Carlos “Chooch Train” Ruiz Keeps on Rolling

Its election time again.  Philadelphians know what that means. 

Vote early.  Vote often.

This is not about city council, though.  Nor is it about blue and red states. 

It certainly has nothing to do with the mayor’s office.

The constituency is located in Ashburn Alley.  The candidates wear white with cherry pinstripes.     

Balloting is underway for this year’s MLB All Star game. 

The annual mid summer classic is scheduled to take place on July 10^th at Kaufman Stadium, home

of the Kansas City Royals.

As tradition dictates, baseball fans choose the starting lineups.  The process is democratic, but not perfect. The most qualified players don't always take the field.

Popularity plays a role.  Fans vote according to their hearts, not their heads. 

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., for example, was voted a starter in 2000 while hitting .239 during that season’s first half.    

Further complicating things, MLB rules stipulate that each franchise is represented with at least one player on the roster. 

Admittedly, in the not too distant past, this has worked in favor of the Phillies. 

Mike Lieberthal (2000), Jimmy Rollins (2001) and Randy Wolf (2003) were lone Phillies All Stars.

 

It has worked the other way, though, too. 

Ryan Howard belted 28 home runs and drove in 84 runs before the All Star break in 2008.  It was not enough.  Howard stayed home. 

The final All Star game ever played at old Yankee Stadium went on without Howard there.

This year, at the first All Star game played in Kansas City since 1973, Phillies catcher Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz must be there.

Certainly, a case could have been made before.  Phillies fans know this. 

They know all about Ruiz’s ability to successfully manage the most highly profiled pitching staff in the big leagues.

They know too, all about Ruiz’s propensity for hitting in the clutch. 

This year, Phillies fans and the rest of baseball have learned something new.  “Chooch” has emerged as the best catcher in baseball.

And there is no time like the present. 

The last place Phillies, battling injuries and complacency, have struggled in every phase, except when “Chooch” either is at the plate or behind it.

Check the numbers.  Ruiz leads all MLB catchers in hitting (.337), and slugging (.577) and is tied for second in home runs (6) and RBIs (23).

Defensively, Chooch’s fielding percentage is perfect (1.000).  He leads all MLB catchers in double plays (4), and he is ranked third in runners caught stealing (11).

The “Chooch Train” has left the station.  And, it has been carrying the Phillies all season.

Now it is up to Phillies fans. 

Vote early.  Vote often.  

Clear the tracks.  The "Chooch Train" is right on time.  Next stop Kansas City.

All aboard!

 

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Washington’s Natitude No Match for Cole Hamels’ “Attytude”

This weekend Gnats fans reclaimed their nest.

That’s their story, and they’re sticking to it. Team management hung banners, fans carried signs, it all looked impressive on ESPN. 

So too did the thousands of Phillies fans that managed to sneak in, despite the ban imposed to prevent their entry.

But why quibble? 

Gnats fans are giddy. They took back their park.

From who? Phillies fans are pretty content with their own. They travel south to follow their team and to occupy otherwise vacant seats.

Gnats fans can have their park. It will be interesting to see if they keep it. 

The Phillies don’t return to Washington until the end of July. Wonder what Gnats fans will be doing between now and then? 

For Phillies fans, more unsettling than a made for television Occupy the Park movement is what occurred on the field. 

The Phillies dropped two of three. They managed to score only four runs in the twenty innings they played over the course of Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Forget small ball. This was dull ball. And it was hardly new. The Phillies have looked flat for weeks.

There are reasons for this; Roy Halladay has been human. Injured reserve is at capacity. The regulars are pressing.

Manager Charlie Manuel shook up the lineup, again, on Friday. Seeking to shake things up further, Manuel then got himself tossed by arguing over a Bryce Harper check swing in the first inning.

No matter. Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence told phillies.com on Saturday that it felt like the Gnats, not the Phillies, “have a chip on their shoulder.”

Enter Colbert Michael Hamels. The Phillies left-hander took the ball on Sunday night. Seven pitches in, Hamels nailed Gnats phenom, Bryce Harper, in the small of his back.

That’s the kind of "attytude" that marketing campaigns just can’t manufacture. It is the kind that comes from the heart. Just ask somebody at the corner of 9th and Catherine. Trust me, you'll understand.

In the short run, the drilling cost Hamels. To his credit, Harper shook it off, made it to third and then timed a Hamels pickoff move perfectly to steal home.

It was the only run Hamels surrendered all night. The Phillies went on to score nine, resulting in a 9-3 Phillies victory that prevented a sweep.

Coincidence? It was if you believe Hamels. After the game, he admitted to hitting Harper intentionally. He said it had nothing to do with recapturing his own team’s swagger. 

It was done simply out of respect for the old school way of welcoming the young Gnats star into the big leagues.

Maybe that’s true. 

What is certain is that Hamels’ admission has earned him a five game suspension.

What is also certain is that talk goes only so far. 

Colbert Michael Hamels walks the walk of a fierce competitor, and of a champion. 

That is more contagious than even the slickest of marketing campaigns.   

But that will be apparent during the “Take Back Our Ballpark, Again” campaign that likely will kick off in late July.   

But don't take my word for it.  Talk is cheap. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

There are two kinds of baseball teams in the Majors, my friend.  There are the Phillies and then there are all of the rest.  The Phillies have enough drama for them all. 

A week in Clearwater made clear that this spring’s training camp is comparable to the best spaghetti westerns.  Go ahead and cue the soundtrack. 

The Good: 

Newly re-signed Jimmy Rollins has a fist full of dollars.  He leads the charge. 

In three games last week, against the Pirates, Twins and Braves, Rollins had three hits.  One cleared the fence.  Another drove home a baserunner.  

Rollins also scored two runs and stole a base.  He even tried to bunt for a hit. 

Vance Worley is not hanging them high.  He is mowing them down.    

In four innings against the Pirates, Worley did not allow a baserunner.  He struck out eight.  The sheriff is back in town.  He is the kid with the funky glasses. 

Then there is the new boss.  He is the same as the old boss.  Jim Thome comes off the bench now, but he still carries a big stick.  

Against the Braves, Thome came to the plate four times as a designated hitter.  He twice connected, once to the opposite field to drive in a run. 

The grizzled old veteran is a force opposing pitchers will have to reckon with. 

The Phillies young gun is Freddy Galvis.  He roams the range like few other middle infielders.  Against the Twins, he went deep in the hole to retrieve a grounder. 

Galvis snared it.  Then he rifled it to first with an arm that makes shotguns look obsolete. 

Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz, just keeps on rolling.  In three games he had four hits, including a double that drove in a run.  He also showed off his own howitzer, nailing the Twins speedy centerfielder Denard Span at second base. 

The Bad: 

Chase Utley’s knees.  The Phillies second baseman has not played in a game since Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series (NLDS). 

Utley has not taken fielding practice since late February.  He is scheduled to see a specialist.

Ryan Howard’s ankle.  Howard remains hobbled.  He too last played in the 2011 NLDS, tearing his Achilles tendon in the final at bat of the series. 

Howard developed an infection in the area of his injury last month and is wearing a protective boot.

Utley and Howard will begin the 2012 season as partners on the disabled list.

The Ugly:

Ty Wigginton at first base has only slightly greater range than the Rocky statue located near the Philadelphia Art Museum. 

Batted balls to Wigginton’s right and his left get by in equal measure.

“Chooch” tagging up on a short fly ball to left center.  It happened against the Braves.  It should never happen again.

Roy “Doc” Halladay giving up five runs, all earned, against the Twins, in under three innings. 

It all goes to show that the good guys don’t always win.  Sometimes they lose.  Sometimes they get hurt.  But they always manage to overcome the bad and the ugly.

The Phillies will do just that.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Pairs of Pitchers and Catchers

Good things come in twos. Philly knows this. Its pairings are magical. Soft pretzels and mustard.  Pepper and egg. Hall and Oates. Tasty and Kake. 

One match matters most: pitchers and catchers. The words alone warm the hearts of Phillies fans everywhere. They ward off the wind chill, especially this year.    

It has been a long winter. Much business remains. The promise of a parade went unfulfilled last autumn. One hundred-two regular season wins dissolved into the night. 

Poof, they were gone. Maybe that squirrel took them. No matter, only the St. Louis Cardinals, a wild-card team, remained. They played on. The Phillies went home. The ache lingered long.    

But that was then. Pitchers and catchers is now. The mitts are popping. Hopes are renewed, and among Phillies fans, they remain high. This is for good reason. A bunch of them, actually, and they come in pairs.

Start with the best battery in baseball. That is, of course, Roy “Doc” Halladay and Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz. They are a pair worth watching have a catch. Just ask opposing batters; they get caught looking all of the time. 

“Doc” and “Chooch” make making history look routine. First, they combined for a perfect game. Then, they paired for a no-hitter—in the postseason, no less. 

“Doc” was a pretty fair pitcher before coming to Philly. Since he hooked up with “Chooch,” though, his ERA has never been lower. It came in at 2.35 last year, down from 2.44 the year before. 

If Halladay and Ruiz become any more in sync, the Phillies will need to start selling “Doc ‘n Chooch” jerseys (no doubt the “Gnats” will try to ban them).  

Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels follow Halladay in the rotation. They constitute a wicked pair of lefties.  Combined, they started 63 games last year and won 31 of them.      

Hamels won 11 of his 14 games prior to the all-star break last season. Lee was nearly unhittable after the break, going 8-2 with an ERA of 1.79.

While Hamels tailed off last year, going 3-5 after the break with a 3.54 ERA, he still managed to give the Phillies more innings (84) in the second half than anyone else in the rotation not named Halladay (90.1) or Lee (95.1).

He also dialed down the drama. Hamels avoided melting down as he once did when things went wrong. He recovered to throw six shutout innings in his only postseason appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.

Such newfound resiliency is surely attributable to Lee’s influence. After all, Lee followed up his demotion to the minors (2007) by winning the AL Cy Young award (2008) with the Cleveland Indians.   

The pair that rounds out the Phillies rotation consists of Vance Worley and Joe Blanton. 

Worley emerged from nowhere last year to win 11 games. He only lost three. On a staff stacked with winners, Worley’s winning percentage (.785) stands out. 

Worley’s partner is no Cy Young. He is an average Joe—all substance, no flash. Blanton’s everyman demeanor works well to complement Worley’s mohawk hairstyle and fashionable eyewear. It also provides the young pitcher with a model of consistency.               

Last year the Phillies famously dealt four aces. This year, the team will be dealing in pairs. That extends into the bullpen. 

There a freshly arrived duo will wait to close things out. During the offseason, the Phillies acquired closer Jon Papelbon, a free agent from the Red Sox. 

As part of the deal, they also received Papelbon’s alter ego “Cinco Ocho.” The addition cost the Phillies nothing extra. They did not even have to throw in a draft pick.    

Papelbon and his fastball firing alias have combined to save 200 games faster than any other single pitcher in history. Who said two closers aren’t as good as one?

It is unclear whether Papelbon and “Cinco Ocho” warm up one another or if they require a catcher.  Whatever the case, the latest pair to join the Phillies is vital to the team’s success.

Pitchers and catchers, indeed. Who could have guessed the prospect of having a catch could be so entertaining?

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Washington Nationals Launch Preemptive Strike Against Philadelphia Phillies Fans

Hey Phillies fans.  Have you heard the news?  The Washington Nationals are taking back their park.  From you, that is.  Like dogs and winning baseball, Phillies fans are no longer welcome at Nationals Park.

Maybe you missed the news.  It is Super Bowl week.  You have likely spent the last few days trying to figure out who to boo the loudest at the party on Sunday, Tom Brady or Eli Manning.  Forget about it.  The “Gnats” deserve your attention.

They tried to avoid it.  They announced their new “Not Friendly to Phillies Fans” policy with great stealth.  It came on a Friday afternoon, the eve of Super Bowl weekend and a day when Philly sports fans were preoccupied with Wing Bowl, an annual Buffalo wing eating contest. 

Sneaky those “Gnats,” like a Cole Hamels changeup.  They are making single game tickets for the May 4-6 series against the Phillies available via an exclusive presale for season ticket holders and residents of Washington, Maryland and Virginia. 

Phillies fans looking to attend can take their cheesesteaks and go home.  “Gnats” chief operating officer Andy Feffer told mlb.com, “Frankly, I’m tired of seeing the Phillies fans in our ballpark in Washington more than anything else.” 

Where’s the brotherly love?  Phillies fans are an amicable bunch.  They might belt out the occasional “Chooch” to recognize favorites such as Carlos Ruiz, but there is little to fear.  These are not your father’s Phillies fans.  They rarely even boo anymore. 

Just prior to embarking on their current streak of winning the National League East five years in a row, the Phillies became the first baseball team in history to lose 10,000 games.  That is a whole lot of heartbreak. 

It has now turned to joy.  An organization committed to winning will do that.  Even last year’s early postseason dismissal, as disappointing as it was, has failed to damper the optimism about spending summer nights in south Philly, or to follow the team on the road.

This was once, not long ago, unmentionable.  Maybe you took the transistor to the Jersey Shore, but that was as much to listen to Harry Kalas and Whitey Ashburn call the games as it was to keep up with the Phillies. 

It’s different now.  Phillies fans are proud of their team.  They are pleasantly surprised to find thousands of their kind, wearing Utley and Howard jerseys, bonding with one another on the road. 

Phillies fans are not hitting the road to hate on the fans of other teams.  They’re doing so because they just can’t get enough of their Phillies.  They are relishing the moment and they are sharing it with one another.  It simply doesn't get any better. 

This all began with the winning, of course.  Still, loyalty to the Phillies runs deep.  Millions of Phillies fans endured bad baseball for years, whether at Shibe Park, Connie Mack Park or at Veteran’s Stadium.  Throughout, they sat next to plenty of other teams fans who cheered as the Phillies got pummeled.

Attempting to keep out Phillies fans can mean only one thing.  The “Gnats” are nuts.  This is not a surprise.  It’s been apparent for awhile.  They broke the bank, remember, to sign Jayson Werth.  Werth is a good player on a great team.  The “Gnats” are not that.

And maybe, that is the problem.  In announcing his “Take Back the Park” initiative, Feffer informed mlb.com that, “For several years now, our fans, everybody have been screaming about the number of Phillies fans that invade our park when we have a series here at Nationals Park.”

Aiming ire at Phillies fans is misplaced.  It’s a smokescreen that obscures the real problem facing the “Gnats,” bad baseball.  Phillies fans who visit Nationals Park in droves are doing Nationals fans a favor. 

Their presence pressures the “Gnats” ownership to put a team on the field worthy of fan support.  If the Nationals are better this year, they should thank Phillies fans, not work to ban them. 

Especially for a team engaged in our national pastime, playing in our nation’s capital, keeping out Phillies fans is not only ungrateful, it is un-American.  Like betting against Rocky Balboa. 

Cheesesteak anyone?          

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Philadelphia Phillies: Can Current Lineup Win World Series?

Is South Philly a good place to get a cheesesteak?

The Philadelphia Phillies won 102 ballgames last year.  They remain the only team in the National League that matters, spending sprees in the nation’s capital and the Sunshine State be damned. 

Clubhouse chemistry cannot be forced.  It is cultivated.  The Phillies render this evident.  With a core group in place, the team’s winning percentage in the regular season has steadily improved, from .525 in 2006 to .630 in 2011.  Can this trend continue?

Can Chubby Checker do the Twist?

Jimmy Rollins is back.  The Phils’ spark plug remains in place.  Of course, he is not the ideal leadoff man.  Rollins walks too little and swings too much.  This is hardly news. 

During his MVP season in 2007, Rollins walked only 49 times.  He went down swinging 85 times.  Last year Rollins had nine more walks and 21 fewer strikeouts.  His on-base percentage (.338) dipped little from 2007 (.344) and improved from 2010 (.320). 

Most importantly, Rollins reached base in the postseason nearly half the time he batted (.476).  Will Rollins get many playoff at bats in 2012?

Do soft pretzels and mustard go well together?

Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee combined for 36 wins last season.  Cole Hamels contributed 14 more.  Each of the "Big Three" started over 30 games, topped 200 innings and posted earned run averages below 2.80. 

Hamels is a World Series MVP (2008).  Halladay threw a (near) perfect game against the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010 NLDS.  Lee has won seven of 11 postseason starts since 2009.  This says nothing about Vance Worley, who gave the Phillies 11 wins as a rookie.  Will the Phillies get the chance to deal their aces come October?

Is the Liberty Bell cracked?    

Enter Jonathan Papelbon.  Newly free from the Beantown circus, he now anchors the best bullpen in baseball.  Phillies relievers surrendered only 169 runs last year, fewest in the big leagues.  Replacing the departed Ryan Madson with Boston’s former closer can only constitute a change for the even better. 

Papelbon has been there and done that—very well, thank you.  As the resident closer for the drama-laden Red Sox, Papelbon saved 219 games.  His postseason earned run average stands at 1.00.  For the World Series, it is 0.00.  Can the Phillies offense give Papelbon and Company a sufficient cushion?

Could the late, great Phillies announcer Harry Kalas call one that was “ouTTA HERE?”

If J-Roll sparks the Fightins, the Flying Hawaiian, Shane Victorino, is the piston that drives them.  He led the team in batting average last year and hit more home runs than any Phillie not named Ryan Howard or Raul Ibanez.  Victorino’s average jumped 20 points last year.  A repeat performance is likely; 2012 is a contract year for Victorino. 

His teammates are hungry as well.  Healthy, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco will return to form.  Hunter Pence, acquired from the Houston Astros last summer, will spend the entire season this year in Philadelphia. 

All of this will alleviate some of the pressure felt by the “Big Piece,” Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.  As will the addition of power-hitting future Hall of Famer Jim Thome as a pinch-hitter.  In many ways, Citizens Bank Park is the house that Howard built.  Thome laid the park’s foundation, though, before the Phillies traded him to make room for Howard. 

The sluggers are together again.  Citizens Bank is unlikely to contain them.   Can these Phillies deliver?

Is making scrapple pretty?

No, but neither are manager Charlie Manuel’s press conferences.  Manuel is comfortable in the dugout, not in front of a microphone.  That is how it should be. 

Manuel is the most underrated manager in baseball.  His Phillies have yet to win fewer than 85 games.  They are National League East winners for five years running.  They came within a game of winning 200 ballgames over the last two years.  This is in spite of Manuel’s need to juggle an everyday lineup riddled by injuries. 

Since 2005, the year Manuel became the team’s manager, no team in the National League has won more games (646).  Yet, Manuel has never finished higher than second in voting for National League Manager of the Year (2007 and 2008).  No matter. 

If Manuel had won it, he would have had to make a speech anyway.  That is not his style.  Manuel wins ballgames, not awards, and that is just how the Phillies like it. 

Are the Phillies good enough to win the World Series this year?  Yeah, they are.  When they do, it will be because Charlie sent them. 

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