We Hate to Lose

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noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Here is my new site.

Red Pinstripes Are Cooler

go there

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:50:00 +0000

No updates today unless there is breaking news. I am on a class trip to Gettysburg. The Phils won 11-4 last night. Pedro Feliz and Raul Ibanez continued their hot starts. Jamie Moyer got the quality start and win to improve to 2-1. I'll never understand how he does it.

This was posted via blogger mobile. It could fuck up

Phillies game 4/20 Postponed

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Tonight's Phillies game has been postponed due to rain. There has been no set make-up date, but expect it to be July 23rd.

It's a Walk-off (Live Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Video submitted to youtube by nittany1992

On the Pharm: April 20th Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs:

Lehigh Valley is off to a 4-6 start, but they were 4-2 this past week. 32-year old Justin Lehr recorded two wins in two starts. Phils top prospect, Carlos Carrasco, continues to dazzle, but he's yet to record a decision. Kyle Kendrick has also pitched well. No one in the lineup is worth noting though. Lehigh has not been spectacular offensively.

They start off the week finishing a series against Pawtucket. They then travel to Syracuse for 2 games and conclude the week with a 4 game series at home against Pawtucket.

Double-A Reading Phillies:

Reading is 6-3 and has won three straight games. 22-year old Michael Stutes is 2-0 on the season and has been impressive for the Phils. One of the Phillies top prospects, Joe Savery, has pitched one good start and one okay start. Antonio Bastardo is developing into a nice left-handed reliever.

28 year old first baseman, Kevin Mahar, and 3B Neil Sellers have been Reading's best hitters thus far. However, these players will not be with the Phillies anytime soon.

They travel to Altoona this week and close out with Bowie.

Single-A Advanced: Clearwater Threshers

Clearwater is tied for the FSL-North division lead at a 6-4 record. They went 4-3 this week. Kyle Drabek has been exceptional to start the season, but who is Yohan Flonde? Flonde has not allowed a earned run in 12 innings to start the season, resulting in 2 winning decision. Flonde is a 23 year-old lefty from the Dominican Republic.

As mentioned earlier, Drabek has been spectacular. He is 2-0 in 2 starts with a 16/3 K/BB ratio in 12 innings of work. It is nice to see him rebounding well from elbow surgery.

The Threshers travel to Lakeland and Tampa this week.

Single-A Lakewood Blue Claws:

After starting the season off 1-3, Lakewood went 5-2 this week to improve to 6-5. 18-year-old, Jason Knapp has pitched well for Lakewood. Granted he is 0-2, but he's allowed only 2 earned runs in each of his starts. He has a 16/4 K/BB ratio. Knapp has the potential to become one of the steals from last June's draft.

Tyler Cloyd is also posting good numbers for Lakewood. He is 1-1 with a 14/5 K/BB ratio in 17 innings of work.

Offensively, the Blue Claws are lead by 1B Jim Murphy and 3B Travis Mattair. Phillies catching prospect, Travis D'Arnaud is not exactly hitting well, but leads the team with 9 RBIs. Speedy outfielder Anthony Gose has 9 stolen bases in 10 games.

They will host Lake County and Hagerstown this week.

Game 10 and 11 of 162: Blown Saves Work Both Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:04:00 +0000

Game 10: 8-7 Loss: Lidge Blows First Save as a Phillie.

He deserved the ovation he received. Brad Lidge's run of perfection was amazing, but he was bound to blow one and it happened Saturday night. What can you do? It is better that it happened in April than September and it only hurt more when it was compounded with Friday's blown save by Ryan Madson as well.

Good news: The Phillies power hitters are starting to hit home runs. Ibanez, Utley, and Howard all homered for the Phils. Also, Brett Myers threw the second quality start of the season for the Phils.

Bad news: The already mentioned blown save. Too many home runs allowed.

Game 11: 5-4 Win: Ibanez Makes up for Mistakes.

In a drama-filled day for Philadelphia, Raul Ibanez hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Phillies their first win of the Padres series. The Phils fell behind 4-0 after sub-par pitching from Chan Ho Park. Park also allowed a home run to only continue the streak of home runs allowed by a Philadelphia starter. Yep, they've allowed a home run in all 11 games. Chase Utley made the score 4-2 in the bottom of the 6th after hitting his fourth home run of the season and he is quietly putting all of the hip concerns to bed.

Jimmy Rollins had the day off, but came through in the clutch when he hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the bottom of the 8th to bring the score one run closer. With the score 4-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Phils had the heart of their order up. Ryan Howard hit his third hit of the day as he looped a single into center field. It was off a change-up that Howard was often missing badly last season. Ryan Howard is having his best April ever, hitting .341 with a 1.009 OPS.

The stage was set for Raul Ibanez who had a bad play in the field that lead to a pivotal run in the game. It was time for his redemption. Ibanez deposited Edwin Moreno's 2-0 pitch into the right field seats to give the Phillies the 5-4 victory. Raul Ibanez has fit in very well with this line-up and is tied for the NL lead with 5 home runs. He is reaching base 44% of the time and slugging .864. He's been the legit hitter that they've needed after Ryan Howard.

Good News: The Phillies ended their three-game losing streak, which included two quality starts from Joe Blanton and Brett Myers. The Phillies fans continue to come out as well with their sixth straight sell-out. J.A. Happ pitched three exceptional innings and I would not be surprised if he gets a start within the next few weeks over Park.

Bad News: The home runs allowed are still a plenty. The Phillies could be holding a 3-0 lead and going for the sweep tomorrow, but instead they're looking to even the series at two tonight.

Game 9 of 162: And That Ball Is Outta Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:21:00 +0000

On a day where the Phillies honored the late Harry Kalas, balls flew out of the park left and right. There was one problem though, the Padres hit three to the Phillies one.

Holy home runs allowed Phillies. Through 9 games in this young season, the Phillies are posting a 7.06 ERA, by far, the worst in the National League. They have thrown only one quality start, which happened to be an 8-2 loss. Teams are batting with a .919 OPS against them and they've allowed a whopping 23 home runs. They are allowing 2.5 home runs per game.

This is not normally what happens to teams who lead the NL with a 2.58 K/BB ratio. The pitching staff should rebound at some point and everything will be okay, but these early mistakes are a little bit of a cause for concern.

The offense that struggled against Atlanta has rebounded and kept them in enough games to have a 4-5 record. The Phillies will pitching staff needs to improve immediately if the Phillies went to get out of April with a winning record and remain in contention with the extremely hot Marlins.

Everything was going well for the Phillies early on last night. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead after Chase Utley hit a three-run home run and Chris Coste hit a two-run double. The Phillies lead later went to 7-1 in the fourth, but that was all she wrote for the offense as San Diego's bullpen shut us down.

The same could not be said for the Phillies. Cole Hamels was cruising through the game until the fifth and sixth inning when left pitches up in the zone for home runs and the game was quickly 7-5. Condrey and Eyre pitched well for a scoreless 7th, but Ryan Madson had his worst appearance of the year and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

Good News: Raul Ibanez reached base 5 times in 5 ABs with 3 hits and 2 walks. His average is now up to .368 and he has been giving the Phillies a consistent hitter behind Ryan Howard, whether he hits fifth or sixth.

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:50:00 +0000

This is just a mobile phone test post. Go Phillies!

Game 7 of 162: The Day a Legend Left Us

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, I came online to write my recap of the Phillies come-from-behind victory on Easter Sunday. Little did I know that at that same moment I'd receive a text message regarding Harry Kalas being rushed to the hospital. Shortly there after, I received another text message that confirmed that he had left us.

I really wanted to put down all of my initials feelings regarding this horrible event, but I just couldn't. Every time I tried to write, I would just delete it, nothing seemed perfect enough to describe what Harry Kalas meant to us as Phillies fans.

Harry Kalas was everything about the Phillies. He was everything about Philadelphia. He had been the heart and soul of this franchise my entire life, and for even much of my father's life. See, our generation tends to take baseball announcers for granted with the adaptation of television. We as kids were generally always able to see the Phils play via a television. As much as Harry meant to us, he will always mean more to our fathers and their fathers. Kalas' dramatic voice always set the stage for a radio as if they were listening to a musical masterpiece. His deep, baratone voice called some of the greatest hits and pitches in Philadelphia and Major League Baseball history. He was baseball in Philadelphia.

From Michael Jack Schmidt to Bobby Abreu to Chase Utley and from Dallas Greene to Terry Francona to Charlie Manuel, there had always been one constant in Philadelphia: Harry Kalas. The man was Philadelphia baseball. The man was something different than life. His voice was the one that healed us when everything else in the world seemed bad from April to October.

When I was a child I didn't wake up every morning looking forward to watching some random cartoon. I woke up waiting for the night broadcast of the Phillies game. I woke up waiting for the voice of Harry Kalas. Baseball is in my blood and many others in the Delaware Valley. Baseball was hope. Harry Kalas was the man who called the greatest pitch of my life.

Nothing and two the count to Hinske. Fans on their feet. Rally towels are being waved. Brad Lidge stretches. The 0-2 pitch. Swing and a miss! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball. Brad Lidge does it again and stays perfect for 2008 season. 48 for 48 in save opportunities for the 2008 season. 48 for 48 in save opportunities and watch this city celebrate.

Maybe 2008 was more of fate than anything else. Harry Kalas finally reached the grandest stage and he was able to make the greatest call of his live and many of our own.

Baseball is and always will be America's past time. Harry Kalas will always be one of the greatest and most articulate at describing the game we love most. Yesterday, we lost one of the greatest people to ever grace the city of Philadelphia.

Below is a video posted by The Fightins via Comcast Sportsnet.

CSN Tribute to Harry Kalas from Mike Meech on Vimeo.

And the final home run call and out call of his career:

The Phillies won yesterday's game in honorable fashion for Harry the K with a 9-8 victory over the Washington Nationals. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino both hit their first home runs of the season, while Raul Ibanez hit his third. Jamie Moyer got the win and Brad Lidge continued his perfection for the save.

Rest In Peace, Harry Kalas 1936-2009

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:00:00 +0000

You can call games with Whitey again. Sad, tragic day.

On the Pharm: April 12th Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Triple-A Lehigh Valley:

The Iron Pigs suffered their third loss of the season because of poor outings from both Andrew Carpenter and Dave Borkowski. Both pitchers allowed 5 earned each in 7 combined innings. Lehigh went on to lose 12-5 against Scranton. Rich Thompson hit a 3-run home run for the Iron Pigs. Jason Donald went 1-5 and his April average sits at .286. John Mayberry, Jr. is having an awful start and after his 0-4 production, his average dropped to .086. Lehigh Valley will try to get their first win of the season today against Scranton-Wilkes Barre. They'll face Yankees' prospect Phillip Hughes.

Double-A Reading:

Twenty-one year old starter Vance Worley threw 5 2/3 innings allowing 5 hits and 2 earned as the Phillies won 3-2 over Harrisburg. He struck out six and walked only two. The Phillies top outfield prospect, Michael Taylor, went 2-3 with a double and RBI-single. Reading improved to 2-1 on the season. They're off today.

Single-A Advanced Clearwater:

The Threshers suffered their first loss of the season after Julian Sampson allowed 7 earned on 8 hits in only 3 1/3 innings. The Phils other top outfield prospect, Dominic Brown went 1-3 and scored twice. Clearwater still pounded out 6 runs on 11 hits, but it was not enough to overcome Dunedin and they lost 10-6. Matthew Rizzoti went 1-4 and his average "sunk" to .538. Clearwater is 2-1 and sits atop tied for the division lead. They are off today.

Single-A Lakewood:

The Blue Claws got their first win of the season after D'Arby Myers hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to win 3-2 over Delmarva. Myers went 3-6 on the day with three singles. Lakewood pitcher Robert Roth threw 5 innings and allowed only 3 hits and 1 earned. He struck out 4, but also walked 4 batters. Lakewood closer Brian Rosenberg blew the save in the ninth, but thankfully the Blue Claws rebounded for the win. They improved to 1-2 on the year and will face off against Delmarva again.

Game 5 of 162: The Offense is Alive?

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Finally, the Phillies offense has awakened. Some people may dub them a sleeping giant because when they're about to explode, they explode in big numbers. Last night, 8 Phillies crossed the plate, including three when Ryan Howard hit a 2-out base clearing double. Jayson Werth added a 2-out RBIs of his own when he hit a two-run triple break a 3-3 tie. The Phillies knocked in 7 of their 8 runs with 2 outs. Raul Ibanez hit his 2nd home run of the year to lead the Phils in that category.

Base runners were of plenty of the Phils as they had 15 hits, but did leave 12 men on base. Pedro Feliz continued his hot start with the Phillies and went 3-5 with an RBI. The Phillies 15 hits nearly equaled the 21 they had total against the Braves.

Brett Myers allowed 4 runs on 3 home runs again, but he managed the damage to only 2 solo home runs and pitched at least 6 innings for his second straight start. He threw 7 innings on 102 pitches striking out 6. Sure, he has giving up 6 home runs this season, but he does have a nice 12/2 K/BB ratio. Once his velocity gets back up, Brett's home runs allowed should lower.

Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge threw hitless 8th and 9th innings to secure the win. Today, the Phillies will have their first opportunity a series in this young season.

Game 4 of 162: Cole Train Derailed

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Oof, that was definitely not the start this team wanted, or needed from Cole Hamels. According to Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki, it was Cole's worst statistical start of his Phillies career.

Offensively, the Phils did not fair much better, but there were a few bright spots. Phillies star of the game was Jayson Werth who went 4-4 and scored all 3 Phillies runs, including a solo home run in the ninth. Chase Utley also went 2-3 for the Phils.

The offense continues to struggle this season. Call it what you will, but they're killing worms more than they're killing baseballs. Ryan Howard produced 7 outs in 5 at-bats. Yes, that does mean that Ryan Howard grounded into not one, not two, but three double-plays. It was a rough day all-around for the Phillies and despite a walk-happy 7th by the Braves, it has been a rough start to the season for the Phillies. The bats will come around, they always do, but let's hope it happens sooner than later.

Back to pitching, Cole Hamels main problem was the fact that he left the ball up in the zone. Hitters, especially in Coors Field are going to hit those balls very far. Yes, he only allowed one home-run, but he was yielding gappers left and right. J.A. Happ pitched well in his second-sting of long relief, but it was Chad Durbin who fell apart in the 7th. He gave up 3 earned on a walk and 2 hits.

Fans should have had lowered expectations for Cole Hamels. He's still not at 100% for the season and I'd even expect his next start to be a little iffy. Let's hope he was not rushed.

Injury News: Carlos Ruiz left the game in the 7th inning because a strained right oblique. He is listed as day-to-day. Lehigh Valley catcher, Lou Marson, was scratched from his start last night and is in Denver in case Ruiz is moved to the DL.

Game 4 of 162: Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Game: Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) @ Colorado Rockies (2-1)
Pitchers: Cole Hamels (0-0) vs. Jason Marquis (0-0)
Time: 4:05PM, CNP
Weather: 49F, 11 mph winds blowing out to left

Cole Hamels will make his 2009 debut and hopefully he can help the Phils move back to .500 and build their first winning streak of the season. Everyone involved with the Phillies feel that Cole Hamels' elbow is at 100%, but there should still be a cause for concern. He pitched a lot of innings last year and the effect remains to be seen.

In 2008, King Cole set career highs in starts (33), innings pitched (227 1/3), and strikeouts (196). Every year, Hamels comes in what the idea that he can win the Cy Young. He has the stuff, but let's just hope he has the stamina and fatigue to continue over the long haul.

Last year, his win total would have been higher if he had receiver more run support. Currently, the Phillies bats are not exactly alive, but they'll be looking to get them moving in hitter-friendly Coors field against hitter-friendly pitcher Jason Marquis. Many of the Phillies have good career numbers against Marquis in a limited amount of at-bats.

So far, so good? The Phillies have walked 15 times and struck out only 15 times. A 1:1 ratio is pretty damn good, especially for the Phillies. The bats will come alive, they're normally dead to start the season. I'd expect a nice explosion today!

Dear Cole, please don't allow any home runs. At least not in the first inning! Hopefully the Fightins jump out to the early lead today.

Game 3 of 162: The Champion Comeback!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Wow, what a game! Always, always stay until the end. It was third time since July that I've seen the Phillies comeback or nearly comeback from a defecit of 7 runs or more. The Mets, the Mets, and now the Braves. What an exciting way to close out the Ring Ceremony day.

The Good News:

The Phillies were patient with their bats from the seventh inning on and they scored 8 runs in their 7th heaven on only 4 hits, but a whopping 5 walks (and the pitches were not even close.) Their offense, which had yet to awake in 2009, finally "exploded" to comeback from a 10-3 defecit and later earn a 12-11 victory. It was the first win of 2009 for the Phillies who will travel to Colorado and Cole Hamels will make his first start tomorrow.

Raul Ibanez hit is first home run of 2009 for the Phillies and the first of his career in their uniform.

The Bad News:

The starting pitching is now where the team would like it to be, whether they're defending a title or had a fifth place finish last year. Our pitching staff has yielded hit after hit and home run after home run in the first series that it makes you wonder a little bit...just a little. It is still early and even great pitcher like Carlos Zambrano and C.C. Sabathia were shelled at the beginning of last year (and this year for C.C.). Their main problem is that they've been leaving the ball up in the zone. It's not that their stuff is bad, but it's just a few adjustments that need to be made and can be made. Don't expect to Phillies to give up 3 home runs every game.

Despite the amazing comeback, the top of the lineup still needs to find their stroke. Currently, the best hitting Phils are Utley, Howard, and Ruiz.

Click after the jump to see Brad Lidge close out the Phillies first win of the season. Also, check out the Flickr group for plenty of pictures from the game.

Heading down to the Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:34:00 +0000

I will post on last night's game and today's game after I return from the stadium. Hopefully, I get their first win of 2009 in person.

Lineup Changed

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Charlie Manuel has made the "suggested" move. Tonight's lineup will look as follows:

1. Rollins
2. Victorino
3. Utley
4. Howard
5. Werth
6. Ibanez
7. Feliz
8. Ruiz
9. Moyer

Are you good with Photoshop?

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:13:00 +0000

Anyone out there good with Photoshop? If you haven't noticed, we need a new logo for the site. The logo should be Phillies based and include the title of the site, We Hate to Lose. The logo can be about 325W x 125-150H. If you can help, please email your work to killadelphia.pa@gmail.com. Thank you.

Thanks.

Justin

Game 2 of 162: Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Game: Atlanta Braves (1-0) @ Philadelphia Phillies (0-1)
Pitchers: Jair Jurrjens (0-0) vs. Jamie Moyer (0-0)
Time: 7:05 PM, MyPhl 17
Weather: 47F, Few Showers, 19mph winds blowing to right field

The old man makes his first start of the season against one of few teams who actually hit him pretty well last season.

Jamie Moyer went 0-0 with a 6.55 ERA in two starts against the Braves in 2008 and posts a career record of 3-8 with a 5.56 ERA in 14 appearances. To silence the quick to panic crowd in Philadelphia, Moyer will have to have his best stuff to help the Phillies earn a victory.

The Phillies will be facing Atlanta pitcher, Jair Jurrjens who allowed only 2 runs in the 15 2/3 innings he pitched in Citzens' Bank Park last season. In 4 starts against the Phillies, Jurrjens was 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA. Jurrjens is another up-and-coming prospect in the Braves organization and he allowed only .53 home runs per nine innings in 2008.

The Fightins' season didn't exactly start with a celebration similar to the pre-game festivities on opening day. They'll look to even their record tonight against a team they were 14-4 against last year, but only 5-4 at home. The Phils we need to see some better at-bats throughout the line-up and it'll be interesting to see if Manuel shakes the lineup around a little, but that is unlikely. It'll take a few games before Charlie does anything drastic.

Game 1 of 162: Just Relax

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:10:00 +0000

The World Championship defense has finally begun, and Brett Myers looked very similar to the Brett Myers we saw early in 2008. There were positives to take from his start that fair much better than last year.

Myers made three huge mistakes on pitches for home runs, but he did rebound after a rough first 2 innings and managed to pitch 4 scoreless inning the rest of the way. This offense should be able to score 4 runs every game (well except for when Derek Lowe and other sinkerballers pitch).

If Myers had only giving up two runs last night, the offense still did not do enough for a win. Since the Phillies lost their main right-handed power-bat, they really need to rethink their batting order. Sure, Ibanez hit lefties well last year, but over the last three seasons, Ibanez has posted .269/.324/.410/.734 against lefties. Not exactly a replacement for Pat Burrell. Overall, the Phillies will likely face more right-handed pitching throughout the year, so it will not come out to much, but I really don't want be fed more bull shit about how Ibanez can hit lefties. His OPS drops from .893 (last 3 seasons) to .734. That's a huge drop-off. It may even been considered near the standard, but they needed to add someone that could pound left-handed pitching, besides Jayson Werth.

So what do they do? Raul Ibanez is a Phillie and he's a very good hitter, but the Phillies may need to tweak their traditional batting order to help this line-up in the late innings. Sure, last night could just be an anomaly, but I think we'll see the lefty, lefty, lefty 3-4-5 hurt us more times than not when they're facing lefty closers and lefty specialists. This batting order doesn't force the opposing manager to have to juggle his bullpen as much in late innings.

I'd like to ask two questions: Is it time to move Rollins out of the lead-off spot? Can Jayson Werth be that all-important protector of Ryan Howard out of the five-hole?

It'd be interesting to see Jimmy Rollins batting somewhere different than the lead-off spot. Both Victorino and Rollins offer similar on-base percentages to that spot in the order, so you'd think they'd be interchangeable--or would they? In a very small sample size of only 132 plate-appearances, Shane Victorino did not fair that well in the lead-off spot. It could have been just been part of a slump opposite to the effect of when he bats 6th and posts an OPS+ of 157. It's early enough in the season where Charlie could tinker with the line-up. If Victorino moves to the lead-off spot, I think a line-up as follows could be expected:
Victorino/Werth/Utley/Howard/Rollins/Ibanez/Feliz/Ruiz or Victorino/Utley/Rollins/Howard/Werth/Ibanez/Feliz/Ruiz.

The more likely solution would be for Charlie just to move Victorino up to second and then hit Werth in the 5 spot in front of Ibanez. This move would also put some speed on the base paths directly in front of Ibanez, which would allow him to knock in more runs from the 6th spot. Phillies fans need to be aware that it is very unlikely that you're going to see 3 players knock in 110+ RBIs. Utley will steal some of Howard's RBI's and Howard will steal many of Werth or Ibanez's RBIs. Moving Ibanez down to 6th offers more speed and balance in the line-up.

In the end of it all though, it was 1 game. April 5th means as much as May 21 and September 10th. There are 161 more games and the offense will fair better more times than not.

Changing the Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:58:00 +0000

As you have noticed, I have not posted much at all over the recent months. I've made a few posts mentioning that there would be most posting, but every attempt fell through. So, I have decided to make a change regarding the website. I have decided that from here on out, I will makes posts only regarding the Phillies. The Phillies have always been my first love for all Philadelphia sports teams, and I feel that if I focus primarily on them, I will be able to offer the most substance and content to the blog.

I considered completely changing the name of the blog to something more Phillies-oriented, but I feel that "We hate to lose" still the motto of the Philadelphia sports fan. I hope you will stick around with the site and follow along as we embark on another baseball season.

Thank you.

-Justin

Upshall Sent to the Desert

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0000

The NHL trade deadline was yesterday and the Flyers made a few moves that they feel may help them come playoff time. The biggest name to be sent packing was Scottie Upshall, who along with a 2011 second-round pick, was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Dan Carcillo.

Yes, it is disappointing to lose a high energy guy like Scottie Upshall, especially after the chemistry he had with Claude Giroux was showing promise, but it is unlikely that the Flyers would have been able to re-sign Scottie Upshall before next season. Scottie would have been a restricted free-agent next season and will likely see a raise over his current $1.25 million cap hit.

The upsetting part of the move was that the Flyers also had to throw in a second round pick. When you think about it though, the Flyers are so deep in their organization that they almost have to move picks or they will not even be able to keep all of their young stars. When the better part of your core players are all under 25 years old, you can get away with moving second round picks.

The Flyers also moved a sixth round pick to San Jose for defenseman for Kyle McLaren. They made the move for McLaren clearly for veteran insurance on the blue-line. McLaren has fallen victim to the salary cap and has spent the entire season in the AHL, where he'll stay unless the Flyers need him in the playoffs. Not a great move, but not a bad move at all either.

Link: CSN Philly

Follow after the jump to read more about Dan Carcillo and watch a few videos.

Dan Carcillo instantly becomes the Flyers leader in hits to go along with his 174 PIM that lead the NHL. I know what you're thinking, "Oh, great, the Flyers just added more penalty minutes." When you dig deeper into the numbers, Carcillo has 27 minor penalties to Scottie Upshall's 24. Both players were high energy players, but they needed to add another hitter to the team to help protect their young stars. Sure, the captain willingly accepts the job, but he's a young star himself.

According to Paul Holmgren's press conference, he feels that Carcillo will be a top 9 forward and I'd expect to see him on the same line as Giroux and Briere. This will be huge as players have already taken a run at Giroux twice. Carcillo will be out there to protect them.

Carcillo's scoring totals should also go up as well. Last year, Carcillo had 13 goals compared to Scottie's 14. Yes, Scottie may have more upside, but how many times can we go out there and say he's going to have a promising year? Carcillo is also under contract for next season at a price under $1 million. I know a lot of people may have fallen in love with the energy Upshall brought, but I doubt they'll be disappointed with Carcillo.

I was a little down on the trade at first and that is why I did not want to write about it last night. Daniel Carcillo will be wearing lucky number 13, but it has not been declared whether or not he'll be in the lineup tonight.

More importantly, this move did provide a little bit of cap room. Claude Giroux will no longer have to go down if another AHLer has to come up.

Westbrook had Surgery?

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:38:00 +0000

Did you know Brian Westbrook had surgery on his ailing knee? I didn't, but he confirmed it to reporters at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

In Westbrook's case, a key step toward that front was taken recently when he underwent knee surgery and began a rigorous rehab he hopes will whip him back in the form he displayed for most of the 2008 season, during which he wore down in the home stretch.

''It's getting better all the time,' he said.

Link: Orlando Sentinel

You could tell that Westbrook was wearing down at the end of the season, so hopefully this minor arthroscopic surgery can relieve that situation. However, the Eagles fans have to be scratching their heads wondering about what is going to happen if Westbrook does indeed go down. Currently, the Eagles only have Lorenzo Booker on the roster and not only had trouble griping the offense, but he cannot block in passing situations either.

Derrick Ward was on the market, but he signed with Tampa Bay last night. Derrick Ward is not a bad back, but he is nearing 30 and most of his yards came in passing situations. He did have an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Though it is unlikely, the Eagles could look at Cedric Benson. After being released by the Chicago Bears, Benson joined the Bengals and put up 747 yards in 12 games. Not exactly the most impressive numbers in the world with 3.5 ypc, but he might be an option. He's likely looking for someone to overpay for him, so that leaves us with the draft.

Beanie Wells and Knowshon Moreno are projected as first round backs, but neither guy is very good in the passing game. I would not expect the Eagles to draft a running back in the first round. I'd expect them to look at offensive tackle/line and go after Sean Smith, the free safety from Utah.

In the second round, LeSean McCoy and Rashad Jennings are two backs that might peak the Eagles interest. McCoy is built similar to Brian Westbrook and he can catch out of the backfield. They're likely not going to go for a big back because they never do, so McCoy fits. The problem is McCoy is likely going to go late first round or early second. Jennings would be your prototypical big back. He is 6'1" 231 lbs. He's got speed on him too as he ran a 4.49 40.

If they chose to go with a tight end or another position in the second round, I am not sure where the Eagles are going to address the backup running back position. Are they waiting for June cuts?

This has definitely been an interesting off-season for the most part. The Eagles have let more players walk from the team that played late in January than they have gained or resigned. Some of us do forget that they were still a 9-6-1 football team.

A Brotherly Affair

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Once, Jordan Gross left the market, the Eagles had to react quickly to swoop on a poor group of free agent offensive tackles. They nabbed the top tackle left on the market by signing Shawn Andrews older brother, Stacy Andrews.

A league source tells PFT that tackle Stacy Andrews has agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Per the source, it's a multi-year deal averaging $7 million per season.
At this point, the structure of the contract isn't known as it relates to guaranteed money. Andrews suffered a torn ACL late in the 2008 season, and it might have prompted the Eagles to defer any large payments until March 2010, after Andrews proves that he is 100 percent.

The deal hinges on Andrews passing a physical.

Link: Pro Football Talk

Stacy Andrews was considered the top offensive tackle available and the Eagles need two of them. Andrews, like his brother can play either guard or tackle, but he will likely play along side his brother on the right side.

This is a special moment for both brothers and hopefully Stacy helps Shawn get his head straight. They should be a decent force together in the running game. The Eagles really missed Shawn Andrews talent at right guard last year.

Also, it appears that the Eagles were also very strongly interested in Ravens FA Jason Brown, now a Ram. Brown's agent has seemed to accidentally admit that tampering took place by the Rams.

Brown agreed to a contract with the St. Louis Rams last night. His agent, Harold Lewis, said the Eagles were among the first teams to inquirer about his client when free agency started at 12:01 a.m. yesterday. But the Rams called first.

"The Eagles showed some really strong interest in Jason, but we had no inkling until midnight passed," Lewis said. "Who knows? Maybe if they'd have called first, they'd have had the first chance to talk. Jason is not the kind of guy who wants to take a tour."

Link: Philadelphia Inquirer

It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of Lewis' slip up, but it is doubtful. Tampering goes on all the time. I mean it was a foregone conclusion that the Redskins were going to sign Albert Haynesworth well before free agency sparked. Whether it was phone calls or it was the many reports about it, the information is getting to the players regarding which teams are interested well before the free agency bell.

We've added a right tackle, but we have lose two safeties, a cornerback, and a running back to opposing teams.

Way to fill those holes front office!

Lito Sheppard Traded to Jets

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Evans) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Lito Sheppard has been traded to the New York Jets for a 2009 fifth round pick and a 2010 conditional pick depending on Lito's playing time. The pick will range anywhere from a 2nd and 4th rounder.

Link: CSN Philly

Lito was owed $3 million this year in the last year of his contract. Sure, it is not a lot, but it is almost pointless for both parties to remain together. Lito dropped to 4th on the depth chart and was even deactivated during the playoffs.

Also, it looks like Brian Dawkins is all but officially a Bronco.

Ugh, such a bad image.