Chase Utley could do something no second baseman has done in almost 50 years: become a World Series MVP. Utley’s Game 1 fireworks—2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases—put him on pace to become the first one since New York’s Bobby Richardson in 1960 against Pittsburgh.
Utley showed no rust after a week off, pounding a 2-2 first-inning pitch into the right-field seats in his first World Series at-bat. He gave the Phillies a lead they’d hold for their first Series win 15 years.
“I don’t think [the layoff] threw off our timing too much,” said Utley.
While Richardson is one target for Utley, past Phillies second basemen are simply low-hanging fruit. In only one game, his chase to match the output of past Phillies second basemen in the World Series is already over when it comes to driving in runs.
There have been six second basemen on the Phillies’ five World Series teams:
1993: Mariano Duncan/Mickey Morandini
1983: Joe Morgan
1980: Manny Trillo
1950: Mike Goliat
1915: Bert Niehoff
Those six combined drove in just seven runs in 26 games. Utley already has as many as Duncan, Trillo, and Morgan each managed. Coincidentally, Morgan opened Game 1 in 1983 much like Utley, going 2-for-4 with a home run.
Of the six, only Duncan came through in the World Series, though, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with 2 RBIs. Morandini (.200), Morgan (.263), Trillo (.217), Goliat (.214), and Niehoff (.063) produced largely forgettable results.
“When you watch Utley day-in and day-out, and the way the guy goes about playing baseball, I think he’s one of the best players in the game,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “His mindset is, I know I’m going to do good.”
Perhaps also worth noting about Richardson and that 1960 Series: His American League team lost to a team from Pennsylvania.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Men in the Mirror: The '80 & '08 Phillies
What a season: A mad-dash scramble to make the playoffs when the season appeared lost midway through September. An MVP-caliber season from a Hall of Fame-worthy power hitter. Perhaps the best infield in all of baseball. A dominating lefthanded ace on the mound, followed by a tall righthanded set-up man and a no-doubt-about-it closer.
Yep, that 1980 season was something, alright.
If it seems that this is finally the Phillies year, it may be because the 2008 Phillies have so many similarities to that powerhouse 1980 team. In terms of the players—and how the season played out—’80 and ’08 are close to mirror images.
The 1980 team finished 91-71 to win the NL East on the second-to-last day. The 2008 Phillies went 92-70 to win the NL East on the second-to-last day.
Each team featured solid to standout players at every position. Six of the eight everyday players on the 1980 team were an All Star during their Phillies years (amazingly, Garry Maddox and Bake McBride weren’t, though both finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting in one Phillies season).
Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley are the only ’08 All Stars so far, but that serves to highlight the one key difference between the teams: age.
In ’80, all but two of the starters were in their 30s (Manny Trillo and Greg Luzinski being the 29-year-old exceptions). In ’08, all but two of the starters are in their 20s (Pedro Feliz and Pat Burrell are in the 30+ Club).
In ’80 Mike Schmidt collected 48 home runs, 121 RBIs, and the NL MVP, while sweet-swinging lefty McBride finished in the Top 10. In ’08, Howard had 48 home runs, 146 RBIs, and could win the NL MVP, while sweet-swinging lefty Chase Utley figures to have a Top 10 finish.
Both teams’ infields were among the Majors’ best and match up well in comparison with each other: Pete Rose-Howard, Trillo-Utley, Larry Bowa-Rollins, Schmidt-Feliz. Each teams’ left-side defense was up to Gold-Glove standards.
As for pitching, the comparisons are downright eerie. Each team was led by a dominating lefty (Steve Carlton, Cole Hamels) and had four starters pitch at least 150 innings. The ’08 Phillies have five relievers with 50+ innings pitched; the ’80 Phillies had four.
And when the late innings rolled around, ’80 manager Dallas Green turned to 6-foot-6 righty Ron Reed for a set-up man, much like ’08 manager Charlie Manuel goes to 6-foot-6 righty Ryan Madson. The closers (Tug McGraw, Brad Lidge) were nothing short of spectacular, putting together perhaps the best relief seasons in Phillies history.
McGraw went 5-4 with 20 saves and a 1.46 ERA in 92.1 IP, with 75 strikeouts in the regular season. Lidge finished 2-0 with 41 saves and a 1.95 ERA in 69.1 IP with 92 strikeouts.
Finally, the way the two teams reached the playoffs makes the comparison all the more fitting. The 1980 team scrambled down the stretch, going 13-5 after sitting 2.5 games back on Sept. 16. The 2008 Phillies finished 13-3 after being 3.5 games back on Sept. 10. In ’80, they won 6 of their last 7; in ’08, the Phils won 6 of their last 8.
So far, the two teams even have the same number of postseason wins—7. But can the ’08 team bring home the ring like the ’80 Phillies?
“In terms of personnel and the way they play the game, [this team is] very competitive with the ‘80s guys,” said Dallas Green. “You’ve got a lot of similarities in power and defense. They have good pitching. And they have a lot of heart, which should carry them through.”
Yep, that 1980 season was something, alright.
If it seems that this is finally the Phillies year, it may be because the 2008 Phillies have so many similarities to that powerhouse 1980 team. In terms of the players—and how the season played out—’80 and ’08 are close to mirror images.
The 1980 team finished 91-71 to win the NL East on the second-to-last day. The 2008 Phillies went 92-70 to win the NL East on the second-to-last day.
Each team featured solid to standout players at every position. Six of the eight everyday players on the 1980 team were an All Star during their Phillies years (amazingly, Garry Maddox and Bake McBride weren’t, though both finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting in one Phillies season).
Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley are the only ’08 All Stars so far, but that serves to highlight the one key difference between the teams: age.
In ’80, all but two of the starters were in their 30s (Manny Trillo and Greg Luzinski being the 29-year-old exceptions). In ’08, all but two of the starters are in their 20s (Pedro Feliz and Pat Burrell are in the 30+ Club).
In ’80 Mike Schmidt collected 48 home runs, 121 RBIs, and the NL MVP, while sweet-swinging lefty McBride finished in the Top 10. In ’08, Howard had 48 home runs, 146 RBIs, and could win the NL MVP, while sweet-swinging lefty Chase Utley figures to have a Top 10 finish.
Both teams’ infields were among the Majors’ best and match up well in comparison with each other: Pete Rose-Howard, Trillo-Utley, Larry Bowa-Rollins, Schmidt-Feliz. Each teams’ left-side defense was up to Gold-Glove standards.
As for pitching, the comparisons are downright eerie. Each team was led by a dominating lefty (Steve Carlton, Cole Hamels) and had four starters pitch at least 150 innings. The ’08 Phillies have five relievers with 50+ innings pitched; the ’80 Phillies had four.
And when the late innings rolled around, ’80 manager Dallas Green turned to 6-foot-6 righty Ron Reed for a set-up man, much like ’08 manager Charlie Manuel goes to 6-foot-6 righty Ryan Madson. The closers (Tug McGraw, Brad Lidge) were nothing short of spectacular, putting together perhaps the best relief seasons in Phillies history.
McGraw went 5-4 with 20 saves and a 1.46 ERA in 92.1 IP, with 75 strikeouts in the regular season. Lidge finished 2-0 with 41 saves and a 1.95 ERA in 69.1 IP with 92 strikeouts.
Finally, the way the two teams reached the playoffs makes the comparison all the more fitting. The 1980 team scrambled down the stretch, going 13-5 after sitting 2.5 games back on Sept. 16. The 2008 Phillies finished 13-3 after being 3.5 games back on Sept. 10. In ’80, they won 6 of their last 7; in ’08, the Phils won 6 of their last 8.
So far, the two teams even have the same number of postseason wins—7. But can the ’08 team bring home the ring like the ’80 Phillies?
“In terms of personnel and the way they play the game, [this team is] very competitive with the ‘80s guys,” said Dallas Green. “You’ve got a lot of similarities in power and defense. They have good pitching. And they have a lot of heart, which should carry them through.”
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Sports, Sports & More Sports (I think)
Anybody know who won Wednesday night???? I’m so giddy, I could wear a Cowboys shirt (almost). This is going to be such a great next 2 weeks that I wish I were unemployed so I could really soak it in….
Time again for the Carnac Invitational, as the weekly picks should be known until Carnac gets one wrong. I'll send mine in a bit, but I'm almost considering picking Jamie Moyer's game again, based on Phil’s theory—don’t jinx things now. I HAVE to pick Moyer—that’s why the Phillies won the NLCS! – John
Trinidad & Tobago won, 2-1. The score’s deceiving because the U.S. squad came in “light” having already sewn up a place in the CONCACAF finals.
Oh, did you mean something else? Obama won. McCain sounded like a broken record. — Kurt
You could have made all that up for all we know! And NOOOOOOObody will bother to verify the facts. GO PHILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Carnac
Well played, Kurt!! Premier League's back! After the brief WC qualifying hiatus, the boys are back on pitch. Toughest decision, though: Which game to pick? Carnac’s making a stink of things being 2-0. To keep pace it’d be easy to weigh in on the Liverpool (17pts) Wigan (9) match. Or nearly as certain is the Middlesbrough (9) Chelsea (17) fixture.
But I'll show Carnac, that sometimes it’s more fun to go out on a limb. I’m going with Stoke City, who is enjoying their first season in the Premier League, to continue Tottenham’s worst start since 1912, with a win at home in Britannia Stadium. (For those of you uninformed on Premier League, this is the equivalent of picking the Bengals over the Lions—few really care, but I know our host, John, has a soft spot for the Hotspur!)
Bonus pick: 13-0-0 Wake over 6-5-1 Dook Saturday night in Winston-Salem. And yes, I'm talking NCAA men’s soccer here) — Phil
Well, I figured everyone (except Phil) is going to be weighing in on MLB, NFL or College FB, so I’m going to weigh in on the Australia Tour of India. The 2nd test begins tomorrow, after a tightly contested 1st match that ended in a draw. Despite playing on foreign soil, I’m going to say Australia will prevail. (Of course, we won’t know until Oct. 21 when the cricket match is over.) [John: Note that this is just for the 2nd test, not for the entire Tour, or for the 3rd and 4th tests.) — Kurt
“Australia Tour of India?” The only good Australians touring India are Midnight Oil. — John
My stone-cold pick for Week 7—the Philadelphia Eagles will not lose this week in football! My Jimmy Johnsons predictions for this weekend:
* Defensive coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jimmy Johnson, will have his most successful run defense outing, as his “Sieve of Eratosthenes” which usually allows prime numbered running backs—and all other numbered running backs—to gain insurmountable rushing yards, will be resting through the Eagles’ bye week.
* NASCAR driver, Jimmy Johnson, currently number 1 in the Sprint cup point standings, will win at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, and avoid getting into a fight with dueling duo’s Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.
* Ex-Dallas Cowboys/Miami Dolphins head coach and current FOX sports commentator Jimmy Johnson, will continue his flawless hair day streak this weekend as he fights off a hoard of beauty pageant contestants in the FOX studio local shopping area while trying to purchase all available hair-care products.
And finally, my congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for their amazing run through the NL Championship! Hello, World Series! — Troy V. of Yardley
Who gave you guys homes in this area without checking your allegiances? When you'd rather talk Eratosthenese then errors-by-Furcal-ese on a day like this, I question why I even continue to lose playing poker with you.
I’m sneaking in my pick before Kevin even realizes Penn State plays this weekend: No papers, no TV, no idea, I figure. With apologies to Jamie Moyer for ditching him after he provided the Phillies their only 2008 postseason losses, I'm going with the Nittany Lions over Michigan—to snap a nine-game, 12-year losing streak to the Wolverines.
Sorry, Troy, but Michigan has two Johnsons on their roster—it appears it won’t be a perfect weekend for Johnsons everywhere.
Since I do not have TV, I have decided to go to the PSU game! I will tell stories at our next poker game. The spread was 23 1/2 the other day. Tough to beat that spread. – Kevin
Starting off with some boxing as 26-year-old Kelly Pavlik takes on Philly tough guy Bernard Hopkins, who is John’s age, tomorrow night in Atlantic City. Have to believe Pavlik will win but might not be able to knock him out. My pick: Pavlik by unanimous decision.
On to the Pennsbury Falcons who are back on the gridiron tonight traveling to William Tennent (wherever that is). Pennsbury is 6-1 and, to my surprise, has actually thrown a few passes this year. I think they completed 3 last game. Tennent hasn’t won a game so I am picking Pennsbury by 40 points.
Lastly, if you stayed up to watch the Boston Red Sox come back from a 7-0 deficit entering the 7th to win 8-7, you have to believe that Tampa will have a tough time rebounding from a tough defeat. They had the champagne all ready and now have to travel back to Tampa. — Dave
Nice pick on Pavlik. That’s definitely the big event of the week. Hopkins will stay close in, make it hard for Pavlik to drive that hook, but I think Pavlik’s the hungrier one here.
Things did not bode well in Game 4 of the NLCS when Rafael Furcal ran through Larry Bowa’s signal to hold up at third on Ramirez’ single and narrowly missed the tag. Furcal was lucky there, but he burned up his Baseball Karma with that measly run, and paid dearly in Game 5, committing three costly errors that contributed to two runs. Luckily for us Philly fans, third-base coaches can’t be substituted for shortstops (even if they were legendary shortstops in their prime). And so we move on to the World Series! I like Hamels pitching in Game 1. The Phils begin with a BIG win in Tampa. — Carnac
If Carnac’s going with the Phillies, I'm liking our chances! And finally, some Phillies talk! — John
Time again for the Carnac Invitational, as the weekly picks should be known until Carnac gets one wrong. I'll send mine in a bit, but I'm almost considering picking Jamie Moyer's game again, based on Phil’s theory—don’t jinx things now. I HAVE to pick Moyer—that’s why the Phillies won the NLCS! – John
Trinidad & Tobago won, 2-1. The score’s deceiving because the U.S. squad came in “light” having already sewn up a place in the CONCACAF finals.
Oh, did you mean something else? Obama won. McCain sounded like a broken record. — Kurt
You could have made all that up for all we know! And NOOOOOOObody will bother to verify the facts. GO PHILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Carnac
Well played, Kurt!! Premier League's back! After the brief WC qualifying hiatus, the boys are back on pitch. Toughest decision, though: Which game to pick? Carnac’s making a stink of things being 2-0. To keep pace it’d be easy to weigh in on the Liverpool (17pts) Wigan (9) match. Or nearly as certain is the Middlesbrough (9) Chelsea (17) fixture.
But I'll show Carnac, that sometimes it’s more fun to go out on a limb. I’m going with Stoke City, who is enjoying their first season in the Premier League, to continue Tottenham’s worst start since 1912, with a win at home in Britannia Stadium. (For those of you uninformed on Premier League, this is the equivalent of picking the Bengals over the Lions—few really care, but I know our host, John, has a soft spot for the Hotspur!)
Bonus pick: 13-0-0 Wake over 6-5-1 Dook Saturday night in Winston-Salem. And yes, I'm talking NCAA men’s soccer here) — Phil
Well, I figured everyone (except Phil) is going to be weighing in on MLB, NFL or College FB, so I’m going to weigh in on the Australia Tour of India. The 2nd test begins tomorrow, after a tightly contested 1st match that ended in a draw. Despite playing on foreign soil, I’m going to say Australia will prevail. (Of course, we won’t know until Oct. 21 when the cricket match is over.) [John: Note that this is just for the 2nd test, not for the entire Tour, or for the 3rd and 4th tests.) — Kurt
“Australia Tour of India?” The only good Australians touring India are Midnight Oil. — John
My stone-cold pick for Week 7—the Philadelphia Eagles will not lose this week in football! My Jimmy Johnsons predictions for this weekend:
* Defensive coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jimmy Johnson, will have his most successful run defense outing, as his “Sieve of Eratosthenes” which usually allows prime numbered running backs—and all other numbered running backs—to gain insurmountable rushing yards, will be resting through the Eagles’ bye week.
* NASCAR driver, Jimmy Johnson, currently number 1 in the Sprint cup point standings, will win at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, and avoid getting into a fight with dueling duo’s Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.
* Ex-Dallas Cowboys/Miami Dolphins head coach and current FOX sports commentator Jimmy Johnson, will continue his flawless hair day streak this weekend as he fights off a hoard of beauty pageant contestants in the FOX studio local shopping area while trying to purchase all available hair-care products.
And finally, my congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for their amazing run through the NL Championship! Hello, World Series! — Troy V. of Yardley
Who gave you guys homes in this area without checking your allegiances? When you'd rather talk Eratosthenese then errors-by-Furcal-ese on a day like this, I question why I even continue to lose playing poker with you.
I’m sneaking in my pick before Kevin even realizes Penn State plays this weekend: No papers, no TV, no idea, I figure. With apologies to Jamie Moyer for ditching him after he provided the Phillies their only 2008 postseason losses, I'm going with the Nittany Lions over Michigan—to snap a nine-game, 12-year losing streak to the Wolverines.
Sorry, Troy, but Michigan has two Johnsons on their roster—it appears it won’t be a perfect weekend for Johnsons everywhere.
Since I do not have TV, I have decided to go to the PSU game! I will tell stories at our next poker game. The spread was 23 1/2 the other day. Tough to beat that spread. – Kevin
Starting off with some boxing as 26-year-old Kelly Pavlik takes on Philly tough guy Bernard Hopkins, who is John’s age, tomorrow night in Atlantic City. Have to believe Pavlik will win but might not be able to knock him out. My pick: Pavlik by unanimous decision.
On to the Pennsbury Falcons who are back on the gridiron tonight traveling to William Tennent (wherever that is). Pennsbury is 6-1 and, to my surprise, has actually thrown a few passes this year. I think they completed 3 last game. Tennent hasn’t won a game so I am picking Pennsbury by 40 points.
Lastly, if you stayed up to watch the Boston Red Sox come back from a 7-0 deficit entering the 7th to win 8-7, you have to believe that Tampa will have a tough time rebounding from a tough defeat. They had the champagne all ready and now have to travel back to Tampa. — Dave
Nice pick on Pavlik. That’s definitely the big event of the week. Hopkins will stay close in, make it hard for Pavlik to drive that hook, but I think Pavlik’s the hungrier one here.
Things did not bode well in Game 4 of the NLCS when Rafael Furcal ran through Larry Bowa’s signal to hold up at third on Ramirez’ single and narrowly missed the tag. Furcal was lucky there, but he burned up his Baseball Karma with that measly run, and paid dearly in Game 5, committing three costly errors that contributed to two runs. Luckily for us Philly fans, third-base coaches can’t be substituted for shortstops (even if they were legendary shortstops in their prime). And so we move on to the World Series! I like Hamels pitching in Game 1. The Phils begin with a BIG win in Tampa. — Carnac
If Carnac’s going with the Phillies, I'm liking our chances! And finally, some Phillies talk! — John
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The National League Champs!
The Phillies are going to the World Series. I didn’t expect to write those eight words when I started this blog, but it’s such a beautiful sentence that I think I’ll be repeating it over and over for the next week until the World Series starts.
So many crazy things to consider, so much time over the next week to write about them, but here are a few random thoughts to consider after last night’s 5-1 NLCS championship victory.
Look Out, Lefty
Cole Hamels has now pitched two of the top seven postseason games in Phillies history. His line from last night: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 104 pitches (68 strikes).
As noted yesterday, he’s now the first Phillies pitcher to win three straight postseason starts. And with more of the same—meaning two good World Series outings—he could end the season just behind the legendary Steve Carlton in career Phillies postseason victories (Carlton has 6, Hamels 3).
It’s Outta Here!
With Jimmy Rollins’ first-inning home run, the 2008 Phillies moved past the 1983 Phillies for most home runs in a postseason. They’ve hit 10 in 9 games, and now trail only the 1993 Phillies (13 in 12 postseason games).
What’s surprising, though not if you’ve seen the games, is who’s not leading the charge. Ryan Howard has none and Chase Utley has one. Pat Burrell (3), Rollins (2), and Shane Victorino (2) have done the most damage.
Looking at the numbers below from every Phillies postseason, it’s amazing to consider that the 1980 Phillies hit just four postseason home runs—and went homerless in 7 of their 11 games. Mike Schmidt had a team-high of two.
Here are the Phillies all-time postseason home run leaders, thanks to the Phillies’ Larry Shenk: Lenny Dykstra (6), Greg Luzinski and Gary Matthews (5 each), Schmidt and Burrell (4 each).
2008: 10 HR in 9 games
2007: 5 HR in 3 games
1993: 13 HR in 12 games
1983: 9 HR in 9 games
1981: 4 HR in 5 games
1980: 4 HR in 11 games
1978: 5 HR in 4 games
1977: 2 HR in 4 games
1976: 1 HR in 3 games
1950: 0 HR in 4 games
1915: 1 HR in 5 games
The Game Actually Mattered
Isn’t it an odd coincidence that Brad Lidge ended up being the pitcher who decided the home-field advantage for the World Series—which now works against the Phillies?
In the 15th inning of the All-Star game—after having warmed up six times and thrown upwards of 100 pitches—Lidge allowed the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to Texas’ Michael Young. Since the American League won the All-Star game, the AL team gets to host the World Series.
Other Philly-related quirks from that game: ex-Phillies manager Terry Francona guided the AL to the win, and Public Enemy No. 1, J.D. Drew, was the game’s MVP.
So many crazy things to consider, so much time over the next week to write about them, but here are a few random thoughts to consider after last night’s 5-1 NLCS championship victory.
Look Out, Lefty
Cole Hamels has now pitched two of the top seven postseason games in Phillies history. His line from last night: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 104 pitches (68 strikes).
As noted yesterday, he’s now the first Phillies pitcher to win three straight postseason starts. And with more of the same—meaning two good World Series outings—he could end the season just behind the legendary Steve Carlton in career Phillies postseason victories (Carlton has 6, Hamels 3).
It’s Outta Here!
With Jimmy Rollins’ first-inning home run, the 2008 Phillies moved past the 1983 Phillies for most home runs in a postseason. They’ve hit 10 in 9 games, and now trail only the 1993 Phillies (13 in 12 postseason games).
What’s surprising, though not if you’ve seen the games, is who’s not leading the charge. Ryan Howard has none and Chase Utley has one. Pat Burrell (3), Rollins (2), and Shane Victorino (2) have done the most damage.
Looking at the numbers below from every Phillies postseason, it’s amazing to consider that the 1980 Phillies hit just four postseason home runs—and went homerless in 7 of their 11 games. Mike Schmidt had a team-high of two.
Here are the Phillies all-time postseason home run leaders, thanks to the Phillies’ Larry Shenk: Lenny Dykstra (6), Greg Luzinski and Gary Matthews (5 each), Schmidt and Burrell (4 each).
2008: 10 HR in 9 games
2007: 5 HR in 3 games
1993: 13 HR in 12 games
1983: 9 HR in 9 games
1981: 4 HR in 5 games
1980: 4 HR in 11 games
1978: 5 HR in 4 games
1977: 2 HR in 4 games
1976: 1 HR in 3 games
1950: 0 HR in 4 games
1915: 1 HR in 5 games
The Game Actually Mattered
Isn’t it an odd coincidence that Brad Lidge ended up being the pitcher who decided the home-field advantage for the World Series—which now works against the Phillies?
In the 15th inning of the All-Star game—after having warmed up six times and thrown upwards of 100 pitches—Lidge allowed the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to Texas’ Michael Young. Since the American League won the All-Star game, the AL team gets to host the World Series.
Other Philly-related quirks from that game: ex-Phillies manager Terry Francona guided the AL to the win, and Public Enemy No. 1, J.D. Drew, was the game’s MVP.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Will Hamels Make History?
The Phillies’ rich pitching legacy—from Grover Cleveland Alexander to Robin Roberts to Steve Carlton—includes Hall of Famers and Cy Young winners. But heading into tonight’s NLCS Game 5, Cole Hamels could make history by doing something no pitcher in the Phillies’ 126 years has accomplished: win three straight postseason games.
The Phillies couldn’t wish for a better starter heading into their potentially series-clinching game. Hamels has been exceptional in his three postseason starts—two this season and a loss to Colorado in 2007.
He has not allowed more than three earned runs or six hits in any outing, has reached the seventh inning and at least 100 pitches, and has a glittering 2.08 ERA. He's even hitting .333 (2 for 6) with a run scored.
When the games matter most, Hamels has been at his best.
“Going out there in the big game, you want to be that guy that can dictate it,” Hamels said. “And I think if you have the mind-set and the talent to do so, then you should be able to go out there and have success. That's something I have the confidence that I can go out there and do.”
Hamels’ success has come without the benefit of much run support. In his three postseason starts, the Phillies have scored a total of eight runs (2 against Colorado, 3 each against the Brewers and Dodgers).
Carlton, who started a Phillies-record 13 playoff games, came closest to winning three straight starts. He took Game 3 of the 1978 NLCS and Game 1 of the 1980 NLCS before registering a no-decision in Game 4 of the ’80 NLCS.
He then won two straight in the ’80 World Series against the Royals, including the deciding Game 6, before losing Game 1 of the ’81 Division Series against Montreal.
Roberts and Alexander each pitched just two postseason games for the Phillies. Curt Schilling started four, going 3-1, but he suffered a loss in Game 1 of the 1993 World Series before winning Game 5. John Denny, the 1983 Cy Young Award winner went 1-2 in the ’83 postseason.
“I know I have the talent to do it,” Hamels said. “It's just a matter of time and getting the opportunity to do it. I've had the opportunity this year, and I've been able to not only come through but hopefully put us into more situations where I can do it again, and again, and again."
The Phillies couldn’t wish for a better starter heading into their potentially series-clinching game. Hamels has been exceptional in his three postseason starts—two this season and a loss to Colorado in 2007.
He has not allowed more than three earned runs or six hits in any outing, has reached the seventh inning and at least 100 pitches, and has a glittering 2.08 ERA. He's even hitting .333 (2 for 6) with a run scored.
When the games matter most, Hamels has been at his best.
“Going out there in the big game, you want to be that guy that can dictate it,” Hamels said. “And I think if you have the mind-set and the talent to do so, then you should be able to go out there and have success. That's something I have the confidence that I can go out there and do.”
Hamels’ success has come without the benefit of much run support. In his three postseason starts, the Phillies have scored a total of eight runs (2 against Colorado, 3 each against the Brewers and Dodgers).
Carlton, who started a Phillies-record 13 playoff games, came closest to winning three straight starts. He took Game 3 of the 1978 NLCS and Game 1 of the 1980 NLCS before registering a no-decision in Game 4 of the ’80 NLCS.
He then won two straight in the ’80 World Series against the Royals, including the deciding Game 6, before losing Game 1 of the ’81 Division Series against Montreal.
Roberts and Alexander each pitched just two postseason games for the Phillies. Curt Schilling started four, going 3-1, but he suffered a loss in Game 1 of the 1993 World Series before winning Game 5. John Denny, the 1983 Cy Young Award winner went 1-2 in the ’83 postseason.
“I know I have the talent to do it,” Hamels said. “It's just a matter of time and getting the opportunity to do it. I've had the opportunity this year, and I've been able to not only come through but hopefully put us into more situations where I can do it again, and again, and again."
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Nasty Boys, Part 2
Lost in Sunday’s 7-2 NLCS ugliness, after the five-run first, beanball battles, and Manny being manic, was the quiet brilliance of the Phillies’ strongest asset in the playoffs: the bullpen. Once again, the team’s relief pitchers took the mound and took control.
In Game 3, Clay Condrey, J.A. Happ, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin, and J.C. Romero allowed just four hits and one earned run in 6.2 innings of fort-holding-down work.
In three NLCS games, the bullpen has been spectacular, yielding just seven hits and one earned run in 12.2 innings of relief, for an amazing 0.73 ERA. For the 2008 playoffs, they’ve allowed five earned runs in 22.2 innings for a 2.02 ERA.
“From top to bottom, this is the best bullpen I’ve ever been on,” said Brad Lidge.
It hasn’t just been Lidge, who has two saves in this series and four overall in this year’s playoffs to raise his career total to 10. With another save, he’ll trail only Dennis Eckersley (15) and Mariano Rivera (34) for career postseason saves.
So far, the Phillies have used seven relief pitchers against the Dodgers: the five from Game 3, plus Lidge and Ryan Madson. While Lidge’s 45-for-45 perfection stands out, it’s easy to forget that the Phillies’ bullpen led the National League in ERA this season with a 3.19 ERA and had just 15 blown saves, lowest in the league.
The bullpen’s success echoes great ‘pens from the past, including the 1996 Yankees (John Wetteland, Rivera, Jeff Nelson) and the 1990 Cincinnati Reds (the Nasty Boys of Randy Myers, Rob Dibble, and Norm Charlton). Both of those teams took home World Series titles.
If the Phillies’ relievers continue their success against the Dodgers for the rest of the series, their numbers could be similar to the ‘90 Reds’ bullpen, which allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run in 18.1 innings against Barry Bonds’ Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the 1990 World Series, the Reds’ bullpen was even better: they gave up just three hits in 13 innings and no earned runs in a four-game sweep. In that Series, the Reds upset a heavily favored defending World Series champion (the A’s of Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire).
Coincidentally, if the Phillies beat the Dodgers to reach the World Series, they could face a heavily favored defending World Series champion (Boston). If so, the bullpen seems ready to answer the call.
In Game 3, Clay Condrey, J.A. Happ, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin, and J.C. Romero allowed just four hits and one earned run in 6.2 innings of fort-holding-down work.
In three NLCS games, the bullpen has been spectacular, yielding just seven hits and one earned run in 12.2 innings of relief, for an amazing 0.73 ERA. For the 2008 playoffs, they’ve allowed five earned runs in 22.2 innings for a 2.02 ERA.
“From top to bottom, this is the best bullpen I’ve ever been on,” said Brad Lidge.
It hasn’t just been Lidge, who has two saves in this series and four overall in this year’s playoffs to raise his career total to 10. With another save, he’ll trail only Dennis Eckersley (15) and Mariano Rivera (34) for career postseason saves.
So far, the Phillies have used seven relief pitchers against the Dodgers: the five from Game 3, plus Lidge and Ryan Madson. While Lidge’s 45-for-45 perfection stands out, it’s easy to forget that the Phillies’ bullpen led the National League in ERA this season with a 3.19 ERA and had just 15 blown saves, lowest in the league.
The bullpen’s success echoes great ‘pens from the past, including the 1996 Yankees (John Wetteland, Rivera, Jeff Nelson) and the 1990 Cincinnati Reds (the Nasty Boys of Randy Myers, Rob Dibble, and Norm Charlton). Both of those teams took home World Series titles.
If the Phillies’ relievers continue their success against the Dodgers for the rest of the series, their numbers could be similar to the ‘90 Reds’ bullpen, which allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run in 18.1 innings against Barry Bonds’ Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the 1990 World Series, the Reds’ bullpen was even better: they gave up just three hits in 13 innings and no earned runs in a four-game sweep. In that Series, the Reds upset a heavily favored defending World Series champion (the A’s of Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire).
Coincidentally, if the Phillies beat the Dodgers to reach the World Series, they could face a heavily favored defending World Series champion (Boston). If so, the bullpen seems ready to answer the call.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Guessing Games
Same friends, same feature, new picks of the weak. All picks were made prior to the Phillies' Game 1 NLCS game:
Brian Westbrook—two broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and still in the game last week—amazing! Westbrook can win the game on his own. The only problem is, I think he found where he left his glass jaw at the beginning of his Eagles' career.
Unfortunately, Westbrook's shoes are going to be hard to fill, and if he doesn't play to his potential, Correll Buckhalter is going to have a hard time picking up the slack. Also, Andy Reid did not do Donovan McNabb any favors this season, as he was unable to provide the team with reliable support from a number one wide receiver.
McNabb, an exciting player and definitely in the top 15 of active NFL quarterbacks, does not have the ability to single-handedly win a game like his comrade, Westbrook. Both teams are evenly matched, and the Eagles are traveling across the country to play in hostile territory. It will be a close game, and will take an incredible team effort from the Eagles to win this week in San Francisco. Eagles 45, 49ers 10. — Troy V. of Yardley
Finally, the red-headed step child of professional sports is off and running, and none too soon… this baseball season needs to be cut in half, seriously. But I digress. The Flyers will not be intimidated by the Rangers’ good 2-0 start. Largely because the Rangers will be weary from their time in and flight from Prague. That, and a band of gypsies will steal their gear. — Kurt
Y'all busted on me last week for picking soccer matches. Now Kurt goes with hockey! Hockey?!? Seriously??? I thought the NHL shut down a few years back? — Phil
We may need a new rule for the picks: to choose a game, the sport's athletes must have more teeth than fingers and toes combined. Sorry, Kurt, that could hurt the chances for hockey. — John
I will once again go back to the Eagles flying out West to play the 49ers but they will win by a field goal only. I’m concerned that the Phils will lose the series to L.A. and end their season. And Pennsbury will again win (this time by 3 TDs) to Bensalem on Friday night. — Dave
I'm not sold on the Eagles this week—Pennsylvania’s best football team this year is probably Penn State, right Phil? I do know one thing: no matter what happens against the 49ers, Reid will make sure they don’t lose next week. “Bye” is a beautiful word.
I'm going back to the well for my pick: Jamie Moyer and the Phillies in Game 3 Sunday against the Dodgers. I’ll even go out on a limb and say the victory will give the Phils a 3-0 lead. I’ve got to put my misplaced faith in Philly teams somewhere now that the Eagles are playing like the Golden Era of Ray Rhodes. — John
I'm glad to see we're talking more about “the beautiful game.” Anyway, moving on...I’ll continue discussing futbol partly because I enjoy the game, but mostly because it requires John to look up soccer scores to see if I’m right or not!
As we all know, the Premier League is on hiatus whilst World Cup 2010 qualifying is underway. So I, too, will turn my attention to WC10 qualifying. There are more things [certain] in heaven and earth, Horatio [Dave], than a Pennsbury victory...like England taking care of Kazakhstan in Wembley on Saturday. England leads its group with 6 points and is undefeated while Kazakhstan has lost its last two matches by a combine 6-1. — Phil
My Pick: Dodgers over Phils, Game 3. The Phils will probably be 2-0 before this game, thanks to the home-field advantage and ever-so-slight pitching advantage. But when the action shifts to the Left Coast, expect a new series to emerge. The Dodgers will be red-hot once again, and the patient and disciplined squad managed by Torre and Bowa will break things open with at least two wins in L.A. Expect things to be tense when the action comes back to the Bank! — Carnac the Magnificent
Two weeks in and some of us already have our routines: John = Old Man (Moyer); Carnac = ManDate wannabe (Bowa); Phil = Futbol (But really, Kazakhstan? I'd have thought we'd make at least a month til they made the blog); Dave = Scary Gambling (betting points on HS football). Then the surprises: Troy V. of Yardley picking the Eagles? Hockey mentioned? And I thought our poker table talk was strange. — JR
Impressive work by all of you. I now know what is going on in the sports world without a TV! — Kevin
Brian Westbrook—two broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and still in the game last week—amazing! Westbrook can win the game on his own. The only problem is, I think he found where he left his glass jaw at the beginning of his Eagles' career.
Unfortunately, Westbrook's shoes are going to be hard to fill, and if he doesn't play to his potential, Correll Buckhalter is going to have a hard time picking up the slack. Also, Andy Reid did not do Donovan McNabb any favors this season, as he was unable to provide the team with reliable support from a number one wide receiver.
McNabb, an exciting player and definitely in the top 15 of active NFL quarterbacks, does not have the ability to single-handedly win a game like his comrade, Westbrook. Both teams are evenly matched, and the Eagles are traveling across the country to play in hostile territory. It will be a close game, and will take an incredible team effort from the Eagles to win this week in San Francisco. Eagles 45, 49ers 10. — Troy V. of Yardley
Finally, the red-headed step child of professional sports is off and running, and none too soon… this baseball season needs to be cut in half, seriously. But I digress. The Flyers will not be intimidated by the Rangers’ good 2-0 start. Largely because the Rangers will be weary from their time in and flight from Prague. That, and a band of gypsies will steal their gear. — Kurt
Y'all busted on me last week for picking soccer matches. Now Kurt goes with hockey! Hockey?!? Seriously??? I thought the NHL shut down a few years back? — Phil
We may need a new rule for the picks: to choose a game, the sport's athletes must have more teeth than fingers and toes combined. Sorry, Kurt, that could hurt the chances for hockey. — John
I will once again go back to the Eagles flying out West to play the 49ers but they will win by a field goal only. I’m concerned that the Phils will lose the series to L.A. and end their season. And Pennsbury will again win (this time by 3 TDs) to Bensalem on Friday night. — Dave
I'm not sold on the Eagles this week—Pennsylvania’s best football team this year is probably Penn State, right Phil? I do know one thing: no matter what happens against the 49ers, Reid will make sure they don’t lose next week. “Bye” is a beautiful word.
I'm going back to the well for my pick: Jamie Moyer and the Phillies in Game 3 Sunday against the Dodgers. I’ll even go out on a limb and say the victory will give the Phils a 3-0 lead. I’ve got to put my misplaced faith in Philly teams somewhere now that the Eagles are playing like the Golden Era of Ray Rhodes. — John
I'm glad to see we're talking more about “the beautiful game.” Anyway, moving on...I’ll continue discussing futbol partly because I enjoy the game, but mostly because it requires John to look up soccer scores to see if I’m right or not!
As we all know, the Premier League is on hiatus whilst World Cup 2010 qualifying is underway. So I, too, will turn my attention to WC10 qualifying. There are more things [certain] in heaven and earth, Horatio [Dave], than a Pennsbury victory...like England taking care of Kazakhstan in Wembley on Saturday. England leads its group with 6 points and is undefeated while Kazakhstan has lost its last two matches by a combine 6-1. — Phil
My Pick: Dodgers over Phils, Game 3. The Phils will probably be 2-0 before this game, thanks to the home-field advantage and ever-so-slight pitching advantage. But when the action shifts to the Left Coast, expect a new series to emerge. The Dodgers will be red-hot once again, and the patient and disciplined squad managed by Torre and Bowa will break things open with at least two wins in L.A. Expect things to be tense when the action comes back to the Bank! — Carnac the Magnificent
Two weeks in and some of us already have our routines: John = Old Man (Moyer); Carnac = ManDate wannabe (Bowa); Phil = Futbol (But really, Kazakhstan? I'd have thought we'd make at least a month til they made the blog); Dave = Scary Gambling (betting points on HS football). Then the surprises: Troy V. of Yardley picking the Eagles? Hockey mentioned? And I thought our poker table talk was strange. — JR
Impressive work by all of you. I now know what is going on in the sports world without a TV! — Kevin
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