The baseball jammies didn't work. Yesterday's game couldn't have ended any worse - a walkoff win off of Roy Oswalt, who is scheduled to pitch Game 6* on Saturday.
Trent is back to his elephant PJs tonight as the Phillies attempt to join the 1986, 2004 and 2007 Red Sox on the short list of teams that came back from a 1-3 deficit in an LCS. (I have to remind readers that the 2004 Red Sox came back from an 0-3 deficit against the Yankees.)
Being keenly aware of two of those comebacks (and nearly another one in 2008), I feel comfortable with the Phillies' chances. Roy Halladay came to the Phillies for a situation exactly like tonight's game (he's leading 3-2 in the 6th), and then the series will swing back to Philly. I'm a bit concerned about Oswalt in Game 6 because he threw a side session before pitching in relief last night. But if the Phillies can survive that, there's no way Cole Hamels, and the vocal Phillies fans, will allow the Giants to win on Sunday.*
*if necessary
Showing posts with label 2007. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2007. Show all posts
Oct 21, 2010
Dec 10, 2009
Trading away a classy champion
It's not official, but the odds are the Red Sox will complete their deal with the Rangers, and Mike Lowell, who went from a throw-in in one of baseball's greatest trades to World Series MVP, will soon be a former Red Sox.
As I said last year, Mike Lowell is the type of player who is sometimes hard to appreciate if you're like me and don't get to see your team play every day. I still don't know whether I would have re-signed him after the great 2007, but I understand a bit more why the fans, enamored with his grit, defense, selflessness and toughness, demanded his return.
I'm sad to lose a player of his character but understand that he is shot. His battered body couldn't even play adequate defense last year. Max Ramirez isn't the catching prospect on the Rangers that we have been coveting, but I'm sure he will be more productive for the team than Lowell would have been - even with the countless millions the Red Sox will pay the third baseman to play for the Rangers.
There seems to be frustration in Boston that the Red Sox aren't going tit for tat with the Empire. I say be patient. We are not the Yankees. We can win without a $200 million payroll and a mercenary roster with All-Stars at every position. Theo Epstein knows what he's doing, and even though I'm not a big Adrian Beltre fan, I can understand the logic if he is playing in the Fens next year, even if Peter Abraham isn't certain:
So, if this plays out, I thank Lowell for his service and his contribution toward the second World Series Championship in my lifetime. I also thank him for being able to be called by Nick Cafardo "one of the classiest individuals to ever don a Red Sox uniform."
That's pretty impressive considering the lengthy history of the franchise and the fact that he spent just four seasons in Boston after he was a money dump throw-in in the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez swap.
Names in the news: If the deal is consummated, we could have Max Ramirez on the bench and two Ramon Ramirezes in the bullpen. No word yet whether Theo has contacted the Dodgers about bringing Manny back to fill the void in left field.
The Red Sox also signed one of our favorite baseball names, Boof Bonser. Christine and I have always enjoyed his name. We just found out that it has reminded each of us of a different cheesy Michael J. Fox movie. Me - Back to the Future because of Biff. Christine - Teen Wolf because of Lisa "Boof" Marconi. {Note to Greg: Back to the Future is not cheesy.}
Finally, the Phillies lost Carlos Monasterios in the Rule 5 draft, meaning there's just one remaining player from the Bobby Abreu trade. At least those of us at SoxandPhils who are spelling-challenged won't have to worry about screwing up his name again.
As I said last year, Mike Lowell is the type of player who is sometimes hard to appreciate if you're like me and don't get to see your team play every day. I still don't know whether I would have re-signed him after the great 2007, but I understand a bit more why the fans, enamored with his grit, defense, selflessness and toughness, demanded his return.
I'm sad to lose a player of his character but understand that he is shot. His battered body couldn't even play adequate defense last year. Max Ramirez isn't the catching prospect on the Rangers that we have been coveting, but I'm sure he will be more productive for the team than Lowell would have been - even with the countless millions the Red Sox will pay the third baseman to play for the Rangers.
There seems to be frustration in Boston that the Red Sox aren't going tit for tat with the Empire. I say be patient. We are not the Yankees. We can win without a $200 million payroll and a mercenary roster with All-Stars at every position. Theo Epstein knows what he's doing, and even though I'm not a big Adrian Beltre fan, I can understand the logic if he is playing in the Fens next year, even if Peter Abraham isn't certain:
If the impending trade of Lowell to Texas leads to the Sox signing Beltre, don't just look at Beltre's numbers at the plate. Look at his ability to prevent runs. Based on advanced defensive metrics (UZR and UZR/150), Beltre was roughly the second or third best defensive third baseman in the game last season.
That means fewer singles into left, more double plays, less pitches thrown, etc. There's value in that.
The question is whether it's worth eating $9 million on Lowell and paying whatever Scott Boras is going to demand for Beltre. That I'm not so sure of.
So, if this plays out, I thank Lowell for his service and his contribution toward the second World Series Championship in my lifetime. I also thank him for being able to be called by Nick Cafardo "one of the classiest individuals to ever don a Red Sox uniform."
That's pretty impressive considering the lengthy history of the franchise and the fact that he spent just four seasons in Boston after he was a money dump throw-in in the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez swap.
Names in the news: If the deal is consummated, we could have Max Ramirez on the bench and two Ramon Ramirezes in the bullpen. No word yet whether Theo has contacted the Dodgers about bringing Manny back to fill the void in left field.
The Red Sox also signed one of our favorite baseball names, Boof Bonser. Christine and I have always enjoyed his name. We just found out that it has reminded each of us of a different cheesy Michael J. Fox movie. Me - Back to the Future because of Biff. Christine - Teen Wolf because of Lisa "Boof" Marconi. {Note to Greg: Back to the Future is not cheesy.}
Finally, the Phillies lost Carlos Monasterios in the Rule 5 draft, meaning there's just one remaining player from the Bobby Abreu trade. At least those of us at SoxandPhils who are spelling-challenged won't have to worry about screwing up his name again.
Oct 22, 2009
Will Jimmy be right?
Although it's not exactly Troy Tulowitzki predicting the Rockies would return to Fenway for the World Series in 2007, Jimmy Rollins called a PhilsandYanks World Series in an offseason interview with Playboy.
The night after J-Roll and the Phils clinched their World Series berth, the Angels will try to thwart his prediction. Although the shortstop has backed up many of his predictions, he has been wrong before. He predicted he would hit .400 for an entire month this year - the closest he came was .313 in July.
OK, enough silliness.
We're still trying to put last night's win in perspective. For me, 2004 was great. It was a liberating moment that made my decision to be a Red Sox fan worthwhile. The 2007 championship, wasn't as fun, but it validated 2004, making it clear that the Red Sox were now a premier team - a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
I think that's what's going on right now with the Phillies and why Christine, even though she was expecting a win, dropped her jaw for a few moments after the game ended. The team of her youth, which never made the playoffs except for the fluke of 1993, has become an elite team. Four more wins and there will be no argument that the Phillies are the class of baseball. After growing up rooting for a crappy team, that's pretty heady stuff.
Jayson Stark has a good piece on the Phillies rise from the team of 10,000 losses to consecutive National League pennants:
{I'll believe there's a metamorphosis when we get a decent game time for next year's NLDS. And I don't think 2008 and 2009 are comparable. 2008 was different just because there was so much riding on it. 2009 was not less fun in any way, just different because everyone now expects this team to win.}
Red Sox news: Tim Wakefield spoke after his surgery and said he wants to win 25 more games to give him at least 200 in his career:
Wakefield vs. Jamie Moyer in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series?
The night after J-Roll and the Phils clinched their World Series berth, the Angels will try to thwart his prediction. Although the shortstop has backed up many of his predictions, he has been wrong before. He predicted he would hit .400 for an entire month this year - the closest he came was .313 in July.
OK, enough silliness.
We're still trying to put last night's win in perspective. For me, 2004 was great. It was a liberating moment that made my decision to be a Red Sox fan worthwhile. The 2007 championship, wasn't as fun, but it validated 2004, making it clear that the Red Sox were now a premier team - a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
I think that's what's going on right now with the Phillies and why Christine, even though she was expecting a win, dropped her jaw for a few moments after the game ended. The team of her youth, which never made the playoffs except for the fluke of 1993, has become an elite team. Four more wins and there will be no argument that the Phillies are the class of baseball. After growing up rooting for a crappy team, that's pretty heady stuff.
Jayson Stark has a good piece on the Phillies rise from the team of 10,000 losses to consecutive National League pennants:
Just 12 months after winning one World Series, they are heading for another World Series. No Phillies team before them had ever done that. Not a one.
Not the Phillies of Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts. Not the Phillies of Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Not the Phillies of Curt Schilling and Lenny Dykstra. And, it goes without saying, sure as heck not the Phillies of Jerry Spradlin or Juan Bell.
This team has separated itself from all of them now. It guaranteed that much with a 10-4 thumping of the Dodgers on Wednesday that finished off the National League Championship Series in five games.
And while this team hasn't finished the mission, hasn't defended yet or repeated yet or ridden the parade floats yet, these Phillies have already accomplished something almost as important:
The metamorphosis of an entire franchise.
{I'll believe there's a metamorphosis when we get a decent game time for next year's NLDS. And I don't think 2008 and 2009 are comparable. 2008 was different just because there was so much riding on it. 2009 was not less fun in any way, just different because everyone now expects this team to win.}
Red Sox news: Tim Wakefield spoke after his surgery and said he wants to win 25 more games to give him at least 200 in his career:
"Past that, I really can't tell you," Wakefield said. "I'm not planning on getting to that point and retiring, if that's the question you're asking. I still feel like I can contribute. I still feel like I can compete at the highest level, and I'm going to continue to play as long as my body allows me and as long as the Red Sox want me around.
"I do have those goals in mind, and it's something that that's not the only reason why I'm playing. I'm playing because I feel like I can still contribute to us winning a championship."
Wakefield vs. Jamie Moyer in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)