Brad Lidge: Heart Attack Closer of the Year
August 15, 2009 by schmitters
Filed under Fan News
Well, the Phillies won another one last night, but not without ninth-inning drama.
After Ryan Howard hit a solo home run to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Brad Lidge came in to close out the game.
Lidge, who has blown seven saves so far this year, faced Yunel Escobar. Escobar hit a fly ball to right-center, but right fielder Jayson Werth made a nice play and caught the ball.
That’s when I thought, “Yes, only two more outs!”
Then, Adam LaRoche singled to center. Pinch-runner Matt Diaz then proceeded to steal second base.
Lidge struck out Ryan Church for the second out. He then walked pinch hitter Greg Norton.
With men on first and second, I thought “Oh no, it’s Tuesday all over again!”
Nate McLouth stepped in and hit a high fly ball to left.
I held my breath as I watched the ball soar through the air. Then, I watched it land in left fielder Raul Ibanez’s glove.
Broadcaster Tom McCarthy then informed the fans the it was “okay to exhale.”
I, along with many Phillies fans watching the game, exhaled.
Let’s face it, Brad Lidge has struggled this year. My 75-year old grandfather isn’t allowed to watch the Phillies game if Brad Lidge is pitching.
They should flash a warning on the screen before Lidge comes in to pitch. It should say “WARNING! Those have heart problems should watch this inning with caution!”
Whenever Lidge comes in, people get nervous. When he saves the day, we rejoice.
Luckily, Brett Myers is returning to the Phillies soon. He enjoys closing and was good in that role. He could get a few save opportunities this year if Lidge continues to struggle.
Plus, there is no need to worry about Myers going into a mental funk like last year. He’s a free agent after this season, and the Phillies haven’t expressed interest in re-signing him.
Something must be done about Brad Lidge. He has to regain his All-Star form, or even an above average form.
If he doesn’t, the Phillies may run into problems down the stretch.
The 2009 Philadelphia Phillies: Look Closer…
August 15, 2009 by Andrew Sexton
Filed under Fan News
“Getting someone like Cliff motivates everyone. Our fans can feel it. They want that swagger…They sure don’t want to see us do a Mets collapse.”
-Cole Hamels
For the first time in many years, the Phillies look comfortable heading into the regular season’s final month. They’ve won 4 in a row, and the Marlins are a healthy 4.5 games back.
On the surface, everything seems fine in Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins is Jimmy Rollins again, and adding Cliff Lee looks like the steal of this year’s trade deadline. Even so, disturbing problems loom on the horizon. The champs are flawed. The curse of William Penn was lifted in 2008, but the 2009 Phillies still have plenty of demons to go around.
Phillies Back on Track
August 14, 2009 by David Rosenblum
Filed under Fan News
In case anyone forgot, the Phillies did sweep the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field yesterday. Behind another sensational performance by Cliff Lee, the Phillies brought their division lead back up to five games. Lee pitched eight strong innings, allowing only one run while striking out eight. In three starts with the Phillies Cliff Lee has shown why he was the AL Cy Young Winner last season. His stats so far: 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA, 24 innings pitched, 23 Ks, and 6 BB. Plus he has three hits which is equal to the amount of runs he has let up.
Lee wasn’t the only highlight of the game. The Phillies brought their bats out in the series and remembered how to hit with runners in scoring position for the first time in a while. Ryan Howard hit his first home run of August and Pedro Feliz also “homered” to spark the Phillies in the finale.
The Phillies were able to sweep the Cubs at Wrigley for the first time in the last 25 years. The Wrigley faithful had something to say about it, trying to help out their Cubs by throwing a beer on Shane Victorino as he was trying to make a catch late in the game. Fortunately Shane kept his concentration and caught the ball while receiving a shower of beer.
After this energy boost, the Phillies traveled to Atlanta to face the division rival Braves. Tonight Joe Blanton squared off against Braves ace Jair Jurrjens, who the Phillies hadn’t scored a run against in his last two starts. After the Braves got out to a 1-0 lead, Chase Utley provided a spark for the Phillies by hitting a two run homer off of Jurrjens (his first of August) to make it 2-1 Phils.
Of course they gave one run back the next inning to tie the game at two. Both starters pitched through seven innings as the game remained tied due to some tremendous fielding, especially by Shane Victorino, who made two sensational grabs in center field.
In the top of the ninth inning, Ryan Howard showed that he is back in the home run hitting groove, smacking a solo shot to deep center field. This gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead, and it was Howard’s 205th career home run, passing Dick Allen on the Phillies all time home run list. Not-so-lights-out Brad Lidge came into the game in the bottom of the ninth to close it out for the Phillies, who were going for their fourth win in a row, one that they sorely needed to put some more room between themselves and the Braves.
After getting the first out, Lidge allowed a base hit, then a stolen base. Brad then threw some 97 mph high heat to strike out Ryan Church. With a man on second and two outs, Lidge faced the poor man’s Matt Stairs in Greg Norton, who he walked. This brought Nate McLouth to the plate for the Braves with two men on. McClouth hit a fly ball to left field that fell into the glove of Raul Ibanez, securing the win for the Phillies!
A “Philly” big series…
August 14, 2009 by Daria Del Colliano
Filed under Fan News
Five games back of the division lead.
Three games against the first place Phils.
Atlanta’s aspirations for an NL East crown are at stake and anything short of a series win against Philadelphia will all but end those hopes.
So, to say this is a big series, is an understatement.
The Braves, while publicly claiming they weren’t overlooking their two-game set against the Washington Nationals, have understandably had their sights on this upcoming series against the Phillies all week long.
But, to their credit, the Bravos have set themselves up quite nicely for Philadelphia, sweeping the pesky Nats.
However, to Philly’s credit, they are coming into tonight’s series against Atlanta riding high after sweeping the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
A series that was looming large figures to live up to the billing.
The Braves are hot, having won five games in a row, heading into Friday night’s opener.
The Phils seem to have caught fire again thanks to their sweep of the Cubs, after previously dropping eight of eleven before heading to Chicago.
If there is one thing that can be said about the Phillies, it is that they are one streaky club.
They have gone on runs where they are absolutely unbeatable and then without any warning, will go cold at the drop of a hat.
The Braves are hoping the Phillies are due for another cold spurt.
Atlanta is slated to send Jair Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami, and Javier Vazquez to the hill in this series.
Philadelphia will counter with Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, and J.A. Happ.
The Braves have to be pleased that they will not be facing Cliff Lee this weekend. Lee hasn’t lost since joining the Phillies in a trade from the Cleveland Indians in late July.
Another thing that weighs heavily in the Braves’ favor is their head-to-head success against the Phillies this season.
Atlanta has won seven of nine from Philadelphia and has shown they can outpitch their division rival.
If the Braves are going to take this series from the Phils, they again will need big performances out of their starting staff.
The Bravos know the tall task before them. They need to win two of three, and stay four games back to remain in the hunt for the East.
If not, Atlanta will have to focus its attention on the NL Wild, if they hope to play October baseball.
Still, for a Braves club that lost 90 games last season, to be factoring so heavily into the division race is quite remarkable.
The Phillies, like most other teams in the league, underestimated the Braves.
The Mets figured to be chasing down the Phils, again, not the Braves.
But, for a team that has thrived all season long by flying under the radar, they are about to get a dose of big time publicity if they can take this series from Philly.
My prediction?
I think the Braves are up to the challenge.
Why?
It is because, for once, they are playing the role of the underdog.
During their run of divisional dominance that saw them assume the title of, “Beasts of the NL East,” the Braves were labeled the favorites, year in and year out.
With the fourteen consecutive division titles came the constant question of, “When would the run end?”
That pressure and the resulting media scrutiny that followed, became larger than life and often crippling.
The Braves aren’t use to being in this situation.
All eyes are on the Phillies… not them.
They have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And, it’s for that reason, that I think the Braves will take care of business this weekend.
Forging ahead… IF this Braves team does infact make the playoffs, I think they are a force to be reckoned with.
I believe the main reason why the Braves struggled to find postseason success stems from the fact that they were rarely challenged by their division rivals during the season.
If you look at Atlanta’s past four playoff losses from 2002-2005, where they were eliminated in the first round, you’ll notice their opponents—the Giants, Cubs, Astros and Astros again, were all Wild Card winners.
The Braves, by contrast, were runaway division champs, often 100-plus game winners.
While there opponents were scratching and clawing their way into the playoffs, the Braves were resting their regulars a month before the playoffs were set to begin, not participating in a meaningful game.
As a result, the Braves found it difficult to just flip the switch and recapture the intensity that had alluded them for the past month.
I’ve always said since then that a good, heated division or wild card race would be good for the Braves.
Series’ like this upcoming one against the Phillies builds character.
It is a precursor to the types of series’ and the level of intensity that would await them in October.
If this Braves team gets into the playoffs, their fate could be much different than those teams of the past.
The Braves, and their fans, just hope they get that chance.
Can Jamie Moyer Find New Life in the Bullpen?
August 14, 2009 by schmitters
Filed under Fan News
As some of you know, Jamie Moyer is my favorite player. He has done so much during his career and has greatly contributed to the Phillies.
Thus, you can tell I am disappointed at the Phillies’ decision to move him to the bullpen—but hey, that’s baseball.
Moyer publicly addressed his disappointment in the Phillies’ decision. Right away, people jumped on him about his statements.
Honestly, haven’t other players done worse? Lay off the man.
But the question now is, can Moyer pitch effectively out of the bullpen?
He has pitched out of the bullpen and been effective in relief at some points.
He will most likely be used as a long relief man, though manager Charlie Manuel has said he may be used in key situations that involve a left-handed pitcher.
Teammate Chan Ho Park made the successful transition from starter to reliever this year, but he had more experience in that role.
Moyer will be ready to pitch tonight against the Atlanta Braves if he is needed.
Only time will tell how he does in the bullpen. All I know is that Phillies fans are rooting for him.
Phillies 2009 Championship Gloat Tour, Part II: Chicago
August 14, 2009 by Kevin Lagowski
Filed under Fan News
After a rainy but successful stop in our nation’s capital a few months back, the gloat tour rolls on as I follow the Phillies to Chicago for the first two games of a three-game set against the Cubs.
Wrigley is, for a true baseball fan, a near religious experience. I have been fortunate enough to make the trek a few times, but this time my girlfriend Rachael (who is not a Phillies fan and actually likes the Braves) accompanies me on my trip to Chicago.
We have other plans for the week, but no trip to Chicago is complete without a visit or two to Wrigley Field.
We arrive plenty early on Tuesday so that Rachael can soak in the atmosphere outside the stadium and in the nearby neighborhood. We receive the pleasant surprise that it’s Ryne Sandberg bobblehead night. The Phillies might have foolishly traded him away 25 years ago, but I’m bringing him home!
We witness most of batting practice and see Pedro Martinez warming up with his new teammates for the first time, preparing for his first start as a Phillie the following night. I thought it was going to be Cliff Lee originally, but there is definite intrigue to being there for Pedro’s first start.
Tonight though, it’s J.A. Happ vs. Rich Harden. And we are seated in the very last row of the upper deck. Thanks, Stub Hub.
The seats are not bad, but please heed this warning: If you ever sit in the last row at Wrigley, even in August, bring a sweatshirt or jacket or something. Because of the wind, it is easily 20 degrees colder up there than it is in the rest of the stadium. A t-shirt and shorts don’t cut it.
It’s obvious very early that Happ doesn’t have his best stuff. Harden, meanwhile, is dealing. He has been a disappointment for my fantasy team all year of course, but now he’s pitching what looks like the game of his life against the Phillies.
The Phillies are down 2-0 after five innings and don’t have a baserunner yet. The perfect game watch is on. Carlos Ruiz ends that with a one-out walk and Rollins thwarts the no-hitter bid with a home run to tie the game. Finally, something to cheer about.
Happ ends up hanging in there for six innings to keep it 2-2. Gary “Sarge” Matthews regales the Cub crowd with “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, then Chan Ho Park hurls a scoreless seventh.
In the top of the eighth, the Phillies manage a run on no hits as Carlos Marmol walks three and plunks another. He is booed mercilessly by the Wrigley faithful as he exits.
The Phils cling to the 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth after an obviously foul ball by Carlos Ruiz is ruled a home run and then overturned on instant replay. The umpires must have read this article I wrote a few weeks ago.
Anyway, Brad Lidge time. Last year, this was automatic. But this season it is very different. The Cubs fan next to me asks if his ERA is really 7.20. I confirm it and try to make excuses for Lidge while trying to think positive.
Lidge takes about three minutes to blow the save. 3-3. Extra innings. We get to freeze some more.
We get to the 12th and the Phillies still have just two hits. Something inside me makes me turn to Rachael, who is completely chapped by the wind, and say “The Phillies are going to win it for you this inning”.
Of course, she doesn’t care who wins. She just wants to get out of the cold. But just then, Ben Francisco leads off the inning with a home run to stake the Phils to a 4-3 lead. I see Chad Durbin, just off the DL, warming up. If he is going to blow this lead, he might as well lose it. I don’t want to be here all night.
Durbin allows a one-out walk, but gets the next two hitters. Phils win. Cubs lose. No stupid Cubs victory song. The blue flag with the white “L” flies high atop Wrigley. All the freezing is worth it.
But our Wrigley journey is only halfway over. We return the next night to see Pedro in his first start of the year. His opponent is Jeff Samardzija, making his first career start for the Cubs.
No bobblehead tonight, but they do hand out t-shirts. Our seats are thankfully in the lower level and we do not suffer frostbite. There seem to be a couple more Phillies fans than the previous night, but still none close enough for me to high five after a home run or anything.
Rachael plays along but that’s just because she’s a good sport and a good girlfriend rather than being an actual Phils fan.
The Phillies jump all over Samardzija immediately, with Victorino, Utley, and Howard lining three straight extra-base hits into the right field corner. I already hear murmurs in the crowd about this being Samardzija’s last start.
Lucky for the Cubs, the Phils only lead 2-0 after the top of the first. Chicago gets a run back in the second, but Victorino nearly puts one out onto Sheffield in the top of the third to give the Phils a 4-1 lead.
The next inning, the wheels completely come off for the Cubs as the Phillies pound out eight runs on eight hits, including home runs by Rollins and Ibanez. Werth and Feliz have two hits in the inning, and Pedro Martinez actually makes two of the outs.
It’s 12-1. And from this point on, it’s no contest. The Cubs peck here and there, but by the end they still lose embarrassingly, 12-5. Even more embarrassing is the behavior by one fan who dumps a beer on Shane Victorino as he catches a fly ball.
If this happened in Philadelphia, ESPN and the rest of the media would shove it down our throats for forty years like snowballs being thrown at Santa Claus. But I doubt you will hear much of anything about it since it happened in Chicago and the Cubs are such lovable losers.
If you haven’t ever been to Chicago, you are missing out on a great city. And please see a game at Wrigley if you never have. I would put it right behind Cooperstown on the list of places that every baseball fan should visit.
The two wins I witness bring my all-time Phils record at Wrigley to 3-3. And it’s likely to stay that way for a while because I have a couple other places I would like to go before I venture back there.
Seeing those games reminds me of how great it is to be a Phillies fan right now. I did not have that sense of automatic dread that my team was going to lose.
Instead, they gutted out a 12-inning win that they should have lost, and then dominated with an offensive explosion. Our time is here and it feels so good.
The games taught me something else: Being a Cubs fan is and has always been pure hell.
Giant Collision Course Headed Phillies Way
August 13, 2009 by scott eisenlohr
Filed under Fan News
What team has two former Cy Young Award winners on its staff and has one of the best records in the National League?
The Phillies, with Cliff Lee, shown above, and Pedro Martinez.
Well, the Giants have three former Cy Young Award winner on its staff: Tim Lincecom, Randy Johnson, and Barry Zito.
The Phillies are a home run-hitting team, with Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez leading the way with 27 home runs each.
The Giants are more of a hit for an average team, with the likes of Pablo Sandoval, Aaron Rowand, and Freddy Sanchez.
The NL West or Central wildcard plays the National League East champion in the first round of the playoffs, so if the Giants can overcome the tough Rockies and don’t catch the Dodgers, the Phillies will face the Giants.
And this is the team I fear the most. Good pitching usually wins out and I am not saying the Phillies pitching is worse than the Giants, but a singles-hitting team usually fares better in the playoffs than a home run-hitting team.
I feel better about the Phillies post-season chances with Pedro Martinez’s strong five-inning, three-run, one walk, and five strikeout performance in the Phillies 12-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
Martinez, a three-time Cy Young winner, threw his fastball in the low 90s, changed speeds effectively, and threw strikes most of the night.
With a rotation of Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Martinez give the Phillies a solid rotation.
Lincecom is solid, Randy Johnson’s health has kept him out of the rotation at times, and Zito is not the pitcher he was when he won the American League Cy Young award in 2002.
The Phils are on a roll heading into Atlanta, following a three-game sweep of the Cubs, and have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Braves.
As much as I hope to play the Yankees in the World Series, a series with the Giants could prove to be a tough test for the Phillies road to repeat.
Jamie Moyer, You’re Old and It’s Okay
August 13, 2009 by Todd Hayek
Filed under Fan News
Jamie Moyer has been demoted to the bullpen.
He’s being replaced in the rotation by a first ballot Hall-of-Famer who has three Cy Young Awards and a lifetime ERA of 2.92, Pedro Martinez. It’s not as if the Phillies are going with some young kid, like Jeff Samardzija, instead of the steady veteran.
He’s not happy about it, but he has accepted it, almost graciously.
Yes, that was sarcasm.
Moyer may be leading the Phils in victories this season (10) but he has been the beneficiary of good run support. It’s difficult to win 10 games, even in an entire season, with a 5.47 ERA. Just ask Matt Cain.
Sorry, Jamie, but the Phillies are going with a “youth movement.”
Moyer has had a good career.
Never has he been a dominant pitcher, but he was an elite level pitcher for a few seasons. He has two 20-win seasons! How’s that for a trivia question?
He has had a consistency that few pitchers have matched with double-digit victories in 15 of his 23 seasons.
Another “oldie” and one-time teammate, Randy Johnson, has just three 20-win seasons and 16 double digit victories in 22 seasons. Johnson has made it clear he doesn’t want to play anymore.
Jamie needs to take a cue from his fellow veteran and succumb to the fact that he is old. He was born in the EARLY ‘60s—probably the 1960’s. Research is still being accumulated.
The Big Unit and Pedro were dominant and overpowering. They’ve pitched in The Bigs for a combined 40 years and Moyer makes them seem like rookies.
Take a break, Father Time. Rest in the bullpen, help the team with leadership, share your knowledge, and don’t let anyone get hurt tripping over your cane.
Enjoy the playoffs and hope to get another World Series ring out of the deal.
______________________________________________________________
What they’re saying about Moyer “on the street”:
“I felt bad when they brought me the Brontosaurus Ribs and tipped my car over. I didn’t realize Jamie was next to the car and it put him on the 15 day DL with a broken hip. He’s not as young as he used to be!” – Fred Flintstone
“Jamie is a great pitcher and it’s all natural talent. I tried to introduce him to steroids, but the syringe wouldn’t penetrate his old, leathery skin. He’s one tough bird.” – Jose Canseco
“I asked for Watson to come help. ‘Mr. Watson, come here. I need you.’ I shouted. But he couldn’t hear me because Moyer was teaching him how to throw a 40 mile an hour fast ball.” – Alexander Graham Bell
“My parents overlooked Jamie as a possible Godfather for me. I wish they wouldn’t have. He could have taught me a lot about baseball growing up.” – Tommy Lasorda
“He’s been a great ambassador to the game and represents his country well. He could have gotten to 300 victories if he hadn’t lost two seasons while serving in the Civil War. He’s a warrior on and off the field.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It was kind of weird. Playing with my son was pretty cool. But playing with Jamie was special because he once struck out my Great Grandfather with a wicked googily!” – Ken Griffey, Sr.
“Rickie could still play if he wanted to. Rickie left the game before he was old. Rickie stole his last base the same day Moyer was collecting his first Social Security check.” – Rickie Henderson
“Jamie could play for another 10 years, just as long as he doesn’t announce his retirement every year!” – Brett Favre
Pedro Martinez Solid in His Philadelphia Phillies’ Debut
August 13, 2009 by Adam Bernacchio
Filed under Fan News
I didn’t get to watch Martinez pitch live because I was at the Newark Bears game last night (more on that in a later post). But thanks to the MLB Network and the wonderful little invention known as DVR, I woke up early this morning and just watched Martinez’s five innings.
That’s called dedication baby!
What I saw was a very, very determined Pedro Martinez. More determined than I have seen him in the regular season in quite some time. He is no longer the guy who can blow you away whenever he feels like it. He is more of a thinking man’s pitcher these days.
He was mixing his pitches well and even got his fastball up to the low-90’s on some occasions. He is more of a nibbler now as his 99 pitches in five innings suggests, but one thing people always forget about Martinez is that even when he was throwing 98 mph—he was one of the smartest pitchers in the game.
Now, he just needs to be a little smarter than he was before.
The Phillies will take what Martinez gave them last night every time out for the rest of the season. I don’t think the Phillies were expecting much more. The key now will be to see how Martinez fares pitching after every five days.
The next two or three starts will tell us a lot about how much Pedro Martinez will help the Phillies, in their attempt to win another World Series.
With Brett Myers Returning Soon, a Dear Brad Conversation with Lidge
August 13, 2009 by geoff crawley
Filed under Fan News
It’s over. Brett Myers is coming back.
No, it’s cool, we know you’re a great guy and everything. It’s just that, well, you know, you really have been a terrible pitcher this year.
We can live with the major league leading seven blown saves. The law of averages says that’s probably about right with the perfect season last year. It really isn’t about the ERA either, really, although an ERA above seven is ridiculous.
No, it is the way you are blowing saves that concerns us, to the point where we need to end this now.
Your success is dependent on people chasing that nasty slider, because you can’t throw it for a strike. (Well, you can, but when you do, it gets hit hard.) People are on to this. They know that they can just wait out the sliders until you have to throw a fastball for a strike to hit, or a slider for a strike to hit, or continuous sliders off the plate or in the dirt until you walk them.
Let’s take Tuesday night in Chicago. You walked Kosuke Fukudome, who was then sacrificed to second. Behind in the count to Milton Bradley, you threw your slider over the plate, which, predictably, got smacked into center for a game-tying RBI single.
After the game, you wanted to focus on the walk. Regarding the pitches to Fukudome you said, “I guess I could have made them a little closer so they could be called strikes.”
Yes, Brad, you could have thrown them over the plate instead of trying to nibble. A pitcher working a perfect closing season gets those calls. A guy with six blown saves and an ERA north of a touchdown does not.
Look, you don’t have to explain. It’s not that we don’t love you, we do. You’re a great guy. It’s not you, it’s us. We just need more consistency, like Phillies’ pitching coach Rich Dubee says. You aren’t giving us what we need.
Look, Brad, don’t make this harder than it already is. It was fun, right? You can keep the ring. No, we insist. You can—wait, that’s our cell phone, hold on, we need to take this—hello? Hey, Brett, how’s it going?
You threw two simulated innings yesterday? No pain? You think you might be pitching in a rehab start within a week? Great! Hold on, what? Yes, he’s still here. We’re telling him now, hold on a second.
Look, Brad, we gotta go. Actually, you gotta go. Thanks again for last year. No, now. Goodbye, Brad.
