J-Red's Ramblings
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
This is my song (well, not MY song, a parody of a well-known song, but you know what I mean) for this season's Phillies playoff run. I actually began to work on this last season, but I couldn't find anything to fit the third verse, so I scrapped it. It came together pretty well this year, with last year's end result providing some material. The second line of the third verse is still a throwaway line, but you might get a chuckle out of it. There's also a line about the Schmitter line and McFadden's, which is kind of an inside joke for some people who will see this
Sing to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
It's beginning to look a lot like playoffs
Three years in a row
Eleven more wins and then
We'll be World Champs again
The Fightin' Phils will put on quite a show
It's beginning to look a lot like playoffs
Phillies gear in every store
It's nice and everything
That we won last year's ring
But we want one more
A sign and a trade and we had it made when we got Cliff, Pedro, and Ben
Lizards that talk and the creditors stalk our old friends Darren and Len
And Chase can hardly wait to curse in front of the crowd again
It's beginning to look a lot like playoffs
Three years in a row
The Schmitter line's gonna swell
The crowd in McFadden's as well
Are you ready, it's almost time to go
It's beginning to look a lot like playoffs
Soon the bell will toll
And we want more than anything
Another parade and ring
And to win it all
Current mood:  accomplished
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hard to believe, but there are now less than 20 games remaining in the 2009 MLB regular season. The Phillies remain in first place with a seven-game lead, but they, of all teams, should know it ain't over 'til it's over
With August far behind in the rear-view mirror, let's have a look at the award winners.
Player of the Month: Ryan Howard. Also the Player of the Month in the National League, Howard started his traditional late-season tear by collecting 32 hits in August, 11 of which were home runs. Howard also hit six doubles, knocked in 32, while batting .299 and slugging .682
Pitchers of the Month: J.A. Happ and Cliff Lee. The starting rotation has been superb in the second half, with Happ and Lee the main headliners in August. Happ, who was June's winner, went 3-1 in five starts with a miniscule 1.67 ERA. Happ mixed in two complete games, one of which was a shutout. Lee, seen as the second banana in the Roy Halladay trade deadline sweepstakes, showed the form that won him the 2008 AL Cy Young Award, going 4-1 in five starts with a 2.00 ERA, including a complete game. In 36 innings, Lee struck out 38 while walking only four
Here's the list of this season's winners to date:
April: Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley/Clay Condrey
May: Raul Ibanez/Ryan Madson
June: Chase Utley/J.A. Happ
July: Shane Victorino/Joe Blanton
August: Ryan Howard/J.A. Happ, Cliff Lee
Here's to another strong finish
Current mood:  calm
Friday, September 11, 2009
Still seems so close and so far away. Never forget
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
It was twelve years ago today that Richie Ashburn passed away. Hard to believe. We'll never forget you, Whitey. Keep Harry the K out of trouble up there!
Current mood:  contemplative
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
...Carlos Lee of the Houston Astros. He hit four ninth-inning doubles in the month of August, making him the 2009 Jack Elliot Award winner. Tied for second were Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres and Felipe Lopez of the Milwaukee Brewers, each with three. For the Phillies, Jayson Werth hit two ninth-inning doubles, making him the winner for the month. He became the first Phillie to hit more than one since records began being kept in 2006. Ben Francisco, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, and Chase Utley had one each. The seven doubles for the Phillies are also the most since records were kept, eclipsing the previous record of four set in 2006 and 2007
It's been a lot of fun tracking the award yet again, and I'm sure we'll be doing it again next August. Here's a look at the past winners:
MLB
2007: Khalil Greene, Padres (3)
2008: Omar Infante, Braves (3)
2009: Carlos Lee, Astros (4)
Phillies
2006: Chris Coste, Jose Hernandez, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino (one each)
2007: Chris Coste, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth (one each)
2008: Eric Bruntlett, Chase Utley (one each)
2009: Jayson Werth (2)
Current mood: accomplished
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Yes, today is August 23, which means I am 29 today. Got some nice presents, including Madden 10 and a throwback Eagles coat. My mom wanted to get me a Joe Blanton shirt (she thinks I look like him), but couldn't get one made up in time. She nearly got me a Michael Vick jersey as a joke, but she didn't think I'd find it very funny. She was right. I'll pull for Vick because I want the Eagles to win, but that's about where I get off on the Michael Vick Experience. My mom and Kayla baked me a cake, with Kayla doing the decorating. It actually turned out quite well.
After some time in the pool, Kayla and I watched the Phillies game. I'd have to say it was by far the strangest Phillies game I've ever seen on my birthday, and one of the stranger games they've had on any day in recent years. More details are in the recap below. The Phillies led 6-0 in the first inning and 8-2 in the third, but had to hang on for a 9-7 victory, with some other details that you'll soon see.
The Phillies are now 9-19 on my birthday since I was born. Not impressive, but they have won four of the last five and six of the last ten. Here's a look at all the Phillies August 23 games since 1980, where they stood on that day, and where they ended up. The record and place in the standings is reflected upon the end of play for that day:
1980: Giants 6, @Phillies 2. The Giants scored four times in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie against the eventual World Champions. Allen Ripley went the distance for San Francisco and helped his own cause with a two-run triple during the decisive inning. Larry Christenson was dealt what turned out to be his only loss of the 1980 regular season. I was born about 40 minutes before gametime.
Phillies record on August 23, 1980: 64-56, 3rd place in NL East
Phillies final 1980 record: 91-71, 1st place. Defeated Astros in NLCS, defeated Royals in World Series
1981: @Phillies 6, Astros 0. Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw combined to shut out Houston on three hits. Mike Schmidt provided some cushion in the third inning with a grand slam off losing pitcher Bob Knepper.
Phillies record on August 23, 1981: 5-7, 6th place in 2nd half (39-28 overall)
Phillies final 1981 record: 59-48 (34-21 1st half, 25-27 2nd half), NL East 1st half champions. Lost to Expos in NLDS
Note: Because of a strike that lasted from June 10 to August 6, the season was split into two halves. Teams in first place at the time of the strike were declared first half champions.
1982: @Braves 4, Phillies 3. Gary Matthews blasted a two-run homer for the Phils, but Chris Chambliss hit a walkoff double in the ninth for Atlanta. Rick Camp got the win, Ron Reed took the loss.
Phillies record on August 23, 1982: 69-55, 2nd place
Phillies final 1982 record: 89-73, 2nd place
1983: @Giants 3, Phillies 1. Darrell Evans hit a three-run homer to provide the offense for San Francisco. Ex-Phil Mike Krukow won it, while one of the guys he was traded for, Al Holland took the loss for the eventual NL Pennant winners. Greg Minton earned the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1983: 63-59, 1st place
Phillies final 1983 record: 90-72, 1st place. Defeated Dodgers in NLCS, lost to Orioles in World Series
1984: Off day. Shoulda had more of these on this day!
Phillies record on August 23, 1984: 67-57, 3rd place
Phillies final 1984 record: 81-81, 4th place
1985: Giants 4, @Phillies 1. The Phils offensive woes on August 23 continued as Atlee Hammaker muzzled them this time, with Scott Garrelts getting the save. John Denny was the losing pitcher. Chris Brown hit a solo homer for the victors.
Phillies record on August 23, 1985: 55-65, 5th place
Phillies final 1985 record: 75-87, 5th place
1986: @Padres 4, Phillies 3 (12 innings) Future Padres manager Bruce Bochy's single won it in the 12th for San Diego. Lance McCullers got the win, the loss going to Kent Tekulve. Juan Samuel hit a two-run homer in a losing cause, while Steve Garvey went deep for the Padres.
Phillies record on August 23, 1986: 62-61, 2nd place
Phillies final 1986 record: 86-75, 2nd place
1987: Dodgers 5, @Phillies 1. Orel Hershiser went the distance, taking a shutout into the ninth while scattering seven hits. Don Carman took the loss.
Phillies record on August 23, 1987: 66-58, 4th place
Phillies final 1987 record: 80-82, tied for 4th place
1988: @Padres 9, Phillies 1. For the second straight August 23, a pitcher tossed a complete game at the Phillies' expense. This time it was Ed Whitson, who bested Kevin Gross. A couple future Phillies went deep for San Diego, as Carmelo Martinez hit two two-run shots and John Kruk added a solo homer. Future Padre Chris James (traded to San Diego for Kruk and Randy Ready in '89) hit a solo shot for the Phils' only run.
Phillies record on August 23, 1988: 52-73, 6th place
Phillies final 1988 record: 65-96, 6th place
1989: Padres 7, @Phillies 3. Carmelo Martinez homered again against the Phillies on August 23, this time a solo shot, as San Diego took care of business at the Vet. Andy Benes picked up his first career win, with Bruce Ruffin taking the loss. Ricky Jordan homered in a losing cause.
Phillies record on August 23, 1989: 51-75, 6th place
Phillies final 1989 record: 67-95, 6th place
1990: @Giants 6, Phillies 3. Earnie Riles hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer for San Francisco, as Francisco Oliveras got the win. Ex-Giant Dennis Cook took the loss, while ex-Phil Steve Bedrosian (traded for Cook, Terry Mulholland, and Charlie Hayes in '89) got the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1990: 58-64, 5th place
Phillies final 1990 record: 77-85, tied for 4th place
1991: @Braves 4, Phillies 2. The Phils were beaten by Tom Glavine and the Braves, who got back-to-back homers from David Justice and future Phillie Brian Hunter in the sixth. Future Brave Terry Mulholland was the loser, with Mark Wohlers picking up the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1991: 58-63, 5th place
Phillies final 1991 record: 78-84, 3rd place
1992: Astros 3, @Phillies 1. Curt Schilling went the distance against his former team, but took the loss anyway. Jimmy Jones got the win, and future Phillie Doug Jones earned the save. John Kruk homered in a losing cause.
Phillies record on August 23, 1992: 51-71, 6th place
Phillies final 1992 record: 70-92, 6th place
1993: Rockies 3, @Phillies 2 (13 innings) The eventual NL pennant winners were defeated by the expansion Rockies for their 11th straight August 23 loss. Dante Bichette's solo homer off losing pitcher Roger Mason provided the winning run. Former (and future) Phillie Charlie Hayes also hit a solo homer for Colorado. Gary Wayne was the winner, Darren Holmes got the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1993: 78-47, 1st place
Phillies final 1993 record: 97-65, 1st place. Defeated Braves in NLCS, lost to Blue Jays in World Series
1994: No game, strike. The season never resumed after play was stopped on August 12. The Phils would've played the Reds in Cincinnati had there been a game.
Phillies final 1994 record: 54-61, 4th place
1995: @Phillies 12, Padres 8. Starting pitcher Tyler Green hit a three-run homer (the only one of his MLB career) to cap a seven-run first inning, but it was Mike Williams who picked up the victory as the Phils won their first game on August 23 since 1981. Jim Eisenreich helped put the game out of reach with a pinch-hit grand slam. Mike Mimbs worked the final three innings to earn what would be the only save of his career. Future Phillie Glen Dishman was charged with the loss, while Eddie Williams hit a two-run homer in a losing effort.
Phillies record on August 23, 1995: 56-54, 2nd place
Phillies final 1995 record: 69-75, tied for 2nd place
Note: The strike of 1994 carried over into 1995, reducing the season to 144 games.
1996: Phillies 7, @Padres 4. The Phils overcame an early 3-0 deficit to win on consecutive August 23rds for the first time since I was born. Todd Zeile's solo homer in the sixth put the Phillies ahead for good, making a winner of Rich Hunter. Future Phillie Tim Worrell took the loss, while Ricky Bottalico earned the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1996: 53-76, 5th place
Phillies final 1996 record: 67-95, 5th place
1997: Dodgers 4, @Phillies 3. The winning streak stopped at two on this August 23, as Hideo Nomo and the Dodgers stopped the Phils, with Tyler Green taking the loss. Todd Worrell picked up the save. Mike Piazza homered for Los Angeles, while Midre Cummings hit what turned out to be his only homer in a Phillies uniform. Both were solo shots.
Phillies record on August 23, 1997: 45-79, 5th place
Phillies final 1997 record: 68-94, 5th place
1998: Rockies 5, @Phillies 2. Mike Lansing hit a three-run homer off losing pitcher Mike Grace, making a winner of John Thomson. Jerry DiPoto picked up the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1998: 64-66, 3rd place
Phillies final 1988 record: 75-87, 3rd place
1999: Padres 7, @Phillies 6. The Padres took a 6-1 lead thanks to a five-run fourth, and they were able to withstand a late Phillies charge. The Phils did open the scoring when Rob Ducey led off the bottom of the first with a homer. Mike Lieberthal also hit a solo homer, and Alex Arias added a three-run shot. Woody Williams got the win, Chad Ogea took the loss, and Trevor Hoffman picked up the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 1999: 65-59, 3rd place
Phillies final 1999 record: 77-85, 3rd place
2000: Phillies 4, @Reds 3. Ironically, 2000 was the worst season the Phils have had since I was born, but they managed a rare August 23 win thanks to a three-run eighth inning. Chris Brock was the winning pitcher, Danny Graves the loser, with Vicente Padilla earning his first career save. Mike Lieberthal started the eighth-inning rally by hitting a solo homer for the second straight August 23.
Phillies record on August 23, 2000: 53-72, 5th place
Phillies final 2000 record: 65-97, 5th place
2001: Astros 2, @Phillies 1 (11 innings) Houston came out on top in this pitcher's duel, as two-time ex-Phil Mike Jackson won it, with future Phil Billy Wagner getting the save. Jose Santiago was the losing pitcher.
Phillies record on August 23, 2001: 68-58, 2nd place
Phillies final 2001 record: 86-76, 2nd place
2002: Phillies 5, @Cardinals 4 (14 innings) Bobby Abreu's solo homer off losing pitcher Kevin Joseph in the 14th gave Terry Adams and the Phillies a win. Mike Lieberthal hit yet another solo homer on this date.
Phillies record on August 23, 2002: 62-65, 3rd place
Phillies final 2002 record: 80-81, 3rd place
2003: @Cardinals 5, Phillies 3. The Phils could not make it two in a row on this date in St. Louis, as the Cards came out on top. Sterling Hitchcock was the winning pitcher, Amaury Telemaco the loser. Jason Isringhausen picked up the save.
Phillies record on August 23, 2003: 70-58, 2nd place
Phillies final 2003 record: 86-76, 3rd place
2004: @Astros 8, Phillies 4. Roger Clemens got the win as the Phils fell to 5-18 on August 23 since 1980. Cory Lidle suffered the loss. Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer for Houston, while Jim Thome hit a two-run shot for the Phillies.
Phillies record on August 23, 2004: 62-63, 3rd place
Phillies final 2004 record: 86-76, 2nd place
2005: Phillies 10, @Giants 2. For the second time on an August 23 (1995 was the first), the Phils scored in double figures, giving Vicente Padilla a win. Brett Tomko took the loss, while Ryan Howard hit a solo homer for the victors. Jimmy Rollins hit a ninth-inning double to begin what became a 38-game hitting streak.
Phillies record on August 23, 2005: 68-59, 2nd place
Phillies final 2005 record: 88-74, 2nd place
2006: Phillies 2, @Cubs 1. Jimmy Rollins again hit a ninth-inning double, and this one scored Abraham Nunez to give the Phils consecutive August 23 victories for just the second time since I was born. Ryan Howard opened the scoring with a solo home run, while Matt Murton's solo homer provied the only run for the Cubs. Brett Myers got the win, Bob Howry took the loss, and Geoff Geary picked up his first Major League save.
Phillies record on August 23, 2006: 64-62, 2nd place
Phillies final 2006 record: 85-77, 2nd place
2007: Dodgers 5, @Phillies 2. For the second time, the Phillies had a two-game August 23 winning streak end at the hands of the Dodgers. Chad Billingsley picked up the win, J.C. Romero took the loss, and Takashi Saito earned the save. Tadahito Iguchi homered in a losing cause for the eventual NL East champs.
Phillies record on August 23, 2007: 66-60, 2nd place
Phillies final 2007 record: 89-73, 1st place. Lost to Rockies in NLDS
2008: @Phillies 9, Dodgers 2. The eventual World Champions avenged the previous season's August 23 loss in a big way against their future NLCS opponent. Pat Burrell knocked in five, including a three-run homer off losing pitcher Clayton Kershaw in the first. Russell Martin's two-run homer in the third off winning pitcher Cole Hamels provided the runs for Los Angeles.
Phillies record on August 23, 2008: 70-59, 2nd place
Phillies final 2008 record: 92-70, 1st place. Defeated Brewers in NLDS, defeated Dodgers in NLCS, defeated Rays in World Series
2009: Phillies 9, @Mets 7. The Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first, but needed a game-ending unassisted triple play from Eric Bruntlett to escape with a victory. Losing pitcher Oliver Perez didn't survive the big opening inning, surrendering three-run homers to Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz, and was pulled after running the count to 3-0 on winning pitcher Pedro Martinez. The Mets chipped away, but the Phillies still held a 9-6 lead entering the last of the ninth before disaster nearly struck. Errors by Ryan Howard and Bruntlett, combined with a Daniel Murphy infield single made it 9-7 with no outs. With a 2-2 count on Jeff Francoeur, the runners (Luis Castillo from second, Murphy from first) broke, but Francoeur smashed a line drive right to Bruntlett, who was covering second. Bruntlett then stepped on second and tagged Murphy to end the game. It was just the second game-ending unassisted triple play in MLB history, securing the save for Brad Lidge. For the Mets, Angel Pagan hit a pair of solo homers, the first of which was an inside-the-park homer that stuck in the base of the wall in left-center field, but was never ruled a dead ball by the umpires.
Phillies record on August 23, 2009: 71-50, 1st place
Phillies final 2009 record: ???
Current mood:  happy
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Just realized I never did my Phillies Player and Pitcher of the Month for July. Let's dispense with the preliminaries and get to it
Player of the Month: Shane Victorino. The Flyin' Hawaiian earned his first All-Star berth during the month, and his .381 July batting average justfied that selection. In 25 games for the month, Victorino collected 40 hits, with eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs among them. He also scored 22 runs while knocking in 14. Runner-up was the resurgent Jimmy Rollins, whose solid month had a lot to do with the offense's hot performance
Pitcher of the Month: Joe Blanton. The stocky righty has been one of the league's better pitchers over the past couple months. In four July starts, Blanton was 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA, allowing just 20 hits and walking five batters in 29.2 innings. J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park found themselves in the mix with solid performances
Taking a look at some August candidates, it has been a hit-or-miss month for the offense, so it could go down to the wire for a winner to emerge. Ryan Howard appears to be getting a jump on his annual late-season surge, while Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino have been getting the job done at the top of the order, though not necessarily to the degree that they did last month
As for the pitchers, well, it's been a very good month for those guys so far. Cliff Lee has been pretty much unhuman in his brief Phillies tenure, while J.A. Happ continues to be a revelation. Joe Blanton has continued to pitch well, though a lack of run support has prevented him from cracking the win column. Ryan Madson and Scott Eyre are unscored upon out of the bullpen, while Chan Ho Park has also been steady
We'll know who those winners are in a couple weeks
Current mood:  working
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Happy 64th birthday to Chris "Muffin" Wheeler, the man who (in your own mind) invented the great game of baseball. All the waterbugs, backleggers, buggywhippers, bubbly kids, good athletes, pitchers with "Darth Vader" pickoff moves, dirtball-type players, guys who respect the game's history, good little players, space cadets, funky lefthanders, and guys who play the game right are doing a Wheeler Dance in your honor today. Maybe the Phillies can sit dead-red on some first-ball fastballs middle-in today, hit some BBs, dunkers, and trolley wires to give you a nice gift by putting up some crooked numbers
Current mood:  amused
Friday, August 7, 2009
Not to my Sweet Home Chicago, since my sweet home isn't in Chicago. I was almost forced to spend a night there, though, as you'll see later. Here's a day-by-day recap of the San Francisco trip:
Wednesday, July 29: Early-morning flight out of Philadelphia, running on about two hours sleep. The flight includes two stops, one in Las Vegas, the other in Los Angeles. Because it's the same flight number, we never have to get off the plane after the stops. The flight to Las Vegas is about five hours. I spent half of that catching up on some sleep. I was awake as we flew over the Grand Canyon. As I mentioned before, this was my first time traveling further west than the Central Time Zone, so I'd obviously never seen that landmark before. After turning on my cell phone upon landing, I was informed that the Phillies were close to acquiring Cliff Lee from the Indians. After landing in Los Angeles, I was informed the deal was official. The flights from Las Vegas to LA and LA to San Francisco take slightly less than two hours (with about 45 minutes between flights). For the first time in my life, I see the Pacific Ocean
Shortly after checking into the hotel, we grab a bite to eat a Lefty O'Doul's. O'Doul was a former outfielder from the Bay Area, who spent the 1929 and 1930 seasons with the Phillies, hitting .398 in '29. O'Doul opened the restaurant in 1958, and it is still a popular dining attraction four decades after his death. After that, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf via cable car. Quite a ride, especially if you get to hang from the side. There's some cool stuff on the Wharf (especially the sea lions on Pier 39), but the place is a blatant tourist trap, preying on foreigners and small-town suckers
After the Wharf, we grab a slice of pizza from Blondie's before turning in for the night. Not the greatest pizza I've ever had, but certainly not the worst, either
Thursday, July 30: The day begins with breakfast at Lefty O'Doul's, then on to Fisherman's Wharf to kill time before the Fire Engine Tour. It wouldn't do justice to explain it here, but it's basically a husband and wife who drive through various San Francisco points, over the Golden Gate Bride into Sausalito, and back. All of this is done in a restored open-air 1955 Mack Fire Engine. The wife is/was a professional tap dancer who sings songs along the way. All riders are encouraged to wear fire coats. It's quite a trip, but very enjoyable. That ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, especially on the way back, may have been the windiest conditions I've ever experienced. It was literally breathtaking. For more information, check out www.fireenginetours.com
Thursday night marked the first game of the four-game set at AT&T Park between the Phillies and Giants. It was cold out there, so I got some clam chowder in a bread bowl (from Boudin Bakery) and later some garlic fries. The chowder is good stuff, though it's better when you get it at the actual place. The garlic fries were good as well, though I'd rate them a notch below crab fries. As for the game, yeah, that pretty much sucked. Rodrigo Lopez wasn't sharp, the offense couldn't find its stroke, and the defense was uncharacteristcally sloppy, leading to a 7-2 win for the Giants. Some Giants fan tried to talk some smack to me, but as I would come to notice over the course of the weekend, if you do so much as say anything back to them, they shut up and move along. In this instance, I just said to the guy, "1954. They were still in New York then." I was referencing the last time the Giants won the World Series. He had no clue. Then I noticed he was wearing a Barry Bonds jersey. I held up both hands with all my fingers showing, pointing out that Bonds has as many rings as I do. I generally try not to go there with the whole rings thing, but I felt I had to make an exception this time
Friday, July 31: An early start on this day, as our Alcatraz tour was due to leave around 9, but we had to pick up our tickets at 8. The tour itself did not disappoint. If any of you are planning to head out there, I highly suggest taking the audio tour. You are supplied with headphones, and a 45-minute audio program guiding you through the prison. You are free to tour the rest of the facility at your own pace, with cruise ships leaving the island every half hour. You get a lot of information on the tour, but man if the walls in that place could talk...
After Alcatraz, it was time for lunch. We decided to go wherever there was no line, which happened to be Bubba Gump's. I'd never eaten in one before. I love Forrest Gump, but the idea of an actual Bubba Gump's restaurant seemed a bit too gimmicky to me. I got some shrimp tacos, which were quite good. So that was a nice surprise. Then it was back to the hotel for a quick nap before heading to the game. I was wearing my Pedro Feliz shirt, and I heard a few "Go Pedro" calls from females. He must've been popular among the ladies out there. At the game, I made eye contact with a woman in Phillies garb, who then said to me, "Hey, babe, we're the best!" She was attractive, but was also probably old enough to be my mother. That night also happened to be Cliff Lee's Phillies debut. It went well. No need for more detail. Giants fans were pretty quiet after this one
Saturday, August 1: Pretty much a day to chill. The game was a 6:05 local start, and that one hour can really hinder any plans you might have. It was basically another breakfast at Lefty O'Doul's and shopping on Union Square. It was Dog Days, and people were free to bring their canine friends to the game. We didn't sit among the dogs, they had a seperate area for that. As for the game, the Phillies wasted numerous scoring chances against a very hittable Tim Lincecum, stranding eight runners in a 2-0 loss. I actually thought Joe Blanton outpitched Lincecum that night, but he had only a hard-luck defeat to show for it. We stopped at Walgreen's on the way back. While in line, we saw Tom McCarthy and Chris Wheeler walk in the store. They took one look at the line and walked right out
Sunday, August 2: Getaway day for the Phillies, and things looked good for a while, as they built up a 3-1 lead on Barry Zito and the Giants. However, with two outs and no baserunners in the fifth, Cole Hamels allowed a broken-bat single to Zito, and the wheels fell off. The Giants would go on to score three that inning and three more in the sixth, and that 7-3 lead held up, as San Francisco took three of four in the series.
After the game, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner and last-minute souvenir shopping. Getting off the train, some guy who looked like David Crosby saw me and said. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Zito whooped your ass! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I responded with, "TBS, middle of October. Why don't you invite Zito over to watch the Phillies play the Dodgers? For now, I'd get on that next train if I were you." With that, he scurried away. Those people just can't hang out there. On the way back to the hotel, I was hanging off the side of a cable car, when some girl who looked about 15 yells at me, "Hey Phillies! Go Phillies!" and takes my picture. So my picture is likely on the Facebook page of some person I don't know
Monday, August 3: Time to head home, with a brief stop in Chicago. Or so we thought. The flight out of San Francisco was delayed an hour and a half due to fog. I didn't think it was all that bad out there, but hey, I'm not the one who makes those decisions. The thing was, it appeared this delay was going to cause us to miss our connecting flight, which happened to be the last flight from Chicago to Philadelphia for the night. As we started getting used to the idea of spending the night in Chicago Midway Airport, we were informed that they were going to hold the plane "a few minutes" for those who needed to connect. They were getting ready to close the door as we arrived at the gate, but fortunately they let us on. I think there were a couple people after us, but we basically made the flight with about a minute or two to spare. Good thing we only had a few hundred feet between gates, or else we would've been stuck. The flight from Chicago was a bit bumpy, but I'm sure it was much better than the alternative
Ballgames aside, it was a nice trip out to San Francisco. Of the four Phillies road trips I've done (not affilated with the club, although the team did run a trip out to San Fran this time that we were not part of), I'd have to say it replaces Milwaukee in the top spot. It's definitely a trip I'd want to take again
Here's how I'd rank my Phillies road trips so far:
San Francisco (July 29-August 3, 2009): Beautiful city with lots of attractions. People are as strange as advertised, and that was WITHOUT visiting Haight-Ashbury. Being from a big city helps, it's easier to dodge the other tourists and not fall for scam artists. Large amout of homeless people, though I'm told the numbers are smaller than in the past, as many are making their way north to Sacramento. Known for a large gay population, not that there's anything WRONG with that. AT&T Park is an excellent place to watch a game, although it's a bitch to get out of if there's a large crowd
Milwaukee (August 20-23, 2004): Very pleasant and inexpensive. Not a huge amount of stuff to do, so it didn't hurt we were there during an ethnic festival weekend, which are held every other weekend during the summer. Irish Fest was held that particular weekend. The Miller Brewery tour is free and you get three glasses of beer for no charge at the end. Miller Park is a little more modern in design than most of the new parks, but still not bad. There is a huge tailgate lot across from the main parking lot, and a Little League Field where old County Stadium once stood. The sausage race is even cooler in person. Just remember to pack your Chase Utley shirt before you leave. It also didn't hurt that the Phillies swept the three-game series when we were out there
Pittsburgh (August 17-20, 2007): Nice architecture, lots of bridges. Good views from the Duquesne and Monongahela inclines. Other than that, it was pretty boring, as Pittsburgh seems more suitable for a day trip or one-night stay than an entire weekend. PNC Park is very nice, Citizens Bank Park probably would've looked similar had they been able to build it downtown. Too bad it's not a little closer
Toronto (June 29-July 3, 2006): The Hockey Hall of Fame is worth a visit, although unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame (I haven't been to the Football or Basketball Hall of Fame, so I can't speak for those), you only need to go through it one time to feel like you've seen everything. The city itself isn't bad, although you get the sense it tries too hard to be New York. The CN Tower is OK, although I left the structure feeling a tad underwhelmed. The Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) is a bit sterile now, though it's not hard to see how it was once state of the art. As for the people, well, if you can't say something nice...
Current mood:  refreshed
Monday, July 27, 2009
Yes, it will soon be time for the 2009 Jack Elliot Award race to get underway. I'm posting this today because as I mentioned in my last post, I will be away for the first couple days of this month. A running tab will be kept in the comments section for this particular entry. Once again, if any of you wish to contribute, please do so by leaving a comment below. You can get the information at www.sportsnetwork.com by checking out the MLB scoreboard and clicking on "Log" under each linescore. I may also set up a group on Facebook for the very same purpose. Omar Infante was last season's overall winner, while Eric Bruntlett and Chase Utley shared the honors for the Phillies
Speaking of the Phillies, sometime after I get back I'll be doing the Player and Pitcher of the Month Awards for July. Shane Victorino is out in front for the Player version, with the resurgent Jimmy Rollins making a case. Joe Blanton appears to have the inside track among pitchers, though J.A. Happ is withing striking distance despite losing his last start
Short and sweet this time around, my next post will be sometime after the San Francisco trip. See you on the other side
Current mood: relaxed
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Not too sure I'll be doing that, but I am going to San Francisco. Departure will be on Wednesday, and I'll be there until Monday, August 2. The main objective will be seeing the Phillies take on the Giants, my first road games since the Pittsburgh series two years ago. The series in San Francisco runs Thursday-Sunday, meaning it will be the first time I've been to an entire four-game series.
Aside from the Phillies, I know there's an Alcatraz visit in store. Not sure what else, though. Hopefully we come across Blondie's Pizza, which I've heard good things about, but there's a part of me that fears it could be an overhyped tourist trap, a la Geno's and Pat's. So we'll see about Blondie's, but I'm sure there are garlic fries waiting for me somewhere. I wonder if the Anchor Brewery does tours.
This will be my first time in California. Actually, it'll be the first time I've ever traveled further west than the Central Time Zone. Guess my main objective will be fighting off jet lag. When I was in Milwaukee and Nashville, I just kept myself on Eastern Time and was fine, but I don't think that's gonna be possible this time around. Another adjustment will be the temperature. Late July/early August, I'm used to temperatures in the 80s or 90s, and out there it's usually in the 50s and 60s. So if I forget to pack long pants and jackets, I'm pretty much screwed. Temperature changes can play tricks with my asthma, too. My current inhaler is getting a bit low. I do have a new one coming, hopefully it arrives by Tuesday. If not, I might have to see if my mom has an extra one or a spare Advair disc just to be safe.
Since we are leaving Wednesday, it means I'll miss the final game of the Phillies-Diamondbacks series. To the best of my knowledge, it will be the first time in three years that I'll miss an entire Phillies game. The last time that happened, it came under similar circumstances. I was in Toronto one day ahead of the Phillies-Blue Jays series while the Phils were finishing a set in Baltimore. I guess that's more sad than anything, and I should probably get out more, but it is what it is.
These road games will be the 15th through 18th I've attended, with the Phillies currently holding a 9-5 record in those games. It will be the first time that I will witness a Phillies away game while the team was in first place (pending the result of the Marlins-Dodgers game tonight, the Phils will enter play tomorrow with no worse than a 5.5 game lead in the division, with four games to play before the San Francisco series). And obviously, it will be the first time I've seen the Phils on the road as defending World Series Champions. I guess if you take that and add to it the fact that there were some pissed off Giants fans when Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were chosen for the All-Star Game over Pablo Sandoval, there could be some hostility out there. Still, if I got out of Toronto without engaging in any fisticuffs, I'm sure I'll make it out of San Francisco without incident.
One thing about the timing of this trip is that I'll be out there when the trade deadline comes. I'm not sure what the internet situation will be like. So for anyone out there reading this, if something juicy happens, a text message would be greatly appreciated.
August is rapidly approaching, which means the return of the Jack Elliot Award. Before I leave, I'll try to get a post on here explaining the procedure for those who wish to contribute. I'll probably also have it up and running on Facebook as well. As for San Francisco, I'm sure I'll be telling you all about that after I get back.
Current mood:  sleepy
Friday, July 17, 2009
It seems odd to include the word "winners" with anything Phillies-related for the month of June, 2009. It was not a good month for the defending champs, as they stumbled through yet another round of Interleague Play. Fortunately, the rest of the NL East aside from the Florida Marlins did not fare any better, and the Phils never lost possession of first place, although they did fall into a tie with Florida for one day. The Phillies have recovered quite nicely, though, and tonight's win over the Marlins gives the Phils a five-game lead, their largest divisional lead since 2001, when they led the Atlanta Braves by as many as eight games. That was a young Phillies squad in '01, fresh off a 97-loss season in 2000. They were tied for first as late as September 24 of that season, but Atlanta ended up taking the division by two games. But these Phillies are the WFC Phillies, and know how to close things out. I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road before this season's over, so it would be nice to have a little distance in the standings should they occur
As for individual stuff, here's the Player and Pitcher of the Month for June
Player of the Month: Chase Utley. Not an easy pick, as there were not a whole lot of candidates. Pretty much every player endured a slump at some point, but Utley did manage to hit .320 in 26 games for the month, with eight doubles, a triple, and six home runs among his 33 hits. Utley scored 18 runs while knocking in 19. Shane Victorino ran a close second here
Pitcher of the Month: J.A. Happ. Placed in the rotation full-time in late May, Happ has been outstanding ever since. In five June starts, Happ was 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA. One of those starts was a complete game shutout of the Toronto Blue Jays. Happ is connected to the Blue Jays in a different way now, often mentioned as a chip in a potential deal for Roy Halladay. We'll find out more about that over these next couple weeks. Whatever happens, Happ has served the Phillies well in his time here. Joe Blanton was the runner-up for June, and has been phenomenal thus far in July. We'll look at those candidates in another week or so
Before I wrap this one up, congratulations to Ryan Howard on his 200th career homer tonight. Howard reaches that milestone in 658 career games, the fastest player in MLB history to do so. Also, Raul Ibanez hit two home runs tonight. He now has 24 on the season and 206 for his career. Why is that significant? Well, his next one will make him the all-time leader for MLB players whose last name begins with the letter 'I'. The previous record holder? A former Phillie, the Inkman, Pete Incaviglia
Here are the Player and Pitcher of the Month winners so far in 2009:
April: Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley/Clay Condrey
May: Raul Ibanez/Ryan Madson
June: Chase Utley/J.A. Happ
Current mood: nerdy
Monday, July 6, 2009
Yup, I've been takin' care of business today, putting in an 18-hour day. Not the first time I've done it, but last time, I pretty much knew going in. Today I didn't know until about 3:00. The guy working the night shift was having migraine troubles, so I'm here covering his shift. Not complaining, though. I now end up getting an extra day off this week as a result.
The night was made much easier by the Phillies, who gave the Cincinnati Reds the thrashing of a lifetime, 22-1. Here are some fun facts about what we saw tonight:
- In the "modern" era of Major League Baseball, which is everything after 1900, it is the most lopsided Phillies victory on record. The only larger margins of victory came in 1894 (29-4) and 1887 (24-0)
- The 22 runs are the most the Phillies have scored in a game since June 11, 1985, when they hammered the Mets, 26-7. The 19-run differential had also been the largest modern margin of victory before tonight
- The Phillies scored ten runs in the first inning, matching a franchise record. It is the fifth time this has happened, the last time coming against the Montreal Expos on June 2, 2002. Pitcher Robert Person hit a grand slam in the first inning of that game, and later added a three-run homer, while a bid for a second slam hooked just foul. The Phils went on to win that game, 18-3
- Every Phillies starter (including pitcher Cole Hamels) had at least one hit. Every Phillie who had a plate appearance reached base at least once. All but Ryan Howard (who was lifted for a pinch-runner in the fourth inning, as was Chase Utley) scored at least one run
- Reds infielder Paul Janish pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing six runs, including a grand slam by Jayson Werth. The last Phillie to hit a home run off a non-pitcher had been Marlon Anderson on July 3, 1999, off Gary Gaetti of the Cubs. The Phillies won that game, 21-8
- Werth's grand slam was the sixth of the season for the Phillies. Ryan Howard has three of them, with one each for Werth, Raul Ibanez, and Shane Victorino. The single-season record for franchise is eight, which was set in 1993. Who hit the slams in '93? Darren Daulton and Mariano Duncan hit two, while Kim Batiste, Jim Eisenreich, Pete Incaviglia, and Mickey Morandini each hit one
- Cole Hamels hadn't been pitching well lately, but he also wasn't getting much run support prior to tonight. In his last three outings, the Phils scored all of two runs while Hamels was still in the game. In fact, the last two times Hamels pitched, the Phillies didn't even record their first hit of the game until the seventh inning. Guess they made up for that tonight
I feared a letdown after the sweep over the Mets, but I guess that wasn't the case. Still, no sense resting on laurels. There's another game to be won tomorrow
Current mood: working
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Short and sweet on this one, as it just occurred to me the other day that it's almost July and I hadn't posted my Phillies Player and Pitcher of the Month for May.
Player of the Month: Raul Ibanez. April's co-winner (with Chase Utley) hit .312 in 28 games for the month, with a .366 on-base percentage and .661 slugging percentage. He had six doubles, a triple and ten home runs among his 34 hits while scoring 20 runs. Ibanez more or less won in a runaway, with runner-up consideration going to Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino.
As for this month, Victorino appears to have the inside track, having hit .338 in 19 games. A recent cold spell has knocked Utley out of the lead, but he's still hitting .321 in 21 games with five homers and 16 RBI. Jayson Werth has picked things up recently after a slow start to the month.
Pitcher of the Month: Ryan Madson. In 15 games for May, Madson had a 1.76 ERA, allowing three runs in 15.1 innings pitched, striking out 13 in the process. Scott Eyre, J.A. Happ, and Clay Condrey (April's winner) got some consideration.
Finding June candidates hasn't been an easy task, as the pitching staff is currently having its share of problems. Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton have been mostly solid for the month, but haven't gotten the best run support. Chad Durbin has had some periods of inconsistency, but could garner some consideration with a strong finish
It's a small sample size, but here are the winners for 2009 thus far:
April: Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley/Clay Condrey
May: Raul Ibanez/Ryan Madson
Here's hoping for a strong June finish and a much better July
Current mood: working
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Just thinking of the old Action News promo from the early 90s where a chorus sang about Gary Papa to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." It went something like "Gary Papa, Gary Papa, he does sports on Action News..."
As the handful of you who actually read this likey know by now, Gary Papa passed away yesterday after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 54. Papa had been the sports director for Action News since 1990, and had been at WPVI since 1981.
Within the past two months Harry Kalas and Gary Papa have left us. For someone like myself, that's two pretty big remaining pieces of my youth taken away. Harry's death hit us suddenly, whereas it was known for a while that Gary wasn't doing very well. In fact, that reality set in a little bit at Harry's memorial service, when Gary was seen in a wheelchair being pushed by Scott Palmer. Still, it's never something you're really prepared for, as anyone who has lost a loved one to a terminal illness (in my case, I've lost two grandparents and an aunt to cancer) can attest.
You have your preferences when it comes to the news. My family always preferred Action News, and while I'm sure having it on all the time influenced me, I grew to prefer their presentation over the other local stations. So weeknights at 6 (and 11 in the summer) meant Jim Gardner, Dave Roberts, and Gary Papa, particularly after Don Tollefson left the station.
My sports obsession began taking form around 1988-89. I've noted before that I didn't have cable in my household until 1997, which was also the year Comcast SportsNet was launched. So that option didn't exist, nor did the internet, and it wasn't until the mid 90s that I started reading the local papers on a regular basis. So where did I turn for the latest scoop on the local teams? The news. That was where you got previews of that night's game, roster moves, etc. Action News was bascially my dinner music.
Of course, times change, and more outlets for local sports news became available over time. The amout of airtime devoted to sports on local newscasts has decreased significantly. But I would still always find a level of comfort turning on the news (usually at 11 in my adult years) and getting that night's sports recap from Gary Papa. He often would something that would make Jim Gardner crack up, and it was always fun to see Gardner struggling to keep his composure afterwards. I guess that's why they usually would do some kind of filler piece after sports and then go to commercial.
It's amazing the things we find comfort in. Action News with Jim Gardner, Gary Papa, and Dave Roberts was one such thing for me. Even though it wasn't necessarily something I did daily, I always knew I could turn to Action News and feel at home. I'm sure I will always be able to do so, but I'm also sure things will always seem a little bit different.
We'll miss you, Gary
Current mood: contemplative
Friday, June 12, 2009
The MLB Draft was just completed. The first pick for the Phillies was Kelly Dugan, son of actor/director Dennis Dugan, who does a lot of work on Adam Sandler films and played the PGA Tour commissioner in Happy Gilmore.
In the 48th round, the Phils selected Wander (pronounced Wan-day) Nunez, a right fielder from Frankford High School. High school players picked that late generally opt for college or are otherwise never heard from again. Nunez just came to the US from the Dominican Republic this year and it doesn't seem like he has any designs on college, so it looks like there's a good chance he'll sign. He's obviously a longshot, but I'll be pulling for him. It would be nice to see a fellow ex-Frankford right fielder wearing a Phillies uniform. You know, it just might make up for when they (and 29 other teams) passed on a pretty good Frankford right fielder 11 years ago...
...*crickets chirping*
Current mood: amused
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The whole Raul Ibanez reaction to the PED insinuation is just too bizarre. In case you missed it, a blogger raised questions about Ibanez's hot start. The blogger didn't go as far as to accuse Ibanez of using PEDs, but you could put two and two together. Now, something coming from a no-name blog normally gets brushed aside, but John Gonzalez of the Inquirer decided to bring it to light, and all hell broke loose. Surprisingly, Ibanez addressed the issue, saying he would come after people who defame and slander him, also saying that 42-year-olds using the computer in their mother's basement aren't the most credible sources. Then there was also this tidbit:
"You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool — anything you can test. I'll give you back every dime I've ever made (if the test is positive)."
So that got me to thinking. How about a Raul Ibanez Stool Night? You could have a Phillies barstool with Ibanez's signature and his number 29 on it. The marketing slogan could be "Raul Ibanez will give you his stool!" They'd never go for it, but maybe a local minor league team could run that one.
I recently purchased the Phillies Memories DVD, which is basically a history of the team DVD. They did one of those (entitled "Centennial") for the team's 100th anniversary, but a quarter of a century has passed since then. It is
distributed by Shout! Factory, the same company that did the 2008 World Series DVD. With that in mind, it's not much of a surprise that there is a significant amount of 2008 footage, much of which also appears on the World Series DVD.
The main DVD program runs a whopping 145 minutes in length. The 1980 and 1993 teams get their fair share of footage, while the near-miss 1970s teams, the collapse of 1964, the 1950 Whiz Kids, and 1915 NL Champs also get their due. There is a decent amount of information about the club's early days, even the mostly inept first half of the 20th century. The disc concludes with the Phabulous Forty, in which a 40-man roster of the greatest players in franchise history is concocted. Some choices are better than others, but it's still a valiant effort.
One part of the DVD that I thought was a bit of a head-scratcher was that the 1983 NL Champion team was only given a brief mention, without any footage. I am obviously too young to remember 1983, but that is an ignored team in Phillies history. I understand they'd won the World Series just three years earlier, and spent most of the 1983 season bumbling around .500 before getting hot in September. They also hit just .195 as a team in the World Series, where they lost to the Baltimore Orioles in five games. But still, they finally got revenge on the hated Dodgers in the NLCS, after losing to LA in 1977 and 1978. Plus, the Phillies have only appeared in the World Series six times in their history, so getting there doesn't seem like something that should get glossed over. I dunno, maybe someone out there who remembers that team could help me out a little on this one.
As far as bonus features, the last outs of Jim Bunning's perfect game, along with no-hitters by Rick Wise, Terry Mulholland, Tommy Greene (Nitpick alert: Greene's name is misspelled on the caption for this. They left the last "e" off), and Kevin Millwood. Dick Sisler's homer to win the 1950 Pennant (Nitpick alert: The caption describes it as the 1950 NLCS. There was no NLCS in 1950, as divisional play did not begin until 1969) is grouped in with the final outs of the 1980 NLCS, 1980 World Series, 1983 NLCS, 1993 NLCS, 2008 NLDS, 2008 NLCS, and 2008 World Series. An extended scene from 1993 of Mitch Williams applying Hair in a Can to Larry Andersen's head is also included, as is the same "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" rap by Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins that is also featured on the World Series DVD.
I have complete history DVDs for the Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers, and had been waiting for a Phillies one. Last year's World Championship proved to be great timing.
One last note, and it is a bittersweet one. The video is narrated by Harry Kalas, believed to be the last voiceover he provided before his death. Fortunately, this project was completed while Harry was still with us. I can't imagine anyone else's voice on this DVD. It was tough not getting emotional hearing some of Harry's great calls, knowing we won't have any more to look forward to. But I guess we shouldn't be sad that there won't be any more great calls, we should be thankful we had so many great ones that we can treasure.
Phillies Memories is a fantastic DVD to immerse yourself in. A non-Phillies fan probably wouldn't have much use for it, and a "fan" who conveniently discovered the Phils still existed when they started winning again probably wouldn't want to sit through it. But for those diehards, it's absolutely vital, a must-have
Current mood: contemplative
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Yes, the announcement was made after tonight's Phillies win over the Nationals that Antonio Bastardo will be called up on Tuesday to replace Brett Myers in the starting rotation. Bastardo had a 1.89 ERA in 11 starts between Reading and Lehigh Valley. Though this will give the Phils four lefties in the rotation, that ERA made him a popular choice among fans who have been following the team's farm system. And let's face it, that's a pretty damn fun last name he's got.
The merry month of May concludes tomorrow, so let's take a quick and belated look at the Phillies Player and Pitcher of the Month candidates. Raul Ibanez appears to have the inside track on a second consecutive Player of the Month award. Entering tonight's game, Ibanez was hitting .330 in 26 May games, with six doubles and ten home runs among his 33 hits. He'd also scored 19 runs, knocked in 29, and slugged .690. Shane Victorino has recently come on strong after a dry spell, while Pedro Feliz has been solid all month. Carlos Ruiz got off to a brutal start after coming off the disabled list, but has been a force at the bottom of the order of late.
Pitching is once again a tough call, although in a much more positive way than April. Nobody has really put up eye-popping numbers, but several pitchers have stepped up after a rough first month. Ryan Madson would probably have the edge so far, as he entered tonight with a 2.03 ERA in 13 May appearances, proving to be a sturdy bridge over Brad Lidge's troubled water. J.A. Happ is also a leading candidate, having been a steady long man before seamlessly entering the rotation. Cole Hamels had made it a three-man race, but a rough outing tonight (he did get the win, though) ends his chances. April winner Clay Condrey has also had a strong May, and will enter June tied for the team lead in victories. Scott Eyre has not allowed an earned run all month, but has only worked eight innings in that time. Jack Taschner steadied after a shaky April, but really hasn't seen enough action to be seriously considered. Winners should be posted sometime in the next week or so, if I'm feeling up to it!
Lastly, Mike Schmidt announced his retirement 20 years ago yesterday. I remember watching the press conference live on Channel 6. "Some 18 years ago, I left Dayton, Ohio, with two very bad knees and a dream to become a Major League Baseball player. I thank God the dream came true." I'll never forget that. Here's a brief video snippet:
Current mood: working
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
As you can tell from the subject line, some sad news today. Peter Zezel passed awaytoday at the age of 44. Since 2001, he had been been suffering from hemolytic anemia, a rare blood disorder in which the body destroys more red blood cells than it is able to produce. Zezel's condition had worsened recently, and he'd been undergoing chemotherapy, had his spleen removed, and also had a brain hemorrhage. The decision was made today to take Zezel off life support.
My first memories of the Flyers are from the late 80s. The first game I ever remember watching was Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals against the Oilers. Back in those days, Zezel and Rick Tocchet were rock stars on skates. How many people in their late 20s to mid 40s in this area (particularly of the female variety) have a replica Tocchet or Zezel jersey with the big holes somewhere? Their 80s hair band looks made them popular with the ladies, but they played with a certain grittiness and tenacity that male fans appreciated, especially Philadelphia fans.
Zezel was drafted by the Flyers in 1983 and began his NHL career a year later. He was traded by the Flyers to the St. Louis Blues for Mike Bullard early in the 1988-89 season, and would play for five more teams before retiring in 1999. Zezel's career in Philadelphia was relatively short in comparison with many of his 1980s Flyers counterparts, and he was certainly well-traveled in his career. Still, I don't think I'm being a homer when I say Peter Zezel will always be remembered as a Philadelphia Flyer.
RIP Peter Zezel
1965-2009
Current mood:  sad
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