phrustrated philly phan

After losing two of three to the best team in the National League, the Mets, the Phillies embark on their last month of the season. The Phillies do not face another team with a winning record the rest of the year. The Phillies remain 1.5 games out of the wildvcard race behind the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies are prime for a wild card win after acquiring Jeff Conine from the Baltimore Orioles yesterday. The Phillies have solidified their team by trading for Jamie Moyer, Jose Hernandez, and Conine. Conine will add a veteren playoff with playoff experience to the bench will also spelling Delluci and Burrell. Moyer has solidified the rotation even with today's subpar outing. He is another great veteren who rounds out the staff nicely. Ryan Howard continues to dominate NL pitchers, hitting his 47th home run and 122nd RBI of the season. Howard is deserving of the MVP but the Phillies may have to make the playoffs to win the award, but his numbers are better than anyone elses. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino have provided a sparkplug at the top of the lineup. Chase Utley has been terrific this year for the Phillies but has struggled recently, but should get back on track.

This is not to say winning the wild card will be easy but it is possible. The Phillies are still chasing the Reds and many teams are still in the running. If the Phillies can get hot they have a chance of pulling away but more possible is that the race goes down to the final days. The Phillies have a better offense, and their pitching is comparable to the other contenders so hopefully the Phils can get the job done and bring October baseball back to Philly this year.

Tomorrow's Game- Brett Myers coming off a great outing against the Cubbies takes the mound and will be opposed by Tony Armas Jr. This is the final three games of the road trip before the Phillies return on the weekend. From here on out the Phillies need to win every series they play in and the occasional sweep would be nice. Gametime is 7:05. Lets Go Phils.

• Today's Phillies game has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 12:10 as both teams had days off. Jamie Moyer will still oppose John Maine in the rubber game.
• The Flyers will open rookies camp on September 6 this year with the main camp beginning September 15 in Voorhees, NJ. The will start with 5 practice days then play 7 games in 10 days and finish with 5 practice days.
• The Big 5 has agreed on a four year contract that will include a full round-robin games each year but will not have a Big 5 classic. The Big 5 classic began in 2001 and had an afternoon doubleheader and a single night game. All the Big 5 schools plus Drexel participated but after 4 years and because of scheduling difficulties it has been done away with. The Big 5 which is unique to Philly will continue though.

As I have mentioned, I play baseball for Winthrop University. In response to some questions, I am going to briefly explain how college baseball works as many people from the north do not follow closely (I know because I didn't until I started playing college baseball). College baseball has three divisions. Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3 with the differences sometimes barely visible. Some division 2's are better than division 1 schools unlike in college football or basketball. Baseball programs only have a maximum of 11.7 scholarship for upwards of 30 players so also unlike football and basketball, full scholarships are rare in baseball. Division 3's are not permitted to give athletic scholarships and division 2's can give them only if their school funds them. Obviously the better division 2's have a well-funded scholarship program. Many teams, especially the southern schools, play upwards of 50 games a year. For example last year, Winthrop played Miami, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida State (all made the regionals) in addition to our conferance schedule. We play in the Big South with our main rival being Coastal Carolina also a nationally competitive team. The main power conferances in baseball are the ACC, SEC, Big 12, and Pac 10. The other two football power conferances, Big 10 and Big East, struggle in baseball because many of their schools are in the north. Each conferance has a conferance tournament at the end of the season and the winners are guanteed a spot in the NCAA Regionals. After that wild card berths are given out. Last year, UNC Asheville won the Big South conferance tournament and we were a wild card berth. 64 teams make the regionals broken down into 16 groups of 4 teams each. These four teams play a down elimination tournament. Last year, we played in the North Carolina Regional. We eventually lost two games to North Carolina to end our season. The winners of each Regional move on to the Super Regionals which is a three game series between two teams. The winner of the 8 super regionals move on to the College World Series at Omaha, Nebraska where another double elimination is held to decide the college champion. Last year Oregon State won. College baseball is a year around commitment with lifting and conditioning during the fall and winter. This year, we will be traveling to the Dominican Republic over Thanksgiving to play some games. Check out our website http://www.winthropeagles.com/default.asp?section=1 for updates and the 2007 schedule should be posted shortly.

Last June, we had four players get drafted. Heath Rollins was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 11th round. Ironically the Phillies drafted two players, LF/1B Jacob Dempsey in the 21st round and C Alan Robbins in the 32nd round. Our shortstop, Matt Repec, was drafted in the 27th round by the Colorado Rockies. Also my roommate from last year, Alex Wilson, was named the Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. Hope that helps and lets beat those muts again tonight.

Lets start with a brief history. As many of you know, I am a college student so that means I don't remember the great teams of the late 70's and early 80's. My first memory of the Phillies is attending a game probably in 1991 or 1992 with my dad. It was a great time and I have been hooked ever since. I barely remember the 1993 season when the Phillies lost a heartbreaking World Series. Since then the Phillies have seemed to be in repeat mode. The mid and late 90's were a bad time to be a Phillies fans. Players like Ricky Otero (only 5'7") were common and so was losing. Ed Wade stumbled his way through being a GM and did relatively little positive other than trading Kevin Stocker for Bobby Abreu. With the hiring of Larry Bowa, the culture of losing changed and the team became a consistent over .500 team but still could not reach the postseason. Wade was still routinely critized and deservedly so. Scott Rolens, Jim Thome, and Billy Wagner were the big names during this period yet they could never reach October baseball. One of Ed Wade's final big move was replacing Larry Bowa with Charlie Manuel but was repeatedly critized. After a season when the team finished only 1 game out of the playoffs, Wade was canned because of fan discontent. Then Pat Gillick was hired and now a new history will be written.

Gillick made his first big move by giving first base to Ryan Howard. He subsquently traded Jim Thome for hard-nosed Aaron Rowand and prospects Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood. Haigwood was later flipped for Fabio Castro who has not yet allowed a run as a Phillie. Gillick did not hesitate to promote Cole Hamels even though he took some lumps. Wade's policy of never taking a risk is dead. Gillick knows that to be successful, a person must takes some risks whether in life or baseball. Gillick is a winner and he has brought that attitude to Philly. He gave the Phillies the first half to try to prove themselves then when he realized they were not adequate, he acted decisively. Good-bye to Bobby Abreu, Cory Lidle, Ryan Franklin, Rheal Cormier, Sal Fasano, and David Bell. He let Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Howard become the team leader. He made space for Victorino and Delluci to get more playing time and this entire team has gelled and is playing well. This team is exciting and agressive and have been fun to watch the past month. Gillick was not afraid to make some moves when the Phils played themselves back into the wild card race. Besides the Yanks acquiring Abreu and Lidle, Gillick acquiring Jaime Moyer was probably the biggest move. A solid, reliable pitcher who knows what postseason baseball is all about. This is the present and the Phillies are making a run at the postseason and I'm confident they will be in the race till the end and wouldn't bet against them. Now a look into the future.

Eventually Ruben Amaro Jr. will replace Gillick as GM so hopefully Amaro is soaking up everything he can from Gillick. Cole Hamels will be a staff ace and pitcher from the minors like Gio Gonzalez will be at least solid pitchers for the Phillies. They have many pitching prospects from Double A down so Gillick's plan of developing pitching from within looks to be on track and should be able to keep the Phillies in the race for many years. Utley and Howard will be here, hopefully, for a long time. The offense should be fine as it is easier to sign a hitter than a pitcher.

In conclusion, it is a great time to be a Phillies fan. In a season where they were left for dead, the Phils have been revived and are fighting for a playoff spot. The future looks bright with players like Utley, Howard, Hamel, and Gonzalez. Pat Gillick has begun a new era and changed the culture. No longer the culture of the 90's where the Phillies were a sad excuse for a big market team. Now they are establishing themselves in the upper echelon of clubs and Gillick is responsible for that. Even though all of Gillick's moves this past offseason may not have worked out, he has a long-term plan and it is on-track to make this team a contender for years to come. I am excited as should everybody be. This is a new era. No longer look to the losing past of the Phillies but ahead to the winning.

The Phillies won a 2-1 pitching duel behind a 8 inning effort from Brett Myers. Myers showed why many believe he has the stuff to be the "staff ace." He allowed only a solo homer to Matt Murton in the eighth inning. Arthur Rhodes retired Juan Pierre to start the ninth then Charlie Manuel called in Geoff Geary who earned his first career save. Geary has been invaluable out of the bullpen this year and was definitely pumped up for tonight. He touched 97 on his fastball and was consistently sitting 93-97 today. Impressive showing by Geary.

Offensively the Phillies struggled against Angel Guzman. The only blemish on Guzman's night was Ryan Howard's 44th home run to deep left center. Very impressive blast as it left a lasting impression on the Cubs announcer. In the ninth, Jimmy Rollins got a clutch two out hit to score Abe Nunez who worked a 2 out walk. A single by Joe Thurston moved Nunez into scoring position. The Phillies can't score 7 or 8 runs every game, so it was nice to see them win a pitchers duel and to see Myers pitch the way he is capable of. Very solid all around game tonight by the Phillies. Defensively, Mike Lieberthal threw Juan Pierre out at second after he drew a walk to lead off the game. Lieby has been much more productive since his playing time has been reduced. I would love to see both Coste and Lieby back next year splitting time like they are right now. Together they have formed a productive catching duo.

Tip of the Cap- Brett Myers for putting away all the excuses and coming out here and pitching the way he can. Knowing they had a chance to pull within 1.5 games of the Reds after the Reds lost earlier today, Myers kept his team in the game and gave them a chance to win late and Rollins capitalized.

Wag of the Finger- Sorry it has to be Chase Utley. Utley has been in a little slump lately and missed a few oppurtunities tonight to drive in runs. Utley seems a little tired but he has still lead this team by example by leaving everything out on the field every night.

Tomorrow's Game- Time to call in sick because Cole Hamels faces Carlos Zambrano. No need to state the numbers. Everybody knows how good Hamels has been recently and Zambrano is being mentioned for CY Young and he is on one of the worst teams in baseball. Gametime is 1:20 and the Phillies have their work cut out for them as they go for the sweep.

With Aaron Rowand out it leaves the outfield as Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, and David Delluci. The reserves are Michael Bourn and Chris Roberson. The Phillies just acquired Jose Hernandez from the Pirates as a reserve infielder. Here is the lineup card Charlie Manuel should fill out:

Jimmy Rollins

Shane Victorino

Chase Utley

Ryan Howard

David Delluci

Pat Burrell

Coste or Lieberthal

Abe Nunez

I know the major problem is the three lefties in the middle of the order. I believe it is imperative to get your best hitters in the spots they can drive in runs even if it hurts the matchups. One note is that when a lefthander starts, I would flip flop Delluci and Burrell. I really don't see the Phillies skipping a beat with Aaron Rowand out, but they will miss his leadership and attitude. I am also excited about getting to see Michael Bourn get some playing time.

Last note: Chase Utley will sit tonight out with soreness from last night's collision. Lets hope it is nothing more serious.

Aaron Rowand suffered a broken ankle last night in his collision with Chase Utley. Rowand will go on the 15-day DL and will miss 4-6 weeks. This leaves the everyday outfield as Burrell, Victorino, and Delluci. Not bad but it leaves the bench completely depleted. Roberson and Sandoval along with a backup catcher are all thats left. Obviously a move will be made. The Phils have two open roster spots because Gordon also went on the DL. I believe two position players should be recalled. Michael Bourn definitely should get a shot and the other options are less attractive. Bobby Scales, a utility player, is probably the best option. Pat Gillick needs to scour the waiver wire again and come away with another "Jamie Moyer." That players name is Reggie Sanders, outfielder for the Royals. He would come cheap and provide valuable playoff experience. The Phillies have endured many difficulties this year and this latest event is nothing more than another difficulty. The Phillies will survive Rowand's injury and continue playing good ball. Chase Utley has become the team leader and he won't let anything else happen. He will keep everyone focused and playing hard and aggressive.

The Phillies got a 5-0 lead and then hung on for a 6-5 victory. Not the Phils best game as they were outhit 16-9 but they came out on the winning end. The Cincinnati Reds won again tonight to keep the Phillies 2.5 games back. The Phillies got contributions up and down the lineup tonight. The Cubbies helped the Phils out in the 4th when a throwing error by Ronny Cedeno allowed both Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand score. Jimmy Rollins followed that up with a two-run homer. The following inning Chase Utley hit his 22nd home run of the year, a solo shot. Jon Lieber cruised threw six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. He was credited with 3 earned runs and Aaron Fultz was called in to get the final out. Abe Nunez drove in his second run of the game with a single that scored Chris Roberson pinch running for Pat Burrell. A scary moment happened in the eighth when a pop up was hit to short center. Rowand and Utley collided going for the ball. Utley remained in the game, but Rowand got the worst and left with an apparent sprained ankle. The ball fell in and bounced away allowing John Mabry to get a triple. Geoff Geary pitched around the lead off triple to keep the game 6-3 and that would turn out to be very important. Arthur Rhodes was called in to record his second save in two nights. He recorded it but not without some tense moments. With two outs, Rhodes surrendered a two runs homer to Jacque Jones. The Phillies held on for the win tonight even though they were outhit. Tonight's game was one that a good team wins but a bad team loses. Without their closer and Ryan Howard's 0-5 night, the Phils got the job done and kept pace with the Reds.

Tip of the Cap- Jon Lieber for going a solid 6 2/3 innings and only allowing 3 earned runs. He gave the Phillies a shot to win and the Phils capitalize. Lieber will be a key componet down the stretch and he is having a great August minus his first start and hopefully he can keep it up.

Wag of the Finger- Rowand and Utley for their collision. It is very important to stay healthy down the stretch. If Utley was lost this team could pack it in for the year and even losing Rowand could be a big blow. It would deplete an already bad bench.

Tomorrow's Game- Soudertown native, Jamie Moyer, makes his Phils debut against Ryan O'Malley. O'Malley threw 8 shutout innings on August 16 against the Houston Astros but did walk six. This could be a tough matchup for the Phillies because little is known about O'Malley. Moyer should give the Phillies a chance to win and hopefully their bats come through with some clucth hits. Game time is 8:05.

Note: We have our first team meeting tomorrow night at 9:30 so I will miss the end of the game and will not be home until well after 11:00. Lets Go Phillies.

After a series win versus the Nationals the Phillies pack up and are headed to Chicago to face the Cubs this week. I missed yesterday's game because I was driving to South Carolina for college but I heard all about the excitement. A good and necessary win by the Phils. The upcoming series is one the Phils must win or even sweep. By the end of the week the Phillies should be at least .500. Tuesday, Jamie Moyer makes his first start as a Phillie. For today's game the Phillies send the relatively young, Jon Lieber to the mound to face Rich Hill of the Cubs. Hill is 3-5 with an ERA approaching 7. Lieber has pitched much better recently and has lowered his ERA to 5.10. Tonight's game time is scheduled for 8:05. Lets Go Phils.

The Phillies just traded two prospects for 43 year old Jamie Moyer as reported by ESPN moments ago. This year with the Mariners, Moyer is 6-12 with an 4.39 ERA. The two prospects were Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. This move clearly shows that Pat Gillick is trying to win this year and build for the future. Moyer is a quick fix for the pitching staff replacing Scott Mathieson in the rotation. Moyer will pitch on Tuesday against the Cubbies. Barb pitched the last two innings of a combined no-hitter at Lakewood five days ago. Neither prospect is highly regarded and this is a great gamble by Gillick. Kudos to Gillick for going for it this year even after his comments around the trading deadline.

Cole Hamels came through again for the Phillies pitching six strong innings allowing only two solo home runs. The Phillies stomped all over the Nationals tonight routing them 11-2. Hamels allowed only five hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Charlie Manuel pulled Hamels after the sixth as his pitch count approached 100 pitches. Hamels even added 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Geoff Geary threw two scoreless innings and Fabio Castro finished out the game by throwing a scoreless ninth. Castro has yet to allow an earned run as a member of the Phillies.

The Phillies had two big innings, scoring 8 in the second and 3 in the fifth. Ryan Howard hit his 43rd home run moving within 5 homers of Michael Jack's single season Phillies record. Every starter except Abe Nunez had a hit and every starter excluding Chris Coste had either a run or RBI. Coste did contribute two hits to raise his average to .370. Rollins, Victorino, Utley, and Howard went a combined 8-17 with 8 RBIs, and 6 runs. The lineup has been terrific recently with Shane Victorino in it as he and Rollins has been great catalyst at the top of the lineup.

Utley showed again why he is the team leader and well respected by his teammates. He was plunked by Ramon Ortiz in the back and stared down Ortiz. Later in the inning, Ortiz hit Aaron Rowand obviously on purpose out of frustration. The umpire immediately ejected Ortiz. As soon as it happened, Utley came running out of the dugout towards the mound to protect his teammate. A clear example that this is Utley's team and he won't let his team get taken advantage of by anybody.

Tip of the Cap- Cole Hamels for being the stopper tonight for the Phils. He threw six strong innings and is quickly becoming their best pitcher. He will be fun to watch in the coming months and years.

Wag of the Finger- Nobody tonight as the Phillies crushed the Nats to stay 2.5 games behind the Reds.

Tomorrow's Game- A 1:35 start time with Randy Wolf facing off against Pedro Astacio in the rubber game and a game the Phillies need to win. Wolf coming off his best outing is 1-0 with an 4.35 ERA. Astacio is 3-2 with an 4.64 ERA.

Note: Tomorrow I will be driving down to school at Winthrop University in South Carolina. I begin school and baseball on Tuesday. Updates may be less frequent in the coming weeks as we begin fall baseball. Don't worry though I subscribe to MLB.tv so I will still be able to watch most games.

The Phillies are fourth in the wild card race at 2.5 games behind the front-running Cincinnati Reds. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are both one game back. The Phillies have their work cut out for them over the last month and a half. Some may argue that their schedule is the easiest but they are what they are. They are a team fighting to reach .500 and are only alive because the NL is weak. This inevitably leads to the debate between competition and player development. Around the all star break they appeared headed down the player development route but have seemingly changed course and are alive in the wild card race. Now don't get me wrong, I desperately want the Phils to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993. I live and die during the summer on how the Phils play, but I'm not sure they should sacrifice the long term for a playoff run this year.

I have heard suggestions of trading for a third basemen, someone like a Joe Randa or Jeff Cirillo. I feel this would be counterproductive as the Phillies gave up David Bell, comparable to those two, for a prospect so why would Gillick turn around a deal a prospect for another "David Bell?" It has been suggested that Scott Mathieson head back to the minors for more seasoning. I believe that Mathieson was promoted out of necessity but my argument against demoting him is if the Phils believe he will be in the rotation next year, why not get his rough starts and learning curve out of the way now?

This is all to say that the Phillies chances at a playoff berth are a long shot and I don't want Gillick and company to sacrifice player development and his long term plan to try to get a flawed team into the playoffs. Come September, I want to see some younger guys get oppurtunities such as, Justin Germano, Brian Mazzone, Michael Bourn, and even Gavin Floyd. If Floyd puts together a few quality starts he may be tradeable during the off season. My belief is that their is no substitute for preparing for the big leagues then actually playing there. If there was learning curves would not exist and there would be no such thing as a "sophomore slump." This may have had a negative slant to it, but believe me I want the Phils to win as much as anyone. I do think the Phillies have a shot at the wild card but I feel the three teams ahead of them are better so it will take an extra effort to make the playoffs but it is possible. Lets Go Phillies.

The Phillies faltered behind their second consecutive poor outing by their starting pitcher. The Phils lost tonight 6-4 to the last place Washington Nationals. Brett Myers dublicated his earlier outing from June 9th also against the Nats. Tonight he went 3 1/3 giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, and 4 walks taking the loss. On June 9, he lasted 3 innings surrendering 7 hits, 6 runs, and a walk. Two bad outings both against Washington. This rough stretch has now reached four straight starts for Brett Myers and it is inherent that he rights the ship quickly if the Phillies want to make a real run at the wild card. The bullpen was terrific tonight pitching 5 2/3 innings without giving up a run. Brian Sanches recorded five outs all via the strikeout. Geoff Geary and Aaron Fultz both pitched a scoreless inning, with Rick White pitching 1 1/3 innings and Arthur Rhodes pitching 2/3 out of the bullpen. The last two games have taxed the bullpen and the Phillies will turn to Cole Hamels and hope that he can go deep into tomorrow's game.

Offensively it took awhile but the Phillies did put pressure on the Nats. In the sixth, Pat Burrell's double scored Chase Utley and Mike Lieberthal's double scored both Burrell and Aaron Rowand. In the eighth, Mike Lieberthal stroked a solo home run. Tonight, Lieby passed Red Dooin for the most games at catcher with the Phillies. The top of the lineup- Rollins, Delluci, Utley, and Howard- went a combined 0-14 to hurt the Phillies chances of winning tonight.

A few other notes from tonight's game. I am beginning to wonder whether Myers' is hiding an injury. His location has been way off and his velocity is down a few mph. From personal experiance, I recently had labrum surgery, I knew my arm was hurting me when I could not locate my pitches. I lost only 2-3 mph on my fastball but was having problems throwing strikes. Brian Sanches had a good outing tonight which is a very positive sign. Sanches will probably be a larger part of next year's bullpen. To put everything in perspective from the past three weeks, the Phillies were struggling, trade many veteran players, began focusing on 2008, began playing much better including 3 of 4 from the Mets, and have fought back into the wildcard race. More on that sometime tomorrow.

Tip of the Cap- Mike Lieberthal for catching his 1,125th career game and passing Red Dooin for first on the Phillies all-time record. He also went 2 for 3 including a single, double, and solo home run and 3 RBIs. He also threw out Brian Castro and Alfonso Soriano on attempted steals. A big congratulations to Mike Lieberthal.

Wag of the Finger- Brett Myers, who needs to get his act together immediately. He is really hurting this team and needs to return to the "ace" he was earlier this year. If Myers could get going the Phillies would have a fair chance of winning the wild card.

Tomorrow's Game- Cole Hamels takes the mound looking to be the stopper for the Phillies. He faces Ramon Ortiz who is 9-10 with an 4.88 ERA. Hamels is 5-6 with an 4.50 ERA and has pitched much better recently. Game time is 7:05. Hopefully the Phillies get back on the winning path behind a solid outing from Hamels.

Some quick Flyers info:

The Flyers have announced their top 10 games of all time. The games were voted on by the fans. The number one game is the 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on May 19, 1974 to secure the Stanley Cup championship in Game 6. Finishing second and my personal favorite is when Keith Primeau scored a goal in the 5th overtime to defeat the Penguins on May 4, 2000. To view the rest visit http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2678.asp

The Flyers signed Nate Guerrin, a free agent defenseman to an entry level contract. Guerrin is 6'2 210 lb who the Flyers are hoping develops into a NHL quality player. This signing will not have any immediate impact on the Flyers.

The Flyers are seeking a new keyboard player for the upcoming year. So anybody out their that believes they are qualified should visit http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2680.asp for more information.

Former Temple star, Lynn Greer, was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks during July. He will add depth. Greer has played in Europe for the past four years.

Well I'm back from the shore and what a week it was. Perfect weather and most importantly the Phillies won 3 out of 4 from the hated Mets to put them only 2 games under .500.

Since the trade deadline the Phillies have played with a sense of urgency not seen previously. They have followed the lead of Chase Utley who gives 11o% all the time and has become the leader on this team. To me it seemed like previous teams always had the approach that there was always next year before the year already started. Now for reasons that I will try to spell out the Phillies have a different attitude.

1. Utley has taken over as the leader instead of Bobby Abreu. Utley has the take no prisoners attitude and only cares about winning. Howard has the same attitude as does many of the younger players including Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, David Delluci and Aaron Rowand
2. The older guys. Guys like Chris Coste know they may not be around very long and want to taste playoff baseball this year. They never know what next year holds. Mike Lieberthal knows this may be his last year in Philly and is playing better as the Phillies make a wild card push. Arthur Rhodes and Jon Lieber have stepped up recently as they know their careers may soon be winding down and want to chase a title.
3. Charlie Manuel has been a calming presence in the locker room. By all accounts, the players love this guy and probably deserves to be retained for next year. Manuel has helped this team weather all the storms this year including a slow start, a June swoon, and the trading deadline. Now the team is playing well and Manuel deserves credit.
4. Pat Gillick for his changes in personnel. Gillick moved Abreu, Lidle, Bell, Comier, Franklin, and Fasano and instilled a new culture in this club. Gillick has taken some critism for his moves but he has a plan and has stuck to it.

The culture of the Phillies has changed and is the result of the four reasons listed above. Hopefully the Phillies can keep it together for last month and half of the season. The Phillies welcome the Nationals in for three games over the weekend with Brett Myers facing Tony Armas Jr. on Friday night. Lets keep it rolling.

Well I'm getting ready to head to the shore until Thursday for a short vacation before leaving to return to South Carolina for school. I will probably have no internet connection or a very limited connection at the beach so there will be no site updates until Thursday evening. Even though my body will be at the beach, my mind will be in Philly cheering on the Phillies as they finish up their series with the Reds and then host the Mets for four games. Lets Go Phils!

It is a shame when 23 of 25 guys show up with a playoff intensity and perform. It hurts when those two players that don't are your starter and your closer. That is exactly what happened tonight for the Phillies. The offense scored enough runs and the middle relievers pitched admirably but it was not enough. Scott Mathieson and Tom Gordon were too much to overcome tonight for the Phillies. The Phillies lost 9-7.

Mathieson lasted just 3.1 innings tonight after his short 3.2 outing on Sunday night. He surrendered seven hits and six earned runs but did manage to strike out six. His second consecutive poor outing obvioulsy begs the question of whether he should remain in the rotation. The only replacement I can think of is Justin Germano who was recently acquired from the Reds. The closer, Tom Gordon, pitched 2/3 inning giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs. He also walked one but was continually pitching behind batters and for the second straight night walked the leadoff hitter on four pitches. If he can't right himself immediately the Phillies wild card chase is over. The Phillies scored seven runs tonight but couldn't hit Chris Michalak who was promoted from AAA today. Michalak only surrendered Howard's 40th home run.

This team is clearly taking the personality of its leader, Chase Utley. They have a never say die attitude that I have not seen for a while. Down by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies never gave up. Even after the first two batters were retired the continued to battle with Jimmy Rollins second homer of the night, a Mike Lieberthal single, and a Utley hit by pitch to bring up Howard. Utley understood the importance of giving Howard a chance to win the game with one swing of a bat and leaned into an inside pitch. Howard had a great battle with Eddie Guardado fouling off numerous pitches before striking out on a high fastball. The Phillies fought until that final out and that is something to build on but saying that it hurts to lose a game by having your closer implode. If Gordon pitches a scoreless ninth, Rollins homer in the bottom of the inning would have been a game winner. Rollins has really taken off in August adding his 16th, a three run shot, and 17th home runs tonight. David Delluci also added his 10th, a 2-run first inning shot after Rollins walked to lead off the game. Pat Burrell was 1-3 with a walk tonight with a double. Abe Nunez had a nice defensive play in the ninth, leaning over the railing to make the catch and record the second out of the inning.

Tip of the Cap- Aaron Fultz, Geoff Geary, and Ryan Madson for throwing a combined 4.2 scoreless innings in relief of Mathieson. They allowed only two hits and struck out four. Geary was especially impressive pitching three innings.

Wag of the Finger- Scott Mathieson and Tom Gordon who in 4 combined innings allowed nine earned runs and eleven hits. I hate to say that certain players are responsible for losses since it is a team game but these two cost the Phils big time tonight.

Tomorrow's Game- These two teams square off in the rubber game as the Phillies look to pull back within two games of the wildcard. The Phils send their best pitcher to the mound in Brett Myers who will look to recover after two subpar outings. The Reds will counter with former Phil, Eric Milton. Milton is 8-7 with an ERA around 5. This is a game the Phillies need to win especially after the way they lost tonight. Game time is at 1:35. The crowds the last two nights at Citizens Bank Park have been loud and into the game and that is great to see support for these players as they make a run at the wildcard.

Pat Burrell had a big game helping the Phillies defeat the Reds in 14 innings last night. He had an RBI single in the first then crushed an RBI triple to give the Phillies the lead in the eighth inning. He even gave a fist pump after the triple and looked like he was having fun something that I think has been missing from his game for a while. When Burrell first arrived in Philly, I envisioned a slugger who would hit fourth in the lineup for years to come. A player the other manager would intentionally walk even if it loaded the bases in the bottom of the 14th. He never blossomed into that player. Along with Bobby Abreu has drawn much critism for never leading the Phillies to the playoffs. There are many reasons for his stunted growth. I believe the foot problems have been a large part of that. I also believe that somewhere along the way Burrell stopped having fun and started to press. Hopefully Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are good influences and Burrell finds that desire again.


At age 29, Burrell's numbers are what they are and will probably not flucuate much. His average per 162 games are as follows: .259/31/106 with 167 SO and 91 BB. This years numbers are very similiar: .261/23/73 with 94 SO and 64 BB. By the end of the year these numbers will be almost identical. The problem is not his numbers but his salary. If he was making 4 or 5 million dollars a year instead of 9.75 he would be a good player. He may be in a platoon situation since he hits 84 points higher against lefties. To get a perspective lets compare Burrell to four current players: Ken Griffey Jr., Garret Anderson, JD Drew, and Shawn Green.

This year Griffey will make 9 million dollars. He hits third in the wild card leading Reds lineup. He is currently hitting .241/23/63. The home runs and RBIs are almost identical but his average is 20 points lower than Burrell's. Yet he continues to hit third and for the now the everyone is still chasing the Reds in the wild card race.

Garrett Anderson will earn 10.75 million this year from the Angels. Anderson's stats are currently .272/12/63. Anderson has the third highest average on the Angels, the third most home runs and the third most RBIs yet the Angels are right in the thick of the American League West title. Burrell has better power numbers but is hitting 10 points lower but also making one million less.

Next is everybody's favorite, JD Drew. Drew is an interesting comparision because Burrell was drafted the year after the Phillies could not sign Drew and Drew is only one year older. This year Drew will make 11.4 million and is hitting .277/11/63. His home runs are obviously lower than Burrell's total as are his RBI numbers. He holds a big advantage in the average which is very important. Drew is a big part of the NL West leading Los Angles Dodgers.

Last is Shawn Green who will make 10 million dollars in 2006. His current stats are .285/10/48. He has obviously hit for a high average but his power numbers are low for someone making 10 million. Green, though is a very important part of the Diamondbacks who are currently ahead of the Phillies in the wild card race.

So to summarize, Burrell is not a bad player just overpaid for his production. The other players mentioned play on teams that all have better records than the Phillies. All these players make salaries comparable to Burrell's and have stats comparable to his. If the Phillies had a better lineup, stronger starting pitching, and lower expectations Burrell would be a solid player. If Burrell would be able to hit sixth in the lineup instead of fifth his production would be better. There would be much less pressure and he would be a feared sixth hitter on pace for over 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Yes he does have room for improvement. If he could cut down his strikeouts it would invariably raise his average because more balls are being put in play. He also needs to get completely healthy also so he can play at the top of his game. He has proved he has the ability with good years in 2002 and 2005. A perfect lineup would look something like this:
CF somebody that can hit leadoff
SS Rollins
2B Utley
1B Howard
RF Delluci
LF Burrell
A new catcher and 3B will fill out the lineup. With this lineup and improved pitching this team could be right in the thick of things with Burrell. Burrell will always be overpaid but can be a productive par of a lineup.

What a game tonight. Both teams played with a playoff intensity and the crowd was into the game. Both teams understand the importance of this series and both teams left it all out on the field tonight. These are the kind of games you hate to lose and I know from experience. There were many highs and there was also some lows. This was an exciting game to watch and I am cursing myself for not going to the game. When you are fighting for a playoff spot, the only thing that matters is the outcome and tonight is was a win.

First a quick look at some of the negatives tonight. Ryan Howard committed his 13th error of the season on a line drive. The error was a loss of concentration. Pat Burrell struck out twice looking tonight on pitches that were clearly strikes. If he could learn to put more pitches in play it would invariably raise his average. Chase Utley had two strikeouts in extra innings during at bats were he needed to put the ball in play. I realize Chase can't be perfect so lets turn to the positives and the rest of the game.

The first seven innings flew by with not much of note besides an Edwin Encarncion disputed home run in the fourth. He added another in the sixth. The Phillies jumped on the scoreboard in the first on an RBI single from Pat Burrell scoring David Delluci. It started getting interesting in the eighth. Jimmy Rollins tied up the game on a 2-run homer that scored Shane Victorino. Chase Utley scored to take the 4-3 lead on a RBI triple from Pat Burrell. Jon Lieber pitched an effective seven plus innings surrendering 2 earned runs and only five hits. The Phillies need more starts like this out of Lieber down the stretch. Tom Gordor entered in the ninth to nail down the win but it didn't go as planned. He walked the lead-off batter then gave up a 2-run home run to pinch hitter Javier Valentin. The Phillies entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 5-4, but they may have been down but they weren't out. They showed the grit that their leader, Chase Utley, shows every night. Chris Coste had a beautiful at bat to start the innnig, capping it with a double. Chris Roberson came in to run and advanced to third when an pickoff throw ended up in centerfield. Shane Victorino, who entered the game in the eighth, hit a sac fly to right to score Roberson. This sent the game to extra innings.

Gordon stayed in and pitched a perfect tenth added by a diving catch by Victorino. Ryan Madson entered in the eleventh and pitched two scoreless innings and has really pitched well since his return to the bullpen. Geoff Geary entered in the 13th and promptly walked Griffey Jr. He then advanced to second on a Rich Aurilia single. Geary then got Adam Dunn and Brandon Philips to fly to center before Eric Milton pinch hit for Ryan Franklin. Milton lined it back up the middle and luckily for the Phils hit Geary in the leg preventing the ball from going into center. Aaron Fultz then entered the game. Fultz struck out Todd Hollandsworth swinging. The Phillies threatened in the bottom of the 13th but Hollandsworth made a diving catch in rightcenter off the bat of Jimmy Rollins to send in the game to the 14th.

Aaron Fultz shut down the Reds in the top of the 14th and set up the drama for the bottom of the 14th. Delluci started it with a single and Utley followed with a walk. The Reds decided to intentionally walk Howard to load the bases bringing up Fultz. Fultz lined to shortstop to bring up Aaron Rowand. After nearly being hit by a pitch, Rowand lined a single to win the game.

Tip of the Cap- Pat Burrell for his RBI single and triple. Also for the emotion he showed after his triple tied the game. He gave fist pump after sliding into first. I remember when he first arrived in Philly he was an excitable player and something seems to have happened to him but for the first time in a while it looked like he was having fun out there.

Wag of the Finger- Tom Gordon for his blown save.

Tomorrow's Game- Scott Mathieson takes the ball for the Phillies and needs to eat some innings after tonight's game lasted 14 innings. The Reds used their starter tonight so their starter is TBA. After tonight's game who knows what to expect tomorrow but hopefully its another Phils' win. They are now within two games of the wild card.

Also check back tomorrow I am planning on writing an article about Pat Burrell and his contributions and drawbacks and comparing him to other players.

• Pat Burrell is batting .318 against lefties compared to only .234 against righties. Is a platoon situation in order? This is why Burrell catches so much critism because he is making 10 million dollars as a platoon player who provides no defense. Michael Bourn should be recalled and given some playing time because Chris Roberson is never going to make it as a big leaguer.
• Phil Hughes may not be such the sure thing that Brian Cashman is making him out to be. Of the 11 pitchers drafted in the first round by the Yankees since 1965 only one has reached the big leagues. Hughes seems to be the real deal but the Yanks track record speaks for itself.
• The Flyers announced all 82 games will be televised next season. Head over to http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2676.asp to see the full schedule.
• The most exciting part of the Sixers season occurred last night. Of course I'm talking about the unveiling of the Sixers dancers.
• I just caught Martin Truex Jr, Nascar driver, on Cold Pizza. Truex is from New Jersey and a big Philly sports fan. Jay Crawford asked him a few questions. Truex said the Sixers should keep AI, should have kept Abreu, and predicted the championship curse gets broken this year by the Eagles.
• Sporting News is endorsing the idea of Lou Piniella replacing Charlie Manuel. They do mention though if Dusty Baker gets the boot from the Cubs, Piniella will get a long look from Chicago.
• Visit http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/15246907.htm to read a great article about Chase Utley and the Phillies.
• Jon Lieber takes the mound tonight versus Kyle Lohse in a battle between wild card contending teams. The Reds come to Philly to face the Phightin' tonight at 7:05. Hopefully the their is a big, enthusiastic crowd in attendance.

The Phillies braintrust described Reggie Taylor as the centerfielder of the future, a five tool talent, a clubhouse leader, a cornerstone to build around, and a leadoff hitter who would lead them to the playoffs. It is now 2006 and Taylor is fulfilling the high praise heaped upon him back in 1995 when he was the 14th pick overall by the Phillies. The only catch is that he is doing it with the Lancaster Barnstormers instead of the Phillies. The Barnstormers play in the independant Atlantic League. I am from Lancaster, aka Dutch Country, put attend college in South Carolina but am home for the summer so with the Phillies having an off day I got tickets to go watch my hometown independant league team. With the Barnstormers this year Taylor is hitting .285 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs. He has been the MVP and lead the team to the first half championship which guarantees them a playoff spot.


Taylor played two year with the Phillies in 2001 and 2001 before going to the Reds for 2002 and 2003 and in 2005 played shortly for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His career numbers include 260 games, 507 at bats, .231 average, 14 home runs, and 163 strikeouts. It has taken eleven years and a change of scenery plus a change in leagues for Reggie Taylor to fulfill the praise that Lee Thomas heaped on him after his first round selection in 1995. Just like Taylor has done many times in his career the Phillies struck out on this draft pick.

Hector Made (A)- .233, 3 RBIs, 0/9 BB/K, 1 HR He has not been impressive thus far and not much is expected from him

CJ Henry (Low A)- .227, 4 runs, 1 HR, 1/6 BB/K Another low batting average from the best prospect acquired in the Abreu trade. His BB/K ratio is a big concern if Henry is ever to fulfill his potential, something I doubt will ever happen.

Matt Smith (AAA)- 2.1 innings, 2 earned runs, 1 HR Not great numbers but will likely be a September call-up and will have a good chance of being a valuable lefty out of the pen for next year.

Jesus Sanchez (GCL)- .083, 0/5 BB/K He is only 18 years old so he does have plenty of time to develop and their is no need to panic.

Carlos Monasterios (GCL)- 6 innings, 8 hits, 2 earned runs, 1/5 BB/K Not much to talk about here. He is only pitching in the Gulf Coast League and is at best four years away from sniffing Philly.

Wilfredo Laureano (Low A)- 3 innings, 2 hits, o runs, 1/1 BB/K Has been good thus far in Low A and could be promoted to Clearwater shortly.

Justin Germano (AAA)- 6 innings, 1 earned run, 0/3 BB/K Will likely be a September call-up but will likely never be better than a 4th or 5th starter.

Zac Scott (A)- acquired yesterday from the Reds. These numbers were compiled at Single A Sarasota. He is 23 and has been assigned to Clearwater. 1-2, 2.53 ERA

One bonus player
Kyle Drabek (GCL)- 1st round draft pick, 1-2, 7.20 ERA, 15 innings, 18 hits, 6/10 BB/K He has limitless potential but seems tired from his high school team's run through the Texas State Playoffs.

Its been 10 days since the trade deadline and I could not help myself from researching the Phils that were traded and those that came in return. Before bashing any trades or players remember it is still early, but the early returns do not favor the Phillies.

Bobby Abreu (NYY)- He hit his first home run in over a month last night. He has scored 3 runs, has 5 RBIs, 3 walks, and even played centerfield last night when Johnny Damon left with an injury. Overall he is 14-34~.412. He has also gotten considerable more attention now that he is in the Big Apple

Cory Lidlel (NYY)- He has started one game going six innings and allowing one earned run. Joe Torre had rave reviews of him and he appears to have fit in well with his new teammates.

Sal Fasano (NYY)- He is 2-13 with 4 SO and I can only wonder if Yanks are considering other options at catcher.

Rheal Cormier (CIN)- He has pitched 3.1 innings surrendering 2 earned runs and does not have a decision. We will get to see him in person this weekend when the Reds visit Philly.

Ryan Franklin (CIN)- He has thrown 5.1 innings getting one victory in the process. He has allowed 3 earned runs including one home run. He is also returning to Philly this weekend and hopefully he repays the Phils by allowing a few home runs in a close game.

David Bell (MIL)- He is 8-34~.235 with no home runs and 2 RBIs. Only slightly better than Abe Nunez.

Anyone that gets Comcast Sportsnet can see Desjardins retirement press conferance live at 2 P.M. Say good-bye to one of the best defensemen in team history. He is the second all-time in scoring by defensemen and a former captain. He never brought a championship to Philly but he did leave it all on the ice every game out and the Flyers will miss his ability and even more his leadership in the locker room. Desjardins was acquired with John LeClair in the 1995 deal that sent Mark Recchi to the Montreal Canadiens. Injuries have sapped Desjardins of his ability the past two years, playing only a combined 93 games. The Flyers did not offer Desjardins a contract this summer and that prompted his retirement.

One other unrelated update. Check back tomorrow for an update on how the former Phillies traded at the deadline are doing with their current teams and how the prospects the Phillies acquired are playing. I've already done the research and the prospects have not shown much thus far but it is early. Also the Phillies acquired Zac Scott today from the Reds to complete the Ryan Franklin deal and he has been assigned to Clearwater.

Tonight's game belonged to Chase Utley. He set the tone offensively, defensively, and on the base paths. As Harry Kalas exclaimed in the seventh inning, "Chase Utley you are the man," as Utley scored from first on a infield ground out by Ryan Howard. Utley also made a tremendous diving stop of a ball up the middle then threw to first off his right knee for the out. He also contributed two hits.

The first four innings flew by with both pitchers in control. Randy Wolf had his best outing of his comeback this far. He lasted 5 1/3 innings giving up 2 earned runs with one being a solo home run to Andruw Jones. Rick White came in to clean up Wolf's jam in the sixth and earned the win. Ryan Madson threw two scoreless innings as he has seemed to make a great transition back to the bullpen and will be a big asset in the back end of the bullpen. Brian Sanches gave up one hit in the ninth inning also recording a strikeout. The pitchers held the Braves offense down and gave the Phillies a chance to win it and in the seventh inning the Phillies took advantage of a bad Braves bullpen.

Chuck James was very good for six innings. Tyler Yates came in for the seventh and promptly walked Lieberthal, gave up a single to Abe Nunez, then a sac bunt to Chris Roberson. JRoll and Shane Victorino drew walks and that ended Yates night. Mcbride came in for relief and Utley greeted him with a double to center then Howard grounded out and Utley scored. Burrell delivered a single, in addition to an earlier solo homer, that ended the night for Mcbride. Paronto was brought in to stop the bleeding, but a Rowand single, Lieby reaching on an error, Nunez single,Roberson single, and JRoll walk spelled the end of Paronto's night. Wayne Franklin relieved and got Vic to strikeout to end the inning. That gave the Phillies a 9-3 win and that was all they needed. Ryan Madson came in for the bottom of the seventh and had a quick 1-2-3 inning and did not let the Braves back in the game. The one negative was that the Phillies struck out six times in six innings against Chuck James, not a strikeout pitcher. They need to put the ball in play so they have a more efficient offense. Tonight's game was definetly a positive in that they battled and game back from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh to take the lead. They should a lot of heart in battling back on a getaway day.

Tip of the Cap- Chase Utley for an all around great game today. A great play to score from second on an infield groundout. He contributed two hits to the Phillies 13 hit attack and defensively made a beautiful diving play and throw from his knee to nail the runner at first. He makes the Phillies exciting to watch everyday. A close second was Mike Lieberthal for throwing out two runners at second base. He is clearly playing some inspired baseball since Coste has started to get more playing time.

Wag of the Finger- Nobody a great finish on a key road trip. The Phillies finish 6-3 on the road trip and come home and prepare to face the Reds this weekend in a key series.

Friday's Game- After a day off tomorrow the Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park for a 3 game set with the Cincinnati Reds. I am very excited for this series. Hopefully the phans respond this weekend with some big, enthusiastic crowds. The Phillies hand the ball to Jon Lieber, who besides his poor throw to first, had his best outing of the season. Kyle Lohse toes the rubber for the Reds. Lohse is 2-5 with an ERA approaching seven. I like the Phillies chance of taking two or maybe even three games this weekend. Go Phils, lets win this wildcard.

One last note visit http://phillies.scout.com/2/554982.html to read a great article about everything that happened with the Phillies since the Abreu trade. Real interesting article

The 37-year old, Eric Desjardins, is planning on retiring. Injuries have slowed the former team captain and defenseman. In his 17-year career, he scored 136 goals and 439 assists. He was the model of consistency for the Flyers. An official announcement is expected today.

A note regarding the Sixers. The Sixers 4.45 million dollar trade excemption expires today and it will go unused. It was acquired when the Sixers dealt Marc Jackson to the New Jersey Nets. Billy King was quoted of saying "There's nobody out there to use it on." The Sixers still have their 5.215 million dollar midlevel excemption available but it looks like that may also not be spent. The Sixers have made no moves and this is essentially the same team that missed the playoffs last year plus Rodney Carney and Bobby Jones.

Tim Hudson had his best outing of the year and the Braves defeated the Phillies 3-1. Hudson dominated for seven innings while striking out 8 batters. Jimmy Rollins went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and a game ending groundout on a 2-0 pitch. A bad way to end the game on an outside pitch that Rollins tried to pull but rolled over to Marcus Giles. Hudson's counterpart, Cole Hamels, had another progressive outing. Hamels is establishing himself as a quality pitcher. Hamels threw 6 innings and surrendered only one run on a suicide squeeze. In his last three starts, Hamels is 2-1 with a 2.24 ERA. Hamels was pulled in the top of the seventh for a pinch hitter. Charlie Manuel substituted Pat Burrell in with two outs and a runner on second. Burrell swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out to Giles. Typical Burrell at bat, he should have been taking all the way. Had that been Utley or Howard swinging 3-0, I would have had no problem, but Burrell should have a red light. The bullpen was shaky in the seventh inning. Geoff Geary was credited with two earned runs though one was scored off a double given up to Scott Thorman by Aaron Fultz. Rick White pitched a scoreless inning. Manuel jumped the gun on replacing Hamels. Hamels was pitching brillantly and Burrell is by no means a sure thing as a pinch hitter. A terrible move by Manuel. The Phillies best scoring chance came in the eighth inning of Danys Baez, Wayne Franklin, then Tyler Yates. With the bases loaded, Victorino on third; Utley on second; Howard on first, David Delluci drove a pitch to the wall that Andruw Jones hauled in. Victorino tagged and scored the Phils only run. With the Reds victory the Phillies fall to 3 1/2 games out of the wildcard.

Tip of the Cap- Cole Hamels for another impressive outing. In six innings, Hamels surrendered six hits and one walk while striking out six. Hamels is showing great development and looks to be as good as advertised. With him and Myers, I believe the top of the rotation is set for some time.

Wag of the Finger- Charlie Manuel and Pat Burrell. First, Manuel for pinch hitting Burrell in the seventh and removing Hamels while Hamels was pitching great. Then Burrell for swinging at a 3-0 pitch and grounding out to second base.

Tomorrow's Game- The Phillies finish their road trip with a 1:05 game against Chuck James and the Braves. James is 4-3 with an ERA slightly over 5. The Phillies counter with Randy Wolf who is looking for some significant improvement over his last couple starts. Lets hope for a good finish to the road trip. Don't forget the wildcard leaders, Cincinnati Reds, come to town this weekend so lets get out and support the Phillies this weekend.

I am not referring to the temperature either. Apparently according to an ESPN report the Florida Marlins were very close to replacing Joe Girardi as manager on Sunday. It was reported that he, owner Jeffrey Luria, GM Larry Beinfest, and President David Samson had a heated discussion over team strategy and philosophy. I think that Girardi will be a very good manager in the big leagues and wanted him to replace Charlie Manuel after last season. Girardi downplayed the incident but there is still tension between skipper and owner and the owner always wins those arguments. Should Girardi be relieved of his duties following the year, I think he would make a great replacement here in Philly. He is a straight shooter who comes from the old school and played the game the right way ala Chase Utley or Aaron Rowand.
Also the picture is of me meeting Joe Girardi at Citizens Bank Park before the Phillies and Marlins opened their 5 game set.

First, if you didn't see the homerun that Andruw Jones hit in the 9th make sure you catch a replay. It was a broken bat home run to dead center. Amazing power. The Phillies won tonight in an ugly 9-6 game. Not a pretty game but the Phillies got the job done. Ryan Howard started the scoring for the Phillies in the 4th with a 2-run home run, his 39th. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were the catylst for the offense tonight. They went a combined 4-9 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs. The 5th inning was the killer inning for the Atlanta Braves. It started with a walk of Abe Nunez followed by a wild pitch in which Nunez advanced to second. On the subsquent bunt by Brett Myers, Braves' pitcher Oscar Villareal attempted to get the out at third but the throw was beat by Nunez. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Jimmy Rollins stroked a double to right-center. Victorino followed that with a run scoring single. After an Utley sac fly to left and an intentional walk to Howard, Burrell delivered a double down the third base line. The scoring in the fifth finished on a bloop single to right that scored Howard.

Brett Myers was not an ace today. He really struggled with his control. He gave up 4 earned runs over 5 innings but did get his eighth win of the year. His biggest mistake came in the fifth with an 0-2 count to Marcus Giles. He threw a fastball down the middle and Giles hit a two run home run. Ryan Madson came in for relief in the sixth. He pitched two innings. Madson worked out of a jam in the seventh and also struck out three batters during his two innings. A very positive outing from Madson. Arthur Rhodes who is pitching his best baseball of the year had a quick 1-2-3 inning. Geoff Geary due for a rough outing had a bad ninth inning. He gave up 3 hits and 2 runs.

The pitchers, especially Brett Myers, were helped out by some great defense. Abe Nunez took away a RBI single from Wily Aybar in the 4th with a diving play. Then he saved two more runs in the fifth when Nunez dove to his left and threw to second to get the force on a ball smoked by Adam LaRoche. Nunez earned his money tonight with those two superb plays. The first one was even the #2 Web Gem on Baseball Tonight

Tip of the Hat- Ryan Madson for pitching two scoreless innings, the sixth and seventh. Madson has seemed to make a perfect transition back to the bullpen. On Post Game Live, John Marzano described why Madson is more suited to the bullpen. Marzano said by pitching only one or two innings he doesn't need to pace himself and can use his devasting change up anytime.

Wag of the Finger- Brett Myers for a second straight subpar outing. To make a run at and win the wildcard, the Phillies need Myers to pitch like the ace he is. He didn't have his best stuff but did battle for five innings.

Tomorrow's Game- Cole Hamels off his best outing of his short career will take on the underachieving Tim Hudson. The Phillies just 2.5 games out of the wildcard, look to deal Hudson his eleventh loss of the year. Meanwhile, Hamels looks to even his record at .500. Tomorrow's gametime is at 7:30.

Today new life was breathed into all the teams fighting for the NL Wildcard. The Reds acquired Ryan Franklin from the Phillies for the proverbial player to be named later (who cares who that is). I am just glad he will not be trotting in from the bullpen for the Phillies anymore. If Franklin blows half the amount of games for the Reds that he blew for the Phillies, the Reds will lose the wildcard by double digits. Todays blockbuster trade may have more impact on the NL wildcard race than any other trade. A negative for the Reds but a positive for the Phillies and the rest of the pack.

Well the Phillies had a chance to take two out of three but came away with only one out of three. When you play a team as good as the Mets you know that one game will be won easily by them but that their will be two games up for graps. It hurts that the Phillies squandered Saturday's game when they had the perfect chance to win the series. Lieber's throwing error cost them the game yesterday and today Scott Mathieson's throwing error led to a seven run 4th inning. Mathieson showed moments of brillance. His first three innings were scoreless and he seemed to be in control of the powerful hitting Mets. Meanwhile, Mets' starter John Maine was in control for six innings tonight. The bullpen pitched well also bar the Mike Lieberthal home run. The Phillies pitchers got them selves in trouble by allowing Jose Reyes and Paul Lo Duca to go a combined 4-8 including a grand slam by Reyes. The Phillies subsquently held the 3-4-5 hitters to a 1-11 night. It was not enough though as Mathieson allowed 7 runs, only 2 earned, leading to a Mets 8-1 victory. The Phils are 3.5 games out of the wildcard trailing 4 teams. Fabio Castro pitched another two scoreless innings giving up only one hit. Castro has no yet allowed a run as a Phillie.

Offensively, not much to talk about. Chase Utley's hitting streak stands at two games now after a 2 for 4 night. Delluci joined Utley with a 2 for 4 night. Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Aaron Rowand went 0-11 and I want to of those players traded. I hope you can figure out which ones. Abe Nunez also went 0 for 3 dropping his average to .159.

Tip of the Cap- Fabio Castro for getting his job done everytime he gets the call. He has not got as many chances as many of the other relievers but all he does is get outs without surrendering runs. All a relief pitcher can do is take advantage of the his oppurtunities to pitch and show what he can do. Castro has done a great job.

Wag of the Finger- Jon Lieber and Scott Mathieson for making throwing errors in back to back games. Both had very big implications on the game. It cost Lieber a win yesterday and it let the game get out of hand tonight for Scott Mathieson.

Tomorrow's Game- The Phillies catch a red-eye to Hotlanta for a three game series. The Phillies will hand the ball to the ace of their staff, Brett Myers. Myers got a win in the middle game of the Cardinals series although he didn't have his best stuff that day. It is important series for the rest of the year. Bobby Cox will send Horacio Ramirez and his 5-4 record to the line for the Atlanta Braves. This week is very important if the Phillies want to make a real run at the wildcard. First is a three game set with Atlanta followed by a 3 game series this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds.

Also don't forget Team USA takes on China in an exhibition tomorrow night at 9:30 on ESPN2.

As I see it the NL MVP race comes down to five finalists. The Phillies' Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Mets' Carlos Beltran, and David Wright, and the Cardinals' Albert Pujols. First lets take a look at each individuals stats.

Ryan Howard- 61 runs, 15 doubles, 38 HR, 99 RBIs, .293 AVG, .377 OBP, .624 SLG
Chase Utley- 93 runs, 32 doubles, 21 HR, 71 RBIs, .328 AVG, .390 OBP, .557 SLG
Albert Pujols- 71 runs, 18 doubles, 34 HR, 89 RBIs, .320 AVG, .428 OBP, .682 SLG
Carlos Beltran- 84 runs, 26 doubles, 33 HR, 97 RBIS, .283 AVG, .387 OBP, .624 SLG
David Wright- 69 runs, 25 doubles, 22 HR, 82 RBIs, .308 AVG, .383 OBP, .545 SLG

Second lets rank each player in the category and assign points for their place. 5 being the most and 1 the least.

Runs Doubles HR RBIs
Utley Utley Howard Howard 5 pts
Beltran Beltran Pujols Beltran 4 pts
Pujols Wright Beltran Pujols 3 pts
Wright Pujols Wright Wright 2 pts
Howard Howard Utley Utley 1 pts

BA OBP SLG
Utley Pujols Pujols 5 pts
Pujols Utley Beltran tied with 4 pts
Wright Beltran Howard for second 3 pts
Howard Wright Utley 2 pts
Beltran Howard Wright 1 pts

Now lets total up each players total points:
Howard- 19 pts
Utley- 23 pts
Pujols- 26 pts
Beltran- 23 pts
Wright- 15 pts

I believe that the MVP belongs to Albert Pujols. His BA, SLG, and OBP are all within the top two and the only reason his raw stats are not higher is that he was on the 15-day disabled list earlier this year. He has also put up these numbers without any other MVP contender in the lineup. Beltran has Wright and Utley has Howard. Chase Utley and Carlos Beltran come in tied for second. Not to surprising as both are well-rounded players. Utley gets some bonus points for his 35 game hit streak and Wright gets the bonus of playing in New York. Everyone gets overhyped in New York. Wright who was a strong candidate at the All-Star break comes in last as his numbers have dropped off since the first half. One last thought is that I believe that to win the MVP your team should have at least made the postseason. That is not in question for Beltran and Wright and Pujols should have no trouble though they have struggled lately. To get real consideration, I believe the Phils need to win the wildcard. Then I believe both Utley and Howard deserve a good long look at winning for leading in the Phillies even after they traded Abreu and Lidle. Let the debate begin.

One last note before I leave for the rest of the weekend. The Flyers have traded center Michael Handzus to the pitiful Chicago Blackhawks for left winger Kyle Calder. Last year Calder had 26 goals and 59 points. The trade was made because the Flyers have a logjam at center. Calder is only 27 years old and is on a one year, 2.95 million dollar contract.

The Phillies defeated the New York Mets tonight 5-3, but Chase Utley went 0 for 5 ending his hitting streak at 35 games. Utley has given us a great show over the past 35 games. 23 of his 35 games were multi-hit games and he hit over .400. He gained national recognition often being the lead story of Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight. So congratulations and thanks to Chase for a great storyline to follow and for playing baseball the right way everyday. I can't wait to watch the rest of his career.

Onto the game. Randy Wolf made his second start of the season tonight and was no more impressive than his last. He is clearly not up to full strength yet and I believe it will take at least the rest of the year to regain his strength. He did battle tonight though. He went only four innings. In the fourth, he got himself into trouble when he allowed El Duque to hit a triple on an 0-2 pitch with 2 outs. After making Hernandez look foolish on fastballs and curveballs, Lieby called for a change up and speed up his bat. Reyes hit a single to score El Duque to give the Mets a 3-2 lead at the time. Lieby needs to know better than to call for change ups to poor hitting pitchers. This was inexcusable. The bullpen got the job done again tonight. Aaron Fultz pitched the fifth and was relieved by Ryan Madson in the sixth. Madson gave up three hits but got his job done. Arthur Rhodes pitched a scoreless eighth and Flash Gordon had a 1-2-3 ninth. Gordon recorded his 27th save. Overall the pitching staff was good enough. Not great but only gave up three runs to the powerful New York Mets.

Offensively, the Phillies played well. They stole bases and bunted and overall put pressure on the defense. Mike Lieberthal executed two sacrifice bunts for the Phillies. Wolf drove in the first run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly. Then in the fourth Victorino scored his second run of the game on a balk by El Duque. An inning later David Delluci was off on the pitch and scored from first on a double by Ryan Howard. Delluci got his first hit off a lefty this year with home run off Darren Oliver. Ryan Howard followed that up with his 37th home run in the ninth for an insurance run. Aaron Rowand had another terrible night at the plate. He went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and 4 runners left on base. It is time that he platoons with Victorino. I would rather have Pat Burrell in the lineup instead of Rowand. Danny Sandoval and Pat Burrell both drew walk in their pinch hit appearances. Jimmy Rollins had two stolen bases both in the first after he drew a walk to start the game. David Delluci and Abe Nunez also both had stolen bases.

Tip of Cap- Charlie Manuel and the coaching staff for employing small ball tatics. The Phillies stole 4 bases tonight and executed two sacrifice bunts. Finally they are not just waiting for the three run homer. The coaching staff is changing the attitude of this team and it is working.

Wag of the Finger- Aaron Rowand for being completely lost at the plate tonight especially when El Duque was pitching. I am not convinced he should be brought back next season. I think maybe Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino should split time.

Tomorrow's Game- Jon Lieber lugs his excess girth and 6+ ERA to the mound to face Tom Glavine at 1:20 on Fox. Glavine is 11-4 with a 3.97 ERA. Lieber was ripped last Sunday lasting only 4 2/3 innings. Chase looks to get back on track and Howard will look to hit his 38th home run. The Phillies will look to make up some ground in the wild card race.

Sunday's Game- Scott Mathieson will make his second start since being recalled. He faces John Maine has pitched 33 innings and has an ERA of 2.45 this year. This game is on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. The Phillies will be on national TV in back to back games so hopefully they leave a good impression.

I will be gone for the rest of the weekend and will probably not have access to a computer so there will be no updates until Sunday evening.

1. Even though it is the dog days of summer and the Phillies are trying to make a run at the wild card, some interesting stories turned up in the Philadelphia Daily News and the Sporting News concerning the Sixers and Flyers.

• The Flyers' color commentator, Gary Dornhoefer, is leaving the TV booth. Dornhoefer simply said "It's time," refering to his leaving. He will be replaced in the booth by Keith Jones, who will also continue his job on the WIP morning show. Dornhoefer has been in the booth for 12 year. I am sad to see him go. I thought he always did a good job of describing hockey for the average fan who may not know all the rules or strategies. Hopefully Jones follows his lead and makes the game interesting for the average fan.
• The Sixers are again refuting rumors that they have put a $500 million dollar price tag on the team. They have though hired a Wall Street firm to review any offers should they receive them. It seems like Comcast-Spectacor is moving in the direction of selling the Sixers though it appears to be in the infant stages.
• Lastly, the Sporting News is reporting that Billy King may still be trying to trade AI despite his public comments to the contrary. Sporting News reports that he is trying to do it privately and there could still be a trade in the next month.

Last night Team USA defeated Puerto Rico 114-69 on the campus of UNLV. Even though this does not directly relate to Philly sports, I felt compelled to write about it since it affects all Americans. After their humiliation in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the new squad began their journey to the 2008 Olympics last night in a practice game. Right now they are preparing for the World Championships in Japan. Nothing less than first place will please the American fans. Last nights game got off to a slow start in the first quarter. They lead only 29-26 after the first. They were even trailing in the second, 33-29 until they went on a 31-2 run to pull away from Puerto Rico. I am not going to comment on the leading scorers because this team has more than enough offense instead the way they will win is by hustle and defense. They impressed me last night in both those areas. At the end of the first half, Gilbert Arenas went into the stands to save a loose ball then after a turnover, Puerto Rico had a breakaway but Elton Brand hustled back to block the layup. Quite an impressive performance to end the first half even as they were pulling away from Puerto Rico. Defensively they had played with an intensity that was missing in Athens. They forced 25 turnovers and gave up only 69 points. Kudos to Coach K and the players for not just talking the talk but also walking the walk last night. Hopefully this play will continue and Team USA will return to the spot where it belongs in international basketball, first place.

The Phillies repayed the Cardinals for the season opening sweep by completing their own sweep in St. Louis winning tonight 8-1 behind Cole Hamels and timely hitting. Hamels continued his development getting his second straight win tonight. He went seven innings surrending only two hits and a single run. He struck out 12 while walking two. He mixed his pitches well and worked ahead of hitters instead of falling behind and throwing fastballs down the middle. Hamels is starting to justify the Phillies decision to call him up early this season. He dominated hitters at Triple A and had nothing left to learn there and the only way to take the next step was to pitch against major league hitters.

Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 35 games tying Luis Castillo for the longest hit streak by a second basemen in history. The suspense lasted only until Utley first at-bat when he stroked a single to center and then took second on an error. Utley finished 3-6 with 2 RBI's. Chris Coste and Aaron Rowand had big nights to lead the Phillies to victory. Coste had 4 hits and 2 RBI's. Aaron Rowand went 3 for 5 and hit his 12th home run of the year. He did leave 4 runners on base. The most exciting play came in the 7th after Rowand hit a double when Juan Encarncion did not hustle to the ball, Rowand stole 3rd base and when the throw eluded Scott Rolen scored the Phils' fifth run. I am going to critize Charlie for his substitution of Chris Roberson for David Delluci in the ninth. Tony La Russa had brought in a left to face Delluci but I still believe that Manuel should have left him in because he is a better hit than Roberson. Luckily it worked out when Roberson got an infield single.

Defensively this team has been much better since the All-star break. Ryan Howard has picked up his intensity and has played a very good first base. Jimmy Rollins anchors the defense and I believes deserves a Gold Glove. In the 9th inning, with Brian Sanches pitching, Jimmy Rollins went deep into the hole and threw out David Eckstein. Eckstein always busts it down the line so this was by no means an easy play. This lead to a quick 1-2-3 inning for Sanches but if Rollins doesn't make that play the ninth inning could have been very different. Sanches had a rough last outing so that first out is important.

Tip of the Cap- Cole Hamels for proving that he belongs in the Show. He is making strides in his development and I still believe has the ability to be the best Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton. With him and Brett Myers, I believe they could have one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball.

Wag of the Finger- Nobody. A great series by the Phillies. They did everything well this series that they have struggled with most of the series. They got good pitching, good defense, and timely hitting.

Tomorrow's Game- The Phillies travel to Shea Stadium to face the best team in the National League. Coming off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phils are playing some of their best baseball of the year. Randy Wolf makes his second start of the year against Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Chase continues his pursuit of excellence. Should be a fun series as the Phils have pulled within 2 1/2 games of the wildcard.

Yankees Update- I just saw Baseball Tonight and saw Cory Lidle pitching to Sal Fasano. Lidle went six innings and gave up only one earned run. Sal Fasano took an 0 for 4 night at the plate. All of sudden the media has taken a huge interest in Bobby Abreu. All the time he played in Philly the national media barely knew he existed until the 2005 Home Run Derby and now everynight on Baseball Tonight they do a segment about how patient he is and how he sees the most pitches in the league per at bat. Abreu does seem to be having fun again and I think it was a time he got a change of scenery because the Philly media and fans had become unjustly harsh on him. Good luck to Bobby and I may just cheer the the Yankees this fall.

Tomorrow- I will have an update on how Team USA did in their basketball game tonight against Puerto Rico as they prepare for the World Championships.

The Phillies came out hot last night and never slowed down. They defeated the Cardinals 16-8. Chase Utley extended his hitting streak in the 8th inning off Randy Flores on an infield single. He followed that up with a single to centerfield in the ninth. Brett Myers was good enough last night to get the win. Madson came in for relief in the seventh and promptly gave up a home run costing Myers some extra runs. Rick White and Aaron Fultz pitched the 8th and 9th but tonight the story was the offense. This team and especially the offense has been on fire since the recent trading deadline moves. Delluci is providing a spark and Utley and Howard are carrying them. Chris Coste had a pinch hit RBI double in the 8th as the Phillies pulled away for good. Every starter for the Phillies had a hit in last nights rout. Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer for the quick 1-0 lead then hit a 3-run homer in the 9th to cap the scoring. Ryan Howard had another 3 RBI last night on a 2 for 5 night. Aaron Rowand even added his 11th home run and even more surprising Mike Lieberthal had 3 hits. Its nice that Myers finally got a win after all those great starts he had without any run support.

Tip of the Cap- Phils' offense for busting out for 16 runs and pounding Jeff Weaver a pitcher they should pound. They pounded out 18 hits and every starter had a hit. They finally scored runs in a game that Myers started.

Wag of the Finger- Ryan Madson for promptly giving up a home run as soon as he entered the game. I know he has been inconsistent but they should not have removed him from the rotation unless they are convinced he can not make it as a major league starter.

Tonight's Game- Cole Hamels, coming off his best start of the year, faces the Cardinals' Jason Marquis. Marquis is 12-8 but has an 5.67 ERA. Hamels is 3-5 with a 5.71 ERA. Hamels looks to continue his development as the Phils look to bring out the brooms tonight and continue their hot streak. Also don't forget Chase Utley goes for game 35 tonight.

Earlier today, Flyers' GM, Bobby Clarke updated the contract situation with restricted free agent Simon Gagne. Gagne remains the only unfinished business for Flyers before training camp opens. They have been working on a new contract since the end of last season and Clarke has said that this is their number one priority in the offseason. He is an excerpt from a Q&A with Clarke:

Is this a monumental gap, or a small gap?

BC: “I think with the numbers that are being talked about, any gap is big, because it’s big money we’re talking about.”

Are you confident that this will eventually get done?

BC: “Yeah, I’m confident that we’ll get it done.”

To me this sounds like their is a significant gap between the money Gagne thinks he is worth and the money the Flyers are willing to pay. Yet no other team has offered Gagne a contract because I assume the Flyers would quickly match it. It is important to get a contract finalized soon and not a 1-year deal that sometimes teams resort to. Gagne is the most valuable player for the Flyers next year. With Primeau and Forsberg injured, Simon will be their best offensive player. The players around him need to step up, but the Flyers' also need Gagne to become one of the top players in the league and lead this team.

Ironically ten years to the day that Scott Rolen debuted with the Phillies, they started a series with Rolen's Cardinals. The Phillies won 5-3 behind solid pitching and timely hitting. Scott Mathieson got the start for the Phillies tonight and pitched well enough for his first career win. Mathieson was very good for the first three innings then struggled in the fourth before finishing strong in the fifth. In the fourth inning, the Cardinals scored 3 runs on 2 bloop hits, 2 walks, and a squeeze. Mathieson only gave up 3 hits but did struggle with his control, walking 5. He was consistently between 94-97, but still needs some work on his breaking pitch. I would say though that he looks like he can develop into a top of the rotation starter down the road. The young pitchers in addition to players like Chase and Ryan are the reason I continue tuning into the Phils every night. The bullpen was dominant recording 12 straight outs in relief of Mathieson. Geary went two innings and beside Flash has been their most consistent and reliable relief pitcher. Arthur Rhodes had a 1-2-3 inning and has pitched better recently, maybe raising the possibility of a trade if he can clear waivers. Flash came in and worked a quick ninth to record his 26th save of the year. (Billy Wagner blew a save tonight for the Mets).

Offensively, The Phillies scored enough to win. Chase Utley wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 33 games with a single in the first. He added another single later in the game. Ryan Howard got the Phillies on the board with a 2-run single in the third. Also on in the third, Chase Utley scored on Abe Nunez's fielders choice. The Phillies would add two runs later in the game on Howard's 35th and Coste's 4th. Chris Coste just continues to impress and deserves to a be a the backup catcher next year for this team. Jimmy Rollins had a big night going 3 for 5 and scoring a run. My biggest objection to today's lineup is where Coste was batting. He should be hitting after Burrell and before both Rowand and Nunez. There is no reason those two should hit ahead of the hot-hitting Coste.

Former Phillie update: Bobby Abreu went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored in his Yankee debut.
David Bell went 1-4 for the Brewers and hit in to a double play
Rheal Cormier pitched 1/3 of an inning and surrendered 1 earned run for
the Reds
Tip of the Cap- Ryan Howard for hitting his 35th home run in front of family and friends and for driving in 3 runs in tonight's game. St. Louis is close to where Ryan Howard grew up as a child

Wag of the Finger- Arthur Rhodes for responding to Cory Lidle. By responding, Rhodes dignified Lidle's comments. Also, if anyone responded it should have been a leader on this team such as Utley, Howard, or Rowand not a relief pitcher with an ERA over 5.

Tomorrow's Game- Brett Myers takes the mound versus Jeff Weaver of the Cardinals. Myers has been brillant since returning from his leave of absence with an ERA around 2.50. Weaver had a solid outing against the Dodgers a week ago but comes in a with an ERA over 6. The game is ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball Game at 8. It will be interesting to see how a visiting city responds to Myers taking the mound. The Cardinals are on a five game losing streak and the Phils have won 4 out of their last 6.

The Sixers schedule was released today by the NBA. The highlights are:

• Miami Heat visit Philly on Nov 5 and Jan 19
• Lebron James also visits twice on Jan 26 and then for the home finale on Apr 17
• The Sixers play at 2 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day versus the Toronto Raptors
• 22 of the Sixers first 33 games are away from the Wachovia Center
• The Sixers enjoy a seven game homestand from Feb 2-21
• They open the season at home on Wed Nov 1 against the Atlanta Hawks
• They close the season on Wed April 18 against the Toronto Raptors
• They have 8 televised on ESPN
• One stretch that could have a lasting impact on the season is the road trip from Dec 26 to Jan 5. They play seven Western Conferance Teams though none of the power teams. The best team is Denver so if the Sixers have a great road trip it could set them up favorably to make a run at the playoffs
• Click http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/0607_season_schedule.pdf for the full schedule

The Philadelphia 76ers summer league has concluded and the Sixers finished with a 4-2 record. Their was a few notable performances. Shavlik Randolph appeared in one game going 34 minutes with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Randolph has made very big strides and could be a big producer next year. I would have never thought he would have been on in NBA roster when he came out of college. The Sixers' top draft pick, Rodney Carney, played in 3 summer league games. He averaged 16.7 points but only 2.3 rebounds. Undrafted free agent, Steven Smith, made quite an impression. Smith, a La Salle graduate, started 5 games and played in all 6 games. He averaged 15.7 points in 29.8 minutes. I am a big fan of Smith and am hoping that he can make the Sixers and get some minutes. Both Randolph and Carvey will probably get some significant minutes this season. On last note, Marvin Williams of Atlanta was named MVP.

On a different note, who thinks that Billy King wishes he was Pat Gillick right now. King has been preaching a change of culture but has not made a single change this summer. King shopped his best player but could not find an adequate trade. Pat Gillick on the other hand has decided to retool his team and has dealt his best player since 1998. Granted he did not get great return, but he has finally turned a corner something King would love to do.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Comcast-Spectacor is considering selling the Sixers. This rumor has been around for a couple months but has never had much basis. Peter Luuko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, denied the report in the Boston Globe. Luuko said "No one has made us an offer and we're not actively selling the team." If this report was about the Phillies I would be thrilled but Comcast-Spectacor has done a good job of running the Sixers, Flyers, and Phantoms. Both the Sixers and Flyers problems lay at the feet of their GM's and not owner.