he gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3, to beat the Marlins 4-2. His record no improves to 9-6 on the year. He was backed up by longballs from Ryan Howard and Geoff Jenkins, thier 29th and 8th respectively.

The Phillies now move into sole posession of first place when the Reds ended the Mets 10 game win steeak with a 5-2 victory. Kyle Kendrick (8-3, 4.47) will take the mound for the Phillies today as he faces Scott Olsen (5-4, 3.77) of the Marlins.

Continuing reading...

Sixers Sign 1st Pick

After drafting the guy that almost everybody wanted to see in a Sixers uniform, the team signed Marreese Speights to a 2 year, $2.6 million contract with an option for 2 more years. The 6'10'' forward from Florida was drafted 16th overall last month and is now ready to make an impact for Philadelphia this upcoming season.

Speights posted good numbers in the Sixers summer league in Vegas. In 5 games, he averaged 18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks a game. His numbers a s a sophomore in college were good too, averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 boards.

With the addition of Elton Brand and now Speights, the Sixers are heading in the right direction to be a solid playoff contender that can win 1 or 2 series.

Continuing reading...

...and then it happened

So, last night, I got the ESPN text that the Phillies agreed to acquire Joe Blanton. I immediately called my friends to see who was offered in the package for, the Joe Blanton. Pacing back and forth, I was thinking to myself about which one of our top prospects did they send packing to Oakland. Cardenas? Bastardo? Outman? Golson? Which one could it have been (assuming they sent some other low level prospects).

And then I got the next text: Phillies acquire RHP Joe Blanton for Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer. I immediately said, "What the fuck?" and threw my phone. The Chicago Cubs gave up less for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin than we gave up for Joe friggin' Blanton! Tim Kurkjian feels that Joe Blanton is a well-above average pitcher. Really? Really Tim? He has an ERA+ of 100. THAT IS AVERAGE!

Also, what is wrong with trying out JA Happ for longer than two starts. He pitched well enough here to deserve the opportunity and he pitched 7 innings of no-hit ball last night with 12 strike-outs. Why not try it? Why not try to build from within if you feel you have to overpay for a pitcher like Joe Blanton -- Especially a guy that has a 6.75 ERA over his last 8 starts. Especially for a guy that reminds us all of Jon Lieber.

Positives: He'll likely eat up some innings to help out the bullpen. He'll also likely eat up some cheesesteaks to help out the local restaurants. We've seen his ceiling and this year I assume we're seeing his floor. He has okay stuff, but no real out pitch. Some people like the timing of the deal because it was before an injury or win streak inflated his market, which could have made us overpay for him even more. In his career, he has pitched slightly better in the second half, than the first half. He's still only 27 and he is under team control until 2010.

Negatives: He's experiencing a pretty big decline in 2007, an ERA+ of 77, the same as Adam Eaton's. Yes, he pitched in the AL, but he is a career average pitcher with an ERA+ of 100. In 60 games on the road, he has a career 4.78 ERA. In 62 starts at home, he has a career 3.78 ERA. One could argue that pitching in Oakland has helped his style of pitching. He reminds us a lot of Jon Lieber. While, pitching very well against left-handed hitters, he has been awful against right-handers as he surrenders an OPS of .878.

Expectation: Blanton could have an average to slightly above average second half and that would be an improvement over Adam Eaton. The Phillies still lack a #2 or even #3 starter and that will hurt them come October. Blanton could provide some good outings in the short-term, but it is hard to say he will in 2009 or 2010. If this is what the Phillies addition to the rotation for the next few years is, it'll make the fans awfully angry. He improves the team marginally, but he does not improve their chances of making a deep playoff run. At some point in our lifetime, the Phillies front office will have to sit down and say, we really need to try to make a drastic improvement for this team. Every other Philly franchise has done it, so why shouldn't we. Only time will tell. Good luck Joe Blanton. Please prove us wrong.

Continuing reading...

Westbrook Unhappy, Switches Agents

In hopes of getting a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, running back Brian Westbrook fired Fletcher Smith as manager. Smith was also the manager of quarterback Donovan McNabb.

It is unsure who Westbrook will hire but it is definitely not going to be Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer, who have been let go by Eagles corner back Lito Sheppard. Sheppard, in turn, hired Drew Rosenhaus. I hope he doesn't pull a T.O. because it would be stupid.

Both players are unhappy with their contracts but Westbrook is the only one out playing his. Westbrook is now considered one of the elite backs in the NFL and he should be getting a contract comparable to players like Ladanian Tomlinson, Clinton Portis, Stephen Jackson and a few others. He is made $6,000,000 last year.

Salaries at the jump:

2007 SALARIES (TOTAL of BASE, SIGNING BONUS, & OTHER)
Tomlinson - $12,400,000
Portis - $4,500,000
Adrian Peterson - $3,000,000
Jackson - $2,050,000
Edgerin James - $5,250,840
Joseph Addai - $500,000
Willie Parker - $3,750,000

The salaries show that Westbrook has made the 2nd most in the NFL among backs but he
he is making half of Tomlinson's salary. After Westbrook posted numbers almost as good as Tomlinson, he should be receiving a deal close to $10,000,000 a year.

Portis and Addai should probably be looking at a raise too but this isn't the Colts or Redskins. This is the Philadelphia Eagles, a team known for shafting it's best players (i.e. Terrell Owens). Westbrook is next.

And Westbrook isn't happy:

"I think if you play at a high level, you should be rewarded for that,” Westbrook said during last month’s organized team activities. “You see guys that are the best players in the league, traditionally they're rewarded for their play. I feel, as a player, and I'm sure a lot of other players feel like they should be compensated for the things that they do, and of course I feel the same way.”

We shall see what this organization does with him.

Continuing reading...

The Post-All Star Break Expectations

So are you sitting around wondering what the future may hold for your favorite or most hated Phillie. Well, Hardball Times has created a spreadsheet similar to PECOTA, which could help us predict at least for most players, what we could expect the future to bring. No, it is not set in stone, but it may get your hopes up for some players and your hopes down for others.

To see the Phillies individual predictions, click below.

1B Ryan Howard: .271 BA, .374 OBP, .558 SLG, .932 OPS, 20 HR, 39 BB, 69 K

2B Chase Utley: .299 BA, .379 OBP, .533 SLG, .912 OPS, 13 HR, 27 BB, 42 K

3B Pedro Feliz: .250 BA, .296 OBP, .417 SLG, .714 OPS, 8 HR, 15 BB, 33 K

SS Jimmy Rollins: .281 BA, .338 OBP, .469 SLG, .807 OPS, 9 HR, 22 BB, 30 K

C Carlos Ruiz: .242 BA, .325 OBP, .366 SLG, .690 OPS, 4 HR, 22 BB, 26 K

LF Pat Burrell: .261 BA, .385 OBP, .498 SLG, .883 OPS, 13 HR, 45 BB, 49 K

CF Shane Victorino: .278 BA, .345 OBP, .417 SLG, .761 OPS, 6 HR, 22 BB, 32 K

RF Jayson Werth: .267 BA, .359 OBP, .433 SLG, .792 OPS, 7 HR, 28 BB, 47 K

B Chris Coste: .277 BA, .331 OBP, .443 SLG, .774 OPS, 7 HR, 12 BB, 31 K

B Geoff Jenkins: .258 BA, .332 OBP, .437 SLG, .769 OPS, 8 HR, 18 BB, 45 K

SP Cole Hamels: 3.55 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 90 K, 27 BB, 12 HR allowed

SP Jamie Moyer: 4.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 48 K, 26 BB, 11 HR allowed

SP Kyle Kendrick: 4.37 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 42 K, 23 BB, 9 HR allowed

SP Brett Myers: 4.40 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 68 K, 28 BB, 12 HR allowed

SP Adam Eaton: 4.95 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 47 K, 30 BB, 10 HR allowed

RP Chad Durbin: 4.34 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 24 K, 13 BB, 4 HR allowed

RP J.C. Romero: 4.43 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 20 K, 14 BB, 3 HR allowed

RP Tom Gordon: 4.32 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 18 K, 9 BB, 3 HR allowed

RP Brad Lidge: 3.34 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 30 K, 11 BB, 3 HR allowed

So, things do not look too good for the bullpen. What do you think of the expectations? How did they get these numbers? Well they took the last five years or less of a players career and used formulas to balance out their normal year in and year out expected production at the player's specific age.

Hitters like Ryan Howard, Geoff Jenkins, Jimmy Rollins, and Carlos Ruiz will all likely improve in the second half. As a whole, the starting pitching is likely to improve except for Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer.

Continuing reading...

The Flyers Schedule is Released

The 2008-2009 Flyers schedule has been released. They have not released the National broadcasting schedule yet. That will come later this summer.

More to come...

Continuing reading...

Moving onto Blanton

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Phillies are no longer interested in AJ Burnett and are now moving onto Joe Blanton. Compared to 2007, Blanton is having a down year even in pitcher friendly Oakland. In his three and a half seasons in the majors, Blanton has posted an ERA+ of 100 and a WHIP of 1.33 -- so he's been average.

This year, his home runs and walks are up and his strike outs are down, which has lead to an ERA+ of 77. Pitching well below average this year may lower Beane's asking price, but it may also be a concern with his high innings count last year of 230 innings. Has some arm fatigue caused his down fall? Also, it is hard to say whether or not he'd do well in Philadelphia. He still has a decent GB/FB ratio, but his K/9 are nearly comparable to Kyle Kendrick's.

If I'm the Phillies, I'm saying to myself that if Blanton can be had for the perfect and I do mean perfect price, he is worth the move. He's not going to give you much more than #4 or #5 starter potential, but he will at least give you something than more than the likes of Kris Benson or Adam Eaton. He is what he is, an average pitcher. He's not really a #2 or #3 starter, but he'd likely be formidable. He doesn't have any lights out stuff, but for the Phillies he'd likely give them enough of a chance to win games. If the Phillies do acquire him, he's one of those guys that they will have to monitor him greatly. He's usually hit pretty hard between the 4th and 6th innings and things could unravel quickly.

Looks like the Phillies are moving from their B-list, to their C-list. I hope Gillick does his Billy Beane type research before he considers the move.

The Phillies also may have interest in Matt Cain from the Giants and left-handed reliever John Grabow from the Pirates [Philly Burbs]. Cain would be a nice, young addition, but rather pricey. Grabow will come cheap, but he really needs to cut down on his walks.

Continuing reading...

Next Player.

Is this where everything begins to unravel? CSN reports that disgruntled cornerback Lito Sheppard has hired asshole agent Drew Rosenhaus. The Eagles confirmed the hiring on their website and both sides have said they have had positive conversations. Rosenhaus has ensured the Eagles that Lito will be at training camp.

Now, if you're expecting this saga to take a TO turn for the worst, I would not expect it. Lito has never been as mouthy or a blatant jerk off like Owens. At least there have been no reports of it. Rosenhaus has been an asshole, 9 out of 10 agents seem to be, but he usually represents the better players in the league, players always looking for more money to base off their better performance.

As of right now, we know Asante Samuel is the starting left corner, but it has yet to be decided on who will be the right corner. Lito or Sheldon? Jimmie Johnson feels all three will be on the field quite often regardless and they will be interchangeable with different packages. What happens remains to be seen, but lets just hope this time, it is a happy ending.

Continuing reading...

Brett Will Be Back

According to ESPN text alert, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Phillies plan to return Brett Myers to the rotation for the July 23rd game vs the Mets.

In 3 minor league starts, Brett Myers went 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA and a WHIP of 1.13. He had a decent K/BB ratio of 22/6 and he only allowed 1 home run in 20.1 innnings. Myers is set to make one more start Friday, but I'd assume it'd be a shortened start just to get some work in. In his last start for the Reading Phillies, he through 8 innings of 5 hit ball and struck out 10.

If the Phillies really want to stay in the now close division race, they'll need good outings from Myers, especially in his first start as he'll face the Mets. So as of right now, the Phillies will start the break with Moyer-Kendrick-Hamels against the Marlins. They are not sure about who will pitch July 22nd against the Mets, but I think it is safe to assume that it'll be Adam Eaton. We'll see. He does at least have a decent track record against the Mets in Shea. But we'll see.

I think everything would like JA Happ to get another opportunity and it is possible he will replace Eaton in the rotation after he is eligible to return because of league rules regarding moving a player up and down -- they have to wait 15 days before they can return unless a player is put on the disabled list. There is a shot that Happ will get the start on July 24th (the day he is eligible to return) and the Phillies will give both Moyer and Hamels a much needed extra day of rest.

Continuing reading...

Boo, Fuck You T-Shirts

The guys over at Phillies Nation have created "Boo? F*ck you" t-shirts with Utley's number on the back. You can check them out here.

They have a created a nice selection for men and women. Stick it to those New York assholes.

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Mmmm, Eagles Cheerleaders!

The Eagles Cheerleaders were on Good Day Philadelphia today. They discussed their "eco-sexy" Calendar as they went green this year. They felt like "rock stars" as they shot the calendar in the Dominican Republic. There you go Brett...go make a calendar and you can feel like a rock star. It can be, the Calendar of Brett Myers: Check out his looks over his shoulder as the ball sails into the seats.

Video of the cheerleaders and their bathing suits made out of recycled plastics and so forth after the jump.

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All-Star Festivities

Boo? Fuck you. The often quiet Chase Utley was mic'd up during the home run derby and well, the often quiet Chase Utley let an f-bomb slip as he was joing around with Dan Uggla.

Chase Utley's 5 home runs did not get him into the second round, but he did hit two gold balls. Josh Hamilton stole the show with his 28 home runs in the first round and just about every one of them were fucking moon shots. The new steroids? Hardcore drugs, finding Jesus, destroy home run Derby records. It has been such an amazing story for Josh Hamilton and I wish him the best for the rest of his career. It is nice to see people turn their lives around and it is nice to know that baseball, besides Jesus, is the one thing that keeps him going. However, Josh...how can you let a Canuck win the home run derby? Booo!

And then we had the epic all-star game that almost put us into the same boat in the past that caused Bud Selig to make the game worth something. Last night's game went into the Bottom of the 15th and Brad Lidge recorded the loss after he had warmed up not one, not two, but SIX different times in over a two hour span. Hill Billy Wagner blew the game in the 8th. Chase Utley hit a single in the 6th after two weak at-bats early in the game. JD Douche (sorry used to it even though it was the Phillies front-office's fault, but I'd rather have Burrell anyway) was named the game's MVP as he went 2-4 with a 2-run home run.

Soriano picking his nose.

Continuing reading...

Clippers Interested in Iguodala

Wouldn't this be interesting? According to the Daily News, the Los Angeles Clippers seem to be interested in making an offer sheet to Andre Iguodala. If an offer sheet is made, the 76ers would have 7 days to match it. Unless the Clippers make a trade, the most they could really offer is about $12 million a year, so it'd be hard to assume the Sixers could not match it.

Sure, the Iguodala is not exactly the best jump shooter, but he is far too valuable to let go of. He's one a few players that can give you nearly 20 points, more than 5 rebounds, and nearly 5 assists a game. On top of that, he will give you at least 2 steals per game. For a team that loves to play great defense, it'd be absolutely stupid for the Sixers to not match any offer for him. Also, Iguodala is only 24, he's barely getting into his prime.

If the Sixers have the idea of trading Iguodala for a more pure shooter, I can somewhat understand it; however, Iguodala's all around game is an important piece for this team and it hard to believe we will not see improvement with the addition of Elton Brand and a more experienced Thaddeus Young. Brand's ability to step out and a hit a jump shot should open up the lane more for Iguodala, Young, and Miller. Iguodala is part of this team's core. Ever since trading Iverson, he has completely stepped up his game and has developed more and more into a good player.

Is he a superstar, no, but he is a great player and the type of player you'd want on a championship team. Outside of being a great jump shooter, he does everything else well. You have to keep him on the team Stefanski!

Continuing reading...

Sikahema Knocks Out Canseco!

Yesterday, former Philadelphia Eagle and local news reporter, Via Sikahema, knocked out Jose Canseco in a Celebrity boxing match. The fight did not even last the first round as Sikahema knocked out Canseco twice. See the short video highlights after the jump.

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Pat the Bat!

Pat Burrell is showing the league why he got fucked over in a very big way (highlights after the jump). He was a big reason the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks 6-3, winning the series. With no outs and 2 men on, Burrell sent a shot to the left center seats for the go ahead 3 run homer. Pedro Feliz added a solo shot 2 batters later to cap off the 4 run 8th inning.

Cole Hamels got the start and pitched well despite being hit a hard a lot. He also got the scoring going for the Phillies with an RBI double in the 5th. Hamels went 7 innings and gave up 2 runs, including a home run in the 2nd to Chad Tracy. He struck out 8 and walked 1, giving up 11 hits.

Ryan Madson got the win, pitching a scoreless 8th and Lidge pitched the 9th, giving up a run but not recording the save because he entered with a 6-2 score.

Hamels outpitched Brandon Webb, who made the all star team. Webb went 7 innings as well, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and struck out 6. Chad Qualls was the losing pitcher for Arizona as his low and away fastball found its way into the seats after Burrell reached over the plate for it.

Jimmy Rollins had an RBI single in the 7th to tie the game, his 2nd hit of the night. Feliz had 3 hits on the night as well with a solo shot coming in the 8th.

The Phillies played their last series of the first half. Tune in to watch the home run derby tomorrow night and pray Chase Utley doesn't do shit. I don't wanna see his swing get fucked up. The watch Tuesday as he lights up the American League. Maybe the NL will be up by less than 3 and we can see Brad Lidge close out the game. But the NL has to fucking win first.

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Why were so many people, so dumb?

Why is Pat Burrell not in the All-Star game? Seriously, why? Any fans, managers, players out there have a true response? Pat Burrell had four opportunities to be named to this year's all-star team.

First, by the fans to vote him as a starters. Second, by Clint Hurdle and the players to vote him in as a reserve. Third, in the final vote and lastly, to replace injured outfielder, Alfonso Soriano. Four opportunities and not one chance to make it. Not one!

All rankings are among only NL outfielders
First, lets look at his loss to Corey Hart.

Pat Burrell: .279 BA (16th), .410 OBP (2nd), .577 SLG (1st), .987 OPS (1st), 21 doubles (T12th), 2 triples (T14th), 22 HR (3rd), 54 RBIs (T8th), 48 Runs (T13th), 73.5 Runs Created (1st), 0.91 BB/K Ratio (5th)

-- So, Burrell is Top 5 in 6 categories and Top 10 in 7.

Corey Hart:
.292 BA (7th), .331 OBP (24th), .510 SLG (11th), .841 OPS (11th), 26 doubles (2nd), 3 triples (T5th), 15 HR (9th), 58 RBIs (6th), 48 Runs (T13th), 58.4 Runs Created (9th), 0.26 BB/K ratio (32nd), 13 SB (9th)

-- Hart is top 5 in 2 categories and Top 10 in 6. Also, Hart does not bat behind Ryan Howard who has been stealing RBI opportunities from Burrell lately.

To see the rest of the outfield comparisons, click below

Ryan Braun: .280 BA (9th), .326 OBP (27th), .558 SLG (4th), .887 OPS (9th), 24 Doubles (T5th), 3 Triples (T5th), 23 HR (2nd), 66 RBI (2nd), 51 R (T10th), 8 SB (T7th), 64.3 Runs Created (6th), 0.26 BB/K Ratio (32nd)

-- Braun is definitely a viable all-star candidate as he does produce runs. He is 6th among all outfielders in runs created, which should give him at least a reserve. He has good all-around numbers, except he doesn't walk much. Does he deserve to be in over Burrell? Maybe or maybe not, but he definitely deserve to be on the roster.

Kosuke Fukudome: .281 BA (T13th), .386 OBP (5th), .414 SLG (22nd), .800 OPS (17th), 17 Doubles (T21st), 2 Triples (T14th), 7 home runs (31st), 36 RBI (T25th), 59 R (T4th), 8 SB (T17th), 54.9 RC (12th), 0.81 K/BB (9th)

--Um, thanks for being stupid Chicago fans. When will these baseball towns ever begin to realize that All-star game distinguishes home-field advantage for the World Series. Why would you vote for Fukudome? What's in the water there? Same goes for the people who voted for Soriano. Don't you want to win? Vote for the best players.

Ryan Ludwick, Matt Holliday, and Nate McClouth (whether they needed a Pirate or not) are all deserving of all-star spots. The fact that Pat Burrell, the player who is 5th in the entire National League in OPS and leads all outfielders is not on the roster is just flat out stupid. As mentioned before, Ryan Braun is deserving as well, but how can you leave Pat Burrell off the team for the likes of Corey Hart, Kosuke Fukudome, and Alfonso Soriano? That's terrible. I guess he just isn't that liked by the players. At least Holliday will be in a hitter friendly park, so his pathetic road OPS will not be as exploited.

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Victorino Ties, Werth Delivers!

Jayson Werth is clutch once again. A week after Werth hit a game tying home run versus the Mets, he hits a game winning single tonight, scoring in So Taguchi, as the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks in 12 innings.

Werth's hit came with 2 outs with Taguchi and Jimmy Rollins on base. His clutch hit capped a 3 hit game.

Getting the start for Philadelphia was Kyle Kendrick who pitched well until he hit trouble in the 7th, giving up 3 runs in that innings. He gave up 4 runs total on 9 hits, walking none, and striking out 4. His counterpart, Dough Davis, went 6 innings, giving up 3 runs.

Getting the win for Philadelphia was Rudy Seanez, who pitched a quick 12th. The losing pitcher was Connor Robertson, who failed to hold the Phillies.

So Taguchi led off the 12th with a single and then moved to 2nd on a Chris Coste sacrifice bunt. Robertson the walked Jimmy Rollins to try and force Werth into a double play. Werth sent a 2-2 pitch into right center and the throw wasn't even close as Taguchi hustled in to win the game.

Earlier in the 8th, with Arizona up 5-3, Ryan Howard led off with a walk and Pat Burrell singled. Eric Bruntlett pinch ran for Burrell and Feliz moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Shane Victorino hit a bases clearing triple to tie the game but was stranded on 3rd.

The Phillies played a little small ball in the 6th, With Victorino on 3rd and Carlos Ruiz on 1st, Ruiz attempted to steal 2nd but got into a run down. Before they could tag our Ruiz for the third out, Victorino stole home and scored, a play you see in little league.

The Phillies will pitch Adam Eaton tomorrow. He is 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA. The Philles will need plenty of offense to support his poor pitching. Eaton will face future Hall of Famer and #2 on the strike out list, Randy Johnson.

The 6'10'' lefty fireballer is 5-7 with a 5.18 ERA. He may be nearing retirement but he can still screw up our lefties. Expect to see a batting line up of Werth, Utley, Rollins, Howard, Burrell to split up the lefties. The following 4 will be whoever.

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No, No, No! Leave Burnett Alone!

The Daily News is reporting that the Phillies have interest in Toronto Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett. Can someone please tell the front office that A.J. Burnett is not only an injury concern, but he's an outright shitty pitcher concern. He has control issues! We have two other pitchers in Brett Myers and Adam Eaton with control issues!

A.J. Burnett has never made 34 starts in his career. Also, he makes $12 million a year in 2009 and 2010 with a limited NTC that blocks trades to 15 teams. Oh, he can opt after this season too. Currently, his WHIP this year is a whopping 1.51! To give you a comparison, Adam Eaton and Brett Myers have a WHIP of 1.56. Yes, Burnett has been that bad.

This year, Burnett is giving up more line drives and fly balls than he has ever giving up in his career at 22% and 53% respectively. However, 15% of the flyballs he has allowed have been infield flies. Also, he has allowed less than 1 home run a a game.

One may argue that his defense in Toronto has not been that great. The Blue Jays have fielded only 67% of the balls hit in play and that is lower than normal. Also, his FIP of 3.62 would suggest that his ERA of would drop with better fielders behind him.

FIP is:

Fielding Independent Pitching, a measure of all those things for which a pitcher is specifically responsible. The formula is (HR*13+(BB+HBP-IBB)*3-K*2)/IP, plus a league-specific factor (usually around 3.2) to round out the number to an equivalent ERA number. FIP helps you understand how well a pitcher pitched, regardless of how well his fielders fielded. [Hardball Times]

So, would a move for Burnett be worth it? With his injury and contract concerns it is hard to say it would. The Blue Jays are interested in players like shortstop Jason Donald, catcher Lou Marson, and outfielder Greg Golson. Personally, I feel that if any of these trades involve Lou Marson, the Phillies have to say no. They have to begin to try and develop a future catcher because Coste is old and Ruiz is horrible offensively. Golson may become expendable if the Phillies decide to extend Pat Burrell, but we'll see. As of right now there are too many "ifs" surrounding A.J. Burnett and it is hard for me to see that any of them would be worth it. A.J. Burnett alone will not make this team a National League pennant contender.

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How Does He Do It?

Jamie Moyer has now allowed 3 runs or less in his last 7 starts. After today's 7-innings of one-earned work in a 4-1 win, Moyer has seen his ERA dip down to 3.95. Moyer improved to 8-6 on the season. I'm not sure anyone can explain how the old man continues to do it, but whatever it is -- I hope it continues.

Ryan Howard provided most off the offense today with 2 HRs(26,27) and 3 RBIs (83). Chase Utley provided the other run with an RBI double. The Phillies offense did manage 10 hits and 2 walks, while only striking out 3 times. They hit the ball hard most of the day, but a few them went right at the Cardinals.

The Phillies earned their 50th win of the year and their first series team over a team not named the Atlanta Braves since early June. The Phillies will have Arizona coming into town before the All-Star break and the pitching matchups are as follows:

Doug Davis (LHP) 3-4, 3.74 ERA vs Kyle Kendrick 8-3, 4.39 ERA
Randy Johnson (LHP) 5-7, 5.18 ERA vs Adam Eaton 3-7, 5.20 ERA
Brandon Webb (RHP)13-4, 3.27 ERA vs Cole Hamels 9-6, 3.18 ERA

The pitching match-ups do not exactly fair up great for the Phillies as they will face two left-handers and then one of the top pitched in the game in Brandon Webb. Also, the Phillies have not necessarily faired well in their careers against Doug Davis or Randy Johnson.

In other news, J.A. Happ has been optioned back to Triple A-Lehigh Valley. Why? Well the Phillies will likely not use a 5th starter until July 23rd against the New York Mets and the Phillies rather him pitch for someone during that long break rather than just sit around.

"We don't want him sitting 15 days without throwing in any games," Manuel said.

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Hail the RBI King!

Tonight, Ryan Howard became the first Phillies' player ever to have 80 RBIs before the all-star break. His 80th rbi was tonight's go-ahead run against the Cardinals in the 8th inning. Howard hit is 13th solo home run of the year (25th total) and he also added an RBI single.

Howard doesn't have as many home runs as he did in 2006 at the all-star break (28), but he does have 9 more RBIs (80-71) and we still have four games left. Also, Howard has always been substantially better after the all-star break in his career. The biggest knock to Howard's average has been his poor performance with no one on. Before tonight's solo home run, Howard came in to the game hitting 29-174 (.167) with 67 strikeouts and only 16 walks. He did have 12 solo home runs.

Howard just needs runners on to produce:
Runners On: 50-169 (.295) 12 home runs, 67 RBIs.
Scoring Position: 38-112 (.339) 9 home runs, 58 RBIs.
Scoring Position, 2 outs: 20-58 (.345) 3 home runs, 25 RBIs.

Howard does have only 10 hits in 60 at-bats, with 30 strike outs in close and late situations, I think those situations have been magnified, but he definitely was "clutch" tonight. J.A. Happ pitched well for the Phillies as he earned his first career quality start. He likely should have been pulled before the seventh inning for the "best" bullpen in baseball, but Manuel watched his starter get in a little bit of trouble before he yanked him.

Happ did not earn his first career win tonight, but the Phillies did beat the Cardinals 4-2 with late inning heroics by Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz. Also, it should be noted that tonight's winning pitcher, Clay Condrey, pitched a remarkable 8th inning as he struck out the side.

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We Hate to Lose Forum

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have created a We Hate to Lose Forum. To access the forum, you can click the previous link or you could click on "WTHL Forum" on the top menu bar. The forum was just created today, so give it some time. See what the forum has to offer...

With the forum, we plan to create game day threads, series threads, rumors threads, and etc. Also, it allows our readers to discuss all of their favorite teams at one website. I hope you enjoy it. At least come and stop by. Have a good day

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Thank you Hot Girl Phillies fans!

Seriously, the ratio of good-looking female fans to not so good-looking Phillies fans is at such a positive rate. Also, I'm proud to say that are female fans rarely wear the lame pink jerseys (alright if they were purchased to support Breast Cancer), but they wear real jerseys or the normal colors.

Whether they make their way to the stadium because of Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Pat Burrell, some other obscure player, or just their love for baseball, it is awesome. Take tonight for instance, in a game were Hamels pitched great again, the offense put another boring effort up on the scoreboard as they were shut out by Joel Piniero -- yeah, exactly, the hot fans at least give us something to look at. They also actually knew a little something about each hitter. Sometimes they're smarter than the average young male adult fan at the games.

So, thank you girl Phillies fans, you make these shitty four game losing streaks at home a little more tolerable. Keep wearing what you're wearing. Just think the less skin you cover, the better chance you have at being on the jumbotron!

Damnit, why is this team so shitty at home? Why!? A 2-0 shutout by Joel Piniero and friends? Seriously. Get your fucking heads out of your asses and learn how to hit in a HITTER'S PARK!

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We have a real fucking power forward!

Holy shit, when was the last time the Sixers actually had a power forward that could post up and actually score in the paint? DC, maybe? No need to worry anymore because the Sixers and Elton Brand have verbally agreed on a 5 year contract worth $82 million according to ESPN.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has informed the Sixers that he will accept a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million and spurn what was presumed to be a slam-dunk return to the Los Angeles Clippers to hook up with Clipper-to-be Baron Davis.

The Sixers cannot formally sign Brand before midnight, with Wednesday serving as the first day NBA teams can officially complete signings and trades after the lifting of a leaguewide moratorium, which began July 1.

As mentioned earlier in the day, the Sixers traded Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth, and a future first-round draft pick to Minnesota for a future seonc round pick.

Elton Brand will provide the post player that the Sixers have lacked for years and the Sixers should be a rebounding force with Brand and Dalembert in the front court, Young on the wing, and Iguodala and Miller in the back court. Also, the Sixers still have big-time rebounder Reggie Evans to come off the bench along with Jason Smith and first-round pick Mareese Speights.

Thank you Ed Stefanski. Please try to bring us a title. Now, go sign Iguodala and Louis Williams!

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Baseball Says Goodbye to Yankee Stadium.

It's the Midsummer Classic. The middle of July. Yes, All Star Weekend is here. This years game will be played in the House That Ruth Built. This is the final year the New York Yankees will play their games in the historic Yankee Stadium. A much better choice than Shea Stadium, also meeting its maker. That place smells like piss and looks like shit.

And what better way to bid the stadium that hosted 26 World Series Champions than saying goodbye in style. Sure the Yankees would love to win one more title there but the way their season looks, They might not even make it to October.

The jerseys worn during batting practise for both squads will don the Yankees colors. The away team, the National League, will wear grey jerseys resembling the Yankees away uniforms. The American League will wear a solid navy blue. It would have been more fitting that they wore pinstripes.


This is still a funny picture to me. Red Sox must be puking seeing their beloved Big Papi rocking the navy and grey. He isn't alone as Manny Ramirez, who was once rumored to go to New York a while back, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek, and JD Drew (what the fuck?) will be wearing them. They must be thrilled it isn't pinstriped.


That is a sight that Phillie fans pray they never ever see either.

Chase Utley will be joined by Brad Lidge and hopefully Pat Burrell, who has 2 shots to make it. First, if he doesn't make it as the 32nd man in a fan voting process (VOTE NOW YOU IDIOTS!), he may get in because starter Alfonso Soriano is injured.

Bon Jovi will be performing for the All Star game as well. He is probably the one rock star that we all will never admit liking. He's like Michael Jackson, minus the fucked up head.

All Star schedule according to MLB.com:
July 11-15
• DHL All-Star FanFest

July 13
• Taco Bell All-Star Sunday featuring:
• XM All-Star Futures Game
• Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game

July 14
• Gatorade All-Star Workout Day featuring:
• MLB All-Star Batting Practice
• State Farm Home Run Derby

July 15
• MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet
• 79th MLB All-Star Game

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Sixers to trade Carney to Minnesota

The Sixers will be sending Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth, and a future first round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves to clear cap space, so the Sixers can make a run at either Elton Brand or Josh Smith. [Comcast Sportsnet]

The move would free up nearly $2-4 million in cap space, but it'd leave their bench pretty thin as Carney was one of their better options off the bench in terms of a shooter. It is not clear of what the compensation will be because the source spoke in anominity due to the fact no deals can be announced as official until tomorrow.

Also, the ESPN's sources say that the Sixers are very much in the mix to land Elton Brand. Though he is higher in age, I'd actually prefer Elton Brand's style over Josh Smith's. Elton Brand is a career 20 and 10 guy, who also gets 2 blocks per game and nearly 3 assists. He does not have the same athletic ability as Smith, but he shoots at higher percentages and he is a better rebounder, which will help lead the Sixers out on the fast break.

We'll see what happens tomorrow as it is the first day that teams can officially sign players. Elton Brand already has a 5 year offer of between 85 and 95 million sitting on the table from Golden State. Is the weak Eastern Conference enough to lure Brand away from the West Coast? He did grow up on the East Coast.

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Phrustration

So, here is how my holiday weekend went:

Thursday - Work all night, hear Phillies pull of sweep of Braves. Incredibily excited.

Friday - Work all day and night, hear about Victorino's walk-off single, get extremely excited. I feel as if June has left us and July brings positive signs.

Saturday - Work all night, hear about how the bullpen blew a Phillies win. I have to hear it from Mets co-workers. It's alright to deal with. Bullpen was due for a let down.

Sunday - Watch the Phillies offense struggle again. Watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia during rain delay. Play wiffle ball until Phillies return to play. Watch Phillies offense struggle in extra innings. Watch Fernando Tatis homer and dance at home. Get Frustrated.

Monday - Drive to Philly to see the game live. Watch Adam Eaton give up 8 runs through 3 innings. Watch Phillies storm back to make it 10-9. Watch the symbolic season right before my eyes: So close, but oh so far.

Today - Drive back to Philly in hopes of seeing Hamels pitch a great game and the offense actually support him.

Is it me or does it seem like the offense needs to be down a few runs early to light a spark under their asses. It is a little bothersome, but what can we do about it? The team doesn't own a .300 currently and there has been very little of a model of consistency, outside of maybe Pat Burrell in the Phillies lineup. Sure he's not knocking in the runs like he was in April, but that is largely due to Ryan Howard's climb to the top of the RBI chart.

Vote for Burrell!

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