December 13, 2009

Ken Rosenthal, are you kidding me?

BY SHAY RODDY

**UPDATE (12/15): Obviously an apology is in-store, since Rosenthal’s “nonsensical” scenario panned out to be accurate. Sorry Ken. I have tremendous respect for Ken, as I point out in the original, unedited post below. I still feel as though it’s wrong t report hunches, but I have have a hunch that Rosenthal knew more than he let on.

My guess is that Ken actually heard this from elsewhere, but he didn’t deem it solid enough to cite sources. If he did and he turned out to be wrong he’d lose credibility in the long-run.

As usual, good work, Ken. Sorry for doubting you. However, the post isn’t entirely about that. It’s more about the tactics Ken used to report his hunch. I still think he was wrong in that regard.**

Let me preface this by saying two things. I have tremendous respect for Ken Rosenthal, of FOX Sports, and his columns and TV reports over the years have proved him to be one of the best in the business. And something you learn in journalism 101 is that you do not report a hunch. Keeping those two things in mind, let’s begin ripping, shredding, tearing, crumpling, stabbing, bashing, and attacking Ken’s column from yesterday, where he says he has a hunch that the Phillies are trading Cliff Lee.

That’s right, you heard me correctly folks. A goddamn hunch!

Let’s hear from Kenny himself:

I have no proof that the Phillies are trying to move left-hander Cliff Lee as part of a three- or four-team trade for Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay.

But I’ve got a hunch.

No proof, just a hunch Ken? Is that how they taught you to fill an 800-word column?

I have a hunch that that was utterly pathetic reporting and that you truly don’t understand the game as well as I thought, if you actually think that the Phillies are remotely considering trading Sir Clifton Phifer Lee.

Actually, check that- that’s not a hunch, I can prove it.

Ken, if you sit back, take a day off, and draw up some trade rumor that doesn’t make a lick of sense, you’re just as bad as Jerod Morris, and remember what you did to him?

As Meech.one somewhat cohesively points out, and hey, somewhat’s about as good as it gets for Meech (just kidding):

Come on, Ken. If baseball reporting was about hunches, every knucklehead with a press pass would just run possible trades through their dumb head and send them to their editor. It’d be f—— reporting anarchy, man. You might as well have just told us that the Astros are on the verge of signing Brett Myers and called it a day.

Rosenthal goes as far as proposing a deal for this nonsensical scenario:

So, here’s the deal: Lee goes somewhere for prospects. The Phillies include the prospects in their package for Halladay, maybe keep one or two for themselves. Halladay gets his extension, the Jays get a bounty of young players and some lucky team gets Lee for one year at his bargain salary of $9 million.

Ken, I know being a sportswriter is tough, but please, get real, man. This is about as stupid a little “hunch” as I’ve seen. Next time, just stick to standing on the phonebooks in the cameraman dugout, while talking like you’re reading from an 1800’s romance novel and reporting what those fine sources of yours say on the internet.

Leave fantasy land out of this.

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December 13, 2009

Jamie Moyer brings his age game?

BY NICK STAFFIERI, Contributor

One Philadelphia Phillies left-handed starter will begin his 24th season in the major leagues next spring. His career has been simply remarkable, but Jamie Moyer might not have much, if anything, left in the tank. However, questions of age are nothing new to the 47-year old and he just might come out and surprise you.

The rumors surrounding the Winter Meetings about the Phillies possibly acquiring ace Roy Halladay, beg the question what role will Moyer play in the starting rotation next year. As it stands, Moyer, who turned 47-years of age on November 18, is expecting to arrive in Clearwater, Florida, for Spring Training, next February as part of the Phillies five-man rotation.

But still, everyone wonders, what’s in that tank.

If history tells us anything, we can probably predict with a bit of certainty what kind of numbers Moyer can produce.  Here is a look at recent pitchers in the Major Leagues who have pitched into their mid-to-late 40s.

Phil Niekro – Nierko pitched his final season in 1987 at age 48 and compiled a 7-13 record with a 6.30 ERA.  The season before that, at age 47, he was a respectable 11-11 with a 4.32 ERA.  At 46, he compiled comparable numbers to Moyer’s 2009 season with a 16-12 record and an ERA of 4.09.

Charlie Hough – The Crafty Dodger pitched his final season at age 47 in 1994.  He went 5-9 with a 5.15 ERA.  At age 46, Hough compiled a record of 9-16 with a 4.27 ERA.

Nolan Ryan – The All-Time Leader in strikeouts and the Master of the Fastball, Nolan Ryan compiled a 5-5 record with a 4.88 ERA at age 46, his last in the majors.  Ryan posted a 9.54 strikeouts per 9 innings of baseball over his career.  In his final season, however, that number dropped to 6.27 when he posted only 46 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

Randy Johnson – Johnson is the only pitcher on my list that, like Moyer, has yet to retire.  Randy Johnson is one year younger than Moyer.  In 2009, Johnson compiled an 8-6 record with a 4.88 ERA at the age of 45.  Like Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson is one of the greatest strikeout pitchers to play the game.  During his career, he posted 10.61 strikeouts per 9 innings.  Last season, that number dropped to 8.06.

No one will argue that the pitchers on this list have had outstanding careers as Major Leaguers.  But when challenged with an age above 45 years, performance has been less than stellar.

It is tough to justify saying that we can expect Moyer to buck the trend of recent pitchers in his age category.  If the expectation for a fifth starter in this rotation is to be 11-11 with a 4+ ERA, then perhaps Moyer can give us that in 2010.  If you are expecting anything more, get Ruben on the line and pitch your best alternative.

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December 11, 2009

Fishing for free agents

BY MATTHEW NADU, Contributor

The Winter Meetings are officially wrapping up in Indianapolis and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is leaving with a little more luggage than what he arrived with.

During the meetings, which have been more rumor based than anything else, Amaro did pull the trigger on free agent Ross Gload as the week came to an end.

Gload is a decent addition to Philadelphia’s bench, leading the majors in 2009 with 21 pinch hits. The 34-year old hit .261 overall with six dingers and 30 RBIs for Florida last season.

The Phillies will sign the first base/outfielder to a two-year deal pending a physical.

Gload joins three other Philadelphia offseason additions in Juan Castro, Placido Polanco and Brian Schnieder.

But the question remains, what’s the deal with the pen? Grab the bull by the horns and make a move already!

Slow your roll fellow bloggers, it’s not that easy.

The team reportedly had their eyes set on righty reliever Brandon Lyon but Houston snatched him up in a three-year deal. Free agents Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre are possible suitors for the Phils and a big part of the Phillies second World Series run last season, but Amaro said the team is looking externally for help.

And let’s not keep it under the rug. Yes, the Phillies are still in the mix for ace Roy Halladay, but so are the Yankees. Sources are saying the Phils are still at the top of the hunt to get the heavily sought after starter but the organization isn’t talking trade details.

Not yet anyway.

After capping the 2010 budget at $140 million, the team isn’t making any fast moves on Halladay who is owed over $15 million next season by Toronto.

Possible trades could include lefty J.A. Happ and possibly even Joe Blanton, who’s rumored to be on the trading block, along with several prospects.

Philadelphia has a very solid farm system but they have to consider running it dry. Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard also become free agents at the end of the season so the organization has to consider their spending if they look to bring the two heavy hitters back.

Here’s the kicker- Halladay also becomes a free agent after next season. Is the future really worth the present?

Right now the Florida Marlin is nodding yes.

Amaro, Jr. however is not a fish out of water and so far so good during the off-season. Yet after last seasons World Series it has become evident that the Phillies need another solid starter in the rotation.

Although the conservative play of the team has been succesful in past three years, wouldn’t it be nice to see Ruben reel in the big one?

And I’m not talking about the Gload-fish.

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December 8, 2009

Interview: Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow discuss their new book, “The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies”

BY SHAY RODDY

Who doesn’t love a good sports movie? I doubt you’ll find anyone who honestly says they don’t. But, I can almost guarantee you you’ll find plenty of folks who get sick of the genre after watching awful movie, after awful movie with minimal sports action and cutesy come from behind cliches.

If only there was a way to know which were the ones worth watching and which we shouldn’t waste our time on.

Now, there is. From Hall of Fame sportswriter, six-time Emmy Award winner and analyst on Eagles Post-Game Live, Ray Didinger and the popular host of The Mid-Day Show on Sportsradio 610 WIP and author of three best-selling sports books, Glen Macnow, comes The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies, featuring the 100 greatest sports films of all time.

I’m not paid to say this. This is unsolicited fact. This book is truly worth buying and reading. Whether you use it as a reference to learn more about your favorite movie, as an enlightening tool to open your eyes to a brand new group of sports movies, or as an instigator for debate amongst your lunch room friends, The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies is a book every sports and/or movie fan MUST own.

I got the pleasure to meet the authors and briefly discuss the book with them the other day and then the honor of getting to talk further about this great book last night. Here’s my conversation with Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow about the greatest sports films ever created.

SHAY RODDY: How do you go about beginning the process of finding the best sports movie?

RAY DIDINGER: Glen and I each did our own top 100, then we compared lists. They were very similar. We had most of the same films near the top. It was just a matter of talking it over and deciding on the final order.

SHAY: Glen, sports has always been a part of your show on WIP, with the Movie Club for Men. What’s the importance of sports movies to you?

GLEN MACNOW: Well, I’ve been an addict of sports movies since I was a kid. And they relate to the games we watch. Who hasn’t gone to a baseball game, seen a pitcher throw a wild pitch and quote Bob Uecker from “Major league” – “Just a bit outside.” Or gone golfing with buddies and used every line “Caddyshack.” Next to the actual events, nothing’s better than a good sports movie.

SHAY: How many movies did you screen for the book? What was the worst movie you came across during your “research”?

GLEN: We watched somewhere near 300 movies – great onces, decent ones and some real stinkers. A few bad ones that stand out – “Summer Catch,” a look at Cape Cod League baseball; “The Fan,” with DeNiro and Wesley Snipes, and every version of “The babe Ruth Story.” Oh, and “Caddyshack 2.” Just putrid.

SHAY: No one will agree with your list, if they do they’re lying. Everyone’s going to have a beef somewhere. Is watching the discussion and controversy you sparked the most fun part of writing the book?

RAY: That’s part of it, certainly. We knew the book would spark debate and it has. But I also like it when someone says, “I never heard of this movie until I read about it in your book. I have to check it out.” It’s nice to know we’e introducing people to really good sports films they might otherwise never see.

SHAY: Everyone knows the same, popular sports movies, but if you asked people to list 100, most couldn’t do it. What’s the best “unknown” sports movie?

GLEN: One that we loved that one has has seen is called “The Rocket,” which is a bio of the great Montreal Canadien Maurice Richard. It’s a Canadian movie that came and went before anyone saw it, but it’s a great story well told, and really presents a fascinating view of the NHL – and the world – in the 1950s.

SHAY: What do you look for when judging and ranking a sports movie?

RAY: We had several criteria. One, it has to be a powerful story with believable three-dimensional characters. It needs to have top-flight sports action. It must have at least one scene that sends shivers down your back or raises a lump in your throat. It should be realistic, but not too much. We like movies that allow us to stretch our imagination.

SHAY: Along those lines, Glen are you a sucker for feel good stories, or is there a certain appreciation to be had for movies that don’t necessarily end with a walk-off homer?

GLEN: Well, we’re all suckers for a happy ending, and look how many of the great movies have them – Hoosiers, The Natural, Miracle, Remember the Titans. But a lot of great movies don’t end with everyone living happily ever after. Remember, the end of “Bull Durham” has the hero getting cut from the team. And, hey, don’t forget, Rocky loses the fight in the original movie.

SHAY: Alright, Ray, the final, most obvious question- what is the greatest sports movie of all time?

RAY: We agreed on Rocky. It met all the criteria listed above. Start with a great script by Sylvester Stallone. The characters are interesting. Rocky, Adrian, Paulie, Mick, Apollo Creed. Even secondary characters like Gazzo the mobster add a nice layer of grit to the proceedings. The fight scenes are terrific and when Rocky gallops up the Art Museum steps to the chorus of “Gonna Fly Now,” it is guaranteed to give you goosebumps. It’s a wonderful movie and the favorite of a number of well-known athletes, including Tim Tebow, Ryan Braun and Nomar Garciaparra.

—

Thanks to Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow for their time! If you want a chance to meet and chat with them while picking up a signed, personalized copy of The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies, the best thing to do is to head to an upcoming signing. Here’s a list:

Friday, December 11:        Barnes & Noble, 7-9 p.m.
2300 Chemical Rd., Plymouth Meeting, PA

Saturday, December 12:    Barnes & Noble, 4-6 p.m.
1271 Knapp Rd., North Wales, PA

Thursday, December 17:     Barnes & Noble, 7-9 p.m.
200 West Route 70, Marlton, NJ

Friday, December 18:        Barnes & Noble, 7-9 p.m.
210 Commerce Blvd., Fairless Hills, PA
(Super Signing with other local authors)

Saturday, Dec. 19:               Barnes & Noble. 5-7 p.m.
Exton, PA
(Super Signing with other local authors)

RESCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY DEC. 22, 7-9 PM

Wednesday, Dec. 23:          Barnes & Noble, 6-9 p.m.
Willow Grove, PA
(Super Signing with other local authors)

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December 7, 2009

Morning Coffee: Winter Meetings bring exciting news for Phillies

BY SHAY RODDY

Yesterday, the winter meetings kicked off in Indianapolis at some fancy hotel with a lot of TV cameras and ball scribes lurking around looking for anything remotely resembling a storyline. Back here in Philadelphia we sat, anxiously waiting for our lobby trolling beat writers to report back the big news.

Only thing is, it never came. General manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. kicked off his second career meeting as a GM, leaving no noteworthy things to report.

Big surprise.

The winter meetings have a certain hype to them that isn’t exactly warranted. Rarely, something big happens during them. Sure, occasionally a major trade or signing goes down, but usually it’s just teams figuring out where they stand and what they need to do to set up the off-season to come and put themselves in a position to compete for baseball’s ultimate honor.

This year the Phils will look to focus on shoring up their bullpen.

To do this they are eying two pitchers- Chan Ho Park and Brandon Lyon.

Park is a familiar name, being a key contributor to the Phillies ‘09 run to the World Series. You might recall he entered Spring Training in competition for the fifth starter spot. He won the spot and started for a little over a month, before manager Charlie Manuel and company wisely decided to make J.A. Happ a starter and send Park to the pen. When he got there he became an instant success and was the rock, along with Ryan Madson, of a shaky, to say the least, group of relievers.

Only problem is he still thinks he can start, and the Phillies aren’t making that an option. Park seems to want to look around a bit, to see if he can get a job as a starter. I don’t doubt though, that if the price is right he’ll be back and happy in the pen in no time.

Lyon is a name a bit less-known around the Phillies fan community. He had a strong season with Detroit in 2009, recording a 2.86 ERA in 65 games. His agent, according to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury [Ed. Note- Welcome to the interwebs, Jim. Rough Loss for the Inky, but you sure did look dapper in your TV debut.], says talks are preliminary and he’s not sure about the Phillies level of interest.

Salisbury’s sources tell him that the Phils like Lyon, but are a bit leery of the cost. He made $4.25 million last season and is looking for a raise and a multi-year deal, according to reports.

The meetings certainly create something to talk about. This, folks, is the hot stove season at it’s finest. The fun is just getting started.

—

Some information every fan must know from day one of the Winter Meetings:

  • John Finger, CSNPhilly.com “Ruben says bringing back Pedro Martinez is something that could ‘develop later.’
  • Pat Burrell said he has not heard anything about a possible trade involving the Mets to Comcast SportsNet’s Leslie Gudel.
  • Rumor: Brett Myers to Houston Astros.
  • Ruben said that if Placido Polanco was a Type A free agent the Phillies would not have signed him.
  • Ruben declined comment on rumors regarding trading Joe Blanton.
  • Jayson Stark, ESPN.com: “Phillies have quietly let teams know they’d listen on Joe Blanton. Trying to free up $ for bullpen upgrades.”
  • Andy Martino, Philadelphia Inquirer:”Phils done meeting with Park’s agent Jeff Borris, person familiar with talks characterized negotiations as ‘ongoing.’”
  • Martino: “No decisions yet on tendering Durbin and Condrey, but Amaro said ‘those are guys we will probably count on.’”
  • Todd Zolecki, MLB.com: “Amaro on Park/Eyre: ‘(Talks) haven’t moved particularly quickly … I may go sign somebody else because they’re waiting around.’”

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December 7, 2009

Out of Left Field: Tiger update

BY HOMER PLATE, Contributor

For those of you who read my previous work of blogorial art (hey, some compudork made up the word “blog,” so that gives me carte blanche to make up blogorial) regarding the Tiger Woods situation, and as the story has evolved, it appears that Tiger has been experiencing a lot more wood than the Swiss Miss would like, so  I think I need to revisit the situation.

First, let me be clear that my position has not changed (but it appears that Tiger’s position changes quite often) I still believe that Tiger has a private life and what goes on there is his business and his alone. Just because he has enough potential wives to ensure a Senatorial seat from the great state of Utah, doesn’t give us the right to learn every little detail. Although, I have to admit, some video probably wouldn’t hurt things.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is while Tiger has done his best to portray himself as the squeaky clean superstar, we again have to revisit the question, on what part of these peoples lives do we judge? Remember, Tiger’s lifetime goal is to beat Jack Nicklaus’ record for major wins. That is a massive goal. If his other goal is to score with every hottie east of the Mason-Dixon Line, then so be it. And not to brag, but Wilt Chamberlain and I have both been with over 20,000 women. Wilt, of course, claimed to have slept with them. I just attend the National Organization for Women’s annual march in Washington, but hey, that counts.

We are faced with all types of criminals in sports. I’m gonna stay away from Charles “pooch” Manson for today as he had a decent game yesterday and all is good in the Eagles world. Please pause for a moment while I vomit.

There have been NFL players with major felonies on their records and they are treated like royalty. I’m sure, in a few years, when Plaxico gets out, if a team is in need of a receiver he will get a job. Hell, he should teach Tiger how to take a few slugs down the trousers and maybe a few holes in the old one iron would calm his ass down for awhile.

Just because Tiger has completed more loads than the entire history of Tide laundry detergent doesn’t lower him to the level of felon, sports gambler or game fixer. And these are the things on which we need to focus. For all of you Eagles fans out there, that was me not ending a sentence with a preposition.

There may be a need for me to follow up on this as the situation warrants. So I want all of you to just sit back, wipe the beer drool off your mouth, and if any photo’s appear, I will take a few days alone, naked, to analyze them for content and clarity And if I feel that they meet the requirements of proper journalistic integrity, I will post them immediately.

In the meantime, only a few short weeks till pitchers and catchers!

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December 6, 2009

Same old answers

BY MATTHEW NADU, Contributor

Whoever said change is good wasn’t a professional sports franchise owner.

And as a mater of fact, they lied.

At least that seems to be the case in Philadelphia of late.

Headlines surrounding the city’s sports teams’ free agent signings have been overwhelming even overtaking the likes of Mr. Woods’ tiger like attacks.

With the return of Placido Polanco to the Phillies and Allen Iverson to the lowly 76ers the city has apparently realized that they have been searching for answers in all the wrong places.

Think about it.

The resigning of Polanco, the Phils former second baseman, who has agreed in A-Rod type fashion, to switch positions and man the hot corner where he hasn’t played regularly since 2002, fills a gap that hasn’t been solidified by a player since the days of Scott Rolen, who was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in July 2002 for non-other than Polanco.

The emergence of God’s gift to Philadelphia in the form of second baseman Chase Utley, left Polanco the odd man out and trade bait when the Phils shipped him off to Detroit for Ugieth Urbina and infielder Ramon Martinez.

The only problem for the Phils was Martinez wasn’t any good and while Urbina was rotting away in a Venezuelan prison for beating farm workers like American League hitters on his fastball, Polanco was busy winning two Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and making All-Star and World Series appearances.

Yet another Philadelphia second baseman that got away.

Since the departure of Rolen at third, the Phils went through three brutally horrific and nearly non-existent offensive third basemen in David Bell, Wes Helms and most recently Pedro Feliz.

This should all change with the readdition of Polanco who is a career .303 hitter with 90 homers, 579 RBIs and 71 stolen bases in 12 big league seasons.

And chew on this, as a No. 2 hitter he should create some exciting controversy for Chuck Manuel in an already potent Phillies lineup.

Across Pattison Ave the Sixers- that’s for all you fans who can’t remember where they play because you haven’t been to a game since 2005- have finally found their answer to filling more than five percent of the arena and guaranteeing a double digit wins this season in The Answer.

After shunning away the former MVP Iverson in hopes to build, rebuild and re-rebuild, a mediocre and lifeless franchise, general manager Ed Stefanski has finally come to some senses in resigning the supposedly retired point guard.

Go figure, for the first time this year and since who knows when, the Wachovia Center will be sold out for Monday night’s second debut of Allen Iverson and you better believe it won’t be Sammy Dalembert jerseys filling the seats.

The city is finally talking professional basketball again and once again Iverson is the one to thank.

Whether you believe the move is to boost attendance or help the team, which he’ll do both, the fact remains Iverson is still one of the best point guards in the NBA and he’s going to prove it.

So perhaps change isn’t what this city needs, maybe it’s second chances.

Just ask Mike Vick who helped the Eagles by scoring his first two touchdowns since he changed his favorite animal on his Facebook bio from pit bull to wildcat, as the Beages routed the Atlanta Falcons, in Atlanta, to claim a three way tie for the division lead.

Or an aging Jeremiah Trotter who was cut by the Eagles for losing a step only to gain two more, getting resigned by the club and continuing where he left off, stuffing opponents running games with more beef than Donovan McNabb’s chunky soup.

So once again sports has taught us some key values to live by, especially during this holiday season. Always be grateful for what you have and people deserve second chances- but only if it helps you win.

—
High Hopes newest contributor, Matthew Nadu:

Matthew’s writing and broadcasting career spans about six years. He got started writing and broadcasting while attending Temple University. He served as a reporter for the campus-wide Temple Update and as an on-air talent, writer and producer for Owlsports Update. While working on the Update, he also took a role as a writer for OwlScoop.com in association with Rivals.com. In 2008, Matthew began blogging for Baseball-Reference.com, a widely respected source for player statistics and informative columns and stories.. In 2008, also he interned with Comcast SportsNet, studying the trade and contributing reports to their various programs. From SportsNet, he went to NBC10 WCAU in Philadelphia as a contributor to their website Nbcphiladelphia.com and Promotions Assistant. He has made on-air contributions to their newscast, reporting from the spot of the night’s big game.

Contact him at mnadu@highhopesblog.com.

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December 6, 2009

Link it Up!

BY SHAY RODDY

A favorite off-season feature around here has always been “Link it Up!”, where we head around the internet and take a look at what some of the other Phillies writers are thinking. There’s not a lot going on right now, but there’s always some entertaining stuff up and around that should be read.

So let’s hit it!

Jason Weitzel chats with Jayson Stark- Beerleaguer

A look at the Phillies ad campaign from 1986- Phillies Nation

Endorsement for a ball girl with an incredibly funny thread- The Fightins

Schneider, Polanco, yadah, yadah, HALLADAY- The Shibe Times

Iverson gets emotional at welcome home presser- The 700 Level

—

Programming notes: Holiday Giveaway #2 hits the site this week, so be sure to check back to see what you can walk away with. Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow have put together a terrific book on Sports movies, called The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies. I’ll interview them about the book in the near future.

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December 6, 2009

Point/Counterpoint- Phillies sign Polanco

BY SPENCER REITER, Contributor

This past Thursday, the Phillies signed, former Phillies second basemen, Placido Polanco to a three year, $18 million contract. Now however, we get to see this gold glove winning infielder work his magic at the hot corner rather than on the right side of the diamond.

In the 2009 season Polanco hit .285 with 72 RBIs for the Detroit Tigers. Since he was with the Phillies in 2002, Polanco has hit consistently in the high .200’s to mid .300’s. He has also won two Gold Glove awards for his defensive work at second base.

Pros of Polanco- Polanco is a very consistent offensive player and will fit great in the Phillies lineup. He will be a great replacement for Pedro Feliz. Contact is Polanco’s strength, he can always be counted on to put the bat on the ball, which is what hurt us last year in key situations with Feliz’s inconsistency. Polanco is also an above average infielder, and has shown he can get the job done with his defensive accolades.

Polanco would be great for this Phillies team. He is a good run producer and also a great contact hitter. The Phillies were looking for a player that would be an upgrade over Feliz. Fortunately, Polanco will give the Phillies the type of player they were looking for. He will contribute phenomenally in the two hole, and be able to get on base for one of the most dangerous back-to-back duos in the game, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. If the Phillies were to get someone like Chone Figgins or Mark DeRosa, they would have had to adjust their line-up and maybe have to play a new type of offense to accommodate them. Polanco is also a good pick up because the Phillies got him for a cheap three years. At a young 33 years old, I would look for Polanco to contribute a lot for the next three years.

Cons of Polanco- Polanco will help the Phillies offensively, but he is a downgrade defensively from Feliz.  Feliz is one of the best third basemen in MLB and saved the Phillies a couple times last year. Polanco is a second basemen, and playing third will be a new test for him. It is a risky move, and the Phillies are hoping to improve him as a third basemen, and infielder in general.

Offensively he will likely be taking Shane Victorino’s spot, high in the line-up, and moving Victorino down, potentially to the seven spot. This may anger the emotional Victorino and strike up some problems for the team chemistry. Also offensively, Polanco will be looking for hits, which makes him a very aggressive hitter. This will take away from the walks the Phillies got last year, and were able to produce on. He may be a little to aggressive at the plate some times, and risk production opportunities.

My opinion- I think Polanco was a great signing for the Phillies. I think he will make them even more of a threat on the base path and at the plate. He will be able to set up our power hitters perfectly and also produce runs when put in the position. The Phillies will not have one weak player in their lineup this year due to this addition of Polanco and his consistency. Learning to be a good third basemen will be tough, but that is what the off-season is for. He will be able to adapt, it is just a matter of time. There is no way he can live up to the level set by Feliz defensively, but he is still a good infielder.

Polanco is the all around player the Phillies needed for this upcoming season. A new threat, a new face, and more ways to hurt teams. Polanco said in his press conference after his signing,”I always wanted to be here,” and  ”I never wanted to leave”. It is nice to have a player who really love Philadelphia. He is happy to be back, and the fans are happy to have him back.

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December 5, 2009

Out of Left Field: With the Phils, it’s all about baseball!

BY HOMER PLATE, Contributor

Isn’t it nice when the weather outside is frightful, and the Phillies news is delightful, but wherever else you decide to go, it’s a show, it’s a show, it’s a show. Take for instance the Eagles. They started their season with great anticipation. The chance to repeat as world champs…oh, wait a minute, that’s our Phils again. Oh yeah, the Eagles presented us with a demented, twisted, canine serial killer who spent the past few years of his career water boarding Snoopy. But now all is well. He served his time. So now we should focus on the positives and unleash him on the NFL. Did I say leash?

The most recent story to break in Philly sports was the return of one Allen Iverson. Ah, a big basketball move designed to bring an NBA Championship to the City- yeah right. This is a move by an organization that has wallowed in patheticism for the past 20 years or so. Sure, when AI was in his prime there were some good years, but the team never really put the pieces around him to create a championship caliber team.

Now, we all like to relive the “We’re talkin’ ’bout practice” press conference, and I would assume that, like Howard Eskin (do I have to mention that ass cricket in every column? Just exposing the fraud he is), all of you simply don’t get it. What Allen was saying, and apparently I’m the only one who actually heard it, was, I’ve spent all these years bleeding on the court and this organization has brought more stiffs than Jenna Jamison’s first movie, and we’re talkin about practice? He then went on to say, “How the hell can I make my teammates better by practice?” I hate to break the news to all of you, but he’s right. You can gel as a team, but if the other guys suck, then even AI can’t help them out.

Now we come to the latest Flyers news. Their young coach has been fired! Wow, I thought that maybe waking the guy the hell up might help him lead the team more efficiently. I’ve watched fifty of his press conferences and honestly don’t believe I ever heard one word he said. Now there is a motivational leader. Another team that has languished in mediocrity but only this one has done it since the Nation’s Bicentennial. Oh, and by the way, for all of you dopes who still have all of those 1976 quarters in your vault, they are now worth -67 cents due to inflation. So bust ‘em out and go buy a pack of gum. And while I’m mentioning that, for all of you idiots who are hoarding those new gold dollars, first, they are not gold, and second, go down to the local laundromat and use them so they get back in circulation and I can use them for tolls. Quasi coin collectors are not very bright.

And now we get back to our beloved Phils and their breaking news. The signing of a new third baseman- Placido Palanco. Yes, a HUGE addition to a team that already won a championship and is looking to scoop up a few more This, along with a solid backup catcher leaves only some middle relief help and wow, what a force they will remain.

Isn’t it nice to not have to focus on bloody biscuits, bad porn references and mannequin like coaches with this team? All there is, is a solid team and lots of x’s and o’s to speak off. Wow, sports talk, what a concept!

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