Snide comments and reports from every fight we can see, ATJ

–

Pregame

• Clay Condrey, Ryan Madson, and (probably) J.C. Romero are all unavailable for the Phillies tonight.
  
• When asked how he didn’t get thrown out last night Charlie responded “I was thinking about it” but wasn’t totally sure that the ball was fair when it hit the runner
• Some clown Mets fan was rocking a Robin Ventura replica jersey.  This, of course, allows me to post his finest moment
• If Ryan Howard hit .280 - or almost 35 points lower than he did in 2006 - he’d win the MVP every year.
• I should probably mention that he is hitting .280 with men in scoring position
• for the second strait inning Kendrick allows a single to the leadoff guy, then lets him steal second.  Probably not a good habit to get into.
  
• If Santana has a weakness it’s the longball. 3-1 Phils.
• Even with the lead the fans seem hesitant - our city has no idea how to frontrun
•  

After a game like last night everyone makes a big deal about momentum and emotion.  On one hand this makes sense: the Phils had to be excited after the game, and the Mets had to be reminded of last season’s defeat - it doesn’t hurt that “did the Phillies break the mets?” is a fun topic to talk about, especially in Philly.

Unfortunately, I think that might be getting a little too much play.  I asked a couple of the players about this today and some of them seemed to be relieved to be able to admit it.

“That stuff is all bullshit” admitted Victorino, “It’s game to game, whoever is better on any given night.” 

“Last night’s game has no effect against Santana tonight” added Coste.

Basically momentum can shift so much through the course of a game that it is really hard to have anything carry over night to night.  When push comes to shove, a couple nice hits against Schoenewies doesn’t help you hours later when you’re facing Johan.

We’ll see whose right tonight; I suppose, but it seems to be something at least worth considering amidst so much “The Phils murked the New York’s spirit” talk.

The Birds backups gear up to take on Brett Favre’s backups and the second string New York Jets.  Most people don’t care about the forth preseason game (for obvious reasons) but it’s always been my favorite.  All the backups go full tilt trying to stay on the team through final cuts, and they’ve played with each other enough that organized, albeit vanilla, plays can be run.

UPDATE: none of that is true, it is not Thursday, despite how much like Thursday it feels.  Oh well, live and learn (and expect to read that blurb again tomorrow)

*

But no one cares about that game, of course, because Kyle Kendrick (11-7, 4.87) and the Phillies are trying to hold first place against Johan Santana (12-7, 2.64) and the Mets.  At first glance this seems like a pitching mismatch, but first glance doesn’t remember that Kendrick has defeated former Cy Youngs Greg Maddux and John Smoltz over the last year, or that when Pedro hands the ball off, he has to give it to these clowns.

Two reasons why the Phillies are going to win:

• Santana is coming off an outing where he threw a career high 121 pitches
• Kendrick’s ERA against the Mets (2.40) is actually better than Santana’s against the Phils (2.60), so logic would dictate that, if both pitchers go the distance, the Phillies will win (2.6 to 2.4)

Two reasons they won’t

• The Phillies won the first game of the last two sets against the Mets in epic fashion as well.  It was the Good Guys who had a letdown the next day
• Santana is a strikeout pitcher and the Phillies aren’t contact hitters.  As games become bigger and both sides start holding on a little tighter, that doesn’t bode well for the bats

Whatever. Look for Pedro Feliciano to do something amazing for the Phils and the Home Team to take another game from the ‘tropolitans. They’re due for their 22nd (!) blown save of the year.

Rounds, ATJ

Phillies

Balls, Sticks, and Stuff recaps the madness

John Finger, who has seen a game or two, left the stadium baffled

and, of course, The Fightins bring you the visuals

Eagles

The Level checks in on McNabb’s SI cover and more from the Birds

Iggles Blog points out Tony Hunt’s change of heart (but fails to make fun of his astronaut quote)

Sixers

Straight Balling files a generic preview

Flyers

and YouRememberThat remembers one of the greatest Flyers moments ever

I don’t know how I haven’t pieced this together yet, but Craig Robinson, the current future first brother-in-law (Michelle’s brother), is Craig Robinson - a former 76er draft pick.

After Robinson starred at Princeton the Sixers made him the last pick in the 4th round of the 1983 NBA draft.  He went off the board before future Sixers Manute Bol and Sedele Threatt. 

Robinson is now the head basketball coach at Oregon State, and is presumably voting for Barry.

Samuel Dalembert, apparently financially unscathed from his speed racing adventures, recently copped this Boca Raton home for a cool $4 mil.  The asking price was $4.9, so either housing market in BR is struggs or Sammy is more shrewd of a negotiator than we’re giving him credit for. 

I suppose we could make an issue out of the Haitian-born Canadian citizen living so far away from Philly, but who wants that?

Chris Coste

Three lines on their world:

1. Major League Baseball goes to the camera tomorrow
   
2. The Red Sox took care of the Yankees in New York, which really puts the Yankees’ backs to the walls.  Good thing they can turn to this guy with their season on the line.
3. and Mike Strahan is still retired

Three lines on ours:

1. The Phils come from down seven to stun the Mets and re-take first place in the East
2. and added some fuel to the rivalry
3. Across the parking lot, it is elimination time for the back of the Birds roster as they ready for the final preseason game

Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and more from first place after the jump

PHILLIES

At twelve twenty four this morning, five hours and seventeen minutes after the first pitch was thrown out, Chris Coste singled the Phillies back into the first place with a deep fly to straightaway center. 

You could watch a lot of baseball and not see another game like last night’s.  The game had, in Uncle Cholly’s words, “everything except a fight.”  Coste, who entered the game in the 8th inning, had four hits; the Phillies nine spot had five; Chooch Ruiz played third base (!); Clay Condrey started a rally (!); the Phillies stole more bases in a game than they had in over twenty years and had tonight’s starting pitcher (Kyle Kendrick) throwing in their bullpen.  If the game had gone 14 he would have thrown.

Two days ago Jimmy Rollins was hitting .255, he got up to .269 last night.  He had a fantasy dream night with five hits, a home run, and three steals. Maybe more importantly he was joking around happily after the game, and copping to taking motivation from the jerk Mets’ jerk antics.  

You never want to put too much emphasis on one game; if Johan decides to Johan the Phils tonight the Mets can still leave with a split and the NL East lead, but this was the type of game that can go a long ways towards swinging the playoff race.  For a team that can’t help but remember that they couldn’t hold a lead last year, it’s big to keep reinforcing that.  In the midst of extra innings the Mets’ announcer (not sure which one) said that this game could go a long ways towards defining the Mets’ season.  They scored early, were unable to hang on late, and ended up giving a way a game they probably should have won.  The New York bullpen just cannot get it done in crucial spots.

Lets hope that continues tonight, and first place is on the time once more.

Other Notes …

• The sell-out was the Phillies 44th of the seaon, which matches the club record for a season.  They’ll break that record tonight.
• Coste’s four hits matched a career high
• Jimmy’s five hits matched his career high
• Jimmy’s three steals matched his career high
• The win was the Phillies 34th come from behind win of the year
• Pat Burrell continued to struggle, ending the game 0-7
• Jayson Werth was on base five times (three hits and two walks)
• for the first time in fifteen games Jamie Moyer surrendered more than three runs
• I can’t find a good picture to prove it, but new Phillie Andy Tracy is a dead ringer for Jim Thome

Now, who said what …

Jim Salisbury muses that this rivalry might just keep heating up. SKIP

Rich Hofmann’s rivalry piece is worth reading for the kicker quote alone. READ

Paul Hagen says that the Mets bullpen was, is, and may be the difference. (Or, in other words, what Sielski said before last night) SKIP

Todd Zolecki’s notes check in with Jamie Moyer’s 2009 options, the possibility of the Phils adding Mark Kotsay, Jimmy Rollins‘ success and more. SKIP

David Murphy’s look at Kyle Kendrick’s birthday present, Adam Eaton’s return, the Phils trade prospects and more. READ

Randy Miller’s look at Kyle Kendrick’s giant-killing history. READ

Paul Hagen introduces us to the world of limited replay. SKIP

1Chair points out that with power numbers are down across the league, we’re in a different era. SKIP

Mike Sielski says that the Phillies just will not die. READ

EAGLES

Bob Brookover looks at DeSean Jackson’s rise and Reggie Brown’s fall. READ

Ed Barkowitz says while the Birds’ starters will be watching tonight’s game, it still should have some intrigue. READ

The Eagles made a couple of small roster moves. SKIP

Bob Brookover takes a look at Wednesday’s in the NFL.  Way more interesting than Tuesdays. Actually. READ

Geoff Mosher on Monte Reagor’s short time with the Birds. SKIP

Jeff Offord profiles Dan Klecko. SKIP

SIXERS

Nothing

FLYERS

Chuck Gormley says that Simon Gagne is ready to put last year behind him. READ

TODAY and MORE

So there really isn’t a local hook to this story, but I’d like to introduce you to Denard Span: hilarious man.

With both the Birds and the Phils playing tonight check back in for previews and what to watch for.  Other than that, we’ll be at Citizens Bank Park again tonight, so check back in for live read-and-react analysis of the night’s action.

 As always, feel free to email with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.

Alright team, here’s the deal: some how, some way I deleted my entire game notes from the Mets/Phils game and there is no way I can recreate them until BH saved most of them.  This sucks for you, (they were epic) and for me (it’s like someone murdered a loved one, which is especially bad for me because I hate murder).  Anyway, if by some off chance you have a live link to what I posted (it was in real time) please send it my way and I’ll promise to love you forever.  I’ve got pregame notes saved, so enjoy reading nothing about the actual game ATJ.

ugh.

We’ll be coming at you live all night with updates and observations from what is shaping up to be a pretty big series.  Outside of Sox-Yanks and Cubs-Cards this is the best rivalry out there.

Notes in real time

Pregame

• Charlie talks about how the feel is more businesslike before big games like tonight’s, but doesn’t seem to show it himself.  He has the press cracking up for what seems like half his interview
• I know I’ve covered this before, but Hamels is really competitive out there. Today, two days before he’s scheduled to toss next, he pops the last pitch of his BP session up and leaves the cage visibly pissed.
  • FWIW here is Chris Coste on the phenomenon: “A lot of guys try to get mad because that is what they think they’re supposed to do, Cole is one of those guys who legitimately gets mad at the slightest amount of failure.”
• I’m not sure what to make of this, but I totally heard Sarge talking with some TV guys about Alyssa Miliano.  Those two have history.
• The Mets strike first, pouncing for two in the first, but Moyer gets himself out of trouble.
• Big Cheer for Jimmy as he comes to bat

UPDATE: BH saved some of the previous notes, so check below for some of those.  Right now it’s tomorrow and the Mets and Phils are still going at it. Chris Coste and Clay Condrey both came up bit their bats, Jimmy raised his average 14 points over the last two years, Chooch Ruiz played a little bit of third base (!) and Jamie Moyer finally got a few runs of support.

The Phillies are like, 1 for a million with runners in scoring position, but that one came with two outs in the bottom of the 9th.  Onto more notes

• Rudy Seanez gets buckets, or something
• The Mets beat guy apparently just called this game a microcosm of their entire season
• Shane Victorino is the man.  He is a hero’s hero.  All this game needed was a little bit of the Beale magic.  End it Werth.
• or get intentionally walked.  End it Bruntlett
• or get intentionally walked.  End i, pinch-hitter Brett Myers?
• A couple weeks ago in DC a few guys on the team were making fun of Myers’ anemic batting average (.045) he replied by saying “they don’t pay me to hit.”  Now, it seems, they do.  It’s Kendrick if this thing goes 14
• Chris Coste … ballgame
• There is debate on whether or not Myers was sent up there with instructions not to swing, so as to not GIDP.  Seems odd to me, couldn’t Seanez not swing with the best of them?  What do you think?

Pedro with his lucky midget (no joke)

Not content with judging the local media in the morning, we here at the Sports Complex have decided to start the newest piece of daily furniture: the Afternoon Rounds.  In the AR we’ll take a look at who is saying what in the Philadelphia blogosphere.  In general I’ll try to highlight five posts that I think should be paid attention to or talked about.  

It’s a big internet out there, so feel free and email with posts I might have missed. 

1. Over at the Fightins, Meech does what he does best, putting together a hilarious slide show from the Phillies’ 70s night.
2. Beerleaguer breaks down the Phillies’ top prospects
3. Tom Ziller says that Andre Iguodala is the 49^th best player in the NBA
4. a position that SixerSoul says sounds is too low
   
5. Depressed Fan makes the eloquent case that Willie Green is garbage
6. And Hugging Harold Reynolds just tears into a recent Randy Miller article

Phils/Mets preview and notes, ATJ

Tonight the Phils welcome the Mets to town for the first of two games with first place in the east on the line.  The old guys get the first crack at it, with Jamie Moyer (11-7, 3.54) taking the hill against Pedro Martinez (4-3, 4.97).  

The Mets have are 9-4 against the Phils this year, but nine of those games have been decided by two runs or less. Look for the old-timers to keep it close and the Phils to brutalize those clowns in the back of the Mets pen.

Notes …

• David Wright is 17-for-37 (.459) with two homers and 10 RBI over his last nine games at the Bank
• Pat Burrell is 1-23 lifetime against Pedro. The hit was a home run
• Moyer has gotten four runs of support or less in 13 of his last 14 outings, going 5-4 with a 2.66 ERA in that span.
• One year ago from tomorrow the Mets came into Philly for the first of a four game set that changed the fates of both teams
• The last time Moyer allowed more than three runs was fifteen starts ago
• Wright has had success against Moyer - he carries .433 batting average and .767 slugging percentage in 30 career at-bats against the lefty, but Moyer owns Carlos Beltran. Beltran has batted .204 with a .265 slugging percentage in 49 career at-bats against Moyer.

We’ll be live from the game and should be updating periodically, so check in tonight.

The 49^th best player in the League is blogging again.

In his latest update AI2 talks shop, contracts, and his hobbies.  He also drops this gem:

One of my favorite shows right now is the HBO series Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys. It gives fans a sense of what training camp is like and how tough it is to be a professional athlete. Just watching the show gets my adrenaline going and I’m anxiously waiting for training camp to start for us. I have been a huge T.O. fan since his days with the 49ers because of his hard work and discipline he brings to the game.

Um, dude, you just whined about how tough professional athletes have it then admitted your man-crush on T.O.  Those are two things that generally don’t play in these parts.  

Owens, working hard

Doyel

via the big lead

Throughout my time with the Sports Complex I think I’ve said mostly nice things when I comment about national columnists.  Some of this is selective - I generally won’t comment if I’m disinterested in the comments of a national writer - but most of it is earned.  I write nice things because I see that there is a real reason why some of them have gotten to where they are, and moreso than not, it’s a legitimate reason.

I bring this up to point out that when I criticize a writer I at least try not to do it glibly, or at random. That said, Greg Doyel of CBS Sportsline is a fantastic douche.  He doesn’t seem to understand sports, fans, or Philadelphia, and has penned an article that seems meant only to elicit a response.  I’m embarrassed to take the bait, but I can’t let his article stand on its own.

Doyel calls Philadelphians “soft” “gutless” “babies”.  He compared us to a schoolyard bully and said that our attitude was self-defeating.

Fuck him.

There is a story I once read from Joe Tessitore, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights blow-by-blow announcer about Eric Harding, a fighter born and raised in Philadelphia.  In the midst of a fight against Antonio Tarver, Harding got caught by a flush a left from Tarver. Tessitore continues:

Somehow, Harding got up and went on, but he was clearly out of it. His legs were jelly, his eyes were glazed, but his heart was stamped off the Philly assembly line. He got to his corner.

In the next round, it happened again. The sharp-shooting Tarver went in for the kill. Harding was rocked and floored even harder a second time. How could he continue? It had to be over. Yet there was Harding, rising to his feet for more. I was about to hear my favorite sports quote of our times.

As the crumbling fighter reached his feet, referee Bill Paige came in at the eight-count to check on Harding. He asked the required, “Can you continue, are you OK?” Harding’s response was perfect.

“I’m from Philadelphia!” he snapped.

Now I’ve never so much as trained for boxing, let alone actually gotten in the ring, but stories like that make me proud to be from Philly and go a long way to define how we view our athletes. 

The Philly guard - relentless, attacking, pesky - fits into that mode as well.  It was part of the reason why this city embraced AI like so few cities fully could have, and why, even beyond hometown loyalty, we’ll always look kindly on guys like Kyle Lowry, Jameer Nelson and Maalik Wayns (you wait).  The idea of a player who is obsessed not only with winning but also provoking the other team seems quintessentially Philly - especially because you expect the Philly Guard to be able to back it up.

I guess, in short, what we want out of our players is tough, hard-nosed play from guys who aren’t scared of anyone.  We’re fond of Utley because he runs hard on grounders that he doesn’t have a shot of beating out, we’re worried about McNabb because he has vomited on the field in pretty crucial situations.  Maybe that hurts us at times, but it certainly isn’t a sign of ignorance.

There may be a real discussion to be had around what Jimmy said, but Doyel didn’t add to it.