Wednesday, June 28, 2006

I love it when you call me Big Papi


I think it's safe to say that David Ortiz, aside from being someone who I would clearly love to hug, is almost certainly the best clutch hitter of our time and perhaps of all time. He won two of the three games against the beloved/hapless Phillies in extra innings. Hurrah. He has some of the mostr memorable hits in the recent history of the game. And aside from all that, look at those threads.

Also, let me be the first to congratulate the Phillies on losing their division for certain. Thanks to the man I like to call Brett "The Hit Man" Myers. And now the nickname will finally stick.

Friday, June 16, 2006

flags at half-mast

Is it too early for me to do a State of the Phils address? I don't think so. This week was a perfect time to start complaining, and as a Philadelphian, it doesn't take much, does it?

The boys in red got swept by the division rival Mets, who are like 9 games ahead of them now and look to have stopped underacheiving on their big-name, big-budget lineup. Philly is not going to catch them... unless they do something. As in, make a move. Will they do it?

Right now Philly is right at .500 and there's a bunch of teams in front of them in the NL. I really doubt the Reds or all those NL west teams who've started off well will hold up, but the Astros and Braves always might come on. The division looks lost, but it's early and the Mets could be peaking (although, they will likely add people if they can, cough, ahem, Alfonso Soriano, ech). So... it wil be a rough road to the playoffs, but they can do it. IF THEY ADD SOMEONE!!

This is a good year for management to prove they care about winning. They can send a message to fans that their nice new ballpark is giving them reason to spend more cash, that they're not going to dick around and hope the farm system comes through. Last year, it looked lost, with them dumping Kevin Millwood early on and falling behind early in the year. When BIlly Wagner said they were done, we believed it. But they came on strong and finished just one game out.

Based on that strong finish, they would do it in the offseason, right? Get the job done with free agents and stuff? Nope. Even though they brought in a new GM, Wagner still left to the Mets - a real killer this year - and they dumped Jim Thome, hero for the past few years, thinking he was dead. Well, Thome is not dead, although I don't argue the logic of the trade. They needed a centerfielder who could hit at the top of the order, and Ryan Howard did great at first and cleanup. But isn't there a way they could have put Howard in the outfield? Wouldn't you rather have him and Thome, even with bad defense, than him and Pat F-----g Burrell? By the way, if they swing a trade, is there any possible way that Pat the (weak) Bat can be a part of it?

Oh, and they didn't pick up a front-line starter, instead going with youth and some guy named Cory Lidle. Their pitching staff might have potential, but for now it ranks as the least intimidating out of all the NL teams trying to make it. I don't want to give up on these guys too early, but if you could get a known commodity like Barry Zito or Dontrelle Willis, why not? They still have some years left.

So, Pat Gillick, it's up to you. You walked into a situation where they never paid money and waited for the farm system. Well, you can change that. You can use some of those prospects to get good players for now and for the immediate future. I assume that's what you were hired for... to change things. You need to get a good starter for the stretch run. Wolfpack coming back isn't going to cut it. Ryan Madson certainly is NOT cutting it. Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Gavin Floyd mgiht make a good rotation someday, but again, stop waiting.

I'll be watching the transaction page for the Phils as much as I watch the scoreboard and standings. If they don't make a move, soon the new ballpark will be just like the Vet, only more costly.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Domo origato, Mr Leo

J. Leo has enough chutzpah for this entire blog. I like your moxie, kid. And other such generic old-timey motivational phrases.

Yes, it's true - The Dough Boy is back, and he generously accepted a $22 million prorated salary. Thank goodness he's not charging for a full season. Oh, and just to stick it to the league a little bit more, he tacked another 22 bucks on the end of the figure so it could all match his uniform number. $22,000,022. For maybe 20 starts. Dick!

The AL East is indeed a good-looking race once again. If the Jays ever get a decent pitching staff, or at least something to match their bats, the Yanks and Sox had better watch out. Rios is leading the league is batting? WTF? Wasn't he Troy Glaus' bat boy last year in Arizona?

And yes, still don't care about Bonds. Can't stand him. Can't stand the League dancing around the issue and the man himself playing it up. He loves this shit. At least ESPN finally cancelled his infomercial show. Again: Dick!

And as a personal addendum, my hiatus has been due to little more than excessive heat in the loft of my apartment, where my computer is. It's unseasonably cool right now, which rocks, so I'll try to update as much as I can while I have things to say/it's not ungodly hot up here.