Help! I need somebody

Now that Roy Halliday will be donning the red pinstripes of a Philadelphia baseball player, the focus now turns to the bullpen. With Chan Ho Park unlikely to return and relievers Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero coming off elbow surgery, the Phillies will be looking for new arms ready to go in time for spring training.

According to GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., the Phillies are going to try to get 2 free agents that can come in relief. Here are a few names that are floating around:

-Fernando Rodney (Detroit Tigers) - (2-5, 4.40 ERA, 37 saves) With less than average performance of Lidge last season, there's a possibility that the closer role could be shared by both Lidge and Rodney.

-John Smoltz (St. Louis Cardinals) - (3-8, 6.35 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) Forget about his past history with the Phillies with his dominance pitching to his complaints about the outfield at CBP, Smoltz, who is obviously past his prime, could be help coming from the bullpen, provided he doesn't want a starting position.

-Mike MacDougal (Washington Nationals) - (1-1, 4.31 ERA, 20 saves) Potential setup man?

-Miguel Batista (Seattle Mariners) - (7-4, 4.04 ERA, 1.65 WHIP) Multitasker who can both start and come in relief, definitely a valuable weapon for the Phillies if used properly.

-Bob Howry (San Francisco Giants)- (2-6, 3.39 ERA) The Phillies also have liked him in the past.

-Kiko Calero (Florida Marlins) - went 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 60 appearances last season.

Also, be sure to look for some of the pitcher from the farm like Antonio Bastardo and Sergio Escalona.

O won't you stay just a little bit longer?

The Phillies have exercised their 2011 option on shortstop Jimmy Rollins, meaning that Rollins will be paid $8.5 million in that year. This is a good thing for the Phillies, by locking up another player past this season. To date, outfielder Jayson Werth will be the team's only free agent.

Happy Halliday!

So now the Phillies have signed the guy they wanted last season, former Blue Jays pitcher and AL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halliday. What's more is that they have him for and extended three years (putting away any chance of the Yankees or Red Sox trying to pick him up after the 2010 season).

Of course it did come with a price, losing dominant pitcher Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. I know the move may have ticked off a lot of people, but I think only time will tell how good this trade will be. After all, we've seen our share of surprises, haven't we Philadelphia?

He's back...

I know I'm the last person to talk on this, but look who's back on third base?!

The Phillies brought back ex-Phil Placido Polanco and signed him to a three-year $18 million deal. Polanco first came to Phillies in 2002 with pichers Mike Timlin and Bud Smith in the deal that sent disgruntled third baseman Scott Rolen to the St. Louis Cardinals. But unlike Rolen, Polanco, 34, said "I always wanted to be here, I never wanted to leave.

Polanco was traded to the Detroit Tigers back in 2005 for pitcher Ugueth Urbina and catcher Ramon Martinez. The Tigers got the better end of the deal as Polanco hit .341 in 2007, .307 in 2008, and .285 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs last season. He also won two gold gloves, a silver glove, and earned a trip to the All Star Game in 2007. In addition, he was name the 2006 ALCS MVP. Meanwhile, Martinez, a Philadelphia native, hit .285 with one home run (a grand slam), and Urbina was best remembered for trying to stab farm workers in his native Venezuela and attempting to douse them in gasoline.

Hopefully the second time will be a charm for Polanco and the Phillies, who with his addition, will put All Stars in the first seven spots in the lineup.

Phillie-killer no more

The Phillies have had struggles with a certain catcher by the name of Brian Schneider in past years. A career .251 hitter with the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, and just last season, those pesky New York Mets, Schneider has had his history with the Phillies, proving that he can best the red pinstripes.

But worry no more Philadelphia.

The Phils have signed Schneider to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million to backup Carlos Ruiz. Schneider hit .218 with three home runs and 24 RBI with the Mets last season.

Phillies sign DeWayne Wise

The Phillies signed outfielder DeWayne Wise to a minor league deal. Wise hit .225 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI at 142 at bats last season with the Chicago White Sox.

Wise is best known for his extraordinary 9th inning catch to save Mark Buehrle's perfect game back in July.

Waiting on the free agent market

Who will the Phillies sign this offseason? The Phillies recently signed Juan Castro of the Los Angeles Dodgres to a one-year deal, but are there other names? The Phillies focus will be on third base as they look for someone to replace Pedro Feliz. The biggest name floating around is the Los Angeles Angels' Chloe Figgins. Other names are Seattle's Adrian Beltre, St. Louis' Mark DeRosa (also a Penn State alum), Detroit's Placido Polanco (a former Phillie), and Baltimore's Miguel Tejada.

Who will it be? Only time will tell...

Phillies Sign Castro

The Phillies have signed utility outfielder Juan Castro. Castro, a 37-year old veteran who recently played for the Dodgers, agreed to a one-year deal worth less than $1 million, with a club option for 2011. A .230 career hitter, Castro will replace Eric Bruntlett who is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Silver Slugger

Congratulations to Chase Utley on his Silver Slugger Award

Congrats to J-Roll and the Flyin' Hawaiian for their Golden Gloves

Congrats to Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino on their Golden Gloves.

Now what?

After going down 4-2 to the now 27-time world champions New York Yankees, the question now is: "now what?". Well here's five things that the Phillies need to do to go back to the World Series:

NUMBER 5: If he's ready, bring up Kyle Drabek to the Big Show! Can you imagine how AWESOME this rotation would be: Cliff Lee, A proper Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton AND Kyle Drabek?!?

NUMBER 4: Cole Hamels needs to WORK OUT IN THE OFF-SEASON!!! AND LEARN A THIRD PITCH THAT ACTUALLY WORKS FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!!

NUMBER 3: Ryan Howard NEEDS to learn how to hit a braking ball with more consistancy. Maybe Ryan can learn a thing or two from Jobu?



NUMBER 2: Brad Lidge needs to move into Steve Carlton's Bunker in Montana and take a little break from it all! Shake it off and come back to the dominant closer he is DEFINITELY capable of being!!!



And the NUMBER ONE THING the Phillies need to do?:

SIGN CLIFF LEE BEYOND NEXT YEAR! I don't care what it takes! I don't care what he wants! GIVE IT TO HIM!!! He wants a boat load of money? Great! Lee wants a house on the Moon? No problem! He wants a purple monkey? Whatever you want Cliff!!!

Put Game 1 in the win column for the World Champs

Cliff Lee, Chase Utley, A-Rod, the Yankees bullpen. With these factors, we launch the 2009 World Series, and the Phillies do take Game 1 by a score of 6-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Chase Utley hit 2 homers, tying Babe Ruth for second in most homers hit in a World Series game (the most was Reggie Jackson with 3 homers). He also has broken the record for reaching base the most consecutive games with 26 straight (he has reached safely at least once in every playoff game he's played in). Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez went 0-4 with three strikeouts for the Yankees.

The Yanks bullpen helped seal the deal by letting the Phillies get up to 6 runs. But Cliff Lee was the story of the night. Lee got his third complete game in the playoffs, and a gem in his debut in the World Series, including two amazing catches. The Phillies have Pedro Martinez going against A.J. Burnett tommorow, and hopefully, they keep it up.

J-Roll on Leno

Jimmy Rollins calls it on Jay Leno's show: Phils in 5

Phillies Goin' All the Way

Assessment of the Yankees-Phillies Series

So here we are, my favorite time of the year. It's the World Series and my Philadelphia Phillies are looking to capture their second straight title. But standing in their way are the 26-time champions New York Yankees who sealed their first American League title last night in six years. How does this match up in my opinion? Well, let's see:

SHORTSTOP: Derek Jeter has been playing for 15 years, so it's hard to ignore his experience and four World Series rings. But he hasn't exactly proven to me that he's the same power player that he was in years past, though I still consider him to be a dangerous impact player, and rightly so. Jimmy Rollins' bat tends to come to life in later innings, however his glove work is superior than Jeter's this postseason. ADVANTAGE: Even

FIRST BASE: Ryan Howard has tied Lou Gehrig for consecutive games with an RBI this year (8 games). So it goes without saying, his bat has been hot latey. Mark Texiera has had an a good playoff run, but nothing extraordinary. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

SECOND BASE: People would think I'd be concerned about Chase Utley because of his two throwing errors in the NLDS and NLCS. But I'm willing to let it slide. I have a lot of respect for Robinson Cano, but once again, nothing more than a good player, in my opinion, not much of an impact player. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

THIRD BASE: Hmmm...Alex Rodriguez or Pedro Feliz? Hmmm... ADVANTAGE: Yankees

LEFT FIELD: Ben Francisco will probably play left field, as Raul Ibanez is expected to be the DH for the series. I'm comfortable with Francisco out in left since he carries a great glove with him. Johnny Damon is a great player, and especially dangerous with the bat as he has proven time and time again. However, his fielding has been about average and there is nothing great about his defensive skills this postseason. The combination of Francisco's glove, and Raul's bat should be a postive factor for the Phillies. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

CENTERFIELD: Shane Victorino with a glove and a bat? Melky Cabrera with a glove and a bat. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

RIGHT FIELD: Jayson Werth's arm and a bat? Nick Swisher...well, Nick Swisher. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

CATCHER: Carlos Ruiz is definitely the most underrated person on Phillies playoff roster defensively speaking. Jorge Posada isn't the same Jorge posada we've seen in years, but he's still a force to be reckoned with. Plus, Jose Molina is a more solid backup catcher compared to Paul Bako. ADVANTAGE: Yankees

STRATING PITCHING: Game One will see two senior citizens (at least, according to baseball standards) go for their respective teams: Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. Andy Pettite doesn't scare me, but Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ do. I guess it all falls on Pedro Martinez, if he keeps the ball in field, the Phillies should be fine. ADVANTAGE: Even

BULLPEN: The Yankees relief pitching has been everything but relief for the bombers this postseason. With the exception of Mariano Rivera, the Yankees bullpen lacks depth as proven by the back end of the relievers: Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, and Joba Chamberlain (look at Game 3 and Game 5 of the ALCS). In contrast, the Phillies bullpen has been steady this October. This could play out to be a big factor in who wins the series. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

MANAGER: Joe Girardi who? The success of the New York Yankees has everything to do with the natural talent that the players on the roster bring to the club (or in A-Rod's case, the juice they shoot to bring the talent). In Girardi, you have a guy who banks too much on his bullpen and shows poor judgement. On the other hand, you have Charlie Manuel who came to Phillies organization in 2005 to rebuild the team. Nobody expected anything from him, but he did give results. Whether it was shaking up the lineup or whatever, he got the job done. Yes he has his flaws (especially his commitment Brad Lidge in the regular season), but as of late, even time has proven Uncle Charlie right. ADVANTAGE: Phillies

Call me biased because I'm a Phillies fan, but I think that both teams are excellent teams and we are in for a great series. It will be a roller coaster, but both teams have certainly earned a trip to the Fall Classic. It's all a matter of who wants it more, who wants it bad, and who still has gas and tricks in the bag.

PREDICTION: Phillies in 6

ROLLINs to a Comeback

To the very end, it was a nailbiter, but with two men on in the bottom of the 9th inning, it was Jimmy Rollins, and he didn't fail to make the town go insane. J-Roll hit one deep into centerfield off of Dodgers righthander Jonathan Broxton, scoring Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz to help the Phillies get within one game of the Fall Classic. Ryan Howard's home run in the first inning off of former Phillie Randy Wolf ties him with Lou Gehrig for the most consecutive games with an RBI (8). But it was Rollins' clutch performance that put Philadelphia in electric mode.

This gives the Phillies even higher hopes now, that the ALCS will be going to at least another two games, giving the Phillies more rest if they can pull it off on Wednesday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. In the meantime, we'll savor the moment.

Massacre in South Philadelphia

Behind Cliff Lee and some red hot bats, the Phillies gave the Dodgers an 11-0 thrashing last night at Citzens Bank Park. Lee went eight innings with just three hits, striking out 10 in that time. Meanwhile, the offense was steaming, especially with Ryan Howard who is now just one game away from tying Lou Gehrig's record of eight consecutive postseason games with an RBI. Game 4 tonight in Philly.

Slacker

I know I missed posting after Game 1 and for the entire Game 2, but let's just say I think that people are allowed to make mistakes, but talk about bad judgement on Charlie Manuel's part in Game 2 by not keeping Pedro in after just under 90 pitches! Game 3 tommorow in Philly!!

NLCS Game 1

Game 1 tonight, Phillies vs. Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, 8:07 start. Cole Hamels get the start for the Phillies and he faces LHP Clayton Kershaw who went 6 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in his last outing during the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Down on the farm, prospects get ready for Mexico

Four prospects in the Phillies organization will be playing winter ball in Mexico for Yaquis de Obregon of the Mexican Winter League:

Michael Taylor, OF - the 23-year old 2009 Paul Owens Award Winner hit 320/.395/.549 with AA Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

John Mayberry, Jr., OF - 25-year old outfielder played 59 games with the Phillies.

BJ Rosenberg, RHP - the 24-year old righty went 7-3 between Reading and Single-A Lakewood with an ERA just over 2.53.

Neil Sellers, 3B - considered a valuable piece of the Reading Phillies despite his advanced age of 27, hitting over .300 with 17 home runs this season.

In addition, IF Mike Cervenak, who was a late call-up for the past two seasons, will be suiting up for the Tomateros de Culiacan.

Bring on the Dodgers!

Rocktober is over, but the Phillies are looking to paint another town red. The Phils beat the Rockies 5-4 in a thrilling Game 4, winning the NLCS 3-1. After blowing a one run lead in the 8th inning, they went on the assault in the 9th, down by two runs, tying the game after Ryan Howard's 2 RBI double off of Rockies closer Huston Street scored Shane Victorino and Chase Utley. Howard scored the game winning run after Jayson Werth's RBI single. Despite a strong outing by Cliff Lee, Ryan Madson gets the win out of the bullpen. Street has a blown save as well as the loss.

So for the second straight year, the Philadelphia Phillies are going to the National League Championship Series. And for the second straight year, the Phillies will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in what could be a rekindling of the Phillies-Dodgers rivalries of yesteryears. Buckle up, we're in for a Phun ride!!!

Oh yeah, Game 4 is tonight!

I completely forgot to post something on this blog, and we made it through 8 innings of baseball. That being said, the Phillies are looking to finish off the Rockies tonight behind Game 1 winner Cliff Lee. See you in a little bit after the game.

Well worth it

After four grueling hours, a couple of pitchers later, and a few horrible calls from homeplate umpire Jerry Meals, the Phillies have prevailed in Game 3 of the NLDS by a score of 6-5 over the Rockies to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Thank goodness, now I can get some sleep!

Game 3, Take 2

Here we go again.

The Phillies and the Rockies face off for Game 3 of the NLDS at 10:07 (8:07 local time). J.A. Happ gets the start for the Phils. Happ was 12-4 in 166.0 inning for the Phillies this season with a 2.93 ERA. He goes against Jason Hammel who went 10-8 with a 4.33 ERA for the Rockies this season.

Oh the weather outside is frightful

So it's currently 27° F in Denver, and Game 3 of the NLDS has been pushed to Sunday night (so I got stuck watching the Flyers lose to the Ducks in a shootout, fun...NOT). The game starts at the ungodly time of 10:05 eastern standard time (of course, it's ungodly for us here, but somewhat reasonable out there). The Phillies will look to J.A. Happ to give them a 2-0 lead. Hopefully, Happ and the Phils bats will be smokin' enough to keep the Phils hot. Should be fun in that winter wonderland.

Who you gonna call?

Who's it going to be on Saturday? Pedro? Blanton? Happ?

I think for those of us who watched the game yesterday, the biggest "question is who's up for it?". Of the three mentioned above, two went into the game as relievers. Joe Blanton went 19 pitches for five batters and J.A. Happ faced one batter before geing hit below the left kneecap. X-rays turned out negative. We'll see what Uncle Charlie has up his sleeves with the series going out to the Mile High City tied at a game a piece.

Game 2 recap

Cole Hamels didn't have his best outing, but I'll let him off the hook this time (just don't do it again). Also, lukewarm bats that didn't spark the offense all played into the Phillies' 5-4 loss to the Rockies, tying the the series up at one game a piece.

Hamels went just five innings allowing four runs, seven hits, and a home run. Of course, I'm letting him off easy considering that his wife, former Survivor: The Amazon contestant Heidi Strobel, was expected to go into labor at any minute (and eventually did during the game causing Cole to leave the game early, but not before getting pulled in favor of Joe Blanton). I understand Cole, and congratulations on the newborn. Despite a threatening comeback attempt late in the game, the offense just couldn't get the job done. Hoefully this doesn't become a trend.

Now it's off to Denver, and hopefully the Phillies chances skyrocket a mile high.

Game 2 - It's all about Ol' King Cole

Coming off of an awesome win yesterday, the Phils are looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead on the Colorado Rockies. Lefthander Cole Hamels is on for the Phillies, and he will be facing off against righthander Aaron Cook, who was 11-6 this season with a 4.16 ERA.

Hamels went 10-11 with a 4.32 ERA. i suppose the bright side is that in his postseason career, he is 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA. That one loss? The Rockies in the 2007 NLDS. But hopefully we will see a great start from Cole as well as pray that the Phillies bats are still hot.

Sorry for the delay...but here's my take on Game 1

Like the title says, I am late, VERY late in giving my reaction. Actually, I was at the ballgame today, stopped home for like 15 minutes, so I didn't get a chance to get on here.

Anyway...

So the day belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies who beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 after a solid outing by Cliff Lee and a steaming offensethat led to a rampage in the 5th and 6th innings. Lee had a superb day, going for 9.2 scoreless innings and retiring 14 straight batters. He was also hot with the bat, getting a hit and a stolen base.

Raul Ibanez had two hits and two RBIs, while Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each had RBIs over Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez.

It certainly was great, Cliff Lee is not exactly where we need him to be just yet, but he just pulled into the driveway. And the Phillies offense has to keep doing what they have to and apply more pressure on pitchers as they go even deeper into the playoffs. But overall, it was a great day in Phillies Nation.

The Roster

Here's how the Phillies roster stands for the NLDS:

CATCHERS
23 Paul Bako
51 Carlos Ruiz

INFIELDERS
9 Miguel Cairo
19 Greg Dobbs
7 Pedro Feliz
6 Ryan Howard
11 Jimmy Rollins
26 Chase Utley

OUTFIELD
10 Ben Francisco
29 Raul Ibanez
12 Matt Stairs
8 Shane Victorino
28 Jayson Werth

LEFT HANDED PITCHERS
58 Antonio Bastardo
47 Scott Eyre
43 J.A. Happ
35 Cole Hamels
34 Cliff Lee

RIGHT HANDED PITCHERS
56 Joe Blanton
37 Chad Durbin
38 Kyle Kendrick
54 Brad Lidge
46 Ryan Madson
45 Pedro Martinez
39 Brett Myers

Myers, Kendrick, Bastardo in; Bruntlett, Condrey out

Pitchers Brett Myers, Kyle Kendrick, and Antonio Bastardo have made the cut to the final roster. But it's closing time for Eric Bruntlett and Clay Condrey. Taylor Walker also did not make the playoff roster.

The obvious surprise that Uncle Charlie pulled on this one is Bastardo, but it does give the Phillies a fourth lefty with Cliff Lee, J.A. Happ, and Cole Hamels. Miguel Cairo made it over Bruntlett who has struggled with his fielding. The injury plagued Condrey has seen little playing time as of late due to those injuries. Over his career, lefthanded hitters have hit over .300 off of Condrey.

It's Cliff Lee

It's official.

LHP Cliff Lee gets the nod from Charlie Manuel to be the starter for Game 1 tommorow. He will be facing RHP Ubaldo Jimenez who went 15-12 and has a 3.47 ERA with this year with the Rockies. Lee, the reigning AL Cy Young award winner who came to the Phillies at the trade deadline, is 7-4 in 12 starts since coming to the Phils with a 3.39 ERA. However, after coming off a 5-0 start in his first five appearances with the club and a 0.68 ERA, he has struggled as of late, going 2-4 in his last seven starts with a 6.13 ERA.

Hope he got it out of his system and gives us a solid performance throughout the playoffs.

Pep Rally today

CBS Radio Philadelphia will be hosting a Phillies Playoff Rally at The Rotunda at the Shops at Liberty Place on 16th and Chestnut Streets. Radio coverage begins at 10am with Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow on 610 WIP. Appearances from 1210 WPHT's Dom Giordano, 98.1's Frank Lewis and other KYW Newsradio reporters, WYSP's Donny Bonaduce (that's right, Danny Partridge), as well as the Phillies ball girls, and former catcher Darren Daulton. Be sure to stop in if you're in the area.

Work or Play and the Problem with Time

So the Phillies and the Rockies faceoff for the first time tommorow at Citizens Bank Park. Last time the Phillies played the Rockies in the playoffs, they got swept in three games. Of course, since then the Rockies have lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, and the Phillies...well, we certainly have more to fight for this year. So what exactly is my problem?

Try the 2:37 start on for size.

in a report from NBC 10, fans who bought their tickets ahead of time aren't taking the scheduling too well. As a diehard Phillies fan, I sympathize with the fans. If I had the cash, I'd probably have bought my tickets by now too. Especially for the one guy who was interviewed who bought his tickets for more than the face value. Good luck to those who are going to try to play hookey tommorow and Thursday.

My thing is the whole 2:37 start. I know it sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. Who schedules ANYTHING at the thirty-seventh minute of the hour. Why not just have a 2:30 game, or even a 2:40 game. This isn't the sunrise, we're not fishing, this is playoff baseball! This is when all people should be enjoying the game, not trying to do math to see how much time is left before gametime (you think I'm crazy, try figuring out what time it is on that giant clock in centerfield without trying to scramble for the digital clocks by the advertisements). Just sayin'...

Defending the Title

It's October 2009 and the Philadelphia Phillies are National League East champions for the third straight years. We've taken a different approach in the past three years: the first year we were happy to just make it into the postseason for the first time in the past 15 years. But last year, we wanted it all. So here we are in 2009. We definitely want it again, but now we also have to defend it. There will be a few bumps along the way, but I think this is going to be a fun ride. So can I get an encore? Yes I want more. GO PHILLIES!