Comments

[asphincter]

need to take two of these four, especially one tonight with the aces on the hill

[NEPP]

So I was at Barnes & Noble after work today and I saw the funniest and most ironic thing ever when I was looking at baseball books..."Baseball For Dummies" written by the great Hall of Famer Joe Morgan himself. Talk about getting an "expert" in the field.

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Dummies-Sports-Hobbies/dp/0764575376/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219963373&sr=8-1

[MG]

Game on!

[CJ]

Let's Go Phils!

Win tonight and we're back on top of the division.

Most of all, I'm hoping for a split against the best team in the NL.

[David Hinkle]

Cubs are going to be a challenge, we need to hit em hard and fast. Here's to a couple of early runs so we put them in the hole and playing catch up.

Go Phils!

[phargo]

I love the picture!

Tonight's game will even be on TV out here. That's the third time in less than 2 weeks, which is quite unusual and great.

Go Phils!!!

[bay_area_phan]

Realistically, a 2-2 split is probably about as much as we can hope for in this series. It's absolutely critical to win tonight's game, as tomorrow's pitching matchup could not possibly be more horrendous.

[donc]

Hey where did the Victoria Secret add go?

[GM-Carson]

Win the first game, and then we'll go from there. Hamels gives us as good as chance as anyone. Screw Dempster and that herky-jerky crap he does with his glove before his pitches...nail 'em Phils!

[Yikes!]

From MLBTR-
Mike Lamb and the Phillies have mutual interest. A trade might make more sense than awaiting his release, so that he'd be eligible for the postseason roster.

[Im a Met Fan]

BAP -- I am hoping you guys split or worse but i could see you winnin 3 here..... unfortunately for me....

[doubleh]

Methinks Met fan is trying to BL reverse jinx us here.

[Im a Met Fan]

HH -- Haha... put my voodoo on you.... honestly, i would absolutely love a 1 game playoff between the two of us with santana against hamels... that would be so exciting... preferably id like it if we both got in and got to play each other in the NLCS but that seems somewhat unlikely

[doubleh]

IAMF: I don't think the jinx works unless you actually believe what you are saying...and if you actually believe the Phils will take 3 of 4, I'd like some of what you are smoking. The Cubs are on fire right now.

I don't know if the Mets and Phils are good enough to even get to the NLCS, but I would love that outcome as well--although there's not enough antacid and booze that would get me through it alive. Every game is a roller-coaster ride of an adventure.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I'll take some of what he's smoking, regardless. A split is the realistic goal. 3 wins would be fantastic. But, gotta win teh first one before you can win another. REmember that trip to LA?

[Im a Met Fan]

HH -- Im a pessimistic mets fan i always expect the worse and that right now would be you guys sweeping 4... In all honesty i have nothing against the phillies and in no way hate them with the exception of maybe victorino... I could never hate you guys as much as i hate the braves yankees or dodgers and i enjoy conversing on here much MUCH more than any mets board. Ideally again i could see us both getting to the NLCS if we both get in.... Just need the crew to start fallin off...

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Hating victorino is almost counterintuitive. he's the friggin flyin hawaiian fercrissakes.
YOu're a bad machine, mutt fan

[Im a Met Fan]

I hate vic for the same reasons you guys hate reyes....

[NEPP]

That Vic is actively hurting the team.

[Iceman]

Feliz with a dreadful AB there. Dempster can't throw a strike and he hacks at two balls when the count is 2-1.

[Im a Met Fan]

NEPP -- You mean the mets right?

[doubleh]

Oh, Pedro...did you watch the batters in front of you? He walked two batters...

[doubleh]

IAMF: It's an inside joke. Someone else who posts here regularly said that Victorino actively hurts the team and meant it. So we bring it up every time he gets a big hit or makes a good play on defense.

[GM-Carson]

Dobbs should have gotten the nod at 3rd tonight.

[Im a Met Fan]

It seems like the cubs have a lot of guys having big big years (Theriot, Soto, Johnson) that i dont see them having again but man is that a good lineup right now....

[Yikes!]

Did you see the video of the kid falling over the right field wall of CBP during batting practice?

[Im a Met Fan]

HH -- Oh yea i remember that... it was a regular poster right? Hamels with quick work thus far...

[GM-Carson]

Does Utley have range at 2nd base? Dammit, that ball should have been an out.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I hate vic for the same reasons you guys hate reyes....

Posted by: Im a Met Fan | Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 08:18 PM

I don't hate Reyes, but I dont' like him much. He's a punk. Vic isn't. This is all bulls*%t at teh end of the day, but I think of this in terms of who I'd like to have a beer with. Vic wins, regardless of teh uniform, based on what I've seen.

[RSB]

Great work on the Game Chat art. Love that ivy!

[NEPP]

How different would the NL Central race be if Gallardo hadn't gone down for the Brewers? Would they have still made the Sabathia trade? If so they'd easily have the best rotation in the NL with Sheets, Sabathia and Gallardo...intersting What If to say the least.

[Im a Met Fan]

Hugh -- Totally subjective there... Vic IS a punk to me. Standing at home plate grilling the mets dugout... thats a punk move to a met fan... To a phillie fan thats fiery... to a yankee fan paul oniell was fiery... to the rest of us he was a winy puss

[Iceman]

What the hell is that garbage Dempster does with his glove? Has he always done that?

[NEPP]

I'd kill to have Paul O'Neill on this team...a in his prime Paul O'Neill. He was a great great ballplayer. The Yankees don't get that it was players like him and Bernie Williams that made them great...not guys like Giambi and AROD.

[doubleh]

IAMF: Agreed it's totally subjective. But can we all agree that what Tatis did down the 3rd baseline the other night was out of line? I mean, really...he practically did the friggin' macarena.

[doubleh]

Iceman: They were talking about it earlier. Dempster was told he was tipping his pitches so he does that thing with his glove now to hide his movements.

[Im a Met Fan]

HH -- As a met fan i give tatis a pass... he took his career for granted now hes just having fun... but i agree the over the top celebrations get old... although some in football can be sooooo funny...

[Brian G]

So Fukudome looking like a bust so far this year.

[NEPP]

So you can showboat and be an A$$ if you had a dip in your career? You think you'd respect the game more if that happened.

[Hope SE]

Tipping pitches? What the heck would his record be if he wasn't tipping his pitches?

That doesn't seem like a likely explanation . . . from the perspective of the peanut gallery at least.

[NEPP]

Fukudome looked great for the first 2 months...then MLB pitchers had a book on him and he hasn't adjusted back.

[Im a Met Fan]

NEPP -- He looks like a joke up there... i never understood swinging your front leg towards the press boxes to hit the gaps...

[GM-Carson]

Wow Burrell, could you be any worse right now? We need the good Pat Burrell back in a hurry, because the Pat Burrell the stranded 13 runs in 2 Mets games is not helping the cause.

[SJ-Mike]

Why wouuld a Mets fan hang out here? Shouldnt you be meeting Kramer at the coffee shop or something?

[curt]

Burrell's activity hurting the team. No joke. Time to bat Werth #3 until Burrell gets a clue again.

[Im a Met Fan]

NEPP -- Oh i forgot to mention that yea he looked like an ass there... its just tough for me to be objective in that sense... but i will swallow my pride and admit it, it is ridiculous

[NEPP]

Fukudome Month by Momth Average

Apr: .305
May: .293
Jun: .264
Jul: .236
Aug: .183

Anyone noticing a pattern? ;)

[Im a Met Fan]

SJ - Being a mets fan from the mid 90s (23 years old) i am used to not watching baseball from about june on....

[MPN]

Carson: Speaking of stranding runners, did you see that David Wright has the 4th worst Runners NOT Batted In rate in MLB? 348 RNBI/75RBI. Garrett Atkins leads MLB with 370 RNBI.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings

[GM-Carson]

MPN- thanks for that link. I love reading anything Stark writes.

[NEPP]

Yeah...Stark's one of the few ESPN guys I like reading...as he's not always on Insider like alot of them. Insider is basically what pushed me to Blogs and CNNSI. Why pay for what anyone can get for free afterall? Stark's worth reading usually though.

[doubleh]

And Stark's from Philly so he's not one to jump on the Philly bashing bandwagon with the rest of those 4-letter network hacks.

[curt]

Sure hope Chase didn't wreck a perfect game. Hamels looks like he wants to go the distance.

[GM-Carson]

From Jayson Stark-
• Out like a Lamb: We're hearing that Mike Lamb, just designated for assignment by the Twins, has told his old buddies in Houston he'd love to play in Philadelphia. And with the Phillies still hunting for a left-handed bat off the bench, they clearly would be interested. One big question is whether the Phillies (or anyone else) would try to trade for Lamb or just wait until the Twins release him. He can't be released until next week, meaning he wouldn't be eligible for postseason play. But because he already has cleared trade waivers, he could be dealt at any time.

WILL THIS METS-PHILLIES SAGA HAVE A DIFFERENT ENDING?

One thing we know about the NL East, 2008 edition, is that the Mets won't blow any 7½-game leads this September -- because they won't have any 7½-game leads to blow.

But more and more -- as well as the Mets have played (40-25 under Jerry Manuel), and as hard as they've worked to expunge the nightmare of September 2007 -- the Phillies look like the team in better shape to survive this marathon.

Privately, the Mets don't seem optimistic they'll get any meaningful contribution from John Maine (8-1 lifetime against the Phillies and Marlins). They're not so sure about Billy Wagner, either. There are no impact pitchers they can trade for. And now consider this stat:

Here's the record of these teams in games decided after the sixth inning (meaning the score was tied after six, or the lead changed): Phillies 31-15, Mets 11-22. Nobody we've talked to thinks that stat is an aberration.

"One part of it, obviously, is the difference in bullpens," one scout said. "But the other part of it is heart. I love the Phillies' grit. And now that [Jimmy] Rollins is hitting again, they're the team to beat again."

[GM-Carson]

Jayson Werth is now a starter in my mind. Not because he starts every game, but because he's producing against both lefties and righties.

[The Theory]

What with my distaste for most of the Phillies broadcast team, including the Sarge, it is good to hear him blast certain players for their approach at the plate.

[NEPP]

Jayson Werth can't hit righties...

Note to Pedro: STOP SWINGING AT THE FIRST PITCH!!!

[NEPP]

Annoying that our pitcher can work a count better than some of our position players...not naming names, pedro...

[Brian G]

I love how Ryan Howard inexplicably turned himself into a rock solid defender over the last couple weeks.

[RSB]

Boos for Soriano.

[doubleh]

But I thought only Philly boos its own players? /sarcasm

[Im a Met Fan]

Yea whats wrong with you philly fans ive never known shea to boo met with the exception of Piazza Hampton Lieter Reyes Delgado and santana....

[RSB]

Charlie. Give Burrell a day off already.

[curt]

Thats 23 guys (& counting) The Bat has left on base in 4 games. By now, it's Cholly's fault.

[MPN]

curt: You want Taguchi or Bruntlett starting in LF tonight?

[RSB]

Same old, same old for Hamels. Some extremely wild swinging going on tonight against Dempster.

[MG]

Feliz in full "hack-a-thon" form tonight. He looks brutal at the plate on nights like this.

[doubleh]

And yet Cholly opines that when Feliz is more aggressive (!), he can be an extremely good hitter.

[doubleh]

I hate this stupid ivy. Booby traps at Wrigley...

[Shawn]

I can deal with Bruntlett in LF for one night if it'll help Burrell get back to form.

Can't Dobbs play OF?

[mike cunningham]

this is like a script.

cole cruises deep into a game. he finally gives up a run. Just one run. and it's still a tie game.

how do those guys come back in the dugout when they don't score anything from Cole.

At this point it's an embarrasment.

[NEPP]

You gotta wonder how many wins Cole would have if he ever got any run support. 16? 17?

[curt]

hh - beats playing in a bandbox.

[wally]

Santana and Hamels really deserve a team like the Red Sox.

[curt]

There's your #3 hitter.

[doubleh]

So, they're saying that Werth didn't have to go after that ball and it should have been a ground rule double...should still be 1-0 in theory.

[Brian G]

Jayson Werth, proving Clout wronger by the day...

[NEPP]

Jayson Werth can't hit righties.

[birds]

steve smith is most improved coach this year.

what is a bandbox?

[doubleh]

birds: Supposedly, CBP is...

Webster's defines it thusly:
2 : a structure (as a baseball park) having relatively small interior dimensions

[MG]

I know this is a completely irrational or "gut" feeling but this Cubs team just doesn't overwhelmingly impress me. You would think a team with this superior of a record would just mow teams over.

[MG]

Maybe Werth can hit righties but Jenkins going down still hurt this team. Burrell looks like he desperately needs a night off and you can't start Bruntlett/Taguchi in this series.

[Dave X]

Werth is better vs RHP in his career than Howard is vs LHP.

[NEPP]

Howard would be an MVP every year if he could hit lefties as well as Werth hits righties.

[doubleh]

Wow, and all 4 runs manufactured...these must be the bizarro Phils

[Hope SE]

MG: The Cubs' record is 83-50, 33 games over .500. Their 8 hole hitter has 79 RBIs. What does it take to be a good team??

[MG]

Alright. Sac fly but I have to switch over to the Obama speech soon.

Hopefully Cole can get the Phils through the 7th and then you go Durbin/Romero and Lidge in the 9th (although Lidge has pitched a fair amount recently.

[NEPP]

Can't see the play as I am out of area but what does it say about Soriano that Ruiz is able to tag up and take 3B on a hit to LF? Unless of course Soriano tried for the runner at home.

[birds]

hh,
thanks for the definition.
are the parentheses yours?
I never new the origin, because seriously, what is a 'bandbox?' is the band like "rubberband" or "J. Giels Band?"

[NEPP]

Screw Obama....this is important!

Unless of course Obama is a good lefty bat? Is he?

[doubleh]

birds: Nope, the parentheses are Webster's
The other definition is (for your edification and my curiosity)
1 : a usually cylindrical box of cardboard or thin wood for holding light articles of attire

That's your lesson for the day. There might be a pop quiz later.

[NEPP]

Pat is making it real easy for the FO to justify not resigning him.

[doubleh]

NEPP: I thought that last ball Pat hit was out of the park...of course, all he does lately is swing for the fences.

[birds]

hh,
many thanks.
I have been listening to the clowns up here complain about CBP this week on the radio. Michael Kay (Yanks play by play, 1050 host) ranting about how the stadium is "illegal" and major league baseball should have "banned" the stadium. I'm not kidding. This guy covers the yankees. Evidently, the right field fence at "The Stadium" is OK, but the "short porch" in that "band-box" is a disgrace.
I'd rather have eskin.
I am back to NPR in the car.

[doubleh]

Dude, what happened to the Dodgers?

The Nationals are absolutely SPANKING them. 11-2 right now. Yikes.

That Manny is a difference maker for sure.

[curt]

I still think Howard and Burrell traded unis a few days ago.

[yo]

yo

[doubleh]

birds: Why would the Yankees PBP guy give a flying ducks *ss about CBP? Is he a Met fan?

Apparently, he has also not read (neither have the reported for DNL evidently) the stats that say CBP is playing pretty neutral this season.

[duder- WA]

birds,
are you referring to 'the rubber band',
a band out of beantown?

[RSB]

I know I'm a little late here, but that was a really nice inning the Phillies put together in the 6th. Good execution all the way around.