There is nothing new to report
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled to Atlanta tonight to begin a series with the Braves. Back in action after missing a couple starts with an injury,J.A Happ got the start and pitched well, but he tweaked his injury again and had to leave after the 3rd inning. Fortunately, Kyle Kendrick picked up the slack tossing 4 scoreless innings in relief, to help limit Atlanta to just 1 run on 8 hits through 7. Meanwhile, the Phils put up 3 runs during that time, thanks to a 2 run blast by Ryan Howard in the 4th inning, and a solo shot by Howard in the 6th inning. A 2 run single by Jayson Werth in the 8th inning push the lead to 5-1, before Tyler Walker allowed Atlanta to cut it to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning. The Phils put it away for good in the 9th inning with a 3 run homer by Jimmy Rollins and a solo homer by Ben Francisco pushing the lead to 9-3. Finally in the bottom of the 9th, after allowing a run Chad Durbin closed out a 9-4 win, their 6th in a row. Tonight was just another case of Mr.September wielding his magic. This 2 homer night is exactly what you expect to see out of Howard this time of year and it move him to 40 hrs on the season now, his 4th straight season with at least 40 homers and 120 RBIs. The record for such seasons in a row is 6. It was a downer though to see Happ reinjure himself. Hopefully it's not too serious and he'll be back again, but if not it seems Kyle Kendrick or Jamie Moyer can easily pick up the slack. What an advantage it is to have so many strong arms on one team. Speaking of injuries the prognosis for Chan Ho Park was not too bad, as he is expected to only miss 2-3 weeks, so he'll be back before the end of the season. So anyway the Phils move to 86-60 overall now and remain 8 games up in the NL East. Oh and since it is that time of year their magic number is currently 9 with 16 games to play.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Nationals tonight, as they looked to get the sweep. Cole Hamels got the start and was untouchable again allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 10 in 8 brilliant innings. Meanwhile the Phils lineup had another slow night. It took them to the 5th inning to get on the board with an RBI double by Jimmy Rollins. In the 6th inning Carlos Ruiz worked a bases loaded walk and Hamels himself slapped an RBI single to put the Phils up 3-0. Finally in the 7th 2 wild pitches allowed Chase Utley to manufacture a 4th run. Thus, heading into the 9th inning the Phils lead 4-1. Brad Lidge then came in to get the save in the 9th and he managed to get the job done despite allowing yet another run, to give the Phils their 5th straight win. How well is Hamels pitching now? He's like a totally different guy out there all of a sudden. Maybe all he needed was for it to be fall again. That it when he is usually at his best after all. So anyway the Phils move to 85-60 overall now and still 7.5 games up in the NL East.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Nationals tonight as Joe Blanton took the mound looking to redeem himself after a subpar showing in his last outing. He did that and more tossing 6 scoreless innings while striking out 7 on just 5 hits. Meanwhile, the Phils used some clutch play to put up 6 runs over the 1st 7 innings. In the 1st, with 2 on and 2 out, a double steal got the Phils their 1st run, with a successful steal of 2nd base by Ryan Howard opening the door for Chase Utley to steal home. An error by Ian Desmond allowed Raul Ibanez to score the Phils 2nd run of the night in the 6th inning. Finally in the 7th inning after Ibanez toughed out a 9 pitch walk to load the bases, Jayson Werth broke the game wide open with a grand slam. Just like that it was 6-0 Phils. They still needed another 6 outs though. Ryan Madson and Tyler Walker combined to get them and hold off Washington 6-1. Ryan Howard now has 7 stolen bases this season. Who would have even dreamed that a year ago. Werth's homer was his 34th of the season. He might just hit 40 which would be rarified air for a Phillies player. Only 6 Phils have ever hit 40 homers in a season, Chuck Klein, Cy Williams, Ryan Howard, Jim Thome, Dick Allen and of course Mike Schmidt. The only bad news for the Phils tonight is that stud reliever Chan Ho Park badly injured his hamstring while pitching in the 7th inning tonight. Fortunately J.C Romero is back with the Phils again after a stint on the DL and Clay Condrey looks to be back from his time on the DL shortly. So they can get by right now without Park, but it will be a huge blow if it turns out that Park is done for the season. Anyway so the Phls move to 86-40 overall now and remain 7 games up in the NL East.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils welcomed the Nationals to the Bank tonight to begin a new series. Cliff Lee got the start and after 2 less than Cliff Lee outings, he was magnificent again tonight, tossing a 6 hit complete game shutout while striking out 9. Meanwhile, the Phils racked up 5 runs in the 1st 2 innings for an early lead they would never relinquish. In the 1st, Chase Utley slapped an RBI single. In the 2nd, Carlos Ruiz lined a 3 run double into the gap, and Jimmy Rollins slapped an RBI single for a 5-0 lead. Thanks to Lee that's how it ended. It was fantastic to see Lee acting like a big game pitcher again. Hopefully he'll now carry what he did tonight into the rest of the season because the Phils are going to need to keep pitching well like this. The Phils have now won 3 games in a row at just right time, as the Florida Marlins, 2nd in the NL East, dropped 3 in a row. So at 83-60 overall the Phils now lead the NL East by 7 games. That's pretty sweet if you ask me.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles continued their wheeling and dealing today amidst some bad news. First the bad news is that once again Offensive lineman Shawn Andrews is done for the season thanks to the back injury he suffered during training camp. As of yet the Birds have not added another lineman to the roster to fill his spot. However, they have released WR Hank Baskett to open up the roster space needed to add another lineman. The speculation was that of the Eagles 7 recievers, Reggie Brown was the most vulnerable to being released by the team. Instead it is Baskett who gets the old heave ho. Anyway now that he is gone this means there is room for the Birds to bring back Jon Runyan to fill in gap left by Andrew's loss.
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers have made another interesting offseason move, reacquiring ex first round draft pick Rodney Carney to add depth to their bench. A light's out 3 point shooter at times, Carney is a solid addition to this team. It will be interesting to see what he can bring to the table now after being away from the Sixers for a bit.
Monday, September 14, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils are off today so it is time to continue the countdown of the Phils 25 most memorable player knicknames No.s 10 - 6.
10. "Big Ed" aka OF Ed Delahanty.
The Phils first star player and Baseball's first great power hitter, is arguably the Phils all-time greatest hitter. In fact from 1888 to 1903 he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, batting .400 or better 3 times, slamming 10 or more homers in the dead-ball era, 3 times, Topping 120 RBIs 4 times, and racking up 200 or more hits 3 times. His .410 batting average in 1899 is the still the highest single season mark in Phils history. He was the first Philto hit 4 homers in a game in which the Phils took the loss of course. He was also just the 2nd Phil to be inducted into the hall of fame(Grover Cleveland Alexander was the first) So why isn't he remembered more by the Phils as an all-time great. Is it just because he played so long ago? Perhaps, but the real reason is the mystery behind his sudden death in 1903, a death that robbed him of the ability to put up lasting career numbers. No one really knows what happened on that cold night in Niagara Falls NY, after a drunk Delahanty was kicked off the train crossing the bridge over the falls. At some point Delahanty decided to traverse the bridge on foot, and either plummeted to his death in a druken stupor or threw himself off the bridge in a fit of suicidal rage. Ethier way he was never seen again and his body was found the next day, cutting short a great baseball career. Oh and Ed's nickname came from the fact that at 6-1 170 LBs he was a godzilla of a man in his day. With 101 homers in the deadball era he must have been Godzilla.
9. "Puddin Head" aka 3B Willie Jones.
When your teammates don't think too highly of your mental acumen, puddin head is what they call you, as in mush for brains. You get the idea. With 27 errors in 1949, 25 in 1950 and at least 10 or more in 10 consecutive seasons from 1949-1958 it's no wonder Jones inherited the knickname for the mentally challenged. Still, he was a pretty good hitter, particularly as the 3B for the whiz kids in 1950. That he year he batted .267 with 25 HRs 88 RBIs, 28 doubles, 163 hits, and 100 runs scored, just good enough for his first all-star game appearance. He had one more good season in 1951, with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs and another all-star game appearance. From them on he toiled in mediocrity for the rest of his career, before chronically sore feet and all those mental mistakes forced him to retire in 1961. Despite the foot pain and the mental challenges, Jones still managed to amass an impressive 190 HRs, 812 RBIs, and 1502 Hits in his career, all near the top of the Phils all-time lists. Plus Puddin Head is just too priceless a nickname to leave off this list.
8. "The Flyin Hawaiian" aka CF Shane Victorino.
Yeah he's Hawaiian but that's not where this nickname comes from. Suffice it to say this guy can flat out fly. Whether it's around the bases or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Victorino's speed never fails to impress. Since 2007 only Jimmy Rollins has more stolen bases for the Phils than Victorino's 96 and no one has fewer errors since 2007 then Victorino's 6. He simply tracks down every ball that comes his way and his arm is 2nd to none. At just 5-9 and 160 lbs Victorino is not big in stature by any means, but he has the heart of the champion and you can't measure that. Time and time again it was Victorino who saved his team in 2008. There was the perfect throw off 1 hop to gun down Gregor Blanco at the plate and preserve a win in Atlanta. There was the grand slam off C.C Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS. There was the leaping 1 handed catch to preserve victory against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS. There was the game tying 2 run homer in game 4 of the NLCS. Finally, there was the go ahead single early in game 5 of the world series. You name it Shane did it for the Phils last season. For that he'll never be forgotten.
7."Mr.September" aka 1B Ryan Howard.
Sometimes one month brings out the best in a player year after year. For Reggie Jackson it was October. For Derek Jeter it was ,for a fleeting moment, November. For Ryan Howard it is unequivocally September. If it's the thick of the playoff race in September and the Phils need a hit, Howard is usually the guy to get it. For his career in September Howard is averaging 11 homers, 26 RBIs, and 26 hits, all impressive numbers for anybody after a long grueling season. Starting in 2005 Howard has simply been the man for the Phils in September. That year compiled 11 homers and 27 RBIs in september. In 2006 he racked up 9 homers and 21 RBIs and went on to win the NL MVP award. In 2007 he smashed 11 homers and knocked in 26 runs. Finally last season Howard took it to a new level with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. It's no wonder that after all those years and all those heroics that his teammates couldn't resist giving Howard the nickname Mr. September. He's earned it.
6."The Bull" aka LF Greg Luzinski.
A key member of the 1980 world champions, Luzinksi is probably responsible for more titanic blasts than any other player in Phils history, even Howard. Like a Bull he put a charge into every ball he hit and the outcome was often a monstrous homerun. 5 times in his career with the Phils he hit 20 homers or more and 3 times with the Phils he knocked in 100 runs or more. Unfortunately with all the power there came a lot of strikeouts as well. In fact Luzinski is still top 5 on the Phils all-time homerun and strikeout lists with 223 and 1098 respectively. The greatest weakness for Luzinski though was always his defense. He didn't have the speed nor the wherewithall to track down most balls, nor the arm strength to throw most runners out. This cost him more than once during big moments and led the Phillies to surprisingly ship him out of town following the 1980 season. In fact many fans were devastated the Phils let him go, proof that sometimes hitting a lot of homers is enough to win the fan base. Say what you want about the defense and the strikeouts, but more than anything else Luzinski will be remembered for the brute strength he so often exhibited and the parabolic blasts he often put on display. No Bull.
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10. "Big Ed" aka OF Ed Delahanty.
The Phils first star player and Baseball's first great power hitter, is arguably the Phils all-time greatest hitter. In fact from 1888 to 1903 he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, batting .400 or better 3 times, slamming 10 or more homers in the dead-ball era, 3 times, Topping 120 RBIs 4 times, and racking up 200 or more hits 3 times. His .410 batting average in 1899 is the still the highest single season mark in Phils history. He was the first Philto hit 4 homers in a game in which the Phils took the loss of course. He was also just the 2nd Phil to be inducted into the hall of fame(Grover Cleveland Alexander was the first) So why isn't he remembered more by the Phils as an all-time great. Is it just because he played so long ago? Perhaps, but the real reason is the mystery behind his sudden death in 1903, a death that robbed him of the ability to put up lasting career numbers. No one really knows what happened on that cold night in Niagara Falls NY, after a drunk Delahanty was kicked off the train crossing the bridge over the falls. At some point Delahanty decided to traverse the bridge on foot, and either plummeted to his death in a druken stupor or threw himself off the bridge in a fit of suicidal rage. Ethier way he was never seen again and his body was found the next day, cutting short a great baseball career. Oh and Ed's nickname came from the fact that at 6-1 170 LBs he was a godzilla of a man in his day. With 101 homers in the deadball era he must have been Godzilla.
9. "Puddin Head" aka 3B Willie Jones.
When your teammates don't think too highly of your mental acumen, puddin head is what they call you, as in mush for brains. You get the idea. With 27 errors in 1949, 25 in 1950 and at least 10 or more in 10 consecutive seasons from 1949-1958 it's no wonder Jones inherited the knickname for the mentally challenged. Still, he was a pretty good hitter, particularly as the 3B for the whiz kids in 1950. That he year he batted .267 with 25 HRs 88 RBIs, 28 doubles, 163 hits, and 100 runs scored, just good enough for his first all-star game appearance. He had one more good season in 1951, with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs and another all-star game appearance. From them on he toiled in mediocrity for the rest of his career, before chronically sore feet and all those mental mistakes forced him to retire in 1961. Despite the foot pain and the mental challenges, Jones still managed to amass an impressive 190 HRs, 812 RBIs, and 1502 Hits in his career, all near the top of the Phils all-time lists. Plus Puddin Head is just too priceless a nickname to leave off this list.
8. "The Flyin Hawaiian" aka CF Shane Victorino.
Yeah he's Hawaiian but that's not where this nickname comes from. Suffice it to say this guy can flat out fly. Whether it's around the bases or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Victorino's speed never fails to impress. Since 2007 only Jimmy Rollins has more stolen bases for the Phils than Victorino's 96 and no one has fewer errors since 2007 then Victorino's 6. He simply tracks down every ball that comes his way and his arm is 2nd to none. At just 5-9 and 160 lbs Victorino is not big in stature by any means, but he has the heart of the champion and you can't measure that. Time and time again it was Victorino who saved his team in 2008. There was the perfect throw off 1 hop to gun down Gregor Blanco at the plate and preserve a win in Atlanta. There was the grand slam off C.C Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS. There was the leaping 1 handed catch to preserve victory against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS. There was the game tying 2 run homer in game 4 of the NLCS. Finally, there was the go ahead single early in game 5 of the world series. You name it Shane did it for the Phils last season. For that he'll never be forgotten.
7."Mr.September" aka 1B Ryan Howard.
Sometimes one month brings out the best in a player year after year. For Reggie Jackson it was October. For Derek Jeter it was ,for a fleeting moment, November. For Ryan Howard it is unequivocally September. If it's the thick of the playoff race in September and the Phils need a hit, Howard is usually the guy to get it. For his career in September Howard is averaging 11 homers, 26 RBIs, and 26 hits, all impressive numbers for anybody after a long grueling season. Starting in 2005 Howard has simply been the man for the Phils in September. That year compiled 11 homers and 27 RBIs in september. In 2006 he racked up 9 homers and 21 RBIs and went on to win the NL MVP award. In 2007 he smashed 11 homers and knocked in 26 runs. Finally last season Howard took it to a new level with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. It's no wonder that after all those years and all those heroics that his teammates couldn't resist giving Howard the nickname Mr. September. He's earned it.
6."The Bull" aka LF Greg Luzinski.
A key member of the 1980 world champions, Luzinksi is probably responsible for more titanic blasts than any other player in Phils history, even Howard. Like a Bull he put a charge into every ball he hit and the outcome was often a monstrous homerun. 5 times in his career with the Phils he hit 20 homers or more and 3 times with the Phils he knocked in 100 runs or more. Unfortunately with all the power there came a lot of strikeouts as well. In fact Luzinski is still top 5 on the Phils all-time homerun and strikeout lists with 223 and 1098 respectively. The greatest weakness for Luzinski though was always his defense. He didn't have the speed nor the wherewithall to track down most balls, nor the arm strength to throw most runners out. This cost him more than once during big moments and led the Phillies to surprisingly ship him out of town following the 1980 season. In fact many fans were devastated the Phils let him go, proof that sometimes hitting a lot of homers is enough to win the fan base. Say what you want about the defense and the strikeouts, but more than anything else Luzinski will be remembered for the brute strength he so often exhibited and the parabolic blasts he often put on display. No Bull.
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EAGLES NEWS
Donovan Mcnabb's status for this weekend is still in question but the Eagles aren't taking any chances. They signed Jeff Garcia to a 1 year deal today and for now he is officially Kevin Kolb's backup. Of course with Micheal Vick back in week 3 and Mcnabb possibly healthy by then, if not this week, this could be a short stay for Garcia. The funny thing is that Eagles brought in Garcia only because A.J Feeley was signed by the Carolina Panthers, the same Panthers the Eagles drubbed 38-10 last weekend. If Feeley had still been available he probably would have been back here instead.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles began their regular season this afternoon in Carolina against the Panthers. It was from beginning to end a surprisingly impressive performance by the Birds. The defense in particular was dominant all afternoon. They forced 7 turnovers, sacked the Panther quarterbacks 5 times, and held the Panthers to under 200 yds passing and under 100 yds rushing. It just seemed like everything the Eagles threw at Carolina defensively worked too perfection. Offensively the Birds actually didn't do that much, but they didn't have to, as Victor Abiamiri returned a fumble for a TD and Desean Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a TD to give the Eagles an early lead. When the Eagles offense did get on the field though it played pretty well, especially the running game which amassed 185 yards and 2 TDs. Donovan Mcnabb himself, didn't do much in this one completing 10 of his 18 passes for just 79 yards and 2 TDs, mostly because the Eagles field position was so good all afternoon. Early on things didn't look good as Carolina drove right down the field and into the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead. It was all Eagles from there. In the 1st quarter David Akers kicked a 49 yd field goal. In the 2nd quarter Abiamiri and Jackon each produced their scores, and Mcnabb fired touchdown passes to Brent Celek and Brian Westbrook late in the first half to give the Eagles a 31-10 halftime lead. Midway through the 3rd quarter Mcnabb put Carolina away for good with a 3yd TD run to push the lead to 38-10 and that's how it ended. Unfortunately, Mcnabb fractured his rib on the play, while fighting to get in the end zone and is now listed as questionable for the Eagles next game next weekend. With no 3rd string QB currently on the roster, the Eagles next week will have no one, unless they bring someone else in, to backup Kevin Kolb should he get the call to duty. So hopefully Mcnabb will be alright to play next week or the Birds will be in a whole host of trouble.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Mets today with a doublheader. In the first game of the doubleheader Kyle Kendrick got the spot start and pitched surprisingly well allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 and 1/3rd innings. Meanwhile, the Phils scattered 5 runs over 8 innings, with a RBI double by Ryan Howard in the 1st, a solo homer by Ben Francisco in the 4th, a 2 run homer by "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino in the 6th, and an RBI single by Andy Tracy, recently called up from AAA Lehigh, in the 8th inning. Thus the Phils took a 5-2 lead into the 9th inning. Then in came Brad Lidge for the save and again it wasn't pretty but this time he got it done. After allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, Lidge managed to strike out Angel Pagan to at last close out a 5-4 win. In the 2nd game of the doubleheader Pedro Martinez got the start and tossed a gem, going 8 scoreless innings, while allowing just 6 hits and striking out 7. Meanwhile, the Phils managed to get a run in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Chase Utley, but they too could not score after that. Thanks to Pedro they didn't need too. Carlos Ruiz also helped to preserve the 1-0 lead, gunning down Daniel Murphy at 3rd base as he attempted to advance from 2nd on a wild pitch. Then in the 9th in came Ryan Madson to get the save. Once again it wasn't the cleanest save in the world but he got it done. After allowing a 1 out single, Madson struck out Jeff Franceour and allowed Pagan to hit a screaming liner right into the glove of Pedro Feliz to close out the 1-0 win. Considering the Marlins lost this afternoon, it was huge that the Phils were able to sweep this doubleheader. It was a total shock to see Kendrick pitch so well, in what will probably be his last start of the season, assuming J.A Happ comes healthy before the Phils next double header. Still it is comforting to know Kendrick can still get it done. He could be valuable next season. The Phils continued to struggle to score runs on this day. The 5 runs in the first game were fine, but to only score 1 run in the 2nd game against Tim Redding was a bit of a letdown. For whatever Redding has just had the Phils number so far in his career. I am surprised Pedro Martinez was able to go 8 innings tonight. I didn't think he would ever be able, at least not this season, to go any more than 7 innings a start. I guess he has now just about locked up a spot in the Phils rotation for the rest of the season. Anyway so the Phils move to 82-60 overall and now 6.5 games up in the NL East.
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