Archive for March, 2013

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 12 Days

March 19th, 2013 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 12 Days | Filed in Baseball, Phillies

Six weeks ago, the majority of the Philadelphia sports scene called Domonic Brown a bust and was worried how a platoon with Delmon “Don’t call me Delwyn” Young would/could possibly work. Now people, even professional Phillies-hater Keith Law, are saying that Brown could be in line for a breakout season. Now I don’t think anyone should be preparing to anoint him “Downtown” Dom Brown, but you can’t deny that he hasn’t had one hell of a spring.

Brown, like Ryan Howard, has been playing virtually every inning of every game this spring and it seems to be paying off. Brown is among the league leaders in home runs, runs batted in, batting average, and onbase plug slugging. Granted the sample size, it will definitely be interesting to see how his offense carries over to the regular season and how Charlie Manuel uses him.

Tags: ,

Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 13 Days

March 19th, 2013 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 13 Days | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

13days

With under two weeks left until the season opener in Atlanta, decisions need to be made about outfield. Obviously, Ben Revere is going to be the center fielder from day one, but who will be flanking him? Many say that Dom Brown’s hot spring should secure him the right field job, but what about left field?

After a horrendously slow start, Darin Ruf has hit a solid .273 since March 8. People will still likely point to the small sample size, but isn’t the majority of Spring Training small sample sizes? Maybe Ruf is just a slow starter. I’d really like to see Ruf get the opportunity to play without having to worry about getting sent down.

Tags: , , , , ,

Pleasant Surprises in Spring Training

March 18th, 2013 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Pleasant Surprises in Spring Training | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

phillies

By Amy McGinnis

In light of Roy Halladay’s early exit from yesterday’s game due to “stomach virus,” I’d like to focus on the positive today.  We’ve seen a few pleasant surprises in Clearwater this month.

Domonic Brown. We all remember Brown’s debut with the Phils in July 2010.  We were all so excited to have him come up from Lehigh Valley, and some fans expected for him to be the second coming of Christ.  Since then, he has sort of bounced back and forth between the Phils and the Iron Pigs … he has certainly outgrown the minors, though, and at 25, he’s not a kid anymore.  He’s at the point now, in the 2013 season, that it’s now or never.  His performances thus far in Spring Training have been impressive to say the least.  Our outfield’s corners have been big question marks for the past several months, but I honestly think that Dom Brown has earned one of those positions (I’d put him in right field, for the record).  On Saturday, Brown hit his fourth homerun this spring – and he brought Utley and Howard home with him to help secure a 7-0 win over the Yankees.  Brown’s homeruns this spring have been bombs, and his fielding looks better.  Is he more comfortable? Does he have a more confident attitude? It’s hard to say, but one thing is for sure: he’s finally having his AAA game show up in the bigs.

Phillippe Aumont. If you’re wondering which pitcher in the bullpen is Aumont, look for the dude who makes Erik Kratz look … well, slightly less gigantic.  At 6’7″ and 260 lbs, Aumont’s stature alone would rattle me if I were at the plate.  This spring, he has pitched four innings in as many games, and his ERA is .225.  Our bullpen, at one point, was all RHPs … and Antonio Bastardo, Phillippe Aumont would have been easily overlooked as one of the many righty relievers.  This spring, though, it’s nice to see him show his skill when our starting rotation needs solid support.

Michael Young.  Young was an obvious addition to our lineup for the 2013 season.  That being said, I was hesitant about bringing in a third baseman who is even older than the rest of our veteran infielders.  Statistically and historically speaking, Young’s fielding percentage has consistently been the lowest at third base, compared to when he plays elsewhere in the infield.  I would have been happy with decent defense from Michael Young, and thus far in spring training, he has shown better than that.

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , ,

I am a Philadelphia Sports Fan

March 17th, 2013 by Jeremy Bonnette | Comments Off on I am a Philadelphia Sports Fan | Filed in General, Sports

phillysports2

I, am a Philadelphia Sports fan.

From birth, I have been raised and taught to praise my Philly sports team above all others. No matter how great or terrible, my team, and it’s pieces come first. It doesn’t matter if I’m watching them live, in a pub, at the lodge, or in the comfort of my own home, I will let them know how I feel about their performance with various forms of cheers and jeers. It doesn’t matter if I am 10 feet away from a player on the sidelines, or a thousand miles away on a business trip, my opinion will be heard and likely matched by other fans like me. We live and die by one rule. “Failure is not an option”. If you win, we will love you. If you lose, we will let you have it. If for one second it seems like you’re not giving it your all, we will run you out of town.

Fans of other cities refer to our style as unmannerly, barbaric, or downright harsh. Which, is actually correct at times. However, we have always remained loyal to our sports. We have loved our teams with a passion that has withstood the depths of time, and will continue to do so for many years to come. There no, “hey, who expected us to get this far”, or, “ah we’ll get’em next year”. it’s either we win, or we lose. We’re not spoiled like LA fans, or cocky like those in Boston. We are a fan base that is constantly hungry, and when our teams are expected to win a championship, it would be quite embarrassing to achieve anything lower than that. It has been quite some time since Philly has been one of the “Title-towns”, and we as a city have felt the sting of getting to the championship game in each of our 4 major sports within the past 15 years, while coming up short. Having victory so close to our grasp only to have it snatched away has given us a sense of a “we’ll believe we’ve won when we’ve actually won” type of attitude. Even though we have one title to hold above us, we are still ravenous for more. While we may have run many athletes out of town, those who have given us their heart in soul are immortalized in Philadelphia sports history, and are grateful for our grit.

I’m sure there have been many articles written about the glory of Philadelphia sports before this one. However, this has been a rare year of mediocrity within our major sport infrastructure. At the same time, it is an excellent time for a reminder that YOU are a Philadelphia sports fan, and we stand by our teams until the last shot is taken, the last goal is scored, and the last inning is played.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Team USA to Face Dominican Republic in World Baseball Classic

March 14th, 2013 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Team USA to Face Dominican Republic in World Baseball Classic | Filed in Baseball, General, Sports

usa.dr

By Amy McGinnis

Tonight, something will happen in Miami that we rarely get to see: there will be an estimated 30,000 baseball fans inside Marlins Park.

Team USA is set to take on Dominican Republic at 7 pm est, and the winner will advance to the semi-finals at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Team USA manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Greg Maddux will send R.A. Dickey to the mound for tonight’s matchup.  The USA-DR game is a highly anticipated one … allow me to rephrase that … the USA-DR game is highly anticipated by baseball nerds who have been following the World Baseball Classic and actually care about the games.  For me, baseball is baseball.  If there’s a game, I’ll watch it, and that includes my nephew’s little league team. Sure, it doesn’t actually mean anything to win the WBC, but like I said … baseball is baseball.

When asked why Team USA is the team to beat, Dominican Republic manager Tony Pena replied, “Well, because it is.” So … there’s that.

Torre says he expects it “to be a good game,” because “you’ve got two teams that are talented.”  The two teams have a combined 21 All-Stars, so there will be plenty of familiar faces.  Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Nelson Cruz are each batting .350 and above in the tournament.  The biggest threat at the plate, though, is Robinson Cano.  Thus far he’s 12 for 19 (that’s .632, if you’re wondering), with 2 dingers, and 6 RBIs.  Ross Detweiler is available to pitch if R.A. Dickey and his knuckleball start to get lit up.

I predict that whichever team strikes first will take the game, and I’ll be cheering for Team USA.  I think the World Baseball Classic just might start to get interesting.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

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

phillies

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.

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 23 Days

March 9th, 2013 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Countdown To Opening Day 2013: 23 Days | Filed in General

Later today, John Lannan will make his third start of the spring against the Tampa Bay Rays. Lannan has performed well in his first two starts and is expected to start the season as the fifth starter. While overall expectations for a fifth starter are generally low, I think Lannan may be due for a break out season.

Overall, Lannan is 42 – 52 with a 4.01 ERA in 134 starts with a strike out to walk ratio of 205:148. However, if you subtract his starts against the Phillies his numbers drop to 39 -39 with a 3.80 ERA. I’ll take that from a number five pitcher anyday of the week. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not ready to hand Lannan the Cy Young Award already as he’s never fared well in Citizens Bank Park (6.00+ ERA). Maybe a change of scenery will do Lannan some good. Hopefully being in the home team’s dugout in The Bank will change his luck as well.

Tags: ,

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »