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.