FREE Sixers Game!!!

Want to go the a free Philadelphia 76ers game at the Wachovia Center? It's a pre season game but a free NBA game is a free NBA game! The Sixers are giving away free tickets and holding a contest to get a suite for a game for you and your friends (12 tickets and four parking passes). It works off of referral points so you can really help me out by using this link to score your free passes. Heck, even if you don't really want to go to a game you can still help me out by submitting your request for the tickets (it only takes a minute).

I obtained two free tickets to the game this Friday night. Only one problem. I'll be watching the Phillies in the NLCS.

To get your tickets (and also register yourself for the suite), click here!

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NLCS Preview

It's time to officially start the coverage of the National League Championship Series between the National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies and the National League West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers. We are not talking about politics when it comes to red states and blue states now folks. Pennsylvania is red for the Phillies and California is blue for the Dodgers this week.

Regular Season Records
Dodgers 84-78
Phillies 92-70

How They Got Here
The Phillies advanced to the NLCS by defeating the wild card Milwaukee Brewers in four games in the NLDS. Pitching from the Phillies was superb while the offense showed small amounts of explosiveness. Struggling at the plate and in key situations all series long the Phillies relied on the pitching of Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton to carry the team. The bullpen did their part as well, filling in when needed to get to ace closer Brad Lidge in the final inning three times. The starters were fantastic in the series and although Moyer was uncharacteristically off he only only allowed the Brewers to score twice.

Chase Utley continued to lack any presence at the plate and his two RBI double in game one was a gift from a misplayed ball by Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron. Ryan Howard came on late in the series to get some hits but Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were able to pick up some of the slack with their own at-bats.

Playing the role of underdogs the Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in three games in dominating fashion. Taking advantage of Cubs errors in game one the Dodgers set the tone early for another dismal Cubs playoff series. The Dodgers got dominant pitching from Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. Offensively the Dodgers were offensive to the Cubs.

Manny Ramierez brought his "Manny Being Manny" act to Los Angeles in a trade earlier this year and Ramierez has provided the spark the Dodgers needed into the post season. Ramierez hit .500 in the NLDS against the Cubs, adding a pair of homeruns and driving in three crucial RBIs at key moments. James Loney added six RBIs of his own in the series and Russell Martin added five.

Regular Season Matchups
It doesn't get too much more even than what the Phillies and Dodgers did to each other this season. The Dodgers struck first by sweeping the Phillies in a four game set in Los Angeles. A week later the Phillies returned the favor, sweeping the Dodgers in a four game set at Citizens Bank Park.

the Dodgers put together a better batting average than the Phillies in those eight games, but this is the playoffs. We can throw away all of those stats from earlier this year!

Storylines
This is a great series as far as storylines go. The main stream media will pick up the Manny Ramierez storylines in hopes of seeing him take the Dodgers to the World Series for a possible match up with the Red Sox, but if you look closer there are some other key stories of intrigue to digest.

Larry Bowa
Former Phillies manager, and the predecessor to Charlie Manuel, Larry Bowa is now the Dodgers' third base coach. Bowa, a Phillies Wall of Famer, helped lead the Phillies to becoming a legitimate contender in the division and an annual player in the wild card chase. While Bowa's teams never made the final push during the Scott Rolen years it ws Bowa who was routinely criticized by some fans, some media and many players for the short comings of the team. Bowa ultimately was fired and Manuel was selected to replace him. Bowa went on to become a third base coach under Joe Torre with the New York Yankees, and followed Torre to the Dodgers.

You know Bowa would love to stick it to his former employer, but I am sure there must be a part in Bowa's heart that hopes to see the Phillies win again. One thing is for sure; Bowa hates wearing that helmet on the field.

The Phillies have a former Dodger player as well. Davey Lopes. The Phillies first base coach was directly involved in "Black Friday" in 1977, a play that also directly involved Bowa.

Phillies-Dodgers Playoff History
There was a time when the Dodgers were in the same division as the Phillies. But that was when the Dodgers were playing in Brooklyn. Despite the Whiz Kids beating out those Brooklyn Dodgers for a National League pennant the two organizations have faced each other a number of times before in the NLCS. If you have been reading this blog regularly you may have seen (or possibly even read!) my NLCS Phlashback series, chronicling the 1977 and 1978 NLCS. They also faced each other in the 1983 NLCS.


Pitching Probables
Game One
Cole Hamels vs. Derek Lowe

Cole Hamels is the ace of the staff in Philadelphia, there is no disputing that. In game one of the NLDS he was masterful, shutting down the free swinging Brewers over eight innings before handing the game over to Brad Lidge. Hamels is 1-0 against the Dodgers lifetime with an ERA of 2.57. Earlier this season Hamels pitched seven innings giving up five hits and two runs in Los Angeles. His only two walks in the game were both intentional walks to Ramierez and Garciaparra.

While this is not exactly the Derek Lowe who helped guide the Red Sox to a World Series championship a few years ago, he is no pushover. After allowing two early runs to the Cubs in game one he shut them down and let the Dodgers rally to win. The Phillies will need to score on Lowe more than one inning a game.

Game Two
Brett Myers vs. Chad Billingsley

If Myers pitches the way he did against the Brewers with CC Sabatia on the mound, it would be hard to go against him in this game. Myers pitched well against the Dodgers this season, including a strong seven inning outing at Citizens Bank Park on August 25. While Myers did give up nine hits in the game he was able to keep the Dodgers off the scoreboard en route to a win.

Billingsley took the loss in that particular outing. When Billingsley pitched down the stretch for the Dodgers though he won five of his last six games to close out the season.

Game Three
Jamie Moyer vs. Hiroki Kuroda

Moyer will without a doubt be ready for his second postseason outing and it will come in the pivotal game three when the series moves back to Los Angeles. After starting slow against the Brewers Moyer seemed to find his groove that he typically does find. Unfortunately for the Phillies it may have been too late in game three against the Brewers. Moyer recieved no help from his offense in that game but Moyer did keep the Phillies in the game.

Moyer is a savvy veteran. He will be ready to do what he needs to do against the Dodgers in game three. If the Dodgers can hold off on some of Moyer's pitches though he could get into some trouble.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers will be Hiroki Kuroda, who stiffled the Phillies in two games this year. In thirteen innings against the Phillies Kuroda allowed only two runs (one in each game). He also only issued two walks in that same work load. The Phillies will need to find a way to strike against Kuroda and get him out of the game as quickly as possible.

Schedule
Every game of the NLCS will be broadcast on Fox. TBS will be airing every game in the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Thursday night the NLCS will get centerfield, er center stage, all to itself as the ALCS starts up Friday night. Here is the schedule for the NLCS as it stands right now...

Game 1 - October 9 8:22pm (Phillies)
Game 2 - October 10 4:35pm (Phillies)
Game 3 - October 12 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 4 - October 13 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 5 - October 15 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 6 - October 17 8:22pm (Phillies)
Game 7 - October 18 8:22pm (Phillies)

By the way, why in the world would the NLCS start at 4:15pm on Friday (1:15pm on the all important west coast) when the NLCS actually has a west coast team and the ALCS has two teams on the east coast? Must be the whole "fair and balanced" system being employed.

On the Record
I correctly predicted that the Phillies would get past the Brewers in four games in my NLDS Preview. Let's see if I can keep the luck going in the NLCS. I will say that the Phillies win this series in six games.

Just eight wins away.

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Phillies Phever

A classic, updated.

HT: The 700 Level

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NLCS Phlashback - Part II

This is part two in a four part series chronicling the history of the Philadelphia Phillies and their National League Championship Series appearances, leading up to the start of the 2008 NLCS match-up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Today we review the 1978 NLCS between the same two clubs.

You can read Part I, focusing on the 1977 NLCS between the Phillies and Dodgers by clicking here.

The 1978 National League Championship Series

Game One

For the Phillies the hope was that the third time would be the charm. Three seasons in a row the Phillies found themselves playing in the National League Championship Series, a best of five series then, for the right to represent the league in the World Series. Roughed up in their previous two trips by the Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds and the previous year by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies dropped off a bit in regular season success. Previously the Phillies had back-to-back 100 win seasons. 1978 was a little different, with the team winning ninety games and only winning the division by a game and a half over the Pittsburgh Pirates. But this was still a team on a mission. Painful playoff exits were still fresh in the memories of the Phillies and their fans so once again getting off on the right foot was going to be key for the Phillies in 1978.

Opening with two home games at Veterans Stadium against the NL West champion Dodgers would hopefully do just that for the Phillies. Larry Christenson started for the Phillies in the series opener because Steve Carlton had started a few days before in the division clinching game. Christenson was no Carlton to say the least.

With an early 1-0 lead Christenson ran into trouble in the third inning. Steve Garvey had the key hit with a three run homerun in the inning. The Dodgers actually scored four runs in the third inning, after the Phillies had scored once in the second inning. Just like that the Dodgers had the momentum.

Davey Lopes, now the Phillies first base coach, connected for a two run homerun in the fourth inning to give the Dodgers a 6-1 lead. Rookie Dodger pitcher Bob Welch did his job. With a five run lead Welch had plenty of room for error and would go on to get the win for the Dodgers.

Garvey wasn't finished yet. In the fifth inning he reached third base with a triple in the Vet. He would then proceed to score and then in the ninth inning he hit a solo homerun. Steve Yeager got in on the homerun action with his own blast.

Pressure was put on by the Phillies in the fifth inning, scoring three runs. The short term rally cut the score to 7-4 in favor of the Dodgers. Proving they were resilient though, the Dodgers scored a run in the top of the sixth to extend their lead to 8-4 and were on cruise control the rest of the way to a 9-5 game one victory.

Game Two
Dodgers lead 1-0

Evening up the series, as in any five game series especially, in game two was critical. After losing both home games to the Dodgers in Veterans Stadium last year the Phillies knew it would be difficult. With the NLCS ready to shift to the west coast to Dodger Stadium the Phillies seemed to be in trouble.

Dick Ruthven got the start for the Phillies in the must win game and Tommy John opposed him for the Dodgers. John was the dominant pitcher of the game, pitching a complete four hit shut out for the Dodgers.

While the Phillies offense remained futile against the Dodgers, coming up short in the clutch yet again, it was Davey Lopes who got the job done for the Dodgers and their offense. Of the four runs the Dodgers scored in the 4-0 victory, Lopes was responsible for driving in three of them. Lopes was a double shy of the cycle, hitting a home run, triple and a single. Lopes was officially a Phillies killer. How is it that this guy can be welcomed in as the Phillies first base coach today?

The NLCS was now ready to shift to Los Angeles for game three. Philadelphia needed a win at all costs to stay alive.

Game Three
Dodgers lead 2-0

Steve Carlton finally made his first playoff start of the series, and the Phillies desperately needed it. Even if the series were to go five games, only having Carlton pitch once would likely be the downfall for the Phillies. Carlton did more than provide the Phillies with the starting pitching they desperately needed but also provided the offensive spark the lineup had been missing.

Carlton hit a three run homerun in the second inning off of Dodger starter Don Sutton. The second inning would see the Phillies leading the Dodgers 4-1. Los Angeles cut the score to 4-3 in the third inning but the Phillies would extend their lead in the sixth inning.

In the sixth inning Carlton helped out once again at the plate with a single that drove in a run. He would later score on a double by Jerry Martin. The Phillies would finish off the game by pounding the Dodgers for a hard fought 9-4 victory. Holding off on elimination the Phillies were now down 2-1 in the series.

Game Four
Dodgers lead 2-1

Los Angeles struck first in the second inning of the critical game four. Dusty Baker notched the RBI double that brought home Ron Cey to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Philadelphia responded in the third inning, taking the lead on a Greg Luzinski two run homerun.

Ron Cey would tie the game with a homerun of his own in the fourth inning. The tension was mounting. Noting would change until the sixth inning. Steve Garvey hit a solo homerun in the inning, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. That shot was Garvey's fourth homerun of the NLCS. Another homerun in the seventh, this time by the Phillies' Bake McBride, tied the game once again.

Homeruns were the themes of this NLCS, swinging the momentum from one side to the other with a swing of the bat. In the end though, it would be more heartbreak for the Phillies. As the game went into extra innings the Phillies failed to score in their half of the tenth inning. Tug McGraw entered to pitch for the Phillies, hoping to hold off the Dodgers for one more inning in hopes that the offense could put together a run in the eleventh.

McGraw retired the first two batters he faced. Ron Cey then forced a walk, giving the Dodgers a potential series clinching run at first base. Thoughts of bullpen failure were sure to be flowing through the minds of the Phillies and their fans. It was as if they had seen this all before. Dusty Baker hit a fly ball to Gary Maddox in center field, and the man who could cover whatever part of the planet that wasn't covered by water lost the ball in the Los Angeles sun. After misplaying the ball and not being able to correct himself in time, the ball glanced off of his glove. The misfortunes of Maddox's glove were not through.

With two men on base the only one that mattered was Cey at second. The fate of the series rested on his feet. A base hit would get him home.

Bill Russell stepped in to face McGraw. Russell got the better of McGraw, lining a hit to center field. Maddox charged hard and could have thrown Cey out at home if not just holding him to stay at third base. But the ball had other ideas.

The ball had skipped right by the charging Maddox, and Cey came home to score the series clincher. Dodgers win 4-3 in ten innings.

Epilogue

For the second straight year the World Series featured the Dodgers and the defending champion New York Yankees. The Dodgers took the first two games of the World Series, but the Yankees blasted their way back to win the series in six games.

As for the Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates were making strides towards capturing the NL East crown. The gap between the two teams had gotten smaller in 1978 compared to 1977. The following year the Pirates would take the NL East by two games in a year when the Phillies continued to decline. It was a time to change things up for the Phillies. To help the team over the hump of the NLCS the Phillies signed Pete Rose, making him the highest paid athlete in sports. The addition of Rose though did little to help in 1979. The Phillies dropped all the way to fourth in the division, finishing 12 games behind Pittsburgh.

While 1979 was not a fond year for the Phillies the team was developing for a championship push that would come a year later in 1980.

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More at The Launching Pad

Be sure to check out The Launching Pad for my latest contribution focusing on the NLDS between the Phillies and Brewers. Sure this may be two days late, but I have to spread the word anyway!


Looking forward to continuing through the NLCS against the Dodgers.

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NLCS Phlashback - Part I

This is part one in a four part series chronicling the history of the Philadelphia Phillies and their National League Championship Series appearances, leading up to the start of the 2008 NLCS match-up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Today we review the 1977 NLCS between the same two clubs. Part two will educate you on the rematch in 1978. Part three will review the 1983 NLCS between the Phillies and Dodgers and part four will look back on perhaps the greatest playoff series of all time, the 1980 NLCS between the Phillies and the Houston Astros. The goal is to have each part up over the next four days. Game one of the 2008 NLCS is Thursday night in Philadelphia.

The 1977 National League Championship Series


Game One

1977 was to be a year of redemption for the Philadelphia Phillies. For the second straight year the Phillies had compiled a 100+ win season and in doing so clinched a second straight National League East division. This team was on a mission and may have been one of the best teams in franchise history.

The Phillies had won the division by five games ahead of the rival Pittsburgh Pirates and would face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the right to go to the World Series. Getting off on the right foot was key, as the Phillies and Dogers opened up the best of five series in Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The last time the Phillies had been in a playoff game was the previous year. The famed "Big Red Machine" had swept the Phillies that year after dominated the first two games at the Vet and by scoring three runs for a come from behind series clincher in the ninth inning of the fatal game three. Winning the opener in 1977 would get this team over that hump, or so it was thought.

The first game was billed as a classic pitcher's dual. Steve Carlton, who won the 1977 Cy Young award, took the mound for the Phillies and 20 game winner and comeback player of the year Tommy John opposed him for the Dodgers. This game, however, was all about offense.

Greg Luzinski blasted a two run homerun in the first inning, giving the Phillies the fast start they were craving, looking for anything to forget about the ninth inning in game three the previous year. Leading by that score of 2-0 later became 4-0 in the fifth inning when Davey Johnson notched a bases loaded single. Prior to the bases loaded single Dodgers shortstop Bill Russell had taken his foot off of second base which negated a possible double play, allowing Bake McBride to be safe at second on a Larry Bowa hit.

The Dodgers would rally though. Lee Lacy was inserted as a pinch hitter for John in the fifth and lined a single. Carlton was then called for a balk, which advanced Lacy to second base. Up came Davey Lopes, now the first base coach for the Phillies,who would hit a single that scored Lacy. Carlton would make up for his balk-aided run in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single of his own. Philadelphia lead 5-1 going into the seventh inning and Carlton looked to be cruising his way to a series opening win.

But he didn't.

In the seventh inning Carlton had two outs and Lopes at first base. Back to back walks to Bill Russell and Reggie Smith all of a sudden had the bases loaded for Ron Cey. An all star at third base that year, Cey had hit 30 homeruns during the regular season. Cey made Carlton pay for his pair of walks by hitting a grand slam to tie the game.

It was time for the Phillies to pick up their heads and realize that the game was not over. It took until the ninth inning but the Phillies got the job done. Mike Schmidt, the other all star third baseman in the series as well as a gold glove winner in 1977, had a poor NLCS. In the ninth inning though Schmidt would knock in his only RBI of the series, giving the Phillies a 6-5 lead. Later Larry Bowa would score on a balk by Dodger reliever Elias Sosa. Tug McGraw closed it out for the Phillies, giving them a crucial road win to take a 1-0 lead in the NLCS.

Game Two
Phillies lead 1-0

The next day the Dodgers exploded on offense and ultimately took control of the NLCS against the Phillies. Bake McBride continued to have the Phillies feeling good early on with a solo homerun that put the Phills on top 1-0 in the third inning. Davey Lopes would tie the game in the bottom of the inning though with an RBI single and it was all Dodgers from there.

Dusty Baker stepped to the plate in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and the game tied at one. Phillies pitcher Jim Lonborg gave Baker a pitch he could hit and Baker did. The ball left the field for a game changing, and possibly series changing grand slam. Leading by a score of 5-1 the Dodgers would go on to tack on a run in the sixth and the seventh innings to win 7-1.

With the series even heading back to Philadelphia it seemed the momentum was on the Dodgers' side.

Game Three
Series Tied 1-1

It is known as "Black Friday" in Philadelphia. The Phillies needed the game in order to re-establish momentum. In a five game series, game three is very important. The Dodgers had struck first, scoring twice in the second inning. Steve Garvey scored from first on a Dusty Baker double. Protesting the call that Garvey had not touched home was futile for the Phillies. Baker would score later on a single by Steve Yeager.

The Phillies rebounded with a three run bottom of the second inning. With two outs and Richie Hebner and Bob Boone on base it was Dodger pitcher Burt Hooten who began to have some words to exchange with the umpire. Disputing calls with the umpire often gets you nowhere and soon enough Hooten would loose his control and proceeded to walk the next four Phillies batters (Ted Sizemore, Larry Christenson, Bake McBride and Larry Bowa). All of a sudden it was 3-2 Phillies. After Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda made a pitching change to bring in Rick Rhoden, Mike Schmidt popped up to end the inning with the bases loaded.

As exciting as this may have been early on it would be the finish that would be the story for game three.

With the game tied in the eighth inning the Phillies started to take care of business. Hebner lead off with a double and Gary Maddox brought him home with a single. On the play Reggie Smith threw home to try and catch Hebner to keep the game tied. Instead the throw went wild and Maddox was able to run all the way to third base. Maddox scored on a Bob Boone ground ball to Ron Cey at third. Rather than throwing to first for the sure out Cey threw home to try and get Maddox at home. Cey's throw went wild and Maddox scored to give the Phillies a 7-5 lead. The Phillies would send in their great reliever Gene Garber to seal the deal in the ninth inning.

Or maybe it was Mitch Williams?

After retiring the first two Dodger batters it appeared the Phillies were about to take control of the NLCS with a 2-1 series lead. Pinch hitter Vic Davalillio, down with an 0-2 count, laid out a drag bunt and was able to beat out the throw and was safe at first, giving the Dodgers something to work with. Manny Mota then hit a fly ball to left field where Greg Luzinski had trapped against the wall. Why Luzinski was in there instead of his usual defensive replacement of Jerry Martin is still beyond logic to any Phillies fans to this day. On the throw to second base to get Mota out at second, Ted Sizemore had misplayed the ball. Mota was safe and proceeded to third base on the play which also scored Davalillo. The damage continued. Lopes hit a hot liner to Schmidt at third that went off his knee. Larry Bowa grabbed the ball and fired it to first to get Lopes. The Phillies would escape with an on -the-edge-of-your-seat game except for the fact that Lopes was called safe. To this day Phillies fans will tell you Lopes was out. Lopes will tell you he was safe.

The game was tied on the controversial play. Garber, having already blown the save, attempted to pick off Lopes at first, but threw the ball to the fence past first baseman Richie Hebner. Lopes advanced to second base. Lopes would then score on a Bill Russell single to centerfield and the Dodgers would shut down the dejected Phillies offense in the ninth to win the game.

Where the three run ninth against the Reds would be the sting from the year before, this game would be the sting that would remain with the team for a while. With the Dodgers now leading the series going into game four, the Phillies needed to find some way to get past the emotions of this devastating loss.

Game Four
Dodgers lead 2-1

They didn't.

In a pitching rematch of game one Steve Carlton and Tommy John performed better for the most part, but John pitched better. This was a miserable night for the Phillies and their fans for many reasons. As if being eliminated from the playoffs at home wasn't bad enough, there was also a two hour rain delay after the first inning.

The Dodgers came out in the second inning and scored two runs off of Carlton on a homerun by Dusty Baker. As it turned out, that was all the Dodgers would need.

Pouring more salt on the wound was Carlton's wild pitch would bring Baker home again and a suicide squeeze bunt by Bill Russell brought home Steve Yeager. The Dodgers would win by a score of 4-1.

EPILOGUE

With the victory the Dodgers went to the World Series and ultimately lost to "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson and the New York Yankees, who were also rolled over by the Reds in 1976.

It is the 1977 World Series that Jackson is most notable for. In game six Jackson connected for three home runs (once each in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings) off of the Dodgers, helping him certify that he was indeed "Mr. October."

How could the Phillies rebound from a second straight abysmal post season outing? What woudl it take for this team to get over the hump and reach the World Series? Would Mike Schmidt play better next time around or would this terrible NLCS linger in his head?

The following season the Phillies would have to make a strong statement and prove that they are World Series contenders. The Pittsburgh Pirates were getting closer to the Phillies in the standings so the window could be starting to close on that opportunity for a World Series. The Phillies made a key draft pick in 1978, which they would later trade away anyway. Who needed Ryne Sandburg, right?

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part II as we take a look at the Phillies' chance for redemption in the 1978 NLCS against the Dodgers.

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Looking Forward, Eh?

For a presidential campaign that wants to talk about not looking back and instead looking forward ("Say it ain't so Joe!"), Sarah Palin sure is digging deep into Barack Obama's past to try and make a connection between Obama and terrorists. How deep? Try when he was playing with LEGO's.

Palin attacked Sen. Obama on Saturday for his brief political relationship with Bill Ayers, a founding member of the radical Weather Underground, which was involved in several bombings in the early 1970s, including attacks on the Pentagon and the Capitol. Obama was a child at the time of the bombings.

Obama and Ayers, now a university professor, have met several times since 1995, when both worked with a non-profit group trying to raise funds for a school improvement project and a charitable foundation. CNN's review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.

From CNN.com [link]

Say it ain't so Sarah!

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BEAT LA!

Just a quick post today. Believe me I will have much more to say about the Phillies and their upcoming series in the NLCS against the Dodgers, but I have a full slate of things to do today so just a quick post to rally Phillies fans!

BEAT LA!

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Vote for Me!

A shameful plea for votes.

Go here. Rate my photo.

Go Phillies!

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More at The Launching Pad

Just directing you towards The Launching Pad for my latest contribution. Just a quick one this time around. Be sure to check out the whole NLDS coverage for the Phillies-Brewers series at the Pad with contributions from Brewers fan Jared from Right Field Bleachers. Also check out the coverage from ecah of the other three series going on.

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Hawaiian Punch KO's Brewers

Question: Which current Phillies player has the most career post season homeruns?

Answer: It is actually a tie with two homeruns. So Taguchi and Shane Victorino.

Yesterday Victorino added his second career post season homerun in grand fashion, hitting a grand slam in the second inning off of CC Sabathia. Amazingly the grand slam was not even the most memorable at bat in the inning! Check out earlier when Brett Myers steps to the plate with two outs and Pedro Feliz on base. Typically when the pitcher comes to bat with two outs you figure that the inning is over, but Myers had other ideas in his head. Sabathia got ahead of Myers with an 0-2 count but Myers stuck with it and battled back to a full count by fouling off pitches and staying patient and laying off balls. It was incredible! Myers forced his counterpart to throw nine pitches and he drew a base on balls. The Phillies were in the head of Sabathia.

Jimmy Rollins walked on the next four pitches, bringing up Victorino with the bases jacked and two outs. Then this happened...



After that the Phillies were on cruise control. Brett Myers had struggled in the first inning but escaped with only one run on the scoreboard. After the second inning you knew that Myers was going to be in control the rest of the way. Myers went seven strong innings, and the bullpen did the rest as the Phillies went on to win 5-2. Myers allowed both runs but it didn't matter. Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero combined for a score-free eighth inning and Brad Lidge finished it off with a solid 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Let's talk about Myers some more.

Everybody knows the Myers story by now. He was the closer last year and with the addition of Lidge Myers was vocal about his move back to the starting rotation. Myers was adamant that he wanted to stay in the bullpen and at first it appeared that he was not prepared, whatever the reasons may be, to be back as a starter this year. He had been named the opening day starter in a move to try and force him to focus on starting. It didn't work. After a number of mediocre at best outings Myers was sent to triple A ball in Lehigh to retool himself. When the time came for his return to the big leagues it was obvious that he was ready. Everything was going fine until recently when bad habits returned against the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. Questions were everywhere heading into his first post season start of his career yesterday.

In the first inning everybody wearing Phillies red must have been like me as I yelled at the tv in a futile attempt to motivate Myers. He had gotten into serious trouble with the bases loaded and one out. He had already walked in a run as well. Cue Rich Dubee.

Whatever Dubee said may have worked. Either that or Corey Hart can't walk the walk and talk the talk. Hart had proclaimed the Brewers were going to kick the Phillies' butt in their playoff rally before heading to Philadlphia. Hart proceeded to swing at the first pitch from Myers and grounded into an inning ending double play. Later we would know that that may have been the real key play of the game.

Defense would be another negative to the Brewers in game two. Not so much as in game one, but Mike Cameron had another ball go over his head, resulting in a double for the Phillies. I will give Cameron credit though. He robbed Victorino of a triple, limiting him to a double on the play by playing the ball nicely off of the wall. Maybe that is why he has won those gold gloves.

I expect Cameron will have some better fielding games in his own park.

So you would think I'm happy right? I am. The Phillies are up 2-0 in the NLDS! Do I have concerns? Absolutely.

For the second straight game the Phillies scored in only one inning. Credit given for scoring enough runs to win each of the first two games, but there were so many wasted opportunities in both games in which they could have buried the Brewers and they failed to take advantage. A win is a win is a win though and heading to Milwaukee the Phillies are in prime position to get to the NLCS.

There is no pitcher I would rather have taking the mound in game three than Jamie Moyer. I expect the Brewers to be amped for their first home playoff game since 1982 and I could see that energy sparking them early. Moyer is just the guy to have in that situation to slow things down and take the players out of the game. Am I cautiously scouting the Dodgers right now? You bet. Foolish I would be though to say that this NLDS is over though. One game at a time. Win game three.

Win game three.

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Phillies vs Brewers: Game Two Open Thread

The National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies host the Wild Card winning Milwaukee Brewers in game two.

Game time: 6pm
Where to Watch: TBS
Radio: 1210AM, 950 ESPN

NLDS: Phillies lead 1-0

Pitching Match-Ups: Brett Myers (Phillies, 0-0) - CC Sabathia (Brewers, 0-0)

Injury Report: BREWERS - Ben Sheets (Day to day) PHILLIES - Pat Burrell (Day to day), Francisco Rosario (Day to day)

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To the Launching Pad!

I have been exchanging messages with JB over at The Launching Pad for the past couple weeks in an effort to help build our blogs in our own ways. As he is an avid Braves fan and a baseball purist he is dedicated to bringing his readers some coverage of the baseball playoffs from all possible angles. To do this he has invited guest commentators representing each team in the post season to comment on their respective teams. I am happy to provide my slant on the Phillies and hope you will check it out.

Here is my first post on game one of the NLDS.

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Defense Wins Championships

Game one of the NLDS in 2008 was a ton better than the one in 2007. Cole Hamels was phenomenal and pitched the second best game I have ever seen a Phillies pitcher pitch in the post season. The first was Curt Schilling's masterpiece in game five of the 1993 World Series. Even so, Schilling's performance only beats out Hamels' due to the fact that he threw way more pitches and the team was staving off elimination by the Toronto Blue Jays. Thank goodness for Hamels though because the offense, despite receiving a three run third inning as a gift, did nothing that was inspiring.

It is hard to pick apart a playoff victory because ultimately the only thing that matters is that the Phillies are up 1-0 in a best of five series and that is huge. Facing the much hyped CC Sabathia in game two it was thought that winning the opener was a must, not that every playoff game is a must win. The win also shoves aside some of the ghosts from the 2007 playoffs. Hamels is now over his hump from 2007, and Chase Utley hit a double and drove in a pair of runs to make amends for his poor October last year. As well as Hamels pitched, the Brewers were never really put away in this game.

The real story of this game though was defense. The Brewers defense could be blamed for the entire third inning. With Carlos Ruiz on first base, Hamels put down a bunt that was mishandled. Instead of having one runner on there were now two runners one. A couple batters later Utley came to the plate. Utley drove one to left center that Brewers centerfielder Mike Cameron possibly misjudged but recovered in enough time to make the snow cone catch. The only problem was the ball didn't say in the glove and with two outs bot Ruiz and Hamels were running allowing them to score. Utley wound up on second base instead of getting ready to field at second base. Ryan Howard walked and Pat Burrell drew another walk to load the bases. Shane Victorino then worked a walk with the bases loaded, increasing the score to 3-0.

The Phillies did play some good defense on the other hand though. Howard made a nice play down the first base line. Pedro Feliz knocked a ball down that took away a hit from the Brewers. Utley made a fantastic play on a bunt that kept the Brewers off the bases yet again as he stole the infield hit. Who knows what could have happened had any of those runners reached base?

Other than the third inning the Phillies fell back on some bad habits, such as swinging on the first pitch (Rollins and Burrell both had crucial one pitch at bats resulting in nothing). Two things drive me crazy in baseball:

1. Mets fans
2. Swinging at the first pitch

I will never understand how a batter can make a decision to swing at the first pitch, ESPECIALLY after the batter before you walks! That is just not smart baseball.

Finally there was Brad Lidge. Would I have rather have seen Hamels finish the game? Absolutely. I was saying that I would have left Hamels in and had Lidge warming up just in case. But on the other hand it is hard to be upset about bringing in a closer who has not blown a save all year. I believe that what worries people the most is not his performance, but the fact that he is overdue for a blown save. This is a good problem to have if you ask me. Yes, part of me was hoping that down the stretch that Lidge would blow a save just to get it over with but the fact remains that Lidge is still perfect in save opportunities this year. Did he make it interesting? Sweat was pouring from my face and my eye was twitching. But this is the playoffs. Every pitch is going to be nerve racking.

Game two could be a rough one. Sabathia has been on fire lately and has been having his way with the National League. He has yet to face the Phillies though so let's see how it develops tonight. The big storyline will be whether or not Brett Myers can rebound from his last two outings though. Go get 'em Myers!

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Man Crush for Cole Hamels

Dear Cole Hamels,

I admit that I was expecting more out of you earlier. I know that you were a leader in innings pitched in the National League this year and I know you had a ton of strikeouts. Still though I wanted more from you. I expected you to be far superior rather than just really good. Perhaps you would admit that there were a number of times this year when you got in some trouble with base runners and at times your struggles came at the worst possible times for the Phillies. When the Phillies had some momentum going for them and needed another key win to keep things rolling you would struggle. You would give up some key runs early. You would have the "one bad inning" issue and your offense never backed you up. Maybe you didn't deserve as many losses and no decisions that you received this year, but I expected you to not get into that kind of trouble. I hope you understand that I expect you to win some Cy Young awards in your career. That is how good I think you are and will be. Nobody will be more proud for you than me. Well, maybe your family and close friends will be. And your former coaches. And your teammates, but now we're getting nit picky.

What I am trying to say Cole is that yesterday, in game one of the NLDS against the Brewers, I think I rekindled my man crush on you. I am confident in telling you that I was ecstatic when you got through the first four innings without allowing a hit. That is what I expected in the series opener from our ace. Aces of a pitching staff take the mound in game one, forget about their outing from 2007, and set the tone early. It took five innings for the Brewers to get a hit off of you and you ended the day with nine strikeouts and zero runs allowed in eight innings. Heck, you even scored for yourself after you bunted and the Brewers forgot how to field a bunt!

But Cole one question remains. Why? Why didn't you at least start the ninth inning? Sure, I have the utmost confidence in Brad Lidge to seal the deal but I wanted to see you finish the game off. I know that if you had pitched that final frame the Phillies would have won 3-0. I guess we shouldn't worry too much about that though. It looks to me as though you will be able to rest up for the next series because I don't think you will need to pitch again in this series, unless you happen to go in game four.

I just want to say thank you Cole. Please forgive me for having my slightest of doubts about your ability to shut down the opposition in a key game.

Sincerely,
Kevin

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Phillies vs Brewers: Game One Open Thread

The National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies host the Wild Card winning Milwaukee Brewers in game one.

Game time: 3pm
Where to Watch: TBS
Where to Watch at Work: MLB.com, Yahoo, ESPN
Radio: 1210AM, 950 ESPN

NLDS: 0-0

Pitching Match-Ups: Cole Hamels (Phillies, 0-0) - Yovani Gallardo (Brewers, 0-0)

Injury Report: BREWERS - Ben Sheets (Day to day) PHILLIES - Pat Burrell (Day to day)

Once the game starts I'll be dropping my thoughts in the comments section. I invite you to do so as well at any time.

Who wants some pumpkin pie?

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Brewers Batting Stances

Don't forget about the Phillies batting stances as well...

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October

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MLB Playoff Thoughts

What better time to bring this picture back?

That's me last season during a crucial Phillies game. I was eating my pizza and surrounding myself with various charms of luck while watching the Phillies eek out a victory before the playoffs. I can guarantee you that I shall be watching just as intently this afternoon when the Phillies open up the Major League Baseball playoffs today at 3pm. More on the Phillies later but I just wanted to throw up my picks in each of the playoff series, now that the Chicago White Sox have played their way in to solidify the final playoff spot as American League Central division champs. I was pulling for the White Sox because I have always been a fan of Jim Thome, who hit the eventual game winning homerun, and Ken Griffey Jr. I would love to see a Phillies-White Sox World Series, but it's not likely.


The first American League Division Series starts tonight when the defending world champion Boston Red Sox visit the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels have looked like the best team in baseball throughout most of, if not the entire, year. The Angels can do it all with pitching and offense. The Red Sox have played the nemesis role of the Angels in recent years but that doesn't seem to be the case in 2008. I look for the Angels to take the first round in four games.

As for the previously mentioned Chicago White Sox, they will face the darling Cinderella team from Tampa when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Rays starting tomorrow. I don't think that the Rays are going to do very much in the postseason despite their wild and surprising success this year. The White Sox have the experience edge and would be likely to carry some momentum coming in. As much as I would like to pick the White Sox for this and a few other reasons, I am going to pick the Rays in the first round because of their starting pitching. They can be down right dangerous in a five game series. Rays in five.


Finally, the league that plays baseball the way it was meant to be played. The National League kicks off their playoffs this afternoon with the Phillies and Brewers. CC Sabathia can only pitch in a maximum of two games in this series, but I think the Phillies won't have to worry about the second start as they will win this series in four games. The Phillies dominated the season series and with Cole Hamels looking to erase the memories of his playoff debut in 2007 the Brewers could go down in a 1-0 hole fairly easily. The Phillies will have to overcome some decent pitching though, even without facing Ben Sheets but they will prevail. Again, Phillies in four.

Which brings us to the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Is there any way the Dodgers can beat the Cubs in a short series? I don't see it happening but if they can find a way to split in Chicago who knows what could happen. The Dodgers are possibly the weakest of the playoff teams this year and I believe the Cubs take this series in a sweep.

Whoever you root for, enjoy the playoffs!

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Kevin and Kristin's Wedding

Here are my photos from Kevin and Kristin's wedding the other day. It was a great time, worthy of a Phillies NL East championship hat!

You can also check out the album here, as well as all of my public albums on Picasa.

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