Comments

[CJ]

Rosenthal tweets Phils most aggressive on Pence, Braves not involved.

[phanatic's brother]

I would love to see a beat down of Lincycum tonight.

[CJ]

phanatic's brother: Since Timmy is sick with the flu, the only beat down will occur if he gets jumped by some Phillies fans.

[J.R. King]

All rumors are not created equal. Rosenthal is much more reliable than other talking heads.

[phanatic's brother]

CJ - ok then. hahahha

[Spitz]

Ugh, I thought we would be spared Schieder after Zito replaced Lincecum.

[Cyclic]

Please don't give up too much for Pence.

"It isn't worth it to hurt our future odds a lot to help our present-day odds a little"

http://www.thegoodphight.com/2011/7/25/2291849/the-phillies-dont-need-a-righthanded-bat

And we know how well Shane has been hitting LHP this year.

[phanatic's brother]

I would love to see a beat down of Zyto tonight.

[MG]

Road Warriors?

Giants Home/Road splits

Home - .238/.303/.347 with 22 HRs (50 games)
Road - .247/.313/.374 with 43 HRs (52 games)

Phils Home/Road splits

Home - .255/.331/.401 with 49 HRs (53 games)
Road - .245/.314/.370 with 38 HRs (48 games)

You get told a lot that the Giants' have a pretty weak offense and indeed they do. Phils haven't exactly been world beaters either away from CBP this year.

Road stats match up pretty damn evenly.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Thread photo cut off the sain't halo. Good thing he's very forgiving.

Feels like a big offensive series just because all the indicators say it won't be.

Howard goes deep tonight.

[MG]

I am curious to see how Sergio Romo looks this series. His numbers as a reliever have been flat out ridiculous.

He is a guy though would could be a role model for Lidge - uses his slider to set up his fastball which is a tick faster (90 MPH) than Lidge.

[Spitz]

Lincoln - that would be his first homer off a lefty all season, right? I guess he has to pop his cherry at some point.

[Slocs]

Here is 97.3 ESPN with Stark, do better job than me: http://twitter.com/#!/973espn

[Rauls grandpa]

Blanton's nerve damage is TRI. Tastykake Related Injury. Entemanns considering a lawsuit for breach of contract.

[GTown_Dave]

Well, I'm glad I didn't try to get a ticket for tonight just to see Lincecum pitch. Now this game has gone from Certain Loss to No Excuse For Losing.

[CJ]

Really interesting stuff from Stark, particularly that they don't like BJ Upton because he doesn't "bring it." This team has been pretty successful in finding people who can bear down when it matters (Joe Blanton notwithstanding).

[GTown_Dave]

I think the Phillies would rather bring in guys w/ maybe less pure talent & more determination than ones who are very gifted but lack self-motivation, & for that I am extremely grateful.

[Unikruk]

I dunno, Upton seemed to bring it pretty hard in 2008. Terrifyingly so, if you ask the Red Sox fans.

Still, would rather have his brother.

[goody]

CJ: Blanton does indeed bear down when it matters: At the post-game buffet!

[Scott]

I'm still hoping Dubee charges home plate when Bochy comes out with the lineup card.

[Spitz]

Hmmmm...wasn't Cole Hamels once perceived as a guy who didn't "bear down" when it mattered? I think he turned out all right, no?

[denny b.]

-Really interesting stuff from Stark, particularly that they don't like BJ Upton because he doesn't "bring it."

In other words, the Phils don't like dogs.

And its why Hunter Pence interests them so much. He's the prototypical Phils player.

[CJ]

Spitz: Perhaps when Hamels was in the minors, he may have had a bad reputation for work ethic. But at the major league level, the bad reputation he gained in 2009 was completely unfair. And I think most people recognize that.

[Rauls grandpa]

Flu:Lincecum = Flu:Cheech and Chong

[Spitz]

So CJ, how do we know if Upton's reputation of being a dog is fair or unfair?

[Scotch Man]

So the Phils spent all afternoon preparing for Lincecum and now get soft tossing lefty Zito. Could be a trap.

[goody]

Schneider still in because he went over the game plan with Worley? They had more than an hour to rehash that.

[Cyclic]

Didn't Lee have the flu on Monday?

And he still started a day game?

[kuvasz]

GOODY:

One would refer it to "Schneider's Fork," after Morton's Fork of the 16th century. Schneider was going to play because with Lincecum pitching it would not matter who caught for the Phillies. Now, without Lincecum pitching Schneider's at bats might not be much worse than Ruiz's.

[GTown_Dave]

Cyclic: "Caution" resides amongst the myriad words for which Charlie knows not a definition.

[NEPP]

I have ZERO interest in BJ Upton. He's a dirtbag who doesnt give a damn.

I also have ZERO interest in overpaying for Hunter Pence. He's a nice player but not a superstar worth top dollars.

[mikes77phillies]

Why does the man deserve to be called a dirtbag? Over the top and ignorant statement.

[NEPP]

Okay, okay...dirtbag was over the top. I just really really dont want him on our team.

[Meyer]

Brown swatting flies out there?

[Willard Preacher]

Dom would have had that one...

[Old Phan]

Game = Started

[Spitz]

I didn't know you could hit 3 home runs in the ALDS followed by 4 home runs in the NLCS without "giving a damn". Who knew baseball was so easy?!!

Tampa is a terrible place to play. I can't imagine going to work there every day. I'm sure Upton would perform a whole lot better in a full and loud CBP.

[Meyer]

Oh, figures.

[agroupofletters]

ump isn't giving anything close to the plate, gonna be a rough one for Worley...

[NEPP]

***I didn't know you could hit 3 home runs in the ALDS followed by 4 home runs in the NLCS without "giving a damn". Who knew baseball was so easy?!!***

So, what's he done in the last 3 years since? Oh right.

[Willard Preacher]

In the early goings, Worley doesn't appear as if he's gonna get an LG tonight.

[Willard Preacher]

Is Bochy tossing Zito out there as a direct affront to our comments about Blanton's bad contract?

[GTown_Dave]

J-Roll must be feeling energetic this evening.

[Cyclic]

28 straight

[Willard Preacher]

Yeah, Wheels, offense is down across the league because teams are loading up on their bullpens. You nailed it!

[GTown_Dave]

Zito gave up 8 ER in 3.2 IP his last time out ... vs. the f*cking Padres. It would about figure if he shuts down the Phillies tonight.

[whitey]

Does Lincecum have vaginaitis?

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Not a fan of SF's home unis, but those road duds with the striped socks are pretty good looking.

[conshy matt]

is zito wearing tights?

[NEPP]

Best baserunner in the game.

[Meyer]

Nothing wrong with Utley's wheels.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Big man with another overrated RBI.

[Meyer]

Zito is a veteran. He's been in this situation before.

[NEPP]

RAULLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GTown_Dave]

Alright, Raul!!! :-D

[BobbyD]

washed up

[HammRadio]

Rauuuuuuuuuulllllllllll

[Phatti]

I know I should know this, but what's an LG?

[Spitz]

Washed up!!

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Raullll indeed!

[conshy matt]

why can't howard do that? (hr vs lefty).

[The Truth Injection]

The guy who people said was done before the year, the Albatross, and the washed up bum in left field have combined to give us a 3 run lead.

And the guy who has been the best position player on the team this year walked- but he doesn't fit the narrative.

[Willard Preacher]

(ah, what the hell, just to stir the pot)

I wonder which team BAP is pulling for this time around?

[Meyer]

a "Look Good".

[Spitz]

This is anecdotal, but it seems like the Phils have gotten quite a few 2 out RBIs in the past week or two

[GTown_Dave]

Matt Gelb (via Twitter): "Chase Utley this season: 8 for 11 going 1st to 3rd, 7 for 8 going 2nd to home, 1 for 2 going 1st to home. That's very, very good."

Indeed.

[Bob]

Wow, that was all pretty quick. New life for the Vannimal!

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Phatti, don't feel bad. I read this blog ever day and I have no clue what an LG is.

[Willard Preacher]

Phatti, an LG is a "looked good." It is much more valuable than any real statistic or SABR derivative. clout is the official scorekeeper.

[The Perils of Thinking]

Conshy: Yeah, why just the RBI double, loser?

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Raul for LVP?

[Old Phan]

There is no doubt that Raul is LVP. I read it here.

[Andrew]

NICE CATCH MARTINEZ.

[Cyclic]

BABIP-tastic

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Mini-mart grows at least a foot whenever he mans third base.

[GTown_Dave]

The very top of Martinez's jump is about waist high on me standing still.

[Bob]

Another rocket by Cody Ross. WTF, does he change into an "Albert" cape before every game with the Phils? Nice job by Martinez

[Phatti]

Thanks all for the translation

[Old Phan]

Nice job, Vanimal.

[conshy matt]

perils - i know, right? Howard isn't old enough to be washed up, so i contend he's washing up. how's that?

[Cyclic]

Phillies July RBI leaders...

Ibanez 20
Martinez 15
Mayberry 13
Howard 12

[goody]

JTE(just tall enough)

[The Perils of Thinking]

Nice rebuttal... well said, sir.

[NEPP]

Ibanez is having a better year than Werth.

[Old Phan]

So Werth is young and washed up.

[conshy matt]

NEPP - i'm guessing by a lot. although werth still walks at a good clip. by every other metric raul > werth this year.

[curt]

I'm pretty sure the question posed by JW at the AS break was: "Who was the first half LVP?" Raul obvious was one of the top candidates. Anyone disagree? Didn't think so.

[wes covington's ghost]

before he retired, juan castro was having a better year than werth.

[MG]

Anyone disagree?

Yup. Mine was Baez. He had a chance to give the Phils a real boost when they needed it with Madson/Contreras out and was horrendous.

[Hexy'sBaldSpot]

Blanton is WFC...with a HR. Lest we forget. Bad contract tho.

[Old Phan]

I disagree and selected Baez as well.

[Andrew]

RAUL! Look who decided to show up today.

[NEPP]

Gold glove slide there by Raul.

[Hexy'sBaldSpot]

dont bury the lede wes...baseball-reference ranks castro as the worst player in history. Thats a much worse contract than blanton and howard combined!

[GTown_Dave]

I disagree, too. Mine was (& still is) Francisco, who has proven himself the single worst position player on the team. I'd also rank Blanton & Baez above Raul.

[NEPP]

Raul has been an .800 OPS hitter since May 3rd (283 PA)

[Old Phan]

Buccos up 3-0

[The Truth Injection]

Pirates up 3-0 on the Braves.

At this point is it safe to say that the Pirates aren't going anywhere? I still think they end up behind one or both of the Brewers and Cardinals but I can see them hanging in this thing til September sometime

[bay_area_phan]

"I wonder which team BAP is pulling for this time around?"

WP: Sorry for the belated response. I was so distraught about Barry Zito's meat-ball to Ibanez that I didn't have the energy to post until now.

[curt]

As usual, I see reading comprehension is not the strong suit of BLers. The question was does anyone disagree that Raul was one of the top candidates, not was Raul your choice. The real point is that his possible 1st half LVP status is unaffected by anything he's doing now.