There is speculation that beleaguered pitcher Brett Myers could move back to the bullpen, a role in which he appeared much more comfortable last season.
Myers has been down right awful this year, going 3-9 on the year with a 5.84 ERA. According to a comcastsportsnet.com article, “Since winning consecutive decisions in mid-April, Myers (3-9, 5.84 ERA in 17 starts) is 1-8 in his last 13 starts. The NL East-leading Phillies have won only two of those games.”
Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee had a lengthy conversation with their struggling starter before Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
“I talked to (Myers) for quite a while. He’s struggling and trying to find it. Whatever he tries doesn’t seem to work,” Manuel said. “I’ll think about what I want to do the next few days and we’ll come up with something. We don’t have a lot of options.”
The conversation came a day after Myers gave up five runs in two innings in an 8-7 loss …
The Flyers’ signed defenseman Steve Eminger to a one-year contract Sunday.
Philadelphia acquired Eminger from the Capitals in a draft-night deal that sent a first round pick to Washington. The Flyers also got a third round pick.
Eminger was a healthy scratch most of last season. In 20 regular season games, he accrued two assists and eight penalty minutes.
“Steve is a young two-way defenseman that will fit in nicely with our group,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement.
In five NHL seasons, Eminger has posted six goals and 37 assists.
“I’m happy to get the deal worked out and excited about being part of the organization,” Eminger said. “I can’t wait for the start of the season to get things going.”
A comcastsportsnet.com article today stated that Clippers’ star Elton Brand has to opt out of his contract before the Sixers can attempt to sign him. Let the attempting begin.
According to ESPN.com, “Elton Brand said on Monday that he is opting out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, but that he hopes to re-sign with the team.”
“We’re opting out,” Brand said. “It definitely doesn’t mean I’m leaving the Clippers. We’re trying to work it out. My intention is to stay.”
That may be true. Brand may want to stay in LA. But he may also just be saying what he is expected to say. Regardless of whether he wants to stay with the Clippers or not, by opting out he has announced that he is unhappy with his current contract or situation, which leaves an opening for the Sixers to slip in and lure him to Philly. And that appears to be just what Sixers’ GM Ed Stefanski …
Lenny Dykstra. Nails. The Dude. You have to love him right? I still remember when he showed up for spring training in 1993 all jacked up and proclaimed he had taken some “good vitamins” during the off-season. Oh that Lenny, what a kidder. So when you found out he had become some kind of stock genius, you basically had to pick your jaw off the floor didn’t you? Well, it might all be crashing (like a car into a tree?) around him as evidenced by the listing of his SoCal home for $25 million. Get out while you can Dude!
The house, which is on the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA, used to be the home of Wayne Gretzky and is - technically speaking - ginormous. So if you’re looking for a little spot for you and the wife and kids, consider this place with it’s 12,713 square feet, eight bedrooms, seven baths located on seven acres next to a GOLF COURSE! But …
It’s the last day of June and the rosters have been announced for this year’s XM All-Star Futures Game. The Futures Game, which will take place on July 13th at Yankee Stadium is a seven inning game featuring top prospects both representing the United States and the World. Currently there are 122 players in the Major Leagues who played in the Futures Game, including current Phillies Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, and Brett Myers.
This year is no different, with the Phillies boasting a league-high five prospects. Lou Marson, Greg Golson, and Jason Donald will represent the USA, Carlos Carrasco, and Antonio Bastardo will represent the World. All travel to Yankee Stadium later this month and showcase their talent.
Marson is quickly climbing up the prospect list. Entering the season he was the eighth ranked organization, Marson is taking the league by storm, to the point where some are calling for his call-up to replace the struggling Carlos Ruiz. He is batting .324 (5th in the Eastern League), with two …
Hitting coach Milt Thompson has been a member of the Phillies coaching staff since 2003. Since 2004 he’s been the team’s hitting coach. During his tenure has hitting coach, the Phillies offense has flourished, most notibly last season, when they led the lead in runs (892), RBI’s (850), extra-base hits (580), triples (41), total bases (2,605), walks (641), and SLG% (.458).
This season the Phillies offense has seen some potency as well ranking in the top three in home runs, total bases, and home runs. On paper the Phillies offense looks like one of the most feared offenses in the league. With a lineup that has the likes of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell, they’re going to score runs, and opposing pitchers and managers are aware of this.
While I agree the Phillies offense has the potential to be possibly the greatest offense in the 125 years of this franchise, if you’ve watch them play over the past three weeks, you wouldn’t think so. They chase …
Kris Benson made yet another rehab start today, this time it was his first start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Yet again, the start didn’t go as well as planned when you look at the box score.
Benson allowed four runs, all of them earned, on five hits in only four innings of work. He has yet to win a rehab start in 2008 or produce an impressive rehab start yet.
Even though he has not complained of much pain following his past couple of starts, Benson has had trouble throwing strikes and not getting lit up.
As reported here on June 20th, by our own Conroy, forward Jeff Carteris to remain a Flyer. The twenty-three-year-old center signed a three-year contract worth $15 million. Carter is coming off a season where he set career highs in goals (29) and assists (24), and all signs point to Carter improving on those numbers.
With Carter being a restricted free agent this summer, he probably could have fetched more money on the open market, but he wanted to stay in Philadelphia, even if it meant he remained a third-line center.
“I’m definitely happy,” said Carter, who spoke via conference call from his home in London, Ontario. “I think I said from day one that I didn’t want to go anywhere. I’m very excited to be staying in Philadelphia. We have great group of guys on this team, and I can’t wait to get back on the ice and continue where we left off last season.”
The feeling is mutual in Philly. No one wanted to see …
The Phillies have now lost five straight series with a record of 4-11 over that span. The offense has just completely disappeared. Star second baseman Chase Utley has just 10 hits in his last 53 at bats, including a streak in which he didn’t have a hit in 23 at bats. His batting average has dropped 23 percentage points to .293 during the 15 game stretch. Reigning MVP and leadoff man Jimmy Rollins has just three hits in his last 24 at bats, with only four walks. Ryan Howard continues to struggle at the plate, as does Geoff Jenkins. I could go on, but let’s just suffice it say that this team isn’t hitting.
The team’s lack of hitting doesn’t bother me. All teams go through slumps and losing streaks. Over the course of 162 games, there are bound to be a couple rough spots. What does bother me, however, is that it does not appear that this team is going to break out of it any time soon. A team’s …
When Jimmy Rollins won the MVP award last year I couldn’t have been happier. He had one of the finest all-around seasons in the modern history of this game, becoming the fourth player in history to hit at least twenty doubles, triples, and home runs in the same season, as well as steal at least twenty bases. He also represented the second Phillie in a row to take the award (Ryan Howard won the MVP in 2006). Aside form that, he’s one of my favorite players. An aggressive leadoff hitter, who gets the offense running in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, as impressive as it was that Rollins walked away with the MVP, I think overall it might have done more harm then good. The J-Roll (as he’s affectionately called), we’ve seen this year began the season living off last season’s triumphs, then missed a month with an ankle sprain, and returned a different player. The hustle and passion are gone.
As goes J-Roll, goes the Phillies. Teams rely on leadoff …
The 76ers took Marreese Speights with the sixteenth pick of the 2008 NBA Draft Thursday.
Speights is a 6′10″ power forward from the University of Florida. He averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Gators in the 2007-2008 season.
Speights seems to have a lot of raw talent, its just a question of whether or not he can refine that talent and become a serious NBA player.
According to the website, www.draftexpress.com, the first thing you notice when watching Speights work out is how fundamentally sound he is.
He’s got a natural, flawless stroke, showing small-forward like elevation creating separation from his defender, a high release point, excellent body control on his fade-aways, great technique squaring his shoulders and his hips simultaneously in perfect unison—and not surprisingly, getting unbelievable results in the process.
Speights is big and powerful enough to play the power forward position, but has the skill and agility to play like a shooting forward.
In the post, he has a beautiful hook-shot and an even prettier turn-around jumper, to …
The Philadelphia 76ers select Marreese Speights from the University of Florida.
Speights is a 6′10″ power forward from St. Petersburg, Florida.
According to the website www.draftexpress.com,
We walked away from the first day shaking our head at what we witnessed—a 6-10, 20-year old power forward who is about as skilled a big man facing the basket as you will find in this draft. “He’s really more skilled than anyone knows,“ Joe Abunassar told us. The first thing you notice is how fundamentally sound Speights’ shooting mechanics are. He’s got a natural, flawless stroke, showing small-forward like elevation creating separation from his defender, a high release point, excellent body control on his fade-aways, great technique squaring his shoulders and his hips simultaneously in perfect unison—and not surprisingly, getting unbelievable results in the process. He operates strictly on the balls of his feet as he catches and fires away, draining shot after shot from 16-18 feet with machine-like efficiency, and then proceeding to step-away and knock down college and even NBA 3-pointers with impressive …
