Twenty games into the season the Phillies find themselves 10-10, sitting in fourth place, two and a half games behind the Florida Marlins. While a .500 record is nothing to dance about, and the Phillies have not been able to crack the .500 plateau all season, there is reason for hope.
These are the Phillies we are talking about; a team that notoriously digs themselves in an April hole. Only to spend the remainder of the season playing catch-up in hopes to bring another playoff birth to the City of Brotherly Love.
Things haven’t exactly gone the Phillies way in this young season. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, the team’s top two hitters in the batting order are on the disabled list. Ryan Howard can’t make contact with anything. He’s on pace to again break the single season strikeout record; a record he set last year. He and Pedro Feliz are both batting below the Mendoza Line.
Yet they are still playing .500 baseball. How did they get to this place?
You’d have to start with …
True to its reputation, Colorado’s Coors Field was a home run haven Monday night, with Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Jason Werth (sorta), Garrett Atkins and Yorvit Torrealba all going yard.
The Rockies jumped out to an early lead in the second inning after Torrealba drove one into the left field bleachers to take a 3-0 lead. The Phillies came back in the fourth with two runs of their own off a two run home run by Burrell, his seventh of the season. In the last seven games, Burrell has three home runs with six RBIs and is only the second hottest player on the team.
After Atkins made it 5-2 in the fifth with a two run shot of his own, the Phillies decided to make things exciting. Jason Werth hit a drive deep to center field that took a wild carom off the fence and got away from centerfielder Willy Taveras, allowing to Werth to make it all the way around the diamond for an inside the park home run. Not to …
It has been said all along that this series would hinge on Washington Capitals’ star Alexander Ovechkin’s ability to heat up and find the back of the net. Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Flyers, he found it. Ovechkin came in to tonight’s game with just one goal in the series, largely due to the Flyers’ ability to contain him and keep him off his game.
The game started out on a high note with a Mike Richards powerplay goal, just the Flyers’ second of the series. It was a good sign for the Orange and Black. The team that scored first in this series was 5-0. Make that 5-1. Danny Briere scored the Flyers’ second powerplay goal of the game and his league leading sixth goal of the playoffs in the second period and it appeared that they were off and running to a first round win.
The Flyers won the first half of the game and the Capitals won the second half of the second period. and Alexander Ovechkin won the third. Midway …
We’ll probably forget this a few months from now, but for young players like Thadeus Young, Rodney Carney and Lou Williams the memory may last a lifetime. For these players, it was their first taste of the playoffs, and first win in the post season as well.
When we read the papers tomorrow morning or listen to the radio, we may read or hear the commentary on how the Pistons played poorly down the stretch and the Sixers were fortunate enough to capitalize. They may point out (as I did in my Sixers preview), that Detroit may be prone to a let down because they;ve rested their players for so long. They may point out D-Town played apathetically in the fourth quarter (actually for the last 18 minutes), and lost the game more then the Sixers won it.
But this win is more then the x’s and o’s on the chalk board. It’s more than a 1-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs. This victory is a moment. It is a …
On Thursday I reported of an “erroneous report” that Jimmy Rollins was headed to the DL. I based my opinion on the word of Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr., who so clearly stated that Rollins was not going on the DL and would most likely play this weekend against the Mets. Well apparently the people at The Phanatic Magazine know more then Amaro because today the Phillies placed Rollins on the 15-day disabled list with a left ankle sprain.
The reigning MVP injured his ankle on April 8th against the Mets and hasn’t started the past 10 games. He has pinch-hit four times (going 0 for 4), but appeared to be in pain as he hobbled down the first base line.
The Phillies have also placed Chris Snelling on the 15 disabled list. Snelling is suffering from a sore knee. When he injured this is unknown considering he’s only had three at-bats this season. It’s really no surprise. Saying Snelling is injury-prone is an understatement. This will be the 16th time …
I would truly like to think that the Sixers have a chance against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, which begin in Detroit tomorrow. However, my mind won’t let me get to wistful in dreaming of an upset.
The Sixers have put together an amazing season, and despite their late season swoon (losses in 5 of their last 6 games), they have nothing to be ashamed of as players like Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert proved they were worth more than people gave them credit, and youngsters like Thadeus Young and Lou Williams showed amazing maturity and provide hope going into next season.
But this season is still going strong, so let’s not close the door on the chapter just yet. The Pistons have about 400 more games of playoff experience (and 1 more Championship) then the Sixers, and that only takes into account their starting 5. However the Sixers are young and the Pistons have the look of a team that’s been going through the motions the last …
Born on February 14th, 1963, John Marzano always seemed destined for great things. The date of his birth was befitting of the man he would be become. A loving Husband, Father and Grandfather. And the rare professional athlete who epitomized what Philadelphian’s look for in a player, no matter the sport.
Mr. Marzano was found dead earlier today, after an apparent fall down a flight of stairs, believed to be caused from an apparent heart attack, but reports from the coroner’s office have yet to be released.
Born and raised in the South Philadelphia area, Mr. Marzano elected to go to college at Temple University after graduating from Central High, despite being drafted in the 3rd round of the Baseball Amateur Draft in 1981. He starred at Temple for 3 years as a catcher and was drafted in the first round (14th overall), by the Boston Red Sox in 1984. That same year, he also earned a spot on Team USA Baseball.
His major league career began with Boston in ‘87, and he had …
When the schedules come out, it seems to be everyone’s favorite pastime to try and discern how many games their favorite team will win. I too like to indulge, but I like to think I have better sources then most. The following should be considered as fact, and if you’re the betting sort, I suggest you take out a loan and ride the season out. You’ll thank me in February.
Game 1: St. Louis Rams: Thanks to a healthy Marc Bulger and re-energized Steven Jackson, The Rams will roll into town with a lot of hope at the start of the season. However, in the first quarter of the game, while rolling to his right, Bulger pulls his arm back when he sees an open Torry Holt streaking down the field past Assante Samuel, who was blinded by a reflection from a penny Joe Banner dropped on the sideline.
As Bulger’s arm begins to move forward, it snaps off cleanly from …
The Mets and Johan Santana couldn’t come to Citizens Bank Park at a better time. Although Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino will possibly miss the entire series, the Phillies are coming off their most complete game of the season when they defeated the Astros 10-2. A dominating pitching outing, coupled with a 16 hit barrage, the Phillies showed what they are capable of doing, even minus the reigning NL MVP.
Who better to start a three game series of baseball’s hottest rivalry, but a pitching duel of two of the best pitchers in the National League. Santana will face the NL’s ERA leader, Cole Hamels.
Hamels has been dominant this season. Hamels is 2-1 and leads the National League in ERA (0.82). His lone loss came on his first start of the season where he pitched eight innings, and only allowed one run. Unfortunately for him, the Phillies were only able to muster up one hit, losing 1-0 to the Nationals. Hamels is 1-1 against the Mets in his career with a 2.77 …
It took two overtimes, but the Flyers beat the Capitals 4-3, giving them a commanding 3-1 lead in the first round of the Stanlley Cup playoffs (courtesy of Philly.com):
Danny Briere saved the game for the Flyers in regulation and Mike Knuble got them a win away from the second round in a thrilling double-overtime finish.Knuble poked in his second goal of the series 6:40 into the second OT to give Philadelphia a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night and a 3-1 series lead.
Jeff Carter scored twice for the Flyers, who can finish off the Caps in Game 5 on Saturday in Washington.
The Caps have dropped three straight in the series and it could be the end for them if leading scorer Alex Ovechkin can’t start finding the back of the net. Ovechkin, who scored 65 goals this season, had only one assist in Game 4.
Knuble ended it when he found the puck near the corner of the net and quickly poked it past Cristobal Huet. He …
Earlier today, a less than reputable website reported the Phillies were on the verge of placing reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins on the disabled list. It caused a buzz among talk radio stations and message boards in the Philadelphia area, but couldn’t be further from the truth.
Although many like myself questioned the credability of the report and dismissed it; it still prompted Ruben Amaro Jr. to address it.
“We have no plans to put him on the DL,” Amaro said, after Thursday’s 10-2 win over the Astros. “We believe he should be ready to play, hopefully Saturday or Sunday. We’re not sure he’s going to play those days, but he’s progressing toward that. The results confirmed exactly what we were treating him for,” Amaro said. “He’s got a strain in the ankle and he’s healing. Jimmy is feeling more comfortable. We’ll see how he feels when he gets back [from the funeral]. The MRI was precautionary.”
Hopefully Amaro is spot-on with his estimations. While the Phillies have gone 4-4 since Rollins sprained his ankle, …
Last night the Sixers continued their end of season fall from grace, this time at the hands of Lebron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, who literally stole the win away from the Sixers after the game had actually ended.
The loss wasted a brilliant fourth quarter from Lou Williams (21 pts, 12 in the 4th), and further demoralized the hometown crowd.
With about 6 seconds remaining, Williams recovered a mis-handled ball from Andre Iguodala, and chucked up a shot from just inside the 3 point line, to put the Sixers ahead 90-89.
On the ensuing possession, James stumbled down the lane, and tossed up a bad shot that clanked off the rim and into Devin Brown’s hands, who went for a put back that missed as time expired.
The Sixers quickly left the court, but were called back when the refs reviewed the play and concluded that Brown was fouled on his last second attempt.
Brown sank both free throws and the Sixers were sent back to the locker room with their tails between their legs.
The …
