I was there

I was there. I was there when Roy Halladay threw his no-hitter against the Reds. I was there last night with 46,000 others; 46,000 to whatever the power of children and grandchildren who will hear the story second-hand. I was there, sitting in the same nosebleed seats that Halladay is often spotted traversing in his own personal boot camp, there to watch him finally reach the summit of his climb. I was there, and it’s taken 12 hours to process it. Perfectionists can sympathize about how difficult it is to write about (near) perfection. So I'll keep it simple, because Doc did all the talking. Coworkers who watched on television described it as “comical.” Quotes from the Reds players suggested that it was like trying to hit air. "I wondered how many times I could have struck out if I just kept going up there," said Scott Rolen, who struck out in all three at bats. From the cheap seats, his pitches were diving so sharply off the table that it appeared the Reds were missing by 10 feet. Doc doesn't need a bullpen when he owns Brad Lidge’s best slider and Ryan Madson’s best change-up and mixes them with the rest of his surgical tools. To think that he shared Game 1 billing with a no-style club fighter like Edinson Volquez, who put a 93 meatball right in Halladay’s unwieldy wheelhouse.

Great ticket. But they all are anymore. Appearing in the postseason isn’t enough. Verifying their stake as the best club in franchise history is old hat. The Phillies won’t rest until they make their mark in some deep-seated, historic way. I can't wait to see how they follow this ...

Comments

[Joe Cowley]

Hamels=fun
Oswalt=funner
Doc=funnest

[CY]

I feel blessed to have been there as well. This was one of the most incredible moments I have witnessed.

[DaveyNopes]

indeed.

[Jbird]

I hate waiting till tomorrow.

[awh]

JW, color me jealous, and happy for you at the same time.

[msb]

And Chooch is part of the two most famous "tappers" in Phillies baseball history...knocking in the winning Bruntlett run in the rain-soaked Saturday night WS game vs Rays and
out #27 for the no-hitter. What a time to be a Phillies fan. Makes all the bad years worth it.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Excellent post JW.

[Furnstein]

This post made me a little weepy. We're lucky to love this team.

[jason.tp]

JW: congrats, what an amazing ticket to get a hold of.

jbird: soo true, this offday is going to take forever. I feel bad for Roy Oswalt when his 2 hit shutout just isn't funner as Game 1.

[NEPP]

Well, I guess you have a good excuse for taking so long to write up the post-game thread...

Well Said.

[Lake Fred]

JW, you missed the lamest post-game interview ever when TBS sent some no-name stiff to interview Doc right on the field seconds after the last out. The questions were stupid and awkward. To Halladay's credit, he answered the dumb questions with class. We'll need to get a transcript of this travesty.

[The Theory]

Did anyone read Jayson Stark's article on espn yet? As usual, he is quite poetic and does a good job of putting a historical spin on what Halladay did. But the best part of the article is his description of Carlos Ruiz's post-game comments.

Also classic was Brandon Phillips comment: "If he was pitching against the Phillies today, they probably would have done the same thing we did."

[Zudok]

I was there, too. You said it well, J.W.

[CRD]

That no name stuff was none other than David Aldridge!

[CRD]

stiff*

just woke up

[Zach]

Couldn't have been worse than I think Jim Salsbury asking Charlie Manuel if 'Roys curve [was] good tonight?'

[NEPP]

****That no name stuff was none other than David Aldridge!****

Yeah, how brutal was that? I think he was simply in awe/shock like the rest of us...almost as good as UC tearing up during the press conference. Pretty much universal acclaim across the sport for Doc after this.

[Joe Cowley]

Lake Fred: I saw that ridiculous interview. How did TBS get to land these games, using announcers and interviewers that nobody ever heard of? Do they actually collect a paycheck for being noticed once a year?

[R]

Scott Rolen: "I wondered how many times I could have struck out if I just kept going up there."

[Mick in Houston]

Great post JW! Glad you were there to see it first hand.

[Joe Cowley]

LA had the best line on the radio, he said when Rolen had words with the ump after his 2nd punchout he was probably saying "I agree with the call, I just want to see how many people I can get to boo me..."

[NEPP]

I actually didn't mind the TBS play by play guys. Totally not annoying, no constant Joe Morgan talking or Tim McCarver blatherings...No Joe Buck. They realized and understood that it wasn't about them or their personalities.

It was bland but refreshing.

[Jbird]

One of my favorite visuals of the night was the fan rubbing his eyes like a baby while Rolen argued his 2nd k. Classic.

[Lake Fred]

I never heard of David Aldridge. Philly.com says, "David Aldridge joined the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2004 and writes about the NBA, the NFL and other sports topics. He was a primary contributor to the Inquirer series, "The Future of Pro Sports," which received second place in "Best Sports Story" by the Society of Professional Journalists, Philadelphia chapter. He previously worked for ESPN and The Washington Post. He received the Sam Lacy Award as Journalist of the year from the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in 2002."

So he's an NBA & NFL writer covering the MLB playoffs for TBS? He was out of his league on this one.

[an apple a day]

david aldridge looks alot like Jackie Chiles from seinfeld. Kept expecting him to say things like "Your pitching tonight was lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!"

[Joe Cowley]

Who's the other clown they've used the past few years that looks like Wink Martindale and wears pastel suits while doing roaming interviews in the stands? I didnt see him last night.

[Bubba]

Watched on TV.

It was surreal- The TBS guys, whose names I've already forgotten, were very business-like and professional. For a game that generated overwhelming emotion.

Contrasted with what our regular season sounds like with T-Mac who is over the top excited about every promo he can weave into every routine moment of every game.

I needed to hear Harry to make me believe it was real. Maybe John Facenda in his NFL films "voice of God" would have convinced me.
But it was Roy in the post game that made it believable...thanking Chooch...just trying to chip in....wanted to be here, be part of this atmosphere.....
Great time to be a Phillies fan.

p.s. It's only Game 1 - lots of miles to go yet

[Jbird]

NEPP: I 2nd your motion that not having Buck, McCarver and/or Morgan in the booth was a huge positive. I've never understood while the networks don't save themselves a couple of million bucks and just have the hometown crew call the game for the national audience.

[squads]

I thought it was pretty amusing when the one guy goes (this is just a paraphrase of what I remember, the important part was the lead-in):

"Not to nitpick, but can you take us through the pitches that led up to the walk?"

I would call that nitpicking.

[NEPP]

****It was surreal- The TBS guys, whose names I've already forgotten, were very business-like and professional. For a game that generated overwhelming emotion****

You could hear that they were both genuinely excited...the final call was pretty good actually. It was historic and they clearly knew it.

I'm just happy I've gotten to watch both the Perfect Game and the No-hitter this year. That's the reward for watching probably 140+ Phillies games a year and obsessing like I do.

Chooch falls to his knees, throws to 1B for the final out...it will forever be burned into my memory. Chooch is the best catcher in baseball.

[Pete]

You guys are nuts David Aldridge is great.

[Kutztown Fan]

Joe - that clown is, I think, Craig Stegar (or something like that). He and his lavender suit were at the Twins/Skankees game, thank God.

[Joe Cowley]

KF: That guy is brutal. We have better reporters covering the friggin Mummers Parade on PHL17, and I dont even think they get paid!

[CJ]

It's weird. I watch Doc go out there and my eyes tell me he doesn't have no-hit stuff. He's around the plate too much and he's not overpowering (like Jimenez... or Randy Johnson... or the classic Nolan Ryan no-hitters).

Guys like Doc aren't supposed to do this. And yet deep down inside, I think he's going to do this every time he steps on the mound. He gets through the first clean and I start thinking if we're about to see history again.

But in the playoffs? Playoffs!??!

Incredible.

[NEPP]

From the last thread:

A conversation I had this morning:

Yankee fan: A no hitter? Larsen threw a perfect game.
Me: Gosh, I hope the Phillies don't have to face Larsen in the World Series.

The sense of entitlement is unfvckingbelievable. But I'm not going to let fear-driven, envious spite ruin the high from King Halladay's performance. And we have another whole day to bask in the glow.

Posted by: Kutztown Fan | Thursday, October 07, 2010 at 09:15 AM

Here's a conversation I had with a Yankees fan this morning:

Me: Good game for you last night.

Yankees Fan: Oh, did the Yankees win?

Me: Yeah, they came back.

Yankees Fan: Oh, that's good.

This is the same idiot that was going "nuts" last year when they won the WS but only afterwards...before the playoffs, during the playoffs, and during the WS, not a peep was heard about baseball or the Yankees. But they've still had Yankees WS crap up in their cubicle all year. HATE Yankees "fans".

[Kutztown Fan]

He's a sideshow, a true embarrassment. I'd like to see Mitch Williams, John Kruk, or Ricky Bo rip him a new one on national TV.

[timr]

Always something to complain about, I guess

[NEPP]

****It's weird. I watch Doc go out there and my eyes tell me he doesn't have no-hit stuff. He's around the plate too much and he's not overpowering (like Jimenez... or Randy Johnson... or the classic Nolan Ryan no-hitters).****

Its just like watching Maddux in his prime...movement and control. He hit his spot on pretty much every single pitch last night. The movement on all his pitches was incredible. How many times did a cutter start out in the inner half of the plate and end up painting the outside black exactly where Chooch set up last night? Incredible that he can do that.

[Kutztown Fan]

timr - "a bitching soldier is a happy soldier"

:-)

[Joe Cowley]

*still wonders what Dutch's contribution is to post-game*

[Fatalotti]

David Aldridge is a regular on TBS' NBA games, and he's a pretty good reporter. I can't imagine interviewing Roy Halladay after a postseason no-hitter.

What do you ask him?

Doc was incredible last night. Joe Posnanski ranked the 5 best pitchers of the last decade. Doc is number one, Santana is 2 and Oswalt is 3 (CC and Hudson are 4 and 5, respectively).

Afterwards, he asks, are the Phillies really throwing 2 of the top 5 pitchers of the last decade in back to back postseason games?

Yes.

Yes they are.

[Bubba]

NEPP- No BL jinx from your predictions yesterday - all you missed was the pitch count. Good job.

Hot tips for Game 2??(he says...money in hand...Las Vegas on the phone)

[JeffS]

My conversation with a Yankees fan this morning upon coming into work:

Me: Did you see that trap (smirked) at the end of your Yankees game?

Him: I saw it on the highlights this morning. When I went to sleep the game was still 4-4.

HUH?? I have to wake up an hour earlier than he does, and he goes to sleep during HIS team's tie game, which I was watching. Not sure who this actually reflects badly on.

[NEPP]

****Hot tips for Game 2??(he says...money in hand...Las Vegas on the phone)****

I actually expect, at a minimum, a CG shutout for Little Roy.

[Heather]

I don't mind the lavendar suit guy. He's just so weird he provides entertainment value.

And I'm guessing the reason the national broadcasts don't have the local guys covering is because someone would complain the local guys were showing bias...so they hire national broadcasters who are supposedly bias-free.

I think it would almost be better to hire a local broadcast team to do a non-local game...for example, the Rangers broadcast guys doing the Phillies/Reds or something. At least the local Rangers guys have been doing it together for 162 games and have a little chemistry. The national guys are invariably awkward and stiff from not doing it until the playoffs.

I don't know though. I'm sure you could find a flaw with that idea. I think we're just stuck with what we have now.

[Kutztown Fan]

NEPP - I've told that type of Yankee fan that I won't discuss baseball with them. If they can't at least pay more attention than I do to what they claim is their team, they don't deserve my attention.

Back to Roy...

Watching him pitch is the most stress-free baseball experience I have. I know that the Phils have a good shot of winning EVERY time he's on the mound. I've never felt that way about any pitcher, even Carlton.

[SDO]

Love this photo:

[EastFallowfield]

From the Stark piece, but read it elsewhere too:

If he was pitching against the Phillies today, they probably would have done the same thing we did.-Brandon Phillips

[awh]

Here's Halladay's report card from last night.

All A+s.

Amazing.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010_images/roy_halladay_100610.pdf?eref=sihp

[NEPP]

Great comment by Phillips...completely accurate and honest.

[Joe Cowley]

I expect that guy to grab 2 fans out of section 122 and yell into the mike: "You can keep the brand new set of Ginsu Steak Knives, or take a chance on door number one..."

[bay_area_phan]

"If he was pitching against the Phillies today, they probably would have done the same thing we did"

If Travis Wood had started instead of Edinson Volquez, the Phillies probably would have done the same thing the Reds did too.

[Greg S. in Lancaster]

Mentioned this last night, but the TV guys did all right.

After the strikeout to end the 8th, they were completely silent. Not one comment, just let the crowd roar, showed Halladay walk off and the commercials fade in.

[Joe Cowley]

Wood should have started the game, no doubt, and still amazing that he isnt starting at all. Baker was never a genius with his pitching moves, he blew the Giants series' shot in 2002 with his bonehead decisions, depriving poor Barry Bonds of a ring and allowing the Angels to stage a ridiculous comeback

[Heather]

AWH: I think that scouting reporting card is a little off.

It says: 123 innings % of complete innings pitched: 66%. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that percentage would translate to 6 out of 9 innings being 123. Instead, Halladay had 8 out of 9.

I know it's small potatoes, but he was even better than what the report card made out.

[Joe Cowley]

At least TSB shows the score when going to commercial. The Buck-McCarver broadcasts go to commercial at least 5 of the games' 9 innings without showing the score.

[Joe Cowley]

or TBS.....

[Lake Fred]

I had no problem with the game announcers on TBS. It was only the on the field interview of Roy Halladay by David Aldridge that was inept. I don't have a transcript or access to it here, but Mr. Aldridge's first question was something like: "Tell us what you did that was wrong, that was not working tonight." A perfect example of not knowing your craft. His follow up questions never redeemed his poor interviewing skills. It was almost a moment killer. I was looking for the hook to come from one side of the screen and yank him away.

[Kiko Garcia]

Yahoo! just won the ticket lottery for potential Gm 6 of NLCS, Standing Room tickets! Had a 17-game plan in '08 and '09 but moved to Western NY in summer '09, decided not to renew the plan because it would just be too hard to come down for many games. Haven't been to any games at all but have been really missing it and it was killing me last night. Now I'm especially desperate for them to win this series and give me a shot at the next one!

[Zudok]

It's good to see the ramping up of Yankee hatred has begun.

[Fatalotti]

If this series goes 4 games (I honestly doubt it at this point), Dusty Baker would be a fool to not start Travis Wood in that game.

[Tim from Williamsport]

Just astounding. Roy Halladay out hit the Cincinatti Reds. An offensive juggernaut as well!

[Joe Cowley]

Watching Girardi each game that passes convinces me more that he is getting out of the Bronx. He looks like he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The NY media has been asking him if he's been losing weight lately. He is super-defensive in interviews after each game. Despite the ring he sure doesnt look happy to be there.

[JeffS]

"If this series goes 4 games (I honestly doubt it at this point), Dusty Baker would be a fool to not start Travis Wood in that game."

Don't rule it out...Dusty being a total fool part, I mean, not the starting Wood part.

[Cipper]

So I had a course I had to take last night... I turned my phone off because I knew it would go off with my updates. I turned it on after class with the intentions of looking at none of the texts from people i knew would comment. I received 25 texts during the game... and only 6 were due to the game... I had a feeling something special had happened, but I refused to look. I had it on DVR at home. I get home, still clueless to what had actually happened. I boot up the box, start the recording, and watch Halladay pitch the first pitch of the post season. Right after the first pitch, I get another text, and assuming it was safe to look now 2 hrs after the end, I look.

"Check out this photo from Roy Halladays No-Hitter in game 1!"

Ruined. After one pitch. I hate Technology.

[Bay Slugga]

We still need to win two more games. I hope the players remain focused.

[Kutztown Fan]

Joe - I noticed that about Girardi, too. He looks gray, like he's in some sort of ill health. I hope I'm wrong. He seems like a decent sort.

As for the Yankee hatred, I think it's the entitled Yankee fans that irritate me more so than the team. Yeah, I'd like to punch ARoid and Texiera in their necks, and their game-delaying and faking being hit by a pitch tactics are bush league, but as a whole, the team irritates me less than the Mets or Braves.

[Josh M]

awh- That report card has "123 innings % of complete innings pitched" at 67%. Shouldn't it be 89% (i.e. 8/9)?

[Cipper]

Kutz- were does you hatred of Texiera come from? Just wondering, cause I always thought of him as a good guy...

[Joe Cowley]

KF: I didnt think to notice until I heard him interviewed 2 days ago on a NY station and they actually asked him if he was OK. Last night it was really evident. I think it may be stress, Torre obviously had the tempremant for that town. he was mocked for sitting emotionless in the dugout but maybe this is why. I always liked him as a player much more than most of those primadonnas up there.

[Meyer]

I learned to hate in the 60's by hating the Yankees. All of them.

[rauls grandpa]

I would prefer the Japanese guy who wears a funny suit and surprises people in public to the pastel suit guy. Last night was amazing for me, I made the wife and kid watch it.
My favorite quote. "He doesn't need your help tonight" this is what Scott Rolen yelled at the ump after he stare at strike three.

[Fatalotti]

That report card has 23 individual evaluations on it. It gives Halladay an A+ in 22 of those 23, and an A- in just one of the evaluations (strikeouts on 4 pitches or less).

So, to recap, 22 of 23 evaluations are graded as an A+.

His overall grade for the outing: A

How does he not get an A+?

[Little Ollie]

TBS had the division series last year and the same guys were calling the games. Memories seem short here.

[Lake Fred]

Fatlotti, I asked the same question in my mind. The Halladay Report Card grader must be like teachers I have had in the past; the ones that would say, "I can't give you an A+ as an overall grade because you did get a lowly A- in this one category, despite getting A+'s in the other 22 categories." I hated school and most of my teachers.

[Joe Cowley]

Little Ollie: I know and they sucked last year too.

[Tray]

"I had no problem with the game announcers on TBS. It was only the on the field interview of Roy Halladay by David Aldridge that was inept. I don't have a transcript or access to it here, but Mr. Aldridge's first question was something like: "Tell us what you did that was wrong, that was not working tonight."

No, he started by saying something more like, "it seemed like everything was working tonight." David Aldridge and Craig Sager are both NBA on TNT guys. Aldridge is a pretty solid basketball reporter; Sager's an hilarious courtside interviewer. They don't know much about baseball, but it's not really their fault that they get pressed into doing TBS playoff games.

[The Theory]

From the prior thread:
"If the ball hits a dropped bat in fair territory- it is in play, unless in the umps judgement , the bat was was intentionall dropped so the ball would hit it."

Everywhere else I've been reading that it would have been called a dead ball. Anyone have any clarifying comments?

[Little Ollie]

JC -- I don't disagree, but it's just that no one was watching last year.

And why can't they come up with a better question for Doc than "How do you feel after having pitched the second no-hitter in post-season history?" These guys are supposed to be professional broadcasters and that's all they got! I realize they need to try to make him look inside himself and all, but why not make it a little more interesting and ask "what will you tell your kids tonight?", "what do you expect your wife to do for you tonight?", something that would get Doc to show how impt the moment is for him without that inane blabber we heard.

[Little Ollie]

Should have said "it SEEMED that no one was watching last year."

[phlipper]

Shamelessly lifted from WIP - Vic now holds the franchise record for post-season hits?

[Joe Cowley]

Most reporters are just as shallow after big games. I think Sarge should be given the national spotlight, I'd love to see what he would say to these guys!

[Little Ollie]

As one of the Phils announcers noted last night, this group of players will start breaking a lot of all-time Phillies records.

[Joe Cowley]

Phlipper----Heard that last night, passed Michael Jack for hits and is a few behind Big 6 for the most RBIs.

[GBrettfan]

A link to Stark's piece would be much appreciated! Not being an ESPN insider...

[RK]

i saw the Yankee game last night and that ball was not trapped. Anyway the next guy was out.
I am looking forward to a Phils Yanks series.
With a different outcome from last year.
Of course!

[The Theory]

GBrettfan- you don't have to be an insider to access the article.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=5656400

[Old Phan]

"Vic now holds the franchise record for post-season hits"

Awesome stat. I heard that last night during the game. Good for Vic, a true sparkplug.

[GBrettfan]

I wasn't sure, Theory, guess I should have checked before asking.
Nevertheless, thank you for the link!

[Joe Cowley]

Schmidt would have still been in the lead if he hadnt gone 1 for 22 in the 1983 series. he had a great season and playoff against the Dodgers but that was it.

[Kutztown Fan]

Cipper - my dislike for Texiera is totally irrational. He reminds me of a kid I used to coach, especially the faces he makes when he's batting. This kid was creepy and obnoxious, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's in prison. Like I said - totally irrational.

On another note, did anyone hear Vic's postgame interview where he said that he's speechless for the first time? Some self-awareness from Vic. BTW, I think Vic's patting the ump's butt was priceless.

[Bubba]

Rule 6.05 (h)..IF the batter drops his bat and the ballrolls against the bat in fair territory, and in the umps judgement there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball is alive and in play.

[NEPP]

So, to clarify, we're all in agreement that Victorino is a better overall player than Schmidt ever was?

[bay_area_phan]

Schmidt's career post-season numbers:

158 PAs, 140 ABs, .236/.304/.386

Vic's career post-season numbers:

135 PAs, 123 ABs, .285/.360/.520

I mention this only because, on Mike & Mike this morning, they were acting like the only reason Vic has surpassed Schmidt is because of the additional playoff series that has been added since Schmidt's time.

[Joe Cowley]

KF: That's hysterical. There is a look to Tex that makes him unlikable even though he is a good guy, great slugger and awesome fielder. He's like the kid in grade school that never had his hair combed and always needed a tissue because of a constant nasal condition.

[Kutztown Fan]

NEPP - did you post that just so you could do it before clout did?

[Joe Cowley]

I think Vic's number should be retired this season. He has obviously surpassed Schmidt in all facets of the game. Plus I like the way he says "Aloha Everyone"

[NEPP]

One problem I see on the ranking of Vic over Schmidt

Michael Jack: 6'2"
Victorino: 5'9"

[The Theory]

Thanks, Bubba!

[jason.tp]

The domination of this no-hitter makes it better than I've ever seen.

4 balls made it out of the infield, only only a slap line drive from opposing pitcher was hit decently.

Raul Ibanez never touched the ball and Vic only caught a flyball in the 2nd inning - that was it.

None of the grounders were hit hard. No infielder had to leave their feet.

The highest degree of difficulty from the fielders was Chooch battling a bat in play and Howard having to push Valdez out of the way to catch a popup.

That is it. Not even one shred of hope the entire game that a ball might land in play.