Posts Tagged ‘Erik Kratz’

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Committte Approves Ban on Home Plate Collisions

December 12th, 2013 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Committte Approves Ban on Home Plate Collisions | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies
mlb2013

MLB Rules

This week, the Major League Baseball Rules Committee approved a ban on home plate collisions.

As fans, we’ve seen collisions at the plate that have ended well (think Atlanta’s Chipper Jones plowing into Phillies catcher Erik Kratz in August 2012) and collisions that have ended badly (think Scott Cousins of the Marlins breaking the leg of Giants’ catcher Buster Posey in May 2011).  A play at the plate can be very exciting, but the risk is real.  Is a run on the scoreboard worth the possibility of a serious injury? There are various opinions on the matter.  No one wants to see a player get hurt, but personally, I think there are circumstances (e.g. a game winning run or any time in the postseason) that make the risk worthwhile.

During Winter Meetings this week in Orlando, Florida, the league is meeting to make changes to the official rule book. New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson, chairman of the rules committee, announced the ban on collisions today.  “We want to change the culture of acceptance that these plays are ordinary and routine,” Alderson stated.  The change will be drafted and sent to owners, then to MLBPA.  Alderson added that if the Players’ Association rejects the change, MLB is permitted to implement the ban in 2015 anyway.

I’m interested to hear fans’ opinions on the matter, but I think it will be more interesting to hear from players.  I’m sure the Buster Poseys of MLB aren’t fond of having wannabe linebackers plow into them, but we also have the Erik Kratzes who hold up just fine as tight ends.  Stay tuned.

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“The View from the Philly Pressbox” – Cardinals Series 6 Recap

April 26th, 2013 by Philly Pressbox | Comments Off on “The View from the Philly Pressbox” – Cardinals Series 6 Recap | Filed in General, Phillies
Erik Kratz

Cardinals Phils Series

 

In the sixth of our season long series, “The View from the Philly Pressbox” takes a look at the first 4 game series of the season against the St Louis Cardinals. The Phils were lined up with Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Kyle Kendrick to face Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn and Jake Westbrook. Overall these are good matchups with what should’ve been a slight advantage to the Phillies. The Phils did hit the ball in the series but were still only able to manage a 2-2 split.

Hamels and Wainwright squared off in the opener and didn’t disappoint. Both aces pitched 7 innings allowing 3 runs each. Hamels allowed 5 hits, 2 walks with 8 k’s while Wainwright allowed 9 hits, 0 walks and 4k’s. The Phillies added 4 more hits off Cardinal relievers, for a total of 13 hits in the game but Mike Adams failed to hold the Cards in the 8th and picked up the lose, 4-3. For the Phils Ryan Howard had 3 hits while Chase Utley, Freddie Galvis and Eric Kratz added 2 each. Galvis started the game in left field and played pretty well. Yadier Molina had 3 hits and 2 RBI’s while Carlos Beltran added 2 hits including a home run to lead the Cards.

The Phils bounced back in Game 2 by scoring 5 runs in the 1st inning, 1 in the 2nd and 2 more in the 3rd to allow Halladay a nice cushion to cruise. Doc went 7 innings before the game was called due to rain. He allowed jus 2 hits, both solo homers to Beltran again and Matt Holliday. He walked 2 and struck out 6. It was not Docs most efficient outing throwing 59 strikes and 50 balls but either way he only gave up 2 hits and 2 runs. At the plate the 10 hit attack was led by catcher Humberto Quintero with 2 hits and 2 RBI’s, Jimmy Rollins, John Mayberry and Ben Revere all had 2 hits as well. Ryan Howard was given the night off and replaced at 1st base by Kevin Frandsen. This was a good bounce back win with Lee coming up in Game 3.

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Spring Training is in Full Swing

March 10th, 2013 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Spring Training is in Full Swing | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

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By Amy McGinnis

Yesterday morning, future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera made his official retirement announcement in Tampa.  Though I’m far from a Yankees fan, I don’t see how any true fan of baseball can look at Rivera and not fall in love with him and his career.  Arguably the greatest closer of all time, Mo has always allowed his work to speak for itself.  As promised, Rivera delivered his announcement before Opening Day; his wife and children were by his side as he spoke at the Yankees’ spring training complex.  Incidentally, the entire team was also present … in uniform.  “I’m a team player,” Rivera said. “If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have the opportunity … That’s the legacy that I want to leave — that I was there for others.” Not a surprising announcement, but a bittersweet one nontheless.  If you are a fan of Rivera’s, or of the Yankees, or of baseball, or of sports, or of human excellence – I insist that you get yourself to a Yankees game this season to see Mo pitch.  His talent is unparallelled; additionally, Mariano Rivera carries himself in such an exemplary fashion that all athletes should look to emulate.  It is possible to be a great athlete and still be respectful, classy, sportsmanlike, and humble (Bryce Harper, you should be taking notes, son).  No other player in MLB deserved to keep his #42 jersey the way Mo did.  Mr. Rivera, I wish you a healthy and memorable 2013 season.  Thank you, sir, for your invaluable contribution to baseball.  Eighteen seasons, all with New York … with 608 saves and 1119 strikeouts, Mo’s career averages thus far are fantastic.  Rivera has pitched 1219.2 innings, with a 2.21 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, and 8.3 K/9. Allow that to sink in for a minute.

Meanwhile, in Arizona … Tyson Gillies threw down for Team Canada.  I mean that literally … he physically tossed Alfredo Aceves  (Team Mexico) to the ground during a melee on the field.  The good news: it’s the World Baseball Classic, and no one really cares.

In Florida, spring training is well underway for the Phils, and there are some things worth noting.  Dom Brown has 16 hits (including 3 bombs) in 37 at bats.  The battle for the outfield is on, and I really want Dom Brown to succeed. Ryan Howard looks the way he usually does in August – four homeruns in spring training so far.  Isn’t it so nice having Howard and Utley in the lineup in March? Darin Ruf, whose spring training has been off to a shaky start, was hit in the tricep by a pitch today; he’s day-t0-day at this point.  Erik Kratz, aka the most pleasant surprise during the 2012 season, has 4 hits thus far in spring training – a triple, a homerun, and five RBIs.  That man blocks the plate like a beast and loves extra-base hits … especially in light of Carlos Ruiz’s 25-game suspension that will begin in April, I say thank God for Erik Kratz. Most importantly (to me, anyway), Cole Hamels shook off his rocky outing from last week and pitched efficiently through five innings today in a 7-1 win over Houston today.  I’m honestly not currently worried about the Phils’ pitching staff; spring training is the time and place for pitchers to get back up to speed, as it were.

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Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 25 Days

March 7th, 2013 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 25 Days | Filed in Baseball, General, MLB, Phillies, Sports

As we hit 25 days, I think it is fitting to focus on Carlos Ruiz, who’ll begin his 25 game suspension on Opening Day. Ruiz is entering the final year of his four year, 13.85 million dollar contract. Ruiz’ 2012 campaign was one of legend as he emerged from a career bottom third of the order hitter to the team’s cleanup hitter for a time while Ryan Howard was on the mend. That was until the reports of ADD prescription drug adderall led to Ruiz’ suspension.

Where do the Phillies go from here? When Chooch began his career with the Phillies, he phased out the career of Mike Lieberthal. Naturally, it’s easy to think that the organization’s top position player prospect, Tommy Joesph, will phase out Ruiz’. It’s the circle of life. Joesph has had a solid spring so far, albeit a small sample size. The next back stop was the centerpiece that sent Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants last July.

The 22 year old will most likely start the season at AAA Lehigh Valley as the primary catcher. Short of a season ending injury to Ruiz or current Opening Day starter Erik Kratz, Joesph shouldn’t expect to be seen in The Bank until September call ups.

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Ten More Reasons to Hate the Giants

October 26th, 2012 by AmyMac | 2 Comments | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

By Amy McGinnis

It’s probably not much of a secret that the San Francisco Giants are my least favorite team in baseball.  As Phils fans, we’re still not happy about 2010.  Here are a few extra reasons for you to join me in my hatred.

  1. The brawls.  Philadelphia and San Francisco have had some outstanding bench-clearing fights.  Remember Jonathan Sanchez hitting Chase Utley with a pitch in the 2010 NLCS?  (Is there a pitcher who hasn’t beamed Uts? He’s like a helicopter over that plate.)  Chase tossed the ball back to Sanchez as he took first.  It’s not as if he said, “Here’s your ball, bitch!” like I would have; he just got a little sassy.  Sanchez turned into the Hulk and ignited a melee on the field.  Do you recall, in 2011, Ramon Ramirez getting bent out of shape when Jimmy Rollins stole second with a six run lead? I bet Shane Victorino does, because he’s the one who got plunked for it.  Vic charged the mound, the benches emptied … you know the rest.  What’s the theme here? San Francisco needs to stop hitting our batters, and stop acting like little girls throwing tantrums after the fact.
  2. Plays at the plate.  Scott Cousins collided with Buster Posey at the plate; Posey shat in his Pull-Up and was carried off the field.  Chipper Jones charged Erik Kratz at the plate; Kratz braced for impact, snagged John Mayberry Jr.’s perfect throw, made the tag in time, and shook it off.  Before you call me heartless, understand that I’ve snapped my left fibula and torn apart ligaments too.  It hurts.  I wouldn’t wish that pain on someone.  I’m just saying … maybe learn to take a hit better.
  3. Furry creatures.  Pablo Sandoval has made me detest pandas.  All of them.  The Phanatic eclipses all mascots, symbols, slogans, and other marketing crap. Period.
  4. Food.  What do you eat at CBP? A hot dog and crab fries? Maybe a cheesesteak?  At AT&T Park, you can also enjoy the game while eating delicious food in your seats.  How does a deviled egg sound? Maybe some soup in a bowl that’s made out of sourdough bread? Ok, that sounds like stuff my mom would eat … at brunch.  Not to mention, if you need utensils, it’s not ballpark food.
  5. Hunter Pence.  We sent HP3 to San Francisco this past season at the trade deadline.  He was a fresh-faced, handsome young man who always smiled because, gosh darn it, that southern boy just loves baseball.  Three months later, he has a gross-looking beard, a half-buttoned jersey, and the smile seems almost … sorry, Hunter … douchey.
  6. Aces.  Our ace, Cole Hamels, and San Francisco’s ace, Matt Cain, had similar stats in the 2012 season.  Cain had one fewer win, but his ERA is slightly lower.  At the end of the day, though, Cole Hamels is Cole Hamels, and Matt Cain is Not Cole Hamels.
  7. The Journey Song.  In 2010, fans in San Francisco made a video with a song they wrote to the tune of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” I can hear it in my head as I type this (“Let’s go, Giiiiii … ants”) and I may vomit.  As mockery, Ryan Madson used the Journey song when he ran from the bullpen.  Giants’ fans picked ruined a Journey song from the 80s, and that’s what people watched on YouTube … while Phils fans were still watching videos of Chase Utley yelling “World Fucking Champions!!!” on parade day.  Your move, San Francisco.
  8. Names. A Phillies fan can refer to “Jimmy” or “Chooch” and not need to explain who that is.  The Phillies roster boasts first names such as Ryan, Jimmy, and Domonic.  As if Tim Lincecum’s long hair weren’t bad enough, the Giants have Madison and Aubrey in the infield.  I have neighbors with those names.  They’re both little girls.
  9. The Beards. If I never hear “Fear the Beard” again, it will be too soon.  I don’t fear Brian Wilson’s beard; I vomit because of it.  Brian, I know you think you look eccentric, but you really just look bat shit crazy (and not in a good way).  You’ve got Romo and Pence looking like dumbasses, too.  Id recommend a tutorial from Cliff Lee.
  10. The fans.  San Francisco has a passionate fanbase just as Philadelphia does.  The difference is that the national media loves to paint us in a barbaric light; even minor incidents are broadcast across the country with the message that fans in Philadelphia behave like complete assholes.  The Matthew Clemmens incident notwithstanding, I can’t think of any recent abhorrent behavior from Phils fans.  Does the name Andrew Vargas ring a bell?  Probably not.  The media seems to think that San Francisco fans have “great energy” and “love for their team.”  What should have been a major nationwide story received a mediocre amount of attention.  Andrew Vargas is the then-21-year-old man from San Francisco who had a run in with a Phillies fan at AT&T Park last season.  By “run in,” of course, I mean that that careless, drunken asshole struck a Phillies fan with his car outside the stadium after the game.  By “Phillies fan,” I’m sure you remember, I mean then-nine-year-old Ryan White of Yardley.  Vargas mowed that child down and fled the scene.  Ryan has undergone multiple surgeries; Vargas was able to plead to a lesser charge of DUI.  It’s hard to say how it would have happened had it been in Philadelphia, but if history teaches us anything, I’d say that the media would still be covering it … and Vargas probably wouldn’t have gotten more than a few yards down Pattison before Philadelphians made him beg to be put in a cell.  While I understand that one person does not a fanbase make, I’m still angry enough to blame the whole damned city.  God help us all if the Giants take the World Series; I want their fans to go away.

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148 Down, 14 To Go

September 18th, 2012 by AmyMac | Comments Off on 148 Down, 14 To Go | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

By Amy McGinnis

April through August, with few exceptions, was a nightmare.  The Phils’ sellout streak ended, many fair-weather fans broke their ankles jumping off the bandwagon, and we all went through massive frustration.  The Phillies needed true leadership (looking at you, Charlie), and they didn’t get it.  Manuel is a very laissez-faire manager whose mentality is “It’ll all work out.” At least, that’s the message I get – who the hell knows what he’s saying half the time.  If the team is doing well (see 2008, 2009), that type of guidance is fine; when things unravel, though, we need someone to take charge.

In 2012, we saw gaping holes in our lineup – Utley’s and Howard’s absences had an enormous impact on our offense.  We watched Blanton, Pence, and Victorino leave Philadelphia.  Our bullpen, for the most part, has been a disappointment.  Okay, I was being conservative and generous with that statement … Our bullpen has been masterful at flushing winnable games directly down the shitter.  I’ve been frustrated as hell, and I’ve yelled and cursed a lot, but I’ve still attended games, watched, and cheered for my team.  Two of my favorite highlights of 2012 were Cliff Lee getting in Shane Victorino’s face in the dugout, and Cole Hamels intentionally beaming Brycey-Poo in the back and not apologizing for it.  Each of these incidents showed a starting pitcher giving a shit and playing baseball like he means it.

I’ve wondered many times this season, “What the hell is going on with this team?” The Phils looked sloppy and apathetic.  I wanted to see some fired-up players looking as if they were ready to eat an opponent alive.  It became very clear that the days of the 1993 Phillies are far behind us.  We all remember that crew – not pretty or refined, but they fought like hell.  One of my favorite John Kruk quotes is, “I’d rather fight Mike Tyson without his medication than fight Dave Hollins.” The ’93 Phils took nothing for granted, and they made it no secret that they’d gladly fuck your world up if you got in their way.

Fast forward to the ’09, ’10, ’11 Phillies … our team was expected to own the NL East.  Our pitching staff was in place to essentially control the division, and they did just that.  There wasn’t a need to claw their way to the top; the Phils have been defending champions for several years.  Did our lineup grow complacent? Maybe.  Injuries for Philadelphia, an “off” year for Cliff Lee, and off-season acquisitions for Washington certainly didn’t help matters, either.

It seems, though, that we’ve seen a change this September.  With the exception of the Astros series (I don’t want to talk about that abysmal performance or the Phils’ tendency to make Houston look good), I’ve been happy with the month of September.  We’re finally seeing players show up and hustle with some desire to win.

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Phils Win in Extra Innings

September 2nd, 2012 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Phils Win in Extra Innings | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

A+ for effort, Chipper.

By Amy McGinnis

Last night at Turner Field, Roy Halladay and Mike Minor were the starting pitchers for what turned out to be an exciting game.  Here are some things I enjoyed on Friday …

It was a hot and humid night in Atlanta; Doc was sweating like a whore in church and it seemed as if he was spoon-feeding his sinker to batters.  I hate to say it, but I’m glad Halladay was as pissed off as he was.  It’s rare that we see him show any emotion, since he’s always so focused, and the anger he displayed showed that he cares.  When Charlie pulled him from the mound to allow Jeremy Horst to take over, Doc stormed through the dugout and kept walking.

Jimmy Rollins was back in the lineup after having apologized to Manuel for his lack of hustle.  I respect when a player takes responsibility for his actions, and Jimmy initiated the meeting, which shows some humility.  I also respect when a player hustles his ass no matter what, though, so we’ll see if Rollins flips that switch.

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