Game chat: Phillies bid farewell to Sun Life Stadium

Roy Halladay and the Phillies play their final game in South Florida's sacrosanct Sun Life Stadium today at 1:10.

Preview: The Phils aim to take two-of-three from the cellar-dwelling Marlins. Halladay, who pitched his perfect game at Sun Life Stadium in May of 2010, brings a 16-5 mark and 2.47 ERA into the contest. Anibal Sanchez (7-7, 3.97) toes the slab for the Marlins. … The bottom of the lineup has had a very good roadtrip, including Carlos Ruiz (.471) and Wilson Valdez (.317, eight of his last 14 hits are for extra bases). They're both in the lineup again today: Victorino CF, Martinez 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Ibanez LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS.

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Comments

[MG]

Utley is .484 (15-31) vs. Sanchez. Good guy as any to help jump start a slumping Utley a bit.

[MG]

Surprised that Polanco is out of the lineup. He is 7-15 with 1 HR vs Sanchez.

Guess his back is so bad they simply aren't going to play him in a day game after a night game at this point.

[GTown_Dave]

Really, really sick of this aspect of Halladay's game.

[curt]

Surprise, surprise, no Schneider. You have to admire Worley's success all the more with that anvil.

[curt]

What's with all the throw overs to 1B this weekend? If the Marlin's could afford an advance scout they'd know the Phils last attempted a stolen base 6 weeks ago.

[MG]

St Utley needs to rub the rosaries a bit harder. Only 1 multi-hit game the past 2 weeks and only 1 HR the past 6 weeks.

[Dickie Thong]

September Ibanez is AWOL.

[Mike G]

There's the Greg Dobbs we all remember

[GBrettfan]

McKeon may be thinking angry thoughts Dobbs' way.

[GTown_Dave]

Plays of the Weak.

[Dickie Thong]

Dobbs should change his name to E5.

[MG]

curt - Hard to read much into that because Schneider hasn't caught Halladay all year and only did 3 times last year.

It is a bit surprising though that Cholly wouldn't give Chooch an off-day today after a late night game & with no off-day tomorrow.

[Dickie Thong]

Chooch is swinging a hot bat. He and Valdez are the only ones hitting right now.

[conshy matt]

great at bat by mini mart. our scrubs are playing awesome.

[curt]

Utley has become the ultimate rally killer. Hoping that Vic is moved to #3 the day Rollins returns. Chance of that: 5%.

[curt]

MG - it's become painfully obvious that Cholly is afraid to stick Schneider with anyone other than Worley and KK.

[GTown_Dave]

I'd suggest Halladay isn't pitching very well today, but the box score says he has only surrendered 1 Run. I guess that means he's dominating.

[rauls grandpa]

Sun life? Wasnt this place called Landshark Stadium at the beginning of the year?

[Mike G]

Wow, it's a good thing the bottom of the order is hitting right now.

[Dickie Thong]

I think Ibanez forgot to tear the August page off his calendar.

[denny b.]

MG-

Its also painfully obvious that Utley isn't a #3 hitter anymore. Just doesn't have the power anymore and is nowhere close to the hitter he was 3-4 years ago.

He should be hitting 2nd, for the rest of his career.

[GTown_Dave]

So much for a 1-2-3 inning. Maybe in the 4th.

[Meyer]

Halladay errs.

[GTown_Dave]

I can't even begin to imagine what he could be arguing about.

[gobaystars!]

Come on Roy!
First to blame Howard wins an Utley bobblehead.

[Mike G]

Right there is what he's arguing about

[rauls grandpa]

The reason they can't move the injured child out is they are afraid the NFL will black out the Dolphins game due to poor attendance.

[Mike G]

Would somebody please tell Sarge it's Halladay not Holiday. I get so tired of hearing that!

[GTown_Dave]

If a Run scores on an Error, but the Error was committed by the Pitcher, shouldn't it be an Earned Run?

[GTown_Dave]

I'll take it. Nice play by Raul.

[gobaystars!]

Nice hose Raul. Good tag Chase.
Hose might be my favourite baseball term.

[Mike G]

Even nicer play by Utley.

[GTown_Dave]

This game is seriously lacking in WGH (White Guy Hustle). Utley & Pence need to step up.

[Greg]

I always thought it should, GTown, but I guess that's not the case.

Raul with the jelly arm. That's about as far as he can throw. Nice block by Utley.

[whitey]

"Hose might be my favourite baseball term"

That's what she said.

[Mike G]

Greg and Dave, once the pitch is thrown the pitcher becomes another fielder. Even though the error is made by the pitcher, the opposing team still didn't "earn" the run. If the play was made the run wouldn't have scored.

[rauls grandpa]

This just in, Raul's arm just fell off.

[The Perils of Thinking]

ERA measures pitching, so it doesn't matter who commits the error, a missed catch shouldn't change how we judge his pitching.

[gobaystars!]

Vic almost went for the tackle there.

[gobaystars!]

Gotta love Raul, Rollins and Victorino talking about the DP ball. That's why they win games. We all laughed in 09 when Charlie said they win because they like baseball more than the other teams, but it's true.

[GTown_Dave]

Mike G: I suppose it makes sense to keep the Pitching & Fielding stats separate, although the fact that so many obvious Fielding Errors are now being scored as Hits screws that all to hell.

Also, when Chase Utley looks like he just wants to sit down already, it's time to give the guy a day off.

[curt]

I guess it's OK that Martinez swung at the first pitch after Vic's leadoff single since we never steal anymore.

[curt]

And what would be the point of stealing 2B anyway? It's not like we don't already have the game won.

[Mike G]

I like how Sarge said "if you're going to swing at the first pitch you want to square the ball up." No sh*t! Does a hitter ever not want to square the ball up when they swing at it?

[GTown_Dave]

curt: The Phillies have already won the next 4 World Series. I don't know why they bother showing up for these meaningless games at all.

And Halladay still w/out a Hitless inning.

[rauls grandpa]

Those Marlins' stadium seats for sale, are they just going to start pulling them out and selling them off this week or are they going to actually wait until the season is over? I mean they probably only need around 4000 in the park.

[GTown_Dave]

Mike G: word.

[whitey]

that is disturbing

[Mike G]

Very disturbing..

[Mike G]

Fan interference

[GTown_Dave]

This is not a reviewable play. What the f*ck are they doing?

[Meyer]

This may not turn out too well.

[MG]

Eject that dumbass. Pence should be ruled out.

[gobaystars!]

The umps cannot call him out on this. They can't use replay to call interference. all they can call is homer or no homer.

[Greg]

Tommy Hutton and Jeff Conine are b@#$%ing about how there are Phillies fans in their Football stadium. Now he just said T-Bag is probably calling it a homerun (I personally disagree, T-Bag is probably asking Sarge if he ever scored from 2nd base on a single).

[GTown_Dave]

My understanding is the umps CANNOT come back & declare the batter Out due to fan interference. Besides which, who's to say he would've caught that anyway? It should remain a Ground Rule Double.

[Salt]

West is going to grandstand here..

[EastFallowfield]

TMac is not calling it a HR. They're discussing how the replay rule only applies to home run decisions.

[gobaystars!]

Cannot make that call. You cannot review that. Protest this game Charlie.

[GBrettfan]

I hate when fans think they're cute for f-ing with the game.

[GTown_Dave]

Motherf*ckers. This is the same f*cking thing that happened in Tampa. THEY CANNOT REVIEW THAT PLAY.

[johnnysanz3]

WTF. I don't think they can assume this fucker is gonna make that catch.

[MG]

It amazes me that you have Phils' fans reach into the field of play to disturb Phils' hits. It always seems to be some dumbass in his teens/early 20s almost all of the time.

[gobaystars!]

This is insane. Bogus use of replay. Also how can you assume an out there. Chuck's tossed. Game needs to be played under protest. Missuse of replay. Clear violation of rules.

[kuvasz]

I hope somebody throws that fan head first onto the field.

[johnnysanz3]

That was stupid.

[Salt]

Regardless of the call, West is a horrible ump. He should never have been re-hired

[MG]

Bogus use of replay though and sure the Phils will play this game under protest.

[GBrettfan]

I think fan interference over wall = out, even though we don't know for sure whether it would have been caught. That's the way the rule works.

However, they were not supposed to review it for fan interference UNLESS it was interference on a HR.

[Fan From Fifty]

Play under Protest -- except, after winning the protest, when and where is the game replayed?

[conshy matt]

how bout that, replay was just expanded before our very eyes.

[Dave]

You can't use instant replay for that call. WTF? You can't just make up rules.

[MG]

Better get this clear by the playoffs.

[Kevin]

It was clearly fan interference, and clearly stupid for the idiot in the stands to mess with it.

However, you cannot use instant reply to make that call. Period.

[Salt]

Protest

[GTown_Dave]

The Phillies were f*cked by replay in Tampa a few years back, in the '09 World Series & now this bullsh*t. What a f*cking joke.

[Meyer]

I want Charlie to start tearing out the seats in RF.

[GBrettfan]

What does it mean to play under protest, anyway? Does it have any effect?

[GTown_Dave]

Joe West, biggest assh*le in the game. Literally.

[conshy matt]

i'm watching the rest of this game in protest.

[Greg]

I think they better use replay to make sure that the line still counts as a double. They better overturn it and call Raul out for swinging at a strike.

[Meyer]

Send him Sa>>y.

[EastFallowfield]

Official scorers can't assume a double play on a routine grounder to short, but umpires can assume the routine leaping catch at the top of the wall.

[GBrettfan]

Actually, I remember the Royals protested the pine tar game, And then had to travel to NY to play one inning.

Throw that fan out.

[conshy matt]

jeez Howard is really slow. my mom could have scored from first on that double by raul.

[GTown_Dave]

Four years of replay & the Umps still don't understand the damn rules. It's mind boggling how blatant incompetence goes unpunished in this field. FIRE THE MORONS.

[curt]

You don't walk Ruiz to get to Valdez.

[Mike G]

How are those fans still there?

[Mike G]

Howard could have scored too, but Samuel is gunshy.

[curt]

Oh well.

[gobaystars!]

Is the game being played under protest?
It should be. That was awful. It's nothing more than Joe West wanting to be on TV all day tomorrow.

[gobaystars!]

Such sh8t.

[conshy matt]

EFF - exactly. Tmac and Sarge are saying that the call was technically right, but that's assuming that the outfielder would have made what would have been one of the best plays of the week. not a very safe assumption.

[gobaystars!]

Franzke just said it is being played under protest.

[TNA]

PROTESTING GAMES.
Each league shall adopt rules governing procedure for protesting a game, when a manager claims that an umpire's decision is in violation of these rules. No protest shall ever be permitted on judgment decisions by the umpire. In all protested games, the decision of the League President shall be final.
Even if it is held that the protested decision violated the rules, no replay of the game will be ordered unless in the opinion of the League President the violation adversely affected the protesting team's chances of winning the game.
Rule 4.19 Comment: Whenever a manager protests a game because of alleged misapplication of the rules the protest will not be recognized unless the umpires are notified at the time the play under protest occurs and before the next pitch, play or attempted play. A protest arising on a game-ending play may be filed until 12 noon the following day with the league office.

[TNA]

From the MLB rulebook:

PROTESTING GAMES.
Each league shall adopt rules governing procedure for protesting a game, when a manager claims that an umpire's decision is in violation of these rules. No protest shall ever be permitted on judgment decisions by the umpire. In all protested games, the decision of the League President shall be final.
Even if it is held that the protested decision violated the rules, no replay of the game will be ordered unless in the opinion of the League President the violation adversely affected the protesting team's chances of winning the game.
Rule 4.19 Comment: Whenever a manager protests a game because of alleged misapplication of the rules the protest will not be recognized unless the umpires are notified at the time the play under protest occurs and before the next pitch, play or attempted play. A protest arising on a game-ending play may be filed until 12 noon the following day with the league office.

[Mike G]

I know it was bullsh*t that the umpires screwed that whole play up, but I hope those idiots in RF are happy they just screwed the Phils out of at least 2 runs, possibly more.

[TNA]

I just tried posting the Protest rules, but the filter isn't letting it through...

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/start_end_4.jsp

[Fan From Fifty]

Official scorers can't assume a double play on a routine grounder to short, but umpires can assume the routine leaping catch at the top of the wall

But the umps didn't assume the catch. The saw interference; at which point the ball is dead and the batter out.

Bad umpiring, but not for that reason...

[Bake Mcbride was Here]

That call was a total f___up in all sorts of ways. First, they shouldn't have used replay to address whether the ball would've been caught or not. Second, it was far from clear anyway that the ball would've been caught if that jackass hadn't interfered; in fact, it looks as if he wouldn't have caught the ball in the absence of interference. Thus, third, that fan is, again, a jackass. Was he chucked out of the stadium? He should be. And his right to be a Phillies fan should be revoked. Fourth, this incident demonstrates the dangers of using instant replay. It's a slippery slope and, before you know it, you could end up with NFL-style tedium in MLB.

Fifth, Joe West is an a__hole.