A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing...or is it the other way around?

I can't take it anymore!! I'm upset, frustrated, and confused and it's all because of my beloved Fightins' or should I say Frightins'. I figured I needed an avenue to vent so I've taken to my electronic pad and pen. Please, somebody, anybody tell me what in the name of Mike Schmidt is going on with this team. My 3 time defending NL East and 2 time defending NL Champion ballclub has done a total 180 and is resembling the team playing 305 miles to the west in the Keystone state.

I get the simple facts. This is a ballclub who is flat out not hitting. Not situationally, not in spurts, not in a paper cup. They've also had inconsistent pitching from both the starters and the pen. Now, I know those of you who cheer for the Orioles, Royals, Pirates, and Diamondbacks are playing your tiny violins and asking me to understand the plights of their ballclubs and take my sorrows elsewhere. I just can't.

See I'm a big baseball card guy. You look at the players that make up their day to day lineup and you look at the back of their card and you say they'll come around. They have to. Most have long track records with minor hiccups and have shown the ability to bounce back and play to their numbers. Then tell me why I am curled up in the fetal position in the corner with the theme from the Crying Game playing in the background.

See, I'm done with the excuses. I've heard everything from they have injury issues, to contract worries, to they are in a prolonged slump, and to the fact that they are a second half team and they will bounce back. I wish I could believe at least one of these things to give me a glimmer of hope for the upcoming two months. But facts are facts. Sure they've had injury issues, what team doesn't. They've gone through periods of time in recent years where they have lost Rollins and Utley and Howard and some of their pitching staff but they've been able to at least tread water and stay in contention until the health returned. In fact, the Red Sox have lost more of their key players in both their lineup and rotation this year and have continued to play good baseball, staying in the American League East race, which is by far the most competitve division in baseball.

Also, I'm done with the adage that they will bounce back because they are a second half team and they will snap out of this funk. I'm not so sure. Three weeks, that's a season. Three months, that's a mediocre ballclub. Now, I don't proclaim to know what is going on in the heads of the players nor do I proclaim to know what could help right this ship. Here is what I see:

-Lack of discipline: Whether they are pressing or feel the need to play the role of the hero, they all seem to be trying to play above their heads. Their small ball players are swinging for the fences while their big stick guys are looking at strike 3. This lineup was built to provide speed, athleticism, and power and they aren't doing enough of the former 2 and trying to hard to utilize the latter.

-Lack of desire: It might be the fact that they have this "been there, done that" mentality or the fact that they have resigned themselves to having a bad year, but you don't see the passion and drive you usually see with this ballclub. They seem content with rolling the ball out there and seeing what happens. There are too many "heart" guys on this team for that to be the case. I just hope they aren't looking forward to football season right now as much as I am.

-Attitude: From a distance I see a club that has lost their swagger. And I also see some players who have a bad attitude.

If I had it my way, the rest of the year would play out as follows. First thing I would do is change the atmosphere and mentality of the team by shaking things up, moving some people around and possibly shipping a few out. Now, I hate to single someone out, especially one whom I have been a big fan of, but I think that Jayson Werth has to get on out. Whatever the reason, he has become surly with the media and the fans, and seems to have too much on his mind. Maybe a change of scenery would do some good for both him and the Phillies. It's hard for me not to point at his impending free agency as a major issue in his performance. Bring up Dominic Brown. Yeah, I know the lineup will look like a lefty specialists wet dream but so what. Maybe this can't miss prospect will infuse the club with some much needed enthusiasm and pep and help them break out of this stagnant state they've been in. You don't know until you try.

Another issue would be for the entire club to refocus. Get your minds back on the game. Watch a little more film, particularly when you were going good. See what you were doing right and pinpoint where you are faltering in the now. It couldn't hurt.

One more point, I would love to see Roy Oswalt in the red and white pinstripes. But I don't know if it'll change anything in the short term. You could piece together the 5 best starting pitchers in baseball right now (Jimenez, Wainwright, Price, Johnson, and Lee for example) and you would still look eerily similar to the team you have now. HIT!! Hit in your sleep, on the way to the ballpark, hit while you eat, hell hit your significant other (I'm only half kidding). Just get back to your "happy place" and go at it. Before it's too late!

Your Phillies Mid-Season Report 7/9/2010

Before you take your tickets and get in line on the Ben Franklin bridge, let's take some time to review the first half of the season as the All-Star game approaches and to preview the upcoming second half of the season on the Phillies quest to reach a third straight World Series appearance:

WHERE WE STAND:
As of today, the Phillies record stands at 44-40, 5.5 games behind first place Atlanta, and 2.5 games behind the wildcard leading Mets.

WHAT WENT RIGHT:
In most Phillies fans eyes, not much but let's take a closer look.

Phillies pitching (Starting Staff): Though middle of the pack in terms of rank within the NL, the pitching staff as a whole has provided instances of greatness (ie; see Halladay/Perfect Game). Overall, the starting staff has been better than most thought at the beginning of the season. Roy Halladay has come as advertised, leading the NL in complete games and has been your most consistent starter throughout the year. Though his record stands at 10-6, with better run support your looking at someone who should have 12-13 wins right now to go along with his 2.32 ERA. Cole Hamels has performed well in the past 2 months, though his record does not show it. After another slow start, Cole has shown signs of greatness and he has kept his head more even keeled this year, not going into the tank once a runner reaches first. Jamie Moyer is defying father time once again, keeping the Phillies in games (except for the occasional 5 run inning) and being a steady hand on both the mound and in the dugout. Kyle Kendrick has pitched surprisingly well recently. Inconsistency has been his biggest downfall, often faring better on the road then in front of the home crowd. He has kept the team in games for the most part. Joe Blanton has been the biggest concern in the rotation though he has shown at times that he can pitch the occasional good game. The starting staff has suffered from an overall lack of run support, making it look worse than it is. They have done all of this without a healthy JA Happ who has yet to pitch in the majors since he suffered a forearm injury in mid-April.

Bench Options:
Statistically speaking, not a strong point on this club, but the bench as a whole has shown the ability to step in for injured starters when needed (which has been alot). Wilson Valdez has been a find, currently starting at 2B for the injured Chase Utley and also spending time at SS and 3B earlier this season. He has shown the ability to drive the ball and play solid defense when called upon. Juan Castro has taken a seat behind Valdez recently but performed admirably for an injured Jimmy Rollins at SS along with being a defensive replacement at 3B. His batting average has nosedived over the past month or so but he wasn't brought in to hit .300. Ross Gload has been solid as a pinch hitter, hitting 3 pinch hit homeruns and starting on days when Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard need a breather. Ben Francisco also has come on as of late, showing that with more opportunities at the plate, the better he hits. The trio of Brian Schneider, Dane Sardinha, and Paul Hoover have performed well when called upon to spell Chooch or start when Carlos has been injured, showing the ability to hit the ball and to call a good game. Greg Dobbs is another story. Just two years ago, Greg was the best pinch hitter in baseball but has seen a precipitous nose dive in production and ability at 3B. Even with the mass amount of injuries this team has endured, Greg was reassigned and eventually accepted a demotion to Lehigh Valley from which he is back due to the placement of Chase and Placido Polanco on the DL.

The ability to stay above water:
Not what you expected to hear going into a season where many were picking the Phillies to arrive at their third Fall Classic in cruising fashion. The Phillies have managed to stay afloat in a much more competitive NL East where the Braves have shown dominance and the Mets are playing well, even with a younger cast. Truth be told, the fact that the Phillies are 4 games above .500 is a blessing seeing that they have sent more players to the DL then they've had to in the past 4 or 5 years and the fact that their lineup, once thought their strongest point, has been so inconsistent even with the guys who have managed to make it through unscathed.

WHATS GONE WRONG:
Though most believe I could write a book on this alone, I'll pinpoint the major deficiencies that I've seen.

Injuries:
This should be in all caps with a few exclamation points behind it. During this recent 5-6 year stretch, at no time have the Phillies had to deal with the multitude of injuries that have befallen this team. In no particular order, here are the players who have been on the DL since the beginning of April:

Brad Lidge
Chad Durbin
Ryan Madson
JC Romero
Carlos Ruiz
Jimmy Rollins (DL'd twice)
Placido Polanco
Brian Schneider
Chase Utley
JA Happ

Happ has missed most of the first half of the season due to a forearm strain and has yet to find his rythym on the farm and it's not known if he will be able to contribute at all on the big club this season. Madson missed the better portion of two months due to a self-inflicted injury of which he has just been activated. Most notably, Chase and Polanco have been sidelined with more serious injuries. Placido's situation is a nagging injury but we should see him back sooner rather than later but in Chase's case, his torn thumb ligament will sideline him until late August at the earliest. This is a disturbing amount of injuries for any team, let alone for a team with championship aspirations.

Bullpen:
This is seemingly a weak link, year-in year-out, save for the 2008 season. There have been a few who have pitched well in spurts including Chad Durbin, JC Romero, and Jose Contreras. David Herndon and Nelson Figueroa have pitched well in place of some of their injured mates though noone expected them to play much of a role. The biggest concerns come from the back end of the pen. Dannys Baez has been an utter disappointment since being signed as a free agent. Baez is older and has seemingly lost the stuff that made him a solid contributor in the past. When healthy, Ryan Madson has performed well below expectations, showing a lack of nerves when put into critical situations. And last but not least, Brad Lidge. It looks as if the magical run of 2008 was more of an abberration than a sign of things to come. He seems to have regressed in both health and moxie, showing an inability to perform with any type of confidence when dealing with runners on base or in big situations.

Offensive Consistency:
For years you could count on this club to provide you with consistent run support on a nightly basis, only running into intermittent struggles at the plate. But for the better half of two months this club has shown impatience at the plate and a feeling of "I have to carry this team on my back" due to the injuries. Far too often, the starting 8 swing for the fences, lack plate discipline, and struggle playing small ball at critical times. At points I feel that this club believes that the numbers on the back of their baseball cards will hold true, but in reality, you have to keep working at it. Save for Ryan Howard, every position player has gone through a prolonged slump, whether it be because age (Ibanez), baseball acumen (Victorino), or possibly a brighter, more lucrative future (Werth). I compare the Phillies to the female anotomy. They all seem to sync up to everyone else in the lineup. When they hit, they all hit. And they put up huge numbers! But when one player slumps, they all tend to follow suit.

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
Hopefully the Phillies use the All-Star break to rest, find their inner chi, and refocus themselves for the second half. They could come out of the break more relaxed and driven. The offense should come back more in tune and as long as they receive the consistent starting pitching they've received thus far and the bullpen steps it up, they can make some stride. The Braves have yet to endure any big time injuries to their starters (save for Heyward's DL stint and Chipper Jone's chronic leg issues) and with some older arms in their rotation, could be susceptible to the injury bug. The Mets have had some of their younger guys play well above their experience so expect them to come back to earth a bit. If this holds true, the Phillies should remain in the hunt for both the division and wild card. Also, expect Ruben Amaro to make some moves. Over the past few years, under both Ruben Amaro and Pat Gillick, the Phils have shown the affinity to make savy moves for veteran help both in the lineup (see Iguchi,Stairs) and the rotation (see Lee, Moyer, Blanton). Though the trades for Lee and Halladay over the past year have taken away some of the Phils brightest prospects, they still have enough talent in the system to acquire a starting pitcher, some bullpen help, and an infielder to spell the positions of Polanco and Utley until they return. Regardless of who arrives, they will need to make some moves. Keep an eye out for two names, one in the system and one in the Dominican. Dominic Brown should make his big league debut at some point this summer, whether it be spelling the starting outfielders or playing a platoon role with Ibanez in left. Either way, in my opinion, he has shown enough in the minors to warrant a promotion. Also, Pedro Martinez could be a possibility. It was around this time last year that the Phils kicked the tires on signing Pedro and he became a stalwart in the rotation from August on. Keep in mind, these are just possibilities, not probabilities. Historically, the Phils have made the right moves at the right time, and with the same braintrust still in play, I can see good things to come on that front. Available players to keep in mind: Miguel Tejada, Ty Wigginton, Kelly Johnson, Roy Oswalt, Ben Sheets, Dan Haren, Javier Vazquez, etc. One more thing to hope for is the return of the normal starting 8 from injury and lady luck to smile upon this team. It's often said, you have to be lucky to be good and the Phils have not had enough of those bounces go their way as of yet. Expect more bats to make contact, more rallys to be had, and more energy in the ballpark as fall approaches.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
Expect the Phils to come out of the gates firing after the break. Expect them to stay in the hunt for the NL East and hope for the Braves and Mets to take two strides back. I can't predict if they will be in the playoffs but I expect them to be in it for the long haul, down to the last week.

My guess...they win the NL East (narrowly) and then...we'll see!

Let me know your predictions!

"And the crowd cowered to hear that the King was merely a pauper"

Their are many things you take with you as a grownup that you heard or learned of as a child. For instance, I remember stories of the medieval times often along the lines of the Robin Hood theme. Take from the rich and give to the poor, the uprising of a group of people against a tyranical ruler, and so on and so on. Often, you could find common themes within each fable (obviously told to younger children to find virtues and commonalities to live by), but I almost always remember the stories that include a peasant or pauper who disguises himself as someone from the royal family to either woo the affections of the princess or to bring justice for his countrymen through means of upheaval and chaos. Your probably asking yourself, "where in the hell are you going with this?" and you have a point. Bear with me. I want you to take that concept and flip it on it's ear. By that I mean, turn the story around and look at it as the King infiltrating the common folk thus removing his royalty and becoming one of the people. Now, move yourself back into the modern day. LEBRON JAMES! Yes, the 25 year old basketball stud who single handedly captured the imagination and hearts of a Rust Belt town in the Ohio River Valley. Not only had LBJ been "crowned" the next MJ for his court excellence but also for his marketability and draw potential. Now unless you live under a rock, you know that LeBron has decided to leave Cleveland for the vast beaches and bars in South Beach, with the hopes and dreams of capturing NBA titles with his buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. He will earn a king's ransom through salary and endorsements and will enjoy the life where the weather stays warm and the ladies stay tan. And this is where the King strips off his robe and becomes just ordinary. There is something to be said for a legacy and obviously LeBron is not overly concerned with his own. Regardless of how many titles he wins by the time he retires, he has already tarnished his legacy by admitting that he can not do it alone. True superstars will put their team, their city on their shoulders and take them to glory. By LeBron signing with the Heat and subsequently with two other premier NBA players, he is showing us all that he lacks the inate ability to lead and be followed. I will use Michael Jordan as an example. Michael is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, capturing six titles by the time he retired and would have won a few more had he not taken a baseball sebatical. During that time, Mike played with another Hall of Famer in Scottie Pippen and some solid role players but unless your a sports degenerate like myself, I dare you to name me more than 5 players on those Bulls teams. Just try it. My point is, Michael was great because of what he accomplished with the pieces surronding him. At no time did he call up Magic, Larry, and Charles and opt to play together. Hell no! Regardless of how he felt about you, he wanted to rip your heart out and show it to you before you fell. 18 holes could wait for the off season. He had that killer instinct. That drive and desire to not only be the best but beat the best. Sure early on he ran into the roadblock that was the Detroit Pistons of the late 80's/early 90's but over time he won. He and the Bulls took on Larry's Celtics and Charles' Sixers and Dominiques Hawks and won. He didn't need to form a "Dream Team" to do so. He wanted to show you that you could roll a ball out, pick 4 guys out of the stands, and still beat you. He had that killer instinct. And that is precisely what LBJ lacks. He has shown that he lacks the drive and commitment to make those around him better, opting for the safe play, play with the best, be the best. The cowards way out. Could you imagine his legacy if he had chosen to stay with the Cavaliers and won. He would have been the man who put a downtrodden, historically poor sports city on the map with other championship caliber towns. And it would have been his team. Nobody elses. Instead, he played it safe, thus removing himself from the pantheon of winners and placing himself in the realm of just a great player. Not legendary. Isn't that what you shoot for? Legend status. At the age of 25, considered one of the 2 best players currently in the game (sorry LeBron, Kobe holds the top spot), someone capable of hoisting a region, let alone a team on his broad shoulders and leading them to victory. Instead, he took the easy way out, putting to rest any questions about his work ethic and heart and what matters most in his life. The legends table is reserved for those who arrived with not much to work with and left with the glory! LeBron, you'll sit at kids table for now. Ultimately, I find this whole situation comical. The Heat are now 8-1 favorites in Vegas to win the NBA crown next season. To that I say their are teams in Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, LA, San Antonio, Dallas, Utah, Oklahoma City, and Denver who are going to have their say as well. Those TEAMS, in my opinion, are better equipped and constructed to deal with the riggors of team play. So, best of luck to you in your endeavors. As in most fairytales, every story needs a villian!

Sayin' Goodbye to the Kid

Where was the parade? Where was the red carpet, the streets lined with mothers crying and the father's following suit? Where was the outpouring of gratitude and the stories of yester year and the grand send off? There was none of that this past Wednesday June 2nd (save for those people in the Pacific Northwest) when the greatest professional ballplayer of my childhood decided to hang up his cleats and call it a career. Now granted, there was a NHL Finals game 3 being played and also the "Nobody's Perfect" game being played out in Detroit, but all we got was a breaking news alert on the ESPN bottom line and a short blurb on SportsCenter. This can't be the way this finality actually plays out, right? Not for the man who was known by the nickname Jr. and played his entire career like he was back in the Pee Wee fields having a catch with his childhood buddies and enjoying the summer sun. For me Griffey was more than just a Hall of Fame ball player, he was the reason I became such an avid sports fan (or degenerate if you would) and the reason I use sports as a release. See, right around the time that Griffey started his career was when I started follow sports. I often used sports as my safe haven, the place where no matter what was going on in my young life, I could turn to and suddenly everything was ok. Through my parents divorce and difficulties in my childhood, I could turn on the TV and watch a ballgame and everything seemed ok. Now, don't get me wrong, I am Philadelphia through and through, born and raised in the Northeast corridor and I often refer to myself as a "4 for 4" guy who roots for my hometown team (save for my Black and Gold addiction). But there was something different about the Kid playing centerfield for the Seattle Mariners. He was loveable on so many levels. As a kid, you noticed the little things. The way he seemed to never take the game too seriously. The way he wore his cap backwards (no one was doing that at the time). The way he smiled throughout the game, seemingly oblivious to the pressures of being a million dollar ball player. I emulated him, hell, I wanted to be him. He of one of the sweetest left handed strokes in baseball history who could hit for power and average. The man who ran like a gazelle and who could have played all 3 outfield positions at the same time. He was that good. He also put up Nintendo numbers at a time where the steroid era was soon to reach it's crescendo. Now, I know at this point, no one can be fully exonerated because until we know for sure, there will be a haze of doubt that will fall over everyone who played at that time. But I swear I would give up my left arm if Griffey were ever named because in my eyes he was genuine, clean, and pure. At the time of his retirement, Griffey stands at #5 all time on the homerun list. Just imagine where he would stand today if he had not most of the first five years of this century due to injuries while playing in Cincinnati. It would be him, not Bonds, standing atop the leader board and being revered as the greatest homerun hitter ever while also doing it the right way. Free of needles and a bulked up physique. See, this is how it has to be, for my childhood, for those sleepy summer nights spent staying up until 2am to watch the highlights from a game just ending 3 time zones away. He embodied everything you looked for in a childhood hero. The grace, the smile, the attitude. He was larger than life and I swear that once he took off his jersey, the red cape would be revealed. So, what I would like to do now his thank him. Thank him for taking me away from reality for awhile. Thank him for doing the right thing. Thank him for playing the game like it wasn't for the endorsements, the fame, the glory. Thank him for playing for the love of the game. Make no mistakes. In five and a half years, the Halls doors will open up wide for him, giving him the credit he so rightfully deserves and we can all remember what a privilege it was to watch him play, as the Willie Mayes of my era. It's tough to watch a great athlete's career play out at the end. For every Brett Favre there are 100 Michael Jordans. Athletes who continued to play for different teams then what we were used to, on battered knees and diminished skills, holding on to the possibility there may be one more touchdown or goal or basket or homerun. Griffey was similar in this regard. To say the least, his last few years (Cincinnati, briefly with the White Sox and back with the Mariners) were uninspiring. But he still showed up with that smile! I won't remember these years though. The images that I'll remember are the Spiderman climbs on the Kingdome walls, the dog pile on homeplate when scoring the winning run against the Yankees in the playoffs, and hitting a homerun back to back with Griffey Sr. How cool is that? Playing baseball with your dad in the Show. So, with misty eyes, I say thank you. Thanks for being my escape. Thank you for entertaining a kid from the Northeast 3,000 miles away. And thank you letting us all see what greatness truly is.

Facebook: Taking the Person out of Personable Since 2004

Recently, I've been receiving information regarding my 10 year high school reunion which should by all accounts, be something that you get excited for. It's a time to reconnect with lost friends, find out what's going on in their lives and reminisce about the good ol' times. I have to be honest though. I'm just not interested in attending. It's not that I don't miss my childhood friends or I don't care about what's going on in their lives. It's just that someone has taken care of that for me. You guessed it, Facebook. This social networking site accomplishes that on a daily basis, keeping me abreast of what everyone is doing. I understand that there is more that goes into a reunion but where's the fun. Years ago (like 7) it was like discovering a whole new group of people. You found out who's gotten married, who has kids, and what everyone is doing with their lives all over an open bar and finger foods. Now, all I need to do is log into my Facebook account on any given day and find out these happenings. I consider this method acceptable stalking. We no longer have to interact with people by normal standards like calling or meeting face to face. We can just type in their name and find out everything we need to know. Like who lives where and what so-and-so is doing with their life. I can just imagine what the reunion would be like with everyone being able to call the other persons bluff because as you well know, if it's on Facebook it has to be true. And the crickets that would be in the room because really, what catching up is there to do. The fact that Facebook and other social networking sites have now removed the "social" aspect of things, really what's left. Gone are the days of the pissing contest where you could claim to have the better car or the better career. No need for meeting face to face, we already know that Tommy got trailer sized fat and that Jenny got triple W implants. See, Facebook accomplishes all of this and more. Don't get me wrong, I love technology, I really do. I'm also not pointing fingers because truth be told I'm on Facebook and I do post my information. But, our favorite parts of getting together have been taken away. There's no surprises, no drama. This is actually disheartening for me because I have not stayed in touch like many others have. Either way, this is our technological evolution. For those of you going, enjoy the night. Maybe I'll attend the 20th!!

(Note: This is supposed to be sattirical so no need to Poke me online!!)