Saturday, July 22, 2006
SIXERS NEWS
If any of you can remember, I mentioned a while back that young Sixers players as well as free agents hoping to make the team would be competing in a summer a league, just as they do every year, from July 14th to the 21st. Well, today the Sixers rapped up summer league play with a 4-2 record. Along the way they saw good play from both Louis Williams, whom they drafted last year in the 2nd rd, and local product Steven Smith, who went undrafted this year, but hopes to make the Sixers as a free agent. Both Williams and Smith recieved all-tournament team honors for their play during the league. Williams finished the league 1st in assists with 5.2 apg, 2nd in scoring with 22.0 ppg, and 3rd in steals with 2.00 spg. Smith finished the league 5th in scoring with 15.7 ppg and tied for 4th in rebounds with with 5.7 rpg. Another Sixers player, undrafted free agent Ivan Mcfarlin out of Oklohoma State, also recieved some votes for all tournament team as he finished league 1st in rebounding with 9.7 rpg. All in all the Sixers had a pretty good summer league and should be happy with play of most of their players.
PHILLIES NEWS
Oops they did it again. For the 2nd game in a row the Phillies spoiled an otherwise good outing by their opponents, this time the Braves, by roughing up their bullpen with a late inning rally. Like I said in order to win tonight the Phillies were going to need an off night from John Smoltz, and tonight for him anyway, it was an off night, although most other guys would probably just call it bad luck. Meanhwile, Phillies starter Cory Lidle went 8 solid innings, giving up just 3 runs on 6 hits, and effectively cooling down what had been, the MLB's hottest offense in July. It took the Phillies offense a little while to get going, 3+ innings to be exact ,but the Phillies were actually able to procure the early lead in this game with a two run homer by Chris Coste in the 4th inning. However their lead would not last long as Left-fielder Scott Thorman, followed Coste's 2 run homer with one of his own in the top of 5th inning, and Edgar Renteria added a solo shot in the top of the 6th for a 3-2 Braves lead, but alas, that lead would not last long either. Jimmy Rollins answered Renteria's solo shot with one of his own in the bottom of the 7th inning for a 3-3 tie, chasing Smoltz from the game, like I said off night for Smoltz despite giving up only 3 runs on 7 hits, bad luck for anybody else. In the bottom of 8th inning the Phillies went to work on the Braves bullpen, and thoroughly humiliated them, just like they had humiliated the Padres bullpen on Wednesday. With one out in the inning Aaron Rowand drew a walk. David Bell followed Rowand with a single, his 4th hit of the game, and pinch-hitter David Dellucci followed him with another single plating Rowand with the go ahead run. Now the Scoring ought to have ended there for the Phillies but it didn't due to a major gaff by Braves reliever Ken Ray. With 2 outs in the inning now, Jimmy Rollins stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to Adam Laroche, for what should have been the last out of the inning, but oops Ray forgot to cover 1st and Rollins beat Laroche to the bag for his 4th hit of the game to extend the inning. Chase Utley then followed Rollins with an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to 22 games and plating 2 more runs for a 6-3 lead. Now at the time these 2 runs seemed like little more than insurance for closer Tom Gordon, but later it would become apparent just how big they were. In the top of the 9th before he could finish off his 23rd save of the year, Gordon served up a 2 run homer to Jeff Franceur making it a 6-5 game, but that was all she wrote as Gordon closed it out for the 6-5 win. Now, in retrospect if the Phillies had not scored those 2 runs following Ray's gaff that homer by Franceur would have put the Braves ahead 5-4. So I guess it's like they say, sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good. Anyway, in closing let me just give a shout out to Mr. Ray. Thanks for the win buddy and hey do you think you could pitch tomorrow night too, because you know we could use all the help we can get. Well, happy trails everyone.
Friday, July 21, 2006
EAGLES NEWS
It's that time of year again ladies and gentleman, start buying your Super Bowl tickets now, yes that's right today marks the 1st day of Eagles training camp. While expectations aren't as high they have been in previous year's , hopes are still high that this team with it's new additions can restore pride to the Eagles, after an injury-ravaged and frankly lackluster 2005 season. Today rookies and selected veterans reported to camp, however missing from this group was 1st rd pick Broderick Bunkley, who still has yet to sign a contract with the Eagles, but don't worry Eagles fans I am sure he will be signed soon enough, and besides his absence is a good opportunity for guys like 6th rd pick Lajuan Ramsey to get more reps. The rest of the team will report on Sunday and of course full-squad two a day practices will start Tuesday. Well I don't about anybody else, but I am excited for the upcoming season to start, so let me finish this by saying, E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies had an off day today, but tomorrow they begin a season-long 12 game homestand with the 1st game of a four game set with the suddenly red hot Atlanta Braves, who recently moved into 2nd place in the NL east relegating the Phillies to 3rd place. If the Phillies are get back in the playoff picture, they will have to make this homestand a good one, starting with a cool down of the Braves. In tomorrow night's game Cory Lidle will take the hill against veteran Braves ace John Smoltz. Here's hoping Smoltz has one of his off nights.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
From the onset things looked bleak for the Phillies this afternoon (Wednesday). Just minutes into the bottom of the 1st inning after the Phillies had scored a run in the top of the inning, Jon Lieber, served up a 3 run homer to Josh Bard, and it seemed inevitable that things would only get worse. However, Lieber kept his cool, and the Padres scoreless for the next 5 innings. Meanwhile, the Phils offense was chipping away at the lead, scoring a run in the 4th inning, on Chris Coste's 1st major league homerun, and adding another in the 6th inning to tie the score at 3. Then, just as things seemed to be brightening for the Phils, dark clouds appeared on the horizon. On one of the last of his 123 pitches for the night Lieber, served up a double off the the bat of Brian Giles which scored the go-ahead run for a 4-3 Padres lead. When the Phillies followed that, by going down in order in the top of the 8th inning it seemed that although down just 4-3 all hope was lost, as a save by one of the game's greatest ,Trevor Hoffman, was surely a mere formality, but as they say that's why they play game. Shane Victorino was hit with the 1st pitch of the inning and Chase Utley, who earlier had extended his hit-streak to 21 games, followed with a walk. Then up stepped, the much maligned and much speculated on Bobby Abreu. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Abreu laced a double to right center field, scoring both runners for a 5-4 Phillies lead, and suddenly for a moment Abreu was no longer the criticized slumpee, but the revered hero. Tom Gordon retired the Padres in order in the bottom of the inning to seal the 5-4 victory and you could hear Charlie Manuel's sigh of relief from here. Well, rather than do more speculating on the Phillies future, I am just going to say good for Abreu, and thank God the Phillies won. Well, happy trails everyone.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers signed yet another winger today(Wednesday) who likes to use his speed to be effective. 34 year old veteran left wing Geoff Sanderson agreed with the Flyers on a 2 year deal. He spent last season with the Phoenix Coyotes, recording 25 goals and 21 assists. Back in the early 90s as a Hartford Whaler, Sanderson was named to the NHL all-star team a couple of times, now he is probably not that good, but his speed should help the Flyers.
EAGLES NEWS
Today (Wednesday) the Eagles resigned center Jamaal Jackson to a 7 year deal. Jackson started 8 games for the Eagles last season in place of the injured Hank Fraley, and the 2 will compete for the job this season. may the best man win!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Normally when your team scores 12 runs in 2 games you've got good news to talk about, but not so for the Phillies. For the 2nd night in a row they trailed the Padres early 2-0, and like last night they rallied back to tie the score at 2, this time in the 3rd inning following a solo homer by Jimmy Rollins. However, unlike last night they were unable forge a lead and starter Ryan Madson could not escape the game, as Hamels had, with only 3 runs on his slate. Through 5 innings Madson held the Padres to 3 runs, but in the 6th inning which was likely to be his last, he ran into some trouble. Fueled by the same Adrian Gonzalez who had victimized the Phils last night the Padres touched up Madson for 4 runs, chasing him from the game. At this point the Padres lead 7-2 and were seemingly on their way to an easy win, but the Padres bullpen which began their night in the 7th inning, nearly recreated what the Phillies had done last night in blowing a 6-3 Phillies lead. Doug Brocail started the inning by surrendering 2 runs and three hits. Alan Embree replaced him , surrendered another run, and suddenly the Phillies were within 2 at 7-5, but Clay Meredith relieved Embree and retired the side, momentarily ending the Phillies rally. David Bell tripled and scored in the 8th inning of Scott Linebrink, to cut the lead to 7-6, and all at once it seemed a very real possibility that the Phils could steal one in San Diego, but it was not to be. Up until the bottom of the 8th inning the Phils bullpen, much maligned by me for their performance last night, had done pretty good, then the normally reliable Arthur Rhodes entered the game and well, let's just say he didn't have his best stuff as he gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, for a 10-6 Padres lead, effectively ending Phillies hopes for the night. Well, with tonight's loss the Phillies drop to 13.5 games back in their division, and 6 games in the wildcard race, with 8, yes 8 hit teams ahead of them. I know about you but to me it seems that the mountain is beginning to get a little to tall to climb. If they get really hot, really fast, their season could be over before they even know it. Well, happy trails everyone.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies went from the thrill of victory against the Giants on Sunday, to the agony of defeat against the Padres earlier tonight, wasting a golden opportunity to collect their 3rd win in a row. In the process, a sparkling performance by Cole Hamels, in front of his hometown, Ryan Howard's 31st homerun, a pair of RBIs by the suddenly red hot Pat Burrell, and a streak extending double(19) by Chase Utley all went for naught. For most of the night the Phillies trailed 2-1, and if not for the brilliant pitching of Hamels giving up just 3 runs on 5 hits through 5 and 2/3rds innings, they would have trailed by more. Finally in the top of the 6th inning using clucth hits from Chase Utley, Burrell, and pinch hitter Abraham Nunez the Phils scored 3 runs to go ahead 4-2. With 2 outs in the bottom of the inning, Adrian Gonzalez homered off Hamels to end his day, but it looked like it wouldn't matter, as reliever Rick White got out of the inning without further incident, and Ryan Howard answered in the 7th inning with a 2 run homer to seemingly put the Phillies, with the NL's 2nd best bullpen, up for good, but it was not to be. In the bottom of the inning Ryan Franklin recorded one out, but gave up 2 hits and was relieved by Rheal Cormier, who promptly served up Adrian Gonzalez' 2nd homerun of the day, a 3 run homer, tying the score at 6. Geoff Geary then relieved Cormier and somehow got out of the inning with the score at 7-6. Although the Phils were only down by 1 at this point the damage had been done. Geary could only manage one out in the 8th and gave up another run before being relieved by Aaron Fultz who got out off the inning. The game was over before the Phillies even stepped to the plate in the 9th inning as legendary closer Trevor Hoffman dazzled and retired the Phillies in order for an 8-6 Padres win. In all, the Phils bullpen gave up 5 runs and 7 hits, which at this point in the season in the 1st game of a series is simply inexcusable. As a team the Phillies did all they had to do to get a win tonight, it just came down to the bullpen closing out the game, and they didn't get the job done. The Phillies just cannot continue to allow games to slip away like this, otherwise they might as well kiss their playoff hopes good bye right now. Well happy trails everyone.
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