Oh well Uncle Chuck. I guess you won't have a pretty Manager of the Year trophy to go next to that shiny World Series ring you have. As the trend continues, Manuel became the 6th championship manager since 2000 to not win the top skipper award.
Anyway, Rays skipper Joe Maddon ran away with the AL award and Piniella won his third title (first in the NL) in a tight race in his respective league. Maddon got the Rays their first playoff berth and pennant while Piniella coached the Cubs to their 2nd straight playoff berth since 1908.
The next big race for Philadelphia is the NL MVP award where Ryan Howard is among a number of considerations that include Carlos Delgado, Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn, David Wright, and Lance Berkman.
In other news. Tim Lincecum of the Giants won the NL Cy Young award.
ESPN is reporting that World Series Game 5 is now postponed until Wednesday night at the earliest. Let me reiterate, everyone outside of Major League Baseball knew that it would rain and be freezing last night. WHY NOT PUSH THE GAME UP?
During the entire top half of the 6th, we had to hear Joe Buck gargle Rays semen when he was mentioning how the rain effects their running game. However, he failed to meantion how terrible it is for Cole to pitch out there and how tough it is for the defense. Oh wait, the PHILLIES run a lot too. In fact, they're the most effective base-stealing team in baseball.
The biggest problem that I have is why the game was not suspended after 5. No one in Philadelphia wants to win cheap. The game should have been resumed in the the top of the 6th, so both teams had a fair opportunity OFFENSIVELY and DEFENSIVELY to complete the game. Since the top of the sixth was played, the Phillies should have been able to bat in the bottom of the sixth while the Rays had to play in that shit.
I really don't know how Bud Selig could say it was fair. Also, I don't think the Rays scoring truly lead to the suspension because it looked like there were plans to call it before that inning was even completed. However, if that was the case, why not suspend it at 5? Cole Hamels was forced to throw all fastball because his curveball and change-up were completely ineffective with the wind and rain.
I'm not mad about the suspension at all. Shit happens, it's mother nature. I'm just upset at when the umpires that the game should be suspended as if the weather drastically changed going from the 5th to the 6th and after a half inning.
Major League Baseball continues to try and improve ratings after the strike, but Bud Selig continues to proove that he is a failure at his job and he needs to leave as soon as possible.
Game 5 has been suspended, nicely after the Rays tied the game up @ 2. The game is suspended until 8 pm tomorrow at the earliest. We'll see what happens. Hold on to your tickets if you have them because you'll need them to return to the stadium whenever the game continues.
If Pena had not tied it, Selig said he would not have let the Phillies win with a game that was called after six innings.
''It's not a way to end a World Series,'' he said. ''I would not have allowed a World Series to end this way.''
Ugh, so why not suspend it after 5? Why make one team go out and pitch in that mess? Bud Selig is such an epic failure. MLB is continually an epic fail.
They knew the rain was coming. MLB should have moved the game up earlier in the night. This is why you don't start games @ 8:35 in the Northeast. MLB does not need to rely on TV ratings that much. A 7pm start would not lower the ratings by much. 5:35 is still part of rush hour on the west coast.
Joe Blanton, you are my hero. Joe Blanton came out and was dealing. He had great stuff and was able to get ahead in the count more times than not. What may overshadow his great pitching performance was his one swing of the bat. After allowing a solo home run to Eric Hinske, Blanton returned the favor in the bottom of the inning. He blasted a solo home run of his own into the left field seats. It was the first time that a pitcher hit a home run in the World Series since 1974. It was also Blanton's first home run ever. He'll remember this forever.
Back to his pitching, he threw 6+ innings and struck out 7. The only runs he allowed came off 2 solo home runs. Blanton was very efficient and did a great job of getting ground outs when the wind was blowing out. Joe Blanton has stepped up in all 3 of his starts this postseason, giving the Phillies offense an opportunity to win games. The Phillies improved to 12-4 in his starts. Much of improvement since coming over the Phillies has been the increase in his strike-out rate, which was a problem earlier this season in Oakland. His slider was nasty last night.
Uh oh, the sleeping beast has been awoken. Last night, Ryan Howard exploded for 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. In September, Howard showed that he could carry this team. Hopefully, he can carry this team for just one more win. Jimmy Rollins also continued his breakout party going 3-5 with 3 runs scored. When Rollins does score, the Phillies have impressive win-loss record. I have a feeling he'll set the tempo once again tonight. Last night before the game I was talking with someone and I mentioned with the likes of Blanton and Sonnanstine, I'd expect a high-scoring game. Not necessarily because of their stuff, but because they were both relatively fly ball pitchers this postseason and the wind was blowing out in Citizen's Bank Park. Sonnanstine, lacking overpowering stuff, left his pitches up and the Phillies made him pay. Though it wasn't the best of the Rays bullpen, the Phillies scored 5 runs in 4 innings. All of the runs came because of the long ball.
There's one guy left that needs to join the party and that is Pat Burrell. The longest tenured Phillie is due and I'd expect something big from him tonight. He will not go down without a fight. He has come up with big hits this postseason and I'd expect something great from him during this series.
We're one game away! We're one game away from getting this monkey off our back. We're one game away from being declared the World Champions. This team needs to focus and do the same job they did all year.
We're on the doorstep of history. Make it happen Phils! You Gotta Believe!
The Phillies have just beat Tampa 10-2 in Game 4 of the World Series. Ryan Howard's 2 home run, 5 RBI night was just a sign of the sleeping giant being awoken. Can you fucking feel it right now? We're one win away from being crowned the best team in baseball!
Philly is going to be a mess tomorrow. Check in tomorrow for a full recap of the game! Right now, I need to go out an enjoy this! And here is the rest of it.
The first game ever played at Citizen's Bank Park was an epic one. It was a little before 2AM when Carlos Ruiz knocked in the winning run with the bases loaded. Ruiz's swinging bunt went just enough to allow Eric Bruntlett to beat the throw home. The Fightin' Phils won 5-4 and we're now up 2-1 in the World Series. See the excitement in the video I was able to capture below.
Yesterday was such an emotional day for myself and my friends. We were down along the field during the pre-game shows and interviews and we were overcame with a bunch of emotions. As youngsters, we've all drempt about being a professional baseball player playing on the World Series. Our Phillies are living the dream right now and they're making the best of it.
Jamie Moyer was at the parade at 1980. The Phillies were his hometown team. He was a local youngster just like the rest of us. The Phillies are now the team he plays for and there was nothing stopping him from helping the Phillies move closer to a World Series trophy. Jamie was phenomenal last night throwing 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 ER and striking out 5. He likely would have finished the 7th if it had not been for an awful call by the first base umpire. Moyer's performance was just amazing though and everyone knew how bad he felt after his first two starts this postseason. Jamie has had many memorable wins during his tenure here and though he didn't get the win last night, it will probably be the game he will be remembered for the most as a Phillie. He stepped up for us and it was huge. Everyone pegged game 3 as a huge pitching advantage for the Rays. Well, advantage us.
Offensively, it was only due time before Rollins broke out of his slump and he did so early when he started off the game with a single. After a wild pitch that moved Rollins and Werth up a base, Utley grounded out to second to get the run home. The Phillies have an exceptional record when Rollins is on base and scores. Nothing stopped that last night. The Rays would later tie it with an RBI ground-out of their own, but Carlos Ruiz put the Phillies back on top immediately with a solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd. We ragged on Carlos' offense all year, but he's stepping up for us right now. Before every at-bat he was getting a loud ovation last night. Times have changed.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Phillies big combo of Utley and Howard hit back-to-back home runs. It was only due time before Howard joined in on the fun, and here it is from behind section 114.
The Rays later tied it at 4 after some things didn't go our way, but it only set up the epic 9th inning for the Phillies. This is Philly. It will never be easy. JC Romero pitched 1.1 innings and got the win. Often-mouthy Grant Balfour got the loss for the Rays.
Last night, the Phillies bats were alive to reach base, but died epicly as soon as the lead-off man was on base. Their struggles with RISP continued last night as they're now 1-28 in the series. Their only RBIs came after an error (though it should have been scored a shit) and a ground out. The Phillies reached base 14 times last night, but only 2 guys could cross the plate, one by an Eric Bruntlett home run.
Hopefully, some home cooking, the Philly crowd, and Citizen's Bank Park will wake the bats up or the Phillies are in for a rude awakening. There were some bright spots. Carlos Ruiz played great last night and is playing the best he's played all year during the postseason. Even on his outs, he's been hitting the ball hard. His at-bats would have proved even better if Rollins, Werth, and Utley could knock him in.
In regards to pitching, Myers did a great job. Some breaks didn't go his way whether it be because of the umpire or just hits that found a hole. What can you do, right? Going into the game, many experts felt that Myers would be completely outmatched, but that was not the case. Yes, he gave up 3 earned runs, but he pitched 7 strong innings, only needing 85 innings to do so. If the Phillies were leding, there was a possibility that he could go 8 or 9 innings without a problem. I was extremely impressed with his performance last night and that makes me feel much better about the series, the deeper it goes.
J.C. Romero also came in and pitched well in his inning of relief. It's been a long lay off for him and these bullpen guys needed the rest at the end of the year. I'd expect to see Durbin, Romero, and Madson to remain sharp throughout the series.
Check in tomorrow to read about what I think the Phillies might need to do to fix their lineup problems.
Throughout the 2008 regular and postseason, we have been able to watch the Phillies win 100 of their games. Their 100th win came last night on the biggest stage as the Phillies stole homefield advantage with a 3-2 victory in game 1 of the World Series.
King Cole took the mound and continued his postseason masterpiece. He is in the midst of putting together one of the best postseason performances in Major League history. In 4 starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA.
Last night, Cole threw 7 strong innings and before some middle inning trouble, he was on pace for an easy complete game. He did a great job of keeping the Rays' hitters off balance and his only real mistake on the night was a hanging curveball that Carl Crawford hit into the right field seats. Thank you Chase Utley. His 2-run home run in the first inning shut those fucking cow bells up. Seriously, I felt like last night's game was being played in Japan. Is it that necessary to have noisemakers to create a loud atmosphere? Are their fans really that lame and boring? Carlos Ruiz later pushed the lead to 3-0 with a RBI ground out. The offense did have their problems. They struggled mightily with RISP hitting 0-15 with only 1 RBI. Things will have to change if the Phillies are going to win 3 more games this series. Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, specifically, really need to get it going.
Lastly, how good of a combo have Madson and Lidge become? They both pitched perfect 8th and 9th innings to get te job done. Madson struck out Upton to end te 8th with a beautiful change-up. Lidge got both Pena and Longoria to chase sliders before getting Carl Crawford to pop up in foul territory. It was a great win to answer all the questions about the long lay-off. This is our year! We're three wins away from our destiny!
This is it. We are one day away. We're a little more than 24 hours away from watching the Phillies play their first World Series game in 15 years. 80-08 seems to be what the Philly faithful hopes reverses the Philadelphia-Tampa trend. Will the simple reversal of dates reverse the past?
For those who don't know, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Eagles and Flyers on route to their first ever World Championships. However, both the Eagles and Flyers won the first ever postseason meetings between the respected Tampa teams. Which trend will hold?
The Phillies have the opportunity to stop the city's 25 year drought without a championship. Instead of the "It has to end at some point" mentality, I'd like to use the "It will end in 2008."
Now, it is time to evaluate the teams playing in this Fall Classic. Also, mark my word, this World Series will play out better than anything the Red Sox and Dodgers could have offered. Thank the Phillies and the Rays outsiders. They're the reason that you may be able to tolerate Joe Buck for entire World Series. Offensively, during the regular season, the Phillies scored more runs in the NL than Rays scored with a DH in the AL. They did all of this without using a DH. As a whole, I like the Phillies better than the Rays. Both teams lacked a player hitting over .300 in the season, but they did hit a lot of home run (214-180 Phillies edge).
During the postseason, the Rays averaged 5.8 runs per game compared to 4.44 for the Phillies. Both teams relied heavily on the long ball to move to continue their postseason run. Hey, when you have power in the lineup, why is that a bad thing? Both teams strike out a lot and both teams have a tremendous amount of speed on the basepaths. The Phillies are also the best in terms of stealing bases effectively at an 84% rate.
In terms of experience, the edge still goes to the Phillies. The Rays are a young team and a veteran guy like Jamie Moyer might be able to use that to his advantage. However, it is the World Series and it is hard to judge how the hitting will be when both teams have barely, if at all, faced the opposing pitchers.
When it comes to the rotation, the Rays have the better staff. While Hamels is easily the best pitcher in the World Series, Shields, Garza, and Sonnanstine are better than the rest of our staff. Brett Myers can be good, but you never know what he'll give you. He can throw 8 quality innings or three innings of bad pitching. He is one guy that will show you what he has in the first or second inning to give you an idea on how the night will fair. James Shields is a far more consistent pitcher and has practically become the Rays "ace."
The game 3 match-up is probably the most lopsided match-up of the series. Matt Garza, the ALCS MVP, will face off against a struggling Jamie Moyer. Garza has been great this postseason, but he will walk a few guys here and there. The Phillies will have to try and do what the White Sox did and be patient with him. Make him pitch to them. Jamie Moyer has a good career track record against Tampa Bay and pitching against young Florida teams in general, but that doesn't mean shit right now. Moyer will have to step it up in game 3. He could be the difference maker in the series.
In game 4, we'll likely see Andy Sonnanstine against Joe Blanton. They're both virtually the same style of pitcher. They're flyball pitchers who rely more on their defense than striking guys out. They've both pitched well this postseason for being at the backend of the rotation. With the game being in Philly, the wind and cold could expect how the game plays out.
If the series does extend past 5 games, the Rays will have a significant advantage in games 6 & 7, especially in Tampa. Pitching in the NL, the Phillies allowed 3.2 runs per game. The Rays allowed 3.72.
Both teams have a good bullpen, but I'll give the back end of the bullpen advantage to the Phillies. It is really hard to compete with Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge right now. They've been a great 1-2 punch to close out game for the Phillies. The Rays will likely rely on J.P Howell and David Price to close out games, and it'll be hard to score late on them. It'll be interesting to see if the whole "pitching in Philly" mirage gets in the head of their youngsters.
In the postseason, the Phillies entire staff allowed 3.2 runs per game. The Rays allowed 3.72. We're dealing with two good lineups and two good pitching staffs. So, we're without the Sox. We're without Mannywood. We're without Torre vs. Francona. In this series, it is set up to see some very good games that will keep the attention of even the casual fan.
So, I will leave you with this Philadelphia fans. This team will either be the start of a new era or just another story shelved in the library of disappointments. Whatever happens, keep your head up with this team. I know, it sounds very hypocritical coming from me, but keep your head up. Take it all in stride. Everyone is picking against us. No one outside of the "City of Brotherly Love" understands how much we need this. My gut instincts say we'll finally get the final prize.
This song was created by Philadelphia's own Canadian Invasion. The vocalist could use some work, but I like the tune.
...and we'll sing come on Phils, come on Phils, come on Phils, come on Phils, fight.
We Hate to Lose began in October 2007. The initial purpose of the website was to provide news updates and commentary on all four major sports teams in Philadelphia. Because of time-constraints, in April of 2009, I decided to post only on my first-love, the Philadelphia Phillies.
My name is Justin Evans and I hope you enjoy the site.
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