Vote for Pedro

My brother listened to some guy seth (media guy) on WIP. He had phils in 6, but changed tueaday when. pedro announced, now has yanks in 6. Thinks it is series turner - hates move. Thinks charlie is making WS costing mistake.  Morganti agreed.  Seth guy sounded knowledgable about lots o stuff.

Prefers blanton. He said (and brother agrees) issue is they don't trust hamels hence him not starting game 2 - this"splitting up the lefties" is bs.  If it were last year hamels would be going tonight. Also said pedro pitches better at Bank(said charlie putting too much into dodgers game).  Personally I like hamels game 3 -still pitches 2 games and he our best hitting pitcherso put him nl park. Brother would rather have blanton tonight.

Personally, I like pedro tonite. Big game pitcher on big stage. Of course Hamels isn't like last year.

I like hamels in game 3 at home to get series to 2-1 or put hammer down to go 3-0. 

Maybe pedro's on short leash tonight. But that means lefty happ is on call and defeats L-R-L rotation

Get to burnett early and make issue moot. 

Game 1

oh my gosh, so many thoughts running through my head last night and this morning.

Utley's 1st inning walk was HUGE!.

Seemed like the Phils were in command the entire game even though game was very tight, 1-0 then 2-0, for most of it. I think Buck got it right last night, "Sabathia pitching really good game but just completely overshadowed by Lee's even better game."

can't believe more isn't being made of the really crappy weather that they endured most of the night. Ef Bud Selig. Lee and Sabathia deserved better for their matchup.

Rollins' defensive genius on the humpback liner that wound up doubling off Matsui and Cano. Another huge Yankees running blunder (though it was a very confusing play) on par with their 3rd base screw up against the Angels (which the umps blew). In fact, if the Angels play didn't happen, would the crew have spent the time figuring out the proper call last night? For instance, during the play it is still unclear to me if the 2nd base ump called the "out" because Rollins caught the ball or because he stepped on second for what was thought to be the forceout of Matsui.

That was a gigantic play - they go from one on and no out to none on and two out. At worst, they should have had a baserunner and only 1 out.

Lee is one cool cat. That catch of the pop up on the pitchers mound was goofy, funny, and crazy.

Honestly, if i'm a Yankee fan i can't be thrilled with sending Burnett out tonight. He's a good pitcher but i don't get a sense he's either dominant or a big game pitcher. Losing game 1 at home, I think they would have preferred to start Pettite in game 2, but he's not available cause of the game 6 rainout. 

Hallelujah.

Game 1 Reflections

My brother says:

What I liked was not letting bullpen give them hope.  Not in this game (6-0 it was over), but if they get 1 or 2 against madson then they'll gain confidence against our Pen. Also pedro goes 6 - we will need pen tonight.  Lastly, no reason to let them see madson or anyone before they have to and keep rested in case u need 2innings from someone.

Game 1 Reflections

A friend writes:

Something just hit me: we won game 1 in Yankee Stadium!

Christ, I've been so over analytical, I've not had the chance to be happy about what we just did.

F-$# that's great.

The point made by my buddy Brody - independent observer, a Nats fan - was this: letting Lee finish was the complete demolition to get insidetheir heads for the next time they faced him.

Personally, I kinda thought 8 innings, 10 ks and 0 runs had already done that. I'd have been tempted to take him out to preserve pitches in case he has to pitch at some point in Game 7. 

Yes, I'm that forward thinking, that I thought about a Game 7 when/if Cole is breaking down in the 3rd or 4th inning.

Reason 533 million

Just another reason to hate the Yankees.

From the Times:

"While the teams each have six major league free agents (that does not include players signed to minor league contracts after being in another organization), the Yankees have spent almost 10 times as much on that group as the Phillies have on theirs.

The Phillies have committed $58 million to their free agents; the Yankees have guaranteed more than half a billion dollars — $533 million — to their super six."

An Ed Wade Shout Out

The most surprising news in the wake of the Phillies' game 1 win? Praise for former and much maligned Phillies GM Ed Wade.

Yanks and Phillies Took Different Paths to Build World Series Teams - NYTimes.com: "The Phillies are lauded for their homegrown talent, with the stars Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels forming the foundation of the defending champion after being drafted under the aegis of the former general manager Ed Wade.

“Ed Wade drafted a lot of good players and always said, ‘Wait until the product gets up here,’ ” Rollins said. “Now we’re here and everything he said has come true. We’re the guys he was speaking of, and we were able to live up to expectations.”"

Heading Home

Great column by former Phil Doug Glanville about this world series and growing up with the Phillies in the late ‘70s.

The Man

For Two Sluggers, It Is the October of Their Lives - NYTimes.com: "“He’s wanted to be the man,” Rollins said. “He’s wanted to step up and assume that role. He’s done that very successfully, and that is very big for him, a big step in his legacy — because he does have a legacy, by the way — to be the man. He’s the big guy on campus. Everybody looks at the big guy and expects things to happen, and he makes ’em happen.”"

Ryan Howard is "The Man."

Remember when he was in Triple A and the knock on him was that he had a "hole" in his swing. Now? Not so much. Hopefully this series will be more of Howard's national coming out party (the Subway commercials notwithstanding) and he can start being included in the conversations about the best hitter in baseball that till now have exclusively focused on Albert Pujols.

Game 1 of World Series features pitching matchup for the ages - washingtonpost.com

Game 1 of World Series features pitching matchup for the ages - washingtonpost.com: "For everyone else -- including Major League Baseball officials and Fox-TV executives -- this is a matchup for the ages: two of the game's best pitchers, both in the prime of their careers, fronting the undisputed best team in each league, and facing the deepest, most powerful lineup the opposite league has to offer.
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Chiefly because of Lee and Sabathia, the 2009 World Series holds the possibility of being an epic confrontation remembered for generations. Each has been virtually unbeatable: In three starts apiece this postseason, Lee is 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA, while Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA. Both have struck out 20 batters while walking only three. But neither has yet faced a lineup like the ones they will be facing Wednesday night."

Shades of 1950 - Phillies Arrive in New York by Train - NYTimes.com

Shades of 1950 - Phillies Arrive in New York by Train - NYTimes.com

Phillies train it to New York for World Series.

Greed is Good

A friend writes:

Not to get overly greedy here, but a win tonight would be soooooo key. It would set up the rotation fairly nicely, with Hamels going in Game 1, Pedro in Game 2, Lee in 3, Blanton in Game 4.
Yes, I'm making an executive decision here, in which I think we'll want Blanton in the rotation against right-handed heavy lineup of the Dodgers. Put Happ in the pen.

 

Down with Bud!

Should any 9 inning playoff baseball game finish at 2:30 am EDT?

 

I know MLB doesn’t want to go head to head with the NFL, but surely they would get better ratings for a strategically scheduled afternoon game than one that went till 2:30 in the morning.

Game 1 - Phils

An impressive opening series win.

 

Lee looked great. A far cry from the last Rockies-Phillies NLDS opener.

 

What did they see that encouraged them to run at will?

 

Btw, listened to the last inning on the radio. Chris Berman is a horrible play by play man.

5-1 Phillies

Great Jayson Stark column on today's game.

 

I know he's a national reporter now, but reading his stuff I get a sense he's still got a special feeling for the Phillies.

More Lee

A friend writes on the Cliff Lee game 1 news:

 

Not to mention, in the 1 game that each of them has started against Colorado, Lee pitched 7 innings, gave up 1 run and got 9 Ks; Hamels got shelled, giving up 7 runs in 3 2/2 innings. What's Colorado's record against left-handed starters?

 

To which the answer is: The Rockies are 27-26 overall against left-handed starters, including just 8-16 on the road.

 

Here’s a link to a remarkably detailed and insightful analysis of the series by, of all sources, WJLA-TV in Washington, DC. (which is where I got the stat above.)

Cliff Lee

Game 1 starter.

 

Good call from Manuel. I was afraid he was going to go with Hamels on short rest.

 

Lee gets an extra day and Hamels can either be the stopper if we lose game 1 or the hammer to maybe put the Phils up 2-0 in the series if they take game 1.

Brown Out

Too funny that Paul Domowitch writes about an issue that should have been covered two weeks ago during the, "will Reggie Brown make the team or will he be cut in favor of Hank Baskett" navel gazing. Now it comes out, that of course Brown wasn't cut because of the huge salary cap hit the team would take. http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/columnists/20090918_Paul_Domowitch__Making_cents_of_Brown_situation.html

But cut through all of Domo's dense reporting and here's the bottomline. The Eagles will take a cap hit for releasing Brown but it won't be as bad as he portrays it and will certainly leave the team with plenty of room left to make any acquisitions they need over the course of the rest of the season.

Were the Eags to cut Brown, his cap hit would be $6.5 million ($7.3 prorated bonus minus his $884k base salary). As Domo reports, the Eagles present cap room is about $9 million, meaning that letting go of Brown will give them $2.5 million left to sign Jon Runyan and any other players they might need to fill subsequent injury voids.

Get Well Shawn

"We wish Shawn all the best as he recovers..." is the operative and less than subtle wording in Andy Reid's statement about Shawn Andrews being placed on IR. A total kiss off, almost like he was being released, rather than having his season curtailed by a season-ending injury.

Of course, Andrews may have the last laugh...all the way to the bank. If he isn't really that hurt, his scheme is genius to keep your bonus money but never having to play again. On the flip side, backs are funny and he's had trouble with it in his past. maybe he really is hurt. Either way, the Eagles pulled the trigger on this move awfully fast. Maybe too fast given how thin their offensive line is.

Runyan Back with Eagles?

Runyan worked out for the Eagles today. Reportedly, 3 other teams are also interested in Runyan.

 

This is what drives me crazy about the front office, they’re penny wise and pound foolishness.

 

Presumably they are waiting to sign him after the first game when his full year contract is not guaranteed. Of course, he’s not likely to play in the first game 3 days from now, but why wait?

 

You’ve got a championship contending team, you’ve got problems on your offensive line, you’ve got a proven nfl tackle that wants to play, and a team leader to boot. You put all this money into other upgrades, why not just sign Runyan now for $1million and be done with it. heck, maybe you could even suit him up for Sunday so he doesn’t end his consecutive games streak. Your millions under the cap and Runyan is good insurance for Shawn Andrews.

 

Plus he’s earned a little management gesture of good will. I would think it would be good for the locker room and the other players if they saw that management wasn’t playing hard ball with him.

 

The Eagles thinking on this makes no sense to me.

The Kiss of Death

According to this website, the Phillies have a 95.7% chance of making the playoffs.

 

The Yankees and Cardinals are near locks (99.9%), while the Dodgers are at 97.1%, the Tigers 89.2% and the Angels 88.3% (among all division leaders).

Lewis Cut

The Patriots cut WR Greg Lewis. Guess the Eagles made out in that trade, getting the Pats' 5th rounder this year (who turned out to be Fenuki Tupou) in exchange for Lewis and an undisclosed pick next year (6/7).

Kolb plummeting

Finally! an article that at least touches on the real implications for the QB depth chart of the Michael Vick signing. To wit, Kevin Kolb is essentially being demoted.

Yes, yes, Kolb is technically still the "#2" QB - by default right now since Vick is suspended for the first two games of the season. But when Vick comes back, Kolb will be the only #2 QB in the league known as the "disaster QB."

The Eagles actually have done this in recent years where the game day back up is not the same as the long-term back up depending on whether the starter is out for only part of a game or several games. Wasn't Detmer the active #2 QB for a while just so he could hold for Akers but if McNabb was out for several games Garcia would leapfrog from #3 to #1?

One other interesting aspect to all this. Just like Kolb might technically be #2 on the depth chart, what if Vick, while technically a QB, is actually designated at another position (WR?) on game days? Might the 6th WR be the "disaster QB" with the thought that it gives Reid the flexibility to use all three QBs as he sees fit and that if something did happen to McNabb, the team could muddle along for a quarter or two with Kolb and Vick and then in the fourth quarter replace McNabb's empty roster spot with the extra WR? An added twist,Vick at WR has fantasy football implications.

Cut downs

My uninformed guess is that the final WR spot will come down to Hank Baskett or Reggie Brown. Will the preference be for a "bigger" receiver (whose size and leaping ability have yet to utilized in 4 years) who brings a little glamour to the team as the husband of a former Hef plaything, or do the Eagles lean towards not giving up on their former #2 pick? It will be interesting.

A Complete Loss

A rare complete game loss for JA Happ last night.

The Phils' # that matters

Yes the Eagles are playing the Colts in a meaningless preseason game in which the defense looked porous, the Eagles first team offense and Andy Reid continued their 3rd and 1 ineptitude (really, a pass?), and clock management was terrible again at the end of the half, but my friend PK writes about the Phils' postseason possibilities:

LAD - 70-49 (playing StL as I type)
Phils - 67-49
StL -68-52
Marlins - 64-55

Ok, let's start with Florida (and the rest of the NL East). If we play  right at our current winning % of roughly .580, we should handle the division. Because we're 6 ahead in the loss column, it's gonna take a
massive Phils collapse or a massive fish run. If we go 27-19 down the stretch - .580 winning % - we finish with 94 wins. To match that, the Marlins have to go 30-13. A a tall order.

Now, to secure the No 2 slot in playoffs, we may have to step it up a notch. The Cards could get to 94 wins by going up above .600 down the stretch (26-16) or a little better to nudge ahead of us.

So, I'm now hoping for a finish of 29-17 or 30-16. That gets us to 96 or 97 wins. Probably a realistic number but also a stretch in a season of this many blown saves.
         
PS - final thought. If we go 30-16 in the final stretch and finish with 97 wins, the Dodgers need to go 27-18 to tie us. That's not that spectacular, but given how LAD has been playing the last month, that  The might be a tall order. We could earn home-field throughout playoffs .

Nuts to .300

My Cleveland Indians fan friend (though still boiling from the Cliff Lee heist) writes:

 

The first 8 batters in the Angels lineup against the Tribe last night, all regulars, all had batting averages above .300.  The 9th hitter (Mike Nappoli) was at .297.  Any time of the year that is nuts, but late August, it's absurd.

September Morn

"No recent team has made late-season surges more famous, fashionable or fun than the Phillies, who each time zoomed into the playoffs on the strength of the best September winning percentage in the N.L. They are 34-19 over the last two Septembers. Not that they are thinking this way, but this may finally be the year that the Phillies rebuff, not surpass, teams in September." - -
Phillies Enjoying the View From Atop N.L. East - NYTimes.com

Interestingly, the article also mentions that Jamie Moyer was "despondent" after last night's game, but doesn't go into any further detail.

Vick

Wow! What a move. I don’t know what to think. Low risk, high reward gamble.

 

One thing I do know, is that all the commentary about this being a move to/threat to McNabb for next year have it all wrong. Isn’t the vick acquisition a damning indictment not of the starter but of the backup, Kolb – and his ability to succeed McNabb?

 

 

Tribe Perspective

From a friend who is a Cleveland Indians fan:

 

“Ben Francisco is a hell of a throw in.  I like him and think with Charlie Manuel's teaching, he will be your starting leftfielder one day.

 

I really like this deal for the Phils.  Not so keen on it for the Tribe.  Halladay may be better than Lee, but he certainly is not so much better than Lee as to not prefer having Lee and keeping Happ and Drabek.”

Nabbing Lee

OK, wow. The Phils got an AL Cy young winner and didn't give up Happ, Drabek, Brown or Taylor?

 

Wow! Ruben Amaro pulled off a great deal.

 

Lee is signed through next year at $8M.  So the Phils get him for the same length of time as Halladay at 55% of the cost.

Farewell Jim Johnson

Very sad to learn of the passing of Eagles' Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson. The transfer of the d coordinator title to Sean McDermott which happened at the beginning of training camp and with much reflection on Jim Johnson's tenure was a subtle but unmistakable sign of the sad fact that Johnson was losing his battle with cancer.

For good reason, Johnson and another defensive coaching legend, Monte Kiffin, are often compared because of both their success and their contemporaneous careers. No offense to Kiffin, and I may be a homer, but Jim Johnson was the defensive mastermind par excellence - the mad blitzing genius - of the NFL for the past 10 years.

The greatest tribute I can give Johnson is to merely remind people that it was Bill Belichick who paid his own respect to Jim Johnson by specifically seeking him out after the November 26, 2007 Eagles-Patriots game to shake his hand. Coincidence that Johnson protege Steve Spagnuola was then the first to beat the Pats that enire season? I think not.

Jim Johnson - Godspeed and farewell.

The Top 15

My friend PK does a little dirt digging and finds gold:

 

“Below is the top 15 all time home run hitters. The asterisk means they were definite PED cheaters. The parentheses next to a player's home-run total means he's an active player and that's his age.

More than a third of the 15 greatest HR hitters of all time are cheats; the verdict seems uncertain on Thome, who I don't think did them but I'm not really certain. If he's ever found guilty, that means half the top 15 are 'roid guys.

It's pretty amazing and stark when you put it into that perspective, i think.

1.Barry Bonds 762 ***

2.Hank Aaron+ 755

3.Babe Ruth+ 714

4.Willie Mays+ 660

5.Ken Griffey 621 (39)

6.Sammy Sosa 609 ****

7.Frank Robinson 586

8.Mark McGwire 583 ***

9.Harmon Killebrew+ 573

10.Alex Rodriguez 572 (33) *** 

11.Rafael Palmeiro 569 ***

12.Reggie Jackson+ 563

13.Jim Thome 557 (38)

14.Mike Schmidt+ 548

15.Manny Ramirez 537 (37) ***

Poor Happ

A friend writes of the limbo JA Happ finds himself:

 

Poor JA Happ. Think about this if you're him. He's gotta be thinking that he needs to pinch himself every night when he goes to bed, sitting at 7-0 with the defending world champions, pitching to bonkers sell-out crowds every night, an almost certainty for the club to get into the playoffs with a shot at getting to the World Series and being part of the 4-man starting rotation.
Or. Or. Or…
Getting traded to a Blue Jays team that is practically giving up on competing for the next 2 seasons. In a foreign country, no less.

 

Not 2, but 3?

Peter Gammons thinks that getting Roy Halladay would make the Phillies the favorites to not only repeat but three-peat:

"One could argue that the Phillies have a chance to win three straight World Series (if the Phils acquire Halladay, they would have him under contract for the rest of this season along with the entire 2010 campaign) -- and make Cole Hamels even better. But whether they'll do it is up in the air."

The High Rent District

Just another reason to hate Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.

A Philly Natural

At the very least, Pedro will provide the combativeness that Brett Myers took with him to the DL.

"'It could be my mom standing up there with a bat. And if I have to knock her off the plate, I would. So don't confuse that.'

How can you not love that? Even better if he drills Carlos Beltran.

But Martinez seems to have no doubt that he is going to 'fall in love' with these people, or that he can make them fall in love with him. [writes Jayson Stark]

'I think we'll have a lot of fun,' he said, 'because they seem to be really wild -- and I'm a little out there, too.'"

Still a Ray of Hope

Thank gosh, the Phillies are still in the hunt for Halladay according to ESPN.

"Adding Martinez isn't expected to prevent the Phillies from pursuing All-Star Roy Halladay. The Toronto Blue Jays are listening to offers for the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, and Philadelphia has already expressed strong interest.

'This doesn't preclude us from doing other things with the club,' Amaro said."

My Loss, Golman's Profit

Remind me again why my tax money went to paying 100 cents on the dollar for all of Goldman's counterparty trades in the AIG bailout ? From the Times:

"Goldman posted the richest quarterly profit in its 140-year history and, to the envy of its rivals, announced that it had earmarked $11.4 billion so far this year to compensate its workers."

What About Little?

Funny how Peter King doesn't mention the punishment (or non-punishment) of another NFL player who was under contract and killed a person in much the same fashion for which Donte Stallworth is being slapped on the wrist...Leonard Little.

"Stallworth was under contract to an NFL team and took a man's life, and Goodell suspended him indefinitely. I don't see the problem there. The three players you've mentioned are not under contract to any NFL teams now, so Goodell isn't under pressure to make any speedy decisions, particularly on Michael Vick or Plaxico Burress. I would anticipate both would get sanctions, and Burress could be suspended for between four and eight games."

So a NY felony that's a mandatory five year prison term is only an 8 game suspension in the NFL? The Donte Stallworth issue poses big problems for the commissioner and the pending decision on Michael Vick's status. Does Goodell really want the league to be seen as imposing harsher penalties on jerks who have scrums over duffel bags of money in strip clubs or overseeing a dog fighting ring (and killling dogs) than a player convicted of manslaughter?

Delino DeShields

Huge profile of Seaford native Delino DeShields in today's Washington Post about his new coaching life in the minor leagues. One of the very few DeShields articles I've ever read that actually mentions how he chose pro baseball rather than accept a Villanova scholarship to play guard for Rollie Massimino. 

Might Rollie's  career at 'Nova have lasted longer had he been able to land DeShields and Bobby Martin in the early post-national championship years? Probably.

The Bulletin

I'm one of the dwindling few who probably even remembers the Philadelphia Bulletin. It was the "big city daily" we got at our home out in W. Chester every afternoon. A solid newspaper with a great sports section - Ray Didinger! - most of which got scooped up by the Inquirer.

It was sad to see it go. Sad too, to see its former publisher pass away.

Stallworth drank tequila shots prior to fatal wreck - FOX Sports on MSN

What happened to Cristal being the drink of choice?

Must be the Entourage phenomenon.

Stallworth drank tequila shots prior to fatal wreck

Teams slow to re-sign '05 draft picks - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Teams slow to re-sign '05 draft picks - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Only three players from the 2005 first round have signed extensions, and one of them is Eagle Mike Patterson. Presumably the lack of extensions is because of the looming end to the CBA - and the changes to free agency rules that will entail (i.e., extending the time before a player can become a free agent). But are some owners being short-sighted about these extensions. In another year or two, some of these players will be getting even bigger paydays than they might otherwise now because the salary cap will be lifted by then, while it is still in place now.

Sweep

Regardless of how depleted the Mets' lineup is, a sweep of a division rival is still an impressive feat. Indeed, it was perhaps more important to sweep the Mets this weekend while they were undermanned. Good teams beat the opponents they are supposed to beat. And taking advantage of the Mets' weakness was in the end not only important but imperative.

Pronger Trade

My Flyer friend, Big O’s, take on the Chris Pronger trade after I expressed the opinion that giving up Lupul, 2 #1s and a minor leaguer for a 36 year-old defenseman was quite a lot.

 

 

We gave up a boatload, no doubt.  Lupul is expendable bc we have Giroux coming up full time.  We gave up D Luca Sbisa, our #1 pick from last year, but he had years to develop.  What really hurts is giving up two more #1s as well. 

 

HOWEVER, we need to realize what Pronger is.  The guy is an absolute animal.  He turns 35 this year, but still has it.  Basically, this shows that Holmgren is in a win now mode.  Pronger has about 2-3 more good years in him.  Bottom line: we gave up alot, but Pronger immediately upgrades our defense, and gives us a legitimate shot for the Cup.  If we win, Homer will look like a genius, if we lose it will go down as a disaster.   Im choosing to be optimistic.  Look what Leafs GM Brian Burke said about Pronger going to broad street:

 

"Pronger was "born to wear Orange." He is the "prototypical Flyer," and the fans will love him. He said Philly has great fans, they are "vicious and loyal," and he will fit right in there.

Stay Classy Tricky Dick

Richard Nixon's White House tapes are the gift that just keeps on giving. The newest recordings feature this insight into the disgraced President's warped mind. From the NY Times:

"There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white," he told an aide, before adding, "Or a rape."

More on Pat the Bat

My take on Pat Burrell's surprising statistics as the 3rd all-time on the Phillies home run list:

The public perception of Burrell is completely warped because of the steroids era. He is the BIGGEST victim of all the inflated offensive numbers. I can't believe no one recognizes this or talks about this. In any other era, he is a perennial all-star. But in the steroids age, he is an underachieving disappointment.

Your note about his place in the team's record books prompted me to go and look at his numbers. He's averaged 30 HRs and 102 RBIs over 10 seasons. That is rock solid offensive production from any left fielder. In fact, it compares very favorably to former Reds' George Foster (29/102 - albeit over 18 seasons) - and they both had the same .480 slugging % or Yaz 22/90 (albeit a much longer 23 seasons).

Admittedly, I'm kind of surprised that 252 HRs is 3rd all-time on the Phillies. But at the time he was drafted, is there any Phillies fan that would not have been thrilled had they been told, we just selected Pat Burrell and you can put him down for 30/100 in each of the next ten years. heck, after the fact i think Phillies fans would be both surprised and hopefully appreciative of those numbers.

BTW, JD Drew's 12 year season average is 26 HRs and 85 RBIs.

Not the Nats

The Philadelphia Inquirer mentions something my friend PK noted several weeks ago.

 

“But the Phillies are 26-29 against opponents who are not the Washington Nationals.”

 

Pat Burrell Preview

A friend writes:

Yes, I know he played 9 seasons of averaging almost 30 homers in Philly. I just don't think of him this way, although maybe it speaks to how bad an organization we've been over the years more than anything.

From MLB's preview of Phils-Rays series:

Burrell trails only Del Ennis and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt on the franchise's all-time home run list, and is fifth in walks and seventh in RBIs.

A Father's Day Reflection

Former Phillie Doug Glanville writes occasionally for the New York Times. Appropriately, his most recent essay is on remembering his father.             

McNabb's New Deal

It’s been nearly a week, and I still don’t know what to make of Donovan McNabb’s reworked contract – both in terms of the timing, the motivation, and the actual terms.

 

NFL teams, but especially the Eagles, are infamous for not rewarding past performance but basing contracts on future projections (see Dawkins, Brian). So why is McNabb getting a bump in salary (courtesy of the extra guaranteed money) now? Cause he took the team to the NFC championship game?

 

I can’t help but wonder if the balance of power between QB and team shifted in favor of #5 thanks to that playoff run. For all of the fan talk (fantasy?) and radio speculation in the run up to last year’s season of the team releasing McNabb after 2009 when the salary cap hit was at it nadir and the start of the Kolb era, the reality turned out to be that McNabb suddenly found himself in a position to practically dare the Eagles to release him – he’d find work very easily with any number of QB-deficient teams (notably the Vikings) ponying up for his services and the Eagles, who were several plays from the Super Bowl would begin the season with an untested backup whose biggest professional play up to this point has been an INT that was returned 109 yards for a touchdown.  And unfairly as it is, how much did Kolb’s poor play in the 2^nd half of the Ravens game influence management’s decision. One half is hardly an adequate evaluation of talent, particularly against one of the best defenses in the league – on the road, no less – but there’s no denying what happened. So the Eagles don’t have to deal with the rumors and whispers about McNabb’s fate as the franchise QB and McNabb gets some extra money, more public respect, and doesn’t force the issue and demand a trade or release in training camp.

 

And whither Kolb? He’s rookie deal might expire before the Eagles get a good game day look at the former 2^nd round pick.

 

And yet, I can’t help but look at McNabb’s deal and see that big $6.2 million roster bonus due on May 5 next year. For all of the misanalysis of his “guaranteed” money ($24.2 million according to the Inquirer), this $6.2 million is factored in. of course, it’s only guaranteed if he’s on the roster on that date. It looks to me like that is the point of no return. May 5 and the $6.2 million is the deadline for the Eagles to decide if McNabb will be the starter in 2010. So maybe the new contract is a one-year deal after all.

The Latest Sign of Slippage at the NY Times...

…this headline in today’s paper, “North Korean Leader Is Said to Pick a Son as Heir”

 

Isn’t a son, by definition, an “heir?” So why does the North Korean leader need to pick him? He’s an heir by default.

 

Punch cannot be happy about this.

Homegrown

The FBI has become increasingly worried about the growth of "homegrown" religious-zealot terrorism.

It's already here ...and has been for 20 years.

Phils an Average Team When Not Playing Nats

My friend PK takes a moment out of the Sonia Sotomayor nomination coverage to provide this insightful analysis about the Phillies' record, which is especially timely during this three game homestand against the Nationals.

By Sunday we'll have played 48 games - 1/4th of them against the Nats.

We're 7-2 or 8-1 against them entering this homestand.

Ibanez is over .500 against their pitching with 18 RBIs in 9 1/2 games.

We don't play the Nats again until Sept.

We're a very average team when not playing the curly W's.

Sotomayor

A non-Eagles related post.

I find it curious that most news reports on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court use the word "latina" to describe her. 

One, what happened to the word "hispanic?" Second, i'm confused by the use of the feminine form "latina" - with the "a" at the end to signify a  woman - as opposed to the masculine "latino" indicating a reference to a man which I learned in my high school sophomore spanish class. Since the English language doesn't use different masculine/feminine versions of a sentence subject, I don't understand why the media has grafted this spanish language practice into English usage.

(As an aside, i also find it humorous that some accounts have qualified as to whether Sotomayor is the first hispanic.. er latino...er latina, to serve on the high court because of the uncertain racial identity of Justice Benjamin Cardozo. I find it more humorous that the main criteria on figuring out who was first is whether Cardozo self-identified as a hispanic - a term I highly doubt was even being used in the beginning of the 20th century and so shouldn't automatically be a definitive determination. It's as if Cardozo is being penalized for not calling himself a latino when the word only has come into popular usage in the past decade. 

And I also find humorous the confusion as to what category a "portugese-american" like Cardozo falls into. One would presume that if someone from Spain qualifies as hispanic (or "spanish") rather than european-american, then someone with origins also from the Iberian peninsula would be similarly categorized. But that doesn't seem to be the case in the media's rush to annoint Sotomayor the first hispanic on the Supreme Court. 

How else to explain the lack of recognition for Benjamin Cardozo's historic accomplishment but that he had the misfortune to serve well before most Americans cared about, or became fixated with, the primacy of racial and ethnic identity. Back then, we were all just Americans. 

Oh Fokou!

Profile of the Eagles’ 7^th round pick, Moise Fokou. He’s a graduate of the Bullis School, which the Daily News describes as a “small prep school” in Potomac, Maryland. Since this is in my general area I know enough that the school should have also been described as “incredibly expensive.” So while, Fokou didn’t get a scholarship to play football in college, it would have been interesting if the story referenced whether an immigrant from Cameroon got a scholarship to play in high school. Cause if you can afford to attend Bullis, your parents don’t need any financial aid to send you to college.

The Real SBL Issue

The real issue with the Eagles’ stadium builder licences (SBLs, aka personal seat licenses) in today’s paper isn’t that the market is down for them, but that the team offers no freakin’ guidance or documentation for the licenses currently owned by fans. Trust me on this. As a season ticket holder, the Eagles’ administrative offices are beyond unhelpful in how to go about transferring (not even a sale) a seat license to somebody else’s name.

 

Here’s the ever so brief mention of the true problem.

 

“To make a transaction, the team requires an official ticket agreement, along with notarized signatures from both parties. Weinberg was at the Linc last week for one such transfer.”

 

Note the team doesn’t provide any of the paperwork for the licenses that they themselves originally issued. Amazing.

More on Shawn Andrews

The NY Times story is bittersweet. It looks like he should be back at full speed this season, but it doesn’t appear that he is in it for the long haul. A pity for a guy that has the potential for a Hall of Fame career.

Andrews Smiling Again

Shawn Andrews gives the NY Times a look inside his head.

 

His support system has grown. The Eagles signed his older brother, Stacy, and his former college roommate at Arkansas, Jason Peters, to play alongside him on the offensive line. To accommodate the signings, Andrews has shifted to right tackle from right guard, at least for now. The moves were made for football reasons, not Andrews’s mental health, Coach Andy Reid said. Andrews said he was reluctant to bring up such issues with those closest to him because “I want an unbiased opinion.” Even so, he said, having his brother and Peters around “definitely feels comforting.”

 

Compared with last year, Andrews said, “I’m at a better point, mentally and physically.” Stacy Andrews said that Juan Castillo, the Eagles’ offensive line coach, remarked during the recent minicamp that he had seen Shawn laughing and having fun for the first time in a long while.

President Obama's Friday Schedule

Date      Friday, May 15, Time TBA

Place     Washington, D.C.

TBA (afternoon): Welcomes the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies to the White House.

Yes, Sir!

Washington workers pride themselves on their long hours and workaholic ways. So it is really, really – REALLY - refreshing to see this perspective from a senior Obama administration official. In fact, I think it is the highest-ranking government worker who has ever gone on record in deflating the toiling 12 hour pathos that infects this city.

 

From the New York Times:

 

“I’m here by 7 o’ clock in the morning, and I go home at 7, 7:30 at night; that’s a fairly reasonable day if you’re properly organized,” he said. What about officials who pride themselves on being at the White House deep into the night?

“Congratulations,” he said. “To me that means you’re not organized.”

-          -  National Security Advisor Jim Jones

 

"Clutch Phillies"

The Phillies believe they can always comeback. The Mets don't.

Key stat:

As important as Philadelphia's confidence is, its comebacks would not happen without talented hitters and a stellar bullpen. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard have won Most Valuable Player awards and, for a while, Chase Utley was a strong candidate to win it last season. Victorino, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, the 2009 free-agent pickup who fits the lineup snugly, are difficult outs. Brad Lidge did not blow a save in 2008, a security blanket for comebacks.

One statistical measure of clutch hitting is how players do in close and late situations, which is defined as at-bats in the seventh inning or later when the score is tied, one team is ahead by a run or the tying run is on base, at the plate or on deck. Utley (.714, 2 homers), Ibanez (.583, 3 homers) and Matt Stairs (.500, 1 homer) currently have three of the top six averages in the N.L. in those situations. The Mets do not have anyone in the top 25.

Maclin?

ESPN's John Clayton says "the Eagles got a steal at wide receiver with Jeremy Maclin."

On the other hand, ESPN's Len Pasquarelli says, "Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia's selection at No. 19, doesn't play as big as his size (6-1, 208) and isn't as quick on the field as he is running for a stopwatch.The Eagles have five veteran receivers, including 2008 second-round pick DeSean Jackson, and Maclin could find it difficult to carve out playing time as a rookie.

If he can't carve out rookie playing time, it a) would not be surprising for rookie WRs and b) a positive sign for the Eagles' WR production.

Future Picks

From the Boston Globe. The Patriots trade picks for future considerations - 3rd rounders this year for 2nd rounders in a subsequent year. The Patriots have done it the most times since Belichick became coach. The Eagles are right behind them. I can't help but wonder how many times the Patriots have traded out of the first round. That is a Reid hallmark draft move.

When it comes to the draft, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots have been futures traders. Like Dillon, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, wide receiver Randy Moss, and linebacker Jerod Mayo, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, were acquired from deals in which the Patriots flipped picks forward into future years. With a surplus of picks this season - the Patriots own 11, including three in the second round - it's a safe bet that Belichick, who touted his team's flexibility, could swap a selection or two for future picks in hopes of cashing them in at a later date.

An analysis of information provided by the NFL on draft-day deals since 2000, Belichick's first year with the Patriots, shows that 41 trades have been made in which a team got a future pick in return. During that span, no team has done it more than the Patriots, who made 11. The Eagles were next with eight.

Burgess Back to the Eagles?

That's what Chris Mortensen says is a possibility.

Quiet Man Making Noise

Sheldon Brown has always been the overlooked/underappreciated member of the Eagles’ secondary. Brian Dawkins got all the acclaim, Lito Sheppard was the first round pick, and Michael Lewis was also drafted ahead of, and got to a pro bowl, before him. There are also some shades of Brian Westbrook to Brown in that he seems to have carried a chip about where he was selected in the draft.

 

But Brown has been a steady presence at corner. Not as skilled in coverage as Sheppard, he made up for it in physicality (especially for a corner) and in rarely giving up a big play. Indeed, there is perennial speculation of moving Brown to safety as the heir apparent to Brian Dawkins’ ability for run support/pass coverage par excellence.

 

Brown is most noted for nearly de-cleating Reggie Bush during the opening drive of the Eagles-Saints divisional playoff game and for being conspicuously quiet during the secondary’s turmoil last year after Asante Samuel signed for big money and Lito Sheppard demanded a contract re-negotiation.

 

Turns out, Brown was as unhappy with his contract in the wake of the Samuel signing as Sheppard. But Brown sought a behind the scenes effort to redo his deal while Sheppard loudly made his displeasure known and subsequently demanded a trade. But it appears that what has really set Brown off is the Eagles’ denial that they are aware of his displeasure.

 

Brown has developed into a real leader on the team. And with the departure of Dawkins and Sheppard, the secondary has already lost a lot of depth and needs Brown’s veteran presence more than ever. Then again, signing an 8 year contract extension wasn’t the brightest thing in the world. And Brown’s experience is a cautionary tale to upcoming free agents who are thinking about long-term deals prior to a new CBA.

The Dearth of Investigative Sports Journalism, Part 1035

The Sports Guy takes the Boston media to task for not better covering the Kevin Garnett injury obfuscation over the past two months. Simmons' blames the decline of newspapers. I agree somewhat but think the larger issue is the inability of most media outlets (both locally and nationally) to do investigative journalism. Simmons' take is below, but the same situation he refers to could easily be applied to the Patriots' spy-gate. How in the world no newspaper or media outlet has published an even remotely complete or detailed story about legendary coach and super bowl champs cheating - and then the resulting league coverup - is amazing. What was worse was the snide tones in articles reporting to the only halfway proactive investigation, conducted by Sen. Arlen Specter of all people. or the ridiculous stance of the papers that some former Pats' video assistant cum golf pro had to provide the goods and if he didn't everything was hunky dory. A pity no one ever bothered to ask Roger Goodell a hardball question on the issue. 

What remains amazing was the media's willingness to accept Boston's strategy that could only be described as "stringing everyone along." Garnett didn't have an identifiable injury. This wasn't a case of "he tore his MCL, he'll be back in four weeks" or even "he's got some bone chips in there, we might have to clean them out." Really, the dude just has old knees. He put too many miles on them and played with too much intensity for too long. When the knees go, they go. That's just the law of the NBA. It's as simple as that.

There's a hidden sub-story lurking here: It involves the fall of newspapers, lack of access and the future of reporting, not just with sports but with everything. I grew up reading Bob Ryan, who covered the Celtics for the Boston Globe and remains the best basketball writer alive to this day. Back in the 1970s and early '80s, he was overqualified to cover the team. In 1980, he would have sniffed out the B.S. signs of this KG story, kept pursuing it, kept writing about it, kept working connections and eventually broken it. True, today's reporters don't get the same access Ryan had, but let's face it: If 1980 Bob Ryan was covering the Celtics right now, ESPN or someone else would lure him away. And that goes for the editors, too. The last two sports editors during the glory years of the Globe's sports section were Vince Doria and Don Skwar ... both of whom currently work for ESPN.

For the past few years, as newspapers got slowly crushed by myriad factors, a phalanx of top writers and editors fled for the greener pastures of the Internet. The quality of nearly every paper suffered, as did morale. Just two weeks ago, reports surfaced that the New York Times Company (which owns the Globe) was demanding $20 million in union concessions or it'd shut down the Globe completely. I grew up dreaming of writing a sports column for the Globe; now the paper might be gone before I turn 40. It's inconceivable. But this Garnett story, and how it was (and wasn't) covered, reminds me of "The Wire," which laid out a blueprint in Season 5 for the death of newspapers without us fully realizing it. The season revolved around the Baltimore Sun and its inability (because of budget cuts and an inexperienced staff) to cover the city's decaying infrastructure. The lesson was inherent: We need to start caring about the decline of newspapers, because, really, all hell is going to break loose if we don't have reporters breaking stories, sniffing out corruption, seeing through smoke and mirrors and everything else. That was how Season 5 played out, and that's why "Wire" creator David Simon is a genius. He saw everything coming before anyone else did.

Ultimately, Garnett's injury doesn't REALLY matter. It's just sports. But I find it a little chilling that the best player on the defending NBA champion could be sidelined for two solid months, with something obviously wrong, and nobody came close to unraveling the real story. We still don't know what's wrong with his knee. We just know it's screwed up. And, yeah, you could say that Garnett has always been guarded -- with just a few people in his circle of trust -- and yeah, you could say that only a few members of the Celtics organization know the truth (maybe coach Doc Rivers, GM Danny Ainge, majority owner Wyc Grousbeck, the trainers and that's it). But this was a massive local sports story. Its coverage is not a good sign for the future of sports journalism or newspapers in general.

Scenes from Washington

Phillies fans at the Nationals' home opener, Monday, April 13, 2009

Initial Scheduling Thoughts

Initial reaction to the Eagles' 2009 schedule.

Tough 3 game stretch all against division rivals from Oct. 26- Nov. 8 - made harder by a cross-country trip to Oakland the week before and the Skins game being on Monday night means a short week against the Giants the following game.

Two really hard openers - on the road vs. Carolina and at home against the Saints. A very real 0-2 start is possible.

Was the season finale at Dallas league payback to Jerry Jones after the debacle his team suffered on the road at the Linc in last year's closeout.

Why do the Eagles play road games on weeks immediately following West Coast road games? Not once, but twice!!

The go out to Oakland and then have to go to Washington the very next week. They go out to San Diego on November 15 and then have to travel to Chicago immediately afterward.

The league could have done them a favor by scheduling their bye after one of their transcontinental road trips...but no.

Danny Ozark is alive!

A friend writes:

reading a round-up of reactions to Harry's death, I came across this reaction. Who knew Ozark was still alive?

Former Phillies manager Danny Ozark: "I first got to know Harry when I was managing Spokane in the Pacific Coast League. He had started his career in Hawaii in the same league. He loved the game of baseball back then. When I got to Philadelphia, I learned first-hand how much he loved the Phillies and their fans. He was a great human being with a great voice. He will be sorely missed by millions of fans."

For You Harry

“This is to the Philadelphia Fan

To Laud your passion as best I can

Your loyalty is unsurpassed

Be the Fightins in first or last

We come to the park each day

Looking forward to another fray

Because we know you'll be there

We know you really care

You give the opposing pitcher fits

Because as one loyalist shouts, "Everybody hits"

To be sure in Philly, there might be some boos

Because you passionate fans, like the manager, hate to lose

Your reaction to the action on the field that you impart

Spurs us as broadcasters to call the game with enthusiasm and heart

We feel your passion through and through

Philadelphia fans, I love you.”

- - Harry Kalas

 

We love you, too, Harry. We’ll miss you.

Harry the K

High praise for Harry Kalas. “He was a Philadelphia guy,” said Bob Boone.

Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer gets a profile in Sports Illustrated this week (the one with UNC on the cover).

The point is that even after tours with seven major league teams, Moyer has never forgotten working-class Souderton.

With 246 career wins which will probably increase to at least 255 by the end of the season, it's fair to speculate about Moyer's Hall of Fame potential. 

Currently he's 48th in all-time wins. 255 would get him to 40th - which would place him above Jack Morris, Carl Hubbel, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford and Juan Marichal.

 He's made one all-star appearance - in 2003 when he was with the Mariners (at age 40!). The same year he won 21 games. He's won 20 games in two seasons.

His career ERA is 4.19 and he has 2250 strikeouts. 

All in all, a fabulous 24 year career for a local guy who made good with less than major league "stuff." But other than wins - based on his longevity - it's hard to see him making the Hall.

Moving Picks

Rich Hoffman tries to figure the trade up and trade down scenarios with the Eagles' 21st and 28th picks.And he points out that the top 10 just ain't what it used to be. While you win big with these premier players, if you get it wrong you lose big too (and not just the lost huge salary).

Their first pick and their second-round pick could probably get them in the top 10. Their first- and third-rounders could probably get them to about 15th.

The Eagles have had good success with their second rounders. The last round of the first day, however, has been a disaster. Given their atrocious recent track record with 3rd rounders (Matt McCoy, Ryan Moats, Tony Hunt), the Eagles would probably be best served by giving up the trey to upgrade one of their first rounders into the top half of the draft.

Phillies Fans...Come on Down!

A lot of controversy here in Washington over Nationals’ President Stan Kasten’s appeal to opposing teams’ fans to come watch their team play vs. the Nationals. The biggest issue, by far, has been the outreach to Phillies fans.

Another Slow Start

Glad to see the Phillies are off to their typically torrid April start. Hopefully they’ll have at least one win and 4 runs scored by the time of Monday’s game when I go see them for the Nationals’ home opener.

 

My friend did some quickie research on the recent Awful Aprils of the last 6 seasons. The best start they have had is '03, when they went 15-12. Otherwise, 1 time in the last 5 seasons they were above .500 for the month of April. Here are the last 5 Aprils:

'04: 10-11
'05: 13-17
'06: 10-14
'07: 11-14*
'08: 15-13

* -- In April '07, they started 2-8 and, remember, Charlie almost lost his job.

Dawk Helping out Former Eagle Employee

BDawk is going to give his Broncos-Eagles tix to former Eagle employee Dan Leone, who was fired after criticizing the Eagles for letting Dawkins depart via free agency. Just another notch in BDawk's good guy belt.

From the Daily News:

Of course, Dawkins will be back at the Linc this season as a visitor, with the Broncos scheduled to play here at a date not yet announced. He said he has decided what he will do with the two tickets each visiting player gets for an away game. They won't go to a high school player this time, but to a former Eagles game-day employee, Dan Leone, who was fired by the team after he vented his displeasure over the Birds losing Dawkins to Denver on his Facebook page.

"I thought it'd be a good gesture,'' Dawkins said. "Had I not . . . signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job. Obviously, he made a decision and out of emotion said something. He was one of probably thousands and thousands of Eagles fans who felt that way. That didn't surprise me, that someone said that on their Facebook. It did surprise me that he was let go, though. That really did surprise me. I felt it would be a good thing, to reach out to that individual and just let him know how much I appreciate it.''

Separated at Birth

I've had Carolina on my mind as Villanova prepares for tonight's game. Maybe this is a stretch, but don't UNC's Tyler Hansbrough and Friday Night Lights' JD McCoy (nee Jeremy Sumpter) look alike. More than physical appearance, they share some other characteristics: God-given talent, leader of the team, good-boy image, etc. (btw, I know FNL is a fictional show).

Here's Hansbrough. And go to the following link for McCoy.


http://www.tv.com/jeremy-sumpter/person/68529/viewer.html?ii=4&grti=104&gri=68529&flag=

More 24

Again more retrospective on that magical moment 24 years ago this week. Thanks again for Villanova being in the Final Four this year so we can remember it all in detail.

Cutler

Surprisingly, the news out of Denver has created a fan frenzy in Philadelphia to trade McNabb for the disgruntled Bronco. Have fans got clued in that should McNabb leave the team isn’t interested in getting a QB in return since they have the successor-in-waiting already on the roster in Kevin Kolb?

24 Years Ago Today

On April 1, 1985 Villanova played the “perfect” basketball game and pulled off the greatest upset in college basketball history by defeating defending national champion Georgetown University, 66-64, in Lexington, Kentucky to win the national championship.

 

Also on that date, I received my acceptance letter to Villanova.

 

Prior to the game, my brother and I hung a bedsheet on the side of our house proclaiming “Nova is #1,’ only to have some dumb woman stop while we were hanging it and ask why we were “saying our car was #1?”

 

Again, the great thing about Villanova being in the Final Four is you get to hear all of these old stories again and relive that magical moment.

A Fun Run

As my brother has long argued, one of – if not the best things – about your team being in the playoffs or championship game is that you are able to maintain your fan interest for as long as possible. That is, you enjoy a full (entire) sport season when your team does well. The other great thing about your team being in the playoffs/championship is that there is a ton more media coverage, and national attention, about your team. So it’s a win-win. You get to follow your team for as long as possible and the farther they go the more there is to follow (read) about them.

 

That is the great thing about Villanova making the Final Four. Though significant underdogs to North Carolina on Saturday, by virtue of making the Final Four Wildcat fans are guaranteed to remain interested in the college basketball season for all but the final two days, and even then could still be going for them too.

 

So regardless of whether they beat UNC on Saturday, it’s been a great, fun run.

A Wildcatter

J-Roll is a Villanova fan.

The Key Schilling Stats

Here’s Schilling’s most persuasive case for Cooperstown:

 

11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in the postseason

The real numbers

Forget about all this nonsense around the Eagles' "12" picks in the upcoming draft. At least right now, until the exact spot of the 4th round compensatory pick is specified, the real numbers are:
21, 28, 53. and 85. Those are the Eagles' overall picks in the first three rounds.

In other words, the Eagles have two picks in the first round and 4 total in the first 3 rounds. Those picks, along with the unsettled 4th rounder, will go a long, long way toward determining the success of the team in the next 4-5 years.

Will they be like 2002s: Lito Sheppard (26), Michael Lewis (58), Sheldon Brown (59), and Brian Westbrook (91)?

Or like 2005's: Mike Patterson (31), Reggie Brown (35), Matt McCoy (63), and Ryan Moats (77)?

Will 21+28+53+85= 44? As in XLIV?

Let's hope so.

Tournament

I thought Villanova would beat UCLA, but not put the beat down on them that they did. Wow!

Other random thoughts so far:

* I don't get it when people say Arizona's run shows that they "deserved" to get a bid over Mt. St. Mary's. Arizona's success speaks more about the other invited teams than it does about any of the others that weren't. To make a comparison to the Mount would require a fair evaluation of the Mount's tournament success which is impossible since they weren't invited.

* 5 Big East teams in the sweet 16?! It brings new meaning to "power" conference.

* Speaking of power conferences, for all of the selection committee's crowing about Arizona, they should be ashamed that only 2 of 7 ACC and Big 10 teams are left. Why did those weak conferences get as many bids as the Big East? And really, couldn't the ACC and Big 10 bubble teams have been excluded to allow the Mounties of the world into the big dance? I mean, would that have really been so bad for the tournament?

* The national media is asking some questions about the propriety of Villanova's home court advantage last weekend. A lot of funny stuff going on with the selection committee gaming the system for the name teams through seedings and pod placement. A bigger question than the Villanova situation is why #4 Xavier didn't play in Dayton but #8 Ohio State did.

Schilling Hall Worthy

The clock starts to tick on Curt Schilling’s five year wait for Cooperstown.

 

Are his numbers (see preceding post) Hall worthy? Should be interesting. He is right on the bubble. Another 10 wins (226 career) would have really helped his cause, me thinks. As it is, I think the three world series championships, particularly helping bring Boston their first in eons, and the legend of the bloody sock, will tip the balance in his favor.

 

Still, just like the player himself, Schilling’s candidacy will be much discussed and debated and provoke some intense feelings.

Schilling retirement

Curt Schilling announced his retirement today.

 

The best big-game pitcher of his generation.

 

216 wins

3116 strikeouts

3.46 ERA

3 20 win seasons

6 time all star

NLCS MVP

World Series MVP

2 titles

 

You Win Some, You Lose Some

So the Eagles (finally) acquire a real fullback in Leonard Weaver...and lose (finally) LJ Smith (Jim Harbaugh must have liked what he saw up close lo those years ago).

All in all, not a bad week for the Eagles.

V for Victory Indeed

Last night's Villanova game was, for most of it, a horrible reminder of their upset loss to Old Dominion back in 1995. Same deal, too. 'Nova a 3 seed, and the scrappy veteran 14th ranked squad from south of the mason dixon line hanging around, giving the Wildcats fits, etc..

In fact, I had the same sick feeling last night as I did back then. There was especially a moment in the 2nd half, about 18 minutes to go, where AU missed a big 3 that i thought would have blown the game wide open.  AU just ran out of gas at the end.

Really, the huge benefit Villanova had was playing at home and preventing a neutral crowd from tilting toward the underdog.

Someon (Phil Sheridan?) suggested that a loss last night would have been more devastating than the one in 1995. I completely disagree. The loss to ODU - in triple OT no less - was a HUGE disaster and watershed moment for Villanova.

Remember, the '95 squad had won the NIT championship the year before and was poised for big things in the tournament the following year. Indeed, they blew UConn off the court in the Big East tournament final - their rubber match with the Huskies that year - to win the conference championship only 5 days before.

The loss really exposed Lappas as a mediocre game coach, Eric Eberz as a big game choke artist (a role he reprised in the tournament the following year), really gave the whole team a tightness on the big stage that took years to undo, and prompted Lappas to take a flyer on the highly touted Tim Thomas, essentially bargaining that Thomas and his expected one year stint at the school was the missing ingredient to a Final Four worthy team and to avoid squandering Kerry Kittles', Jason Lawson's and Alvin Woodward's senior season. Instead, the Thomas recruitment  undermined the chemistry of the team and sowed confusion over who was the go-to guy, the Parade All-american and projected lottery pick, or the actual college All-american and one of the school's all-time greats.

Suffice to say i was a drunken mess the night of the triple OT debacle...which occurred on St. Patrick's Day no less. I vaguely recall switching to white russians after the keg was kicked and the game was headed into OT. Only to be tossing the empty barrel around the fenced in city patio after ODU had shocked the Main Line.

Andy Reid Speaks!

Funny, the mumbles don’t come through in the transcript.

 

Basically, the interview boiled down to explaining how and why Brian Dawkins left, the relationship with Donovan McNabb, and the status of Brian Westbrook post-surgery.

 

Here, I think is the most relevant question and answer of the interview, where Spadaro asks a surprisingly pointed question about why the Eagles didn’t just pay Dawkins some extra money to stay given how much room they have under the cap. Reid’s answer: the Eagles don’t overpay and “it’s just business.”

 

DS: Some fans wonder, though, why the Eagles, who have so much room under the salary cap, would not just do anything it takes to keep a player like Dawkins here. Why not go the extra mile and keep him here?

AR: "I understand that and we're obviously in a business where change takes place. You set the money aside and we did what we thought was fair and Denver did what they thought was fair and they did a great job with it. And we move on. That's how these things work. There is no animosity towards Brian. That's just business. I think Brian understands that, we understand that and you just go on."

 

 

Smith Elected New Union Boss

This is one of the biggest upsets since Douglas knocked out Tyson. An outsider with no NFL playing experience, Smith beat out player favorites Trace Armstrong and Troy Vincent for NFLPA Executive Director. That must have been one hell of a business plan Smith presented to the executive council.

LT Smith's Draft Value Continues to Plummet

At this rate, maybe the Eagles will be able to get Alabama tackle Andre Smith with one of their pick’s in the 20s. Then again, maybe it would be better if they didn’t draft him at all.

Its' Official

Tra Thomas signed with the Jaguars.

 

Major reshuffling of Eagles offensive line to continue.

 

With the departure of Dawkins and now Thomas, there is no longer anyone on the roster who played or was selected during the Ray Rhodes era.

Adieu G - Lew

After the TO debacle, now former Eagles WR Greg Lewis became a favorite fan punching bag as the personification of the team’s historic stance in undervaluing the WR position. In many eyes, Lewis was just the latest in a long line of receiving stiffs like Na Brown, Freddie Mitchell and the inimitable duo of Trash and Stinkston.

 

And yet, in the week leading up to the Eagles-Patriots game in November 2007, it was shocking to hear Bill Belichick praising Lewis as one of the Eagles’ offensive playmakers that his defense would have to stop. Greg Lewis?

 

Then again, maybe it wasn’t so surprising given Lewis’ 4 catches/53 yards and 1 TD in the super bowl vs. the Patriots.

 

What was surprising was that with AJ Feeley at QB in that 2007 regular season game, Lewis proved Belichick prophetic, leading all Eagles receivers in yardage with 4 catches for 88 yards and TWO touchdowns.

 

Now the most shocking thing is to realize that Belichick was serious and perhaps Lewis’ skills were underappreciated given the trade the Patriots just made to acquire G Lew.

 

Alas, I think I speak for most fans when I say he won’t be missed.

 

Note to Belichick – he can’t return punts.

We Are...Penn State

Here’s a link to the vote tally of the house of representatives resolution congratulating the USC Trojans Rose Bowl win over Penn State.

 

Five Pennsylvania reps – all Dems – voted against it: Altmire (PA-04)  Dahlkemper (PA-03)  Murphy (PA-08),  Doyle (PA-14), Carney (PA-10), and Kanjorski (PA-11) 

 

Interestingly, all of the Republican Pennsylvania members voted for it.

 

And I love the cross-border love W. Virginia’s Nick Joe Rahall gave to PA by voting against it too.

Amazing Stat of the Day

From the Times:

 

Since the mid-1960s, college men’s players have made about 69 percent of free throws, the unguarded 15-foot, 1-point shot awarded after a foul. In 1965, the rate was 69 percent. This season, as teams scramble for bids to the N.C.A.A. tournament, it was 68.8. It has dropped as low as 67.1 but never topped 70.

Brian Dawkins Reflection

As usual, Rich Hoffman gets it perfectly:

"...When they look at Brian Dawkins, what they see is themselves.

"Thirteen years. It is a long time to be carrying a municipal legacy onto the field every week. It is forever, in many ways - and Dawkins will be a forever kind of player for this franchise, cherished, remembered, all of that, long after the No. 20 is put away.

"Part of it is because he has been so good, a seven-time Pro Bowler, the best safety in the history of the franchise. Part of it is because of how hard he hits people, how he just pulverizes them, even now. Long after the details are forgotten, the visceral remains. You wince when Dawkins really launches himself at somebody. That is what people will always remember - the wince, and then the wow.

"But it is more than that - and, no, not that ridiculous, indescribable routine he goes through when he emerges from the tunnel and goes onto the field. It is simpler than that. It is visible passion, visible to all.

"No Eagles fan can possibly doubt that Dawkins cares more than they do. That's it. That is the connection between a man and a city. That is the bond."