Phillies Recap: Mets take 2 of 3 in weekend series

In an effort to bring you the most extensive Phils coverage, the effervescent Phillies Superfan Ballz D. McGuillicuty will be providing you with his insights after every Phils game. Hold onto your butts.


The Good:
Chase Utley. Here's his numbers from the weekend tilt. 6-11, 4 HR, 6 RBI. Homered in each game, twice in the series finale, most likley sensing that one dinger in each of the previous two games wasn't enough to get the job done. He now leads MLB in home runs with 8 and is batting a robust .351. Utley is doing everything in his power to pick up the slack for the missing Jimmy Rollins (more on him later). And for those who think Utley can't hit lefties because for some reason, most left-handed hitters can not hit southpaw pitchers...Chase is batting .308 with 4 of his 8 long balls off of lefties.


Starting Pitching. Every one of the outings by the starter's was good enough to win. Especially in Citizen's Bank Ballpark. Especially with this supposed thunderous lineup. Especially in 80 degree heat. Yet none of them came out victorious and two of the 3 wound up on the losing end. The Phillies continue to get fairly solid starting pitching. Adam Eaton has already given the team more this season then he did all last year. Moyer has thrown well ever since his rocky season debut. Hamels and Myers are now giving you what we expected from them coming into the year. Kendrick is really the only member not pulling his weight right now, but even his last start was quite solid. The pitching staff reminds you of the Eagles defense for many years; bend, don't break. Here's some staggering numbers: .252, .295, .327, .362, .375. Those are the opponent's batting averages against the Phillies rotation this season. Yikes.


The Rivalry. This is turning into something good. Was down at the game on Saturday. I'll admit it, the Philadelphia fans were a little rowdy, but so were the New Yorkers who made the trip. Saw some entertaining signs in the crowd (although none as clever as my favorite crowd sign of all time; Targeted at the highly talented yet exceptionally disinterested in playing baseball first baseman, Travis Lee, the sign read simply: Travis Leave). There was a fight or two. But most of the verbal sparring was good natured, even if R-rated due to a combination of competitive games and overpriced alcohol. Even I, somewhat intoxicated and somewhat belligerent, let the moment get the better of me. Yes, it was me trying to drown out the Let's Go Mets chants with my own version of the jingle, referencing methods of post-game celebration that I unjustly (perhaps) accused Mets' players of sharing with each other. But at the end of the day, it was an enjoyable game made even better by the level of contempt that has quickly developed over the past couple of seasons.



Couple of quick notes on things I don't get though, while we're discussing this rivalry. I listened to a little bit of NY sports talk on my ride into work this morning and I heard a couple of people call up with the same story. "I drove down to the game with my 10 year old niece and 8 year old nephew. We were taking my nephew to the game for his birthday. He's a big Mets fan. We're all dressed in our Mets gear and people start yelling obscenities at us, for no reason."


Ok, let's get a couple of things straight. First, there was a reason; you were openly supporting the hated opponent. Second, this happens in every city, at least any city that cares about their sports teams. I've been to Mets games wearing my Phillies attire. It's no picnic. Third, we don't scream at your kids. This does not mean that bringing kids with you means you're exempt from the verbal abuse, but rest assured that it is all directed at you and not the children. Listen, everyone knows how this works. If you're going to a game in hostile territory, you can feel somewhat confident that if you come dressed in plain garb and support your team through typical cheering, you'll be fine. If you're decked out in your Doc Gooden jersey, waving your orange foam finger and singing the winner of most annoying baseball diddly award (Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose...), you're equally to blame. I would expect the same treatment if I trekked into Shea wearing my red 'Our second baseman actually is the age he claims' tee shirt.


Second, and this was the thing that perplexed me the most. I'm not one to even yell things at opposing fans who employ such tactics as outlined above. However, when those same fans react to a positive play for their squad by turning and directing their celebration specifically at particular people, as if the fat guy in his Ken Howell jersey with nacho cheese on his chin (come to think of it, maybe that was Ken Howell) just threw the last pitch, it's fairly infuriating. Slap hands with your buddy, yell how much Ryan Howard sucks but don't tell me how David Wright had sex with my mom and that double he just hit proves it.


The Bad:
Ryan Howard. Compare his numbers with Utley's over the series. 1-13. 0 R, 0 RBI, 6K, 8 LOB. There is no reason right now that Howard shouldn't be batting 5th with Burrell hitting 4th, other then Manuel is scared to make the move for fear of hurting the big man's ego. The Mets blatantly pitched around Utley twice on Saturday when there were men on base because they'd rather face Howard. I am confident that he'll turn it around but right now he's killing us, especially without Rollins to help pick up the slack. Hoping that the 3 righties they're facing in the next 4 games, all with ERA over 5, including one over 7, will be the medicine for what ails him.


Jimmy Rollins FINALLY on DL: This should've happened two weeks ago. We've played shorthanded for two weeks and now this decision is made? Rollins almost fell over from his ankle giving out in his first pinch hit at bat and he had to be replaced in his 3rd pinch hit at bat after singling. It was painfully obvious, pun intended, that this move needed to be made, yet it wasn't. Until now. Despicable.


Non-Philadelphia Media: Speaking of despicable. Outsiders criticized fans for presumably booing Reyes when he jammed his neck trying to steal second on Friday night. This is typical uninformed journalists just running with a story about Philadelphia fans booing an injured opponent again. In reality, no one booed Reyes until it was obvious that he was not seriously hurt. Fans started voicing their displeasure when Reyes took about 10 minutes to decide whether or not he was going to stay in the game. He took so long that Hamels had to throw more pitches to stay warm and sure enough his first pitch after the long delay was stroked for an RBI triple. Philadelphian's booed while Jose took practice runs in the baseline, not when he was down on the ground. What actually was a display of a high level of understanding of the game was written about as though we were savages. Philadelphia fans have a reputation and it is not totally undeserved, but please get the facts straight before rolling out the Santa Claus snowball stories.






JC Romero with inherited runners: I don't have the stats right now, but I will, but JC is a different pitcher when he starts an inning versus when he comes in mid-inning. Friday's 0-3 attempt at stranding runners illustrates the point.


The Hero:
Either had to be Utley or David Wright, as the two most productive players throughout the series. Seeing as the Mets won 2 of 3, Wright gets the nod.


The Goat:
Howard, for all the reasons mentioned above.


The Bottom Line:
Winning that game last night was big. Even though they only took one of 3, winning last night is a 2 game swing. And it makes the 7 game road trip that the Phils head on now at least start with a little momentum and good feelings. Kendrick takes the hill in Colorado tonight, a good place to be a sinker ball pitcher. I don't have a good feeling though. Prediction: Rockies 7, Phillies 6. Utley doesnt go yard again, but Feliz will.

R.I.P. Johnny Marz

I received the sad news of the death of John Marzano lats night via text message from one of my fellow authors here on the site: " John Marzano died"

As I took a second to take this information in, I could only offer one response: " Holy ****" Johnny Marz was just 45 years old and was just starting to move forward with his writing and hosting a radio show for MLB.com. When I first heard about his new gig at MLB.com, I was happy for him but sad as well because it meant I would hear less of his insightful commentary of 610 WIP. His occasional guest appearances were always welcome and made you realize just how bad you missed good old Johnny Marz.

Marzano was a great example of a Philadelphian and our sports teams in general. His stats were not spectacular, he hit just .241 with 11 HR and 72 RBIs in 794 AB in 301 career games. This isn't a knock on him by any means, it just shows why some less skilled athletes excel on radio, TV, and are able to give such well thought out commentary and breakdowns. Johnny Marz could come on Phillies Postgame on Comcast and give a great breakdown that an informed fan and someone who had never even seen a baseball game could both enjoy. I'd like to think that his well thought out, easy to understand explanations expanded the knowledge of fans and even brought a few new fans to the Phillies and baseball in general. A 610 WIP personality like Hugh Douglas is beloved mainly for his on-field performance and has since received affection for his career in radio. Marz received such love for his take on sporting events, life in general and his work with the local community.

John Marzano could always be found teaching children how to play the game of baseball and many have said that he was willing to talk about baseball with anyone at any time. He LOVED the game and his passion showed through his breakdowns of players, writing, appearances on television and radio. While he only played in less than two full seasons, Johnny represented our country in the 1984 Olympics, starred at Temple for 3 years and taught the in and outs of the game to countless major leaguers. It's been said that those who can't do teach. Well, our fallen friend had a bit of do and a lot of teach.

We never realize what we have until it's gone and it couldn't be more true than in the case of John Marzano. I always appreciated him but because of his young age I never envisioned a world without him. As I watch or listen to each Phillies game this year and for the last few years, I cringe each time I hear Harry Kalas slip up or incorrectly call a play. It's not that I'm mad at him, it's that each time he does it I know he's that much closer to not being with us for those lazy summer nights. It to me a while to get used to life with Harry's best friend, Richie Ashburn. My childhood is filled with memories of the two going back and forth with old stories. Many Phillies fans will shed tears when Harry leaves us one day, hopefully under his own power and not because of a decision by the organization or God forbid death. Those same fans will shed tears of happiness when they think of fallen greats like Richie Ashburn,Tug McGraw, Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Pelle Lindbergh, Gene Hart, Wilt Chamberlain, and now John Marzano sharing stories over a cold one at some great bar in the sky. An unfortunate accident has robbed us of a great friend and Philadelphia sports personality. I feel a great sense of sadness for the Marzano family and baseball as a whole, especially in Philadelphia. The Phillies should honor Marzano with a fitting tribute given by Harry Kalas. A 45 year old man was taken from us far too soon and I still can't believe it. As his Royal Whiteness would say to his pal, " Hard to believe Harry."

Reggie Brown's Offseason: Survivor

If he gets off to a slow start again this year, we'll know why.

Oh-vech-Kin: "I No Eeen-glish!!"

Alexander Ovechkin displayed better command of the English language than he did the puck last night in the Capitals Game 4 loss to the Phlyers in Wah-cho-vee-ah Center (Sen-tahr). After the Caps first goal, which he assisted, Oh-vech-kin promptly put ice-side Flyers fans in their place by shouting a heavily-accented "FAHQK YOUUU!" - presumably a release of frustration. For sucking ass in the series.

Naturally, we Flyers fans would rather have lost the game so that we could be angry and bitter at our little Capital Comrade. (wow, oxymoron there?) Which begs the question, is it better to lose and hate than win and forgive? I say "F Winning", I will always hate Scott Rolen on principle. Discuss.

Filthy Russian mouth at 1:11 below.

The Philadelphia marathon

Last night was a big night for marathon sporting events. With the Rockies and Padres going 22 long innings and our Fly Guys giving 4 1/4 periods of playoff hockey. Thursday night is an example of why I love being a sports fan. My brother in law and I have been watching the Phillies and Flyers like it's our job ( God willing it will be one day) for the last few weeks. He stopped over and we watched the entire game together.

We stood up for the entirety of both OT periods and cheered and cursed every play. Why did we stand up for such a long time? Because we were both standing when Briere scored the game tying goal in the 3rd period. Die hard sports fans are an odd breed and we are no different. Does us standing make the Flyers better? Probably not. Does the fact that I " called" Mike Knuble scoring the game winner or my brother in law " The Rook" called Carter matter? No, but it is strange that they were both involved in the final play.

After the game was over, we listened to the player interviews and heard things like " We wish we could play tomorrow morning". These are the things that you want to hear from your players.

The Flyers are coming together at the right time and shutting down Ovechkin, who shall be referred to as Louganis from this point on due to his diving ability and homosexuality in stunning fashion. Every time Lougy touched the puck I uttered a curse word until the second OT. It was at this point that I realized that there is nothing he can do to stop the Flyers because one man can not stop this team. Tuesday and Thursday night are going to go down as two indelible sports memories for me. Tuesday for the Flyers dominating game 3 victory and the fact that I flipped back to the Phillies winning on Jenky's winning "run" after thinking that they were still down 3-0 and Thursday for the Phillies afternoon delight against old man Tejada and the 'Stros and the orange and black .

I have a ton of yardwork to do and I can't stop thinking about the Phils/Mets series and tomorrow's game 5. It's what makes me a fan, it's what makes Philadelphia sports great because I'm far from the only one. It's also why my wife hates me. The memories of Joe Carter in '93 and Stevens are starting to fade. Oh no, they're not, it's getting misty in the Power household. Maybe you CAN lose them all, but it's sure nice when you win a few.

Phillies Recap: Phillies 10 Astros 2

In an effort to bring you the most extensive Phils coverage, the effervescent Phillies Superfan Ballz D. McGuillicuty will be providing you with his insights after every Phils game. Hold onto your butts.

The Good:
Total reversal from yesterday, the offense. Definitively a team effort with 7 players recording at least 2 hits each, 7 different players scoring a run and 5 different players batting in runs. Taguchi had a good game out of the leadoff spot and I think I would start an OF with Taguchi and Werth playing at the same time and assuming the 1-2 spots in the batting order for now. And Chris Coste needs to start the next couple of days. 4-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI now batting .400. I firmly believe if Charlie tuned into this blog, the Phillies would have at least one more victory today then they do.

The Bad: (Because even in victory, there is still defeat...)

Eric Bruntlett. Still just brutal at the plate. 16 hits. Every starter had at least 2, with the exception of Bruntlett and Myers, the former 0-5, the latter 0-3. At least Myers managed to draw a walk. Bruntty (need a better nickname for him) managed to strand 8 men on base by himself. And his highlight play of the game, a falling to the ground grab off an early inning line drive, was made to be far more difficult then it actually was. It should've been an easy double play but our man Eric stumbled over one of those pesky infield groundhogs and was lucky to get one out. Editors note: Upon further research, I've found that Bruntlett's nickname when he was on the Astros was 'Superman', reportedly awarded because of his ability to play multiple positions on the diamond. Digging deeper, this investigative journalist has discovered that the nickname actually originated from an awkward scene in which Bruntlett was seen running around Minute Maid Park in tights and a cape, shouting 'I don't want to live this lie any longer!'

Clay Condrey: Anyone else aware that the Phillies have signed veteran lefty Steve Kline to a minor league deal? Anyone else aware that Condrey stinks? Anyone else aware that the Phillies continue to baffle their fans with their roster moves, or more notably their lack there of? So what, if Condrey is out of options? You think anyone's gonna claim Clay, his hefty ERA and his amazing inability to pitch scoreless innings off waivers? This enough questions for everyone?

The Hero:
The bench. Taguchi, Dobbs and Coste combined to go 8 for 15 with 4 runs scored, 3 RBI and 0 strike outs.

The Goat:
Brandon Backe, becoming the only of the 6 starting pitchers in this series to not turn in a quality effort.

The Bottom Line:
This was a big win for the Phightins. This gives them 2 straight series wins and some momentum heading into this weekend's series vs the Mets. Now we get the potential classic, Hamels v Santana, tonight. Too often, games of this hype fail to live up to the expectations. However, sometimes they do; see Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Jack Morris v John Smoltz, aka the greatest baseball game of my lifetime. Quick tidbit. I am setting the over/under at 2.5 for the number of times Howard strikes out tonight. Nothing I have seen this season, even with his HR yesterday, has inspired any hope in me whatsoever that he'll be able to touch Santana. But, I think the Phils take this one. Not quite an epic, but a good game: Phils 3 Mets 2. Predicted hero? Who else but Pat Burrell?

Allow myself to introduce..myself

I'm Maxxx, but you can call me Mr. Power . Everyone loves Maxxx Power. I am a huge fan of all 4 major sports teams in Philly. Nova is my local college hoops team even though I am a UNC fan ( it was a BS call Lovetron, even I agree). Optimism tends to rule most of my thoughts on my teams but I will complain from time to time and hopefully keep readers entertained. I write this as my beloved Flyers head to OT due a goal by Danny Briere the very second I got to my basement with my good luck charm ( my dog). Danny Boy has atoned for his early penalty ( who knew he had stones?) by scoring his 5th of the series ( I have already UPSed him some Capri Suns and Uncrustables). The Phillies 10-2 win earlier today gives me hope and send the Fightins into the crucial Mets series at .500 and gives our boy Cole a chance to play hero Friday night. I ran into Hamels in the CVS down street today and discussed the game with him. He's hoping the Phils wear their new cream alternates because it's his time of the month. I recommended the pads with wings and sent him on his way. It's time for some overtime playoff hockey, Let's Go Flyers. Den. Den. Den. Den.Den.

(By the way, thundersticks either look like giant Cheetos or something more phallic, you be the judge.)