We didn't watch either

We could easily attribute not watching much of this year's World Series to being parents of an infant. But truth is, we probably wouldn't have been hooked into a Giants-Rangers matchup even before Trent.

Not many people were: It tied the mark for the worst television rating of any World Series. You have to go all the way back to 2008 to find a World Series that drew such poor ratings.

Saturday's World Series Game 3 had the second-lowest television rating of any single World Series game. Again, we have to go all the way back to 2008 to find the lowest single game, a classic 5-4 game that the Phillies won on a bases loaded dribbler to third base in the bottom of the 9th. The game was memorable because it was delayed due to rain and did not start until after 10 p.m. Personally, we were going crazy with last-minute preparations for a party we were hosting the next day.

What a shame - that was a great game. And I saw most of it.

I asked Christine whether she thought she would be able to stay up for that game if we had Trent back then. She said not only would she stay up, she'd feed Trent three times during it. Then, I added that he probably wouldn't go to sleep either during such a tense contest. I, however, would be asleep before they finished the National Anthem.

Memories I

Two years ago, when we had guaranteed playoff tickets and more flexibility in getting to the ballpark at the whims of the baseball gods, we were able to squeeze in a trip to North Carolina, the day after we went to Game 2 of the NLCS, to visit Christine's brother and family as our teams played their respective LCSes and came very close to a SoxandPhils World Series.

We weren't good guests, monopolizing the TV until all hours of the night. (They were long and painful nights.)

This year, they have come up to visit Trent. It shouldn't be as bad with just one team in the playoffs, but I had a similar vibe as I tried to squeeze in all our regular errands (grocery shopping, bathing Trent, vacuuming, etc.) in between visits, caring for the baby and work.

It'll get done.

Tonight, Roy Oswalt became the first of the Phillies trio of starters to give up a hit and a run, but the Phillies survived a subpar outing to come back and win 7-4. They're up 2-0. I want to type that this series is over, but Christine says it's not till it's over.

Flashback

This week, we found out the Phillies are doling out the opportunity to purchase playoff tickets. And, they're playing the Brewers.

That combination has given me flashbacks to 2008, when I almost talked Christine into not reserving playoff tickets because I thought it was a waste of $20 when the Phillies were 3.5 games behind the Mets and four games behind the Wild-Card leading Brewers. I didn't think they'd sweep the Brewers and Braves to propel them to their World Series win.

How would my life be different if I convinced Christine not to buy tickets and we sat home instead of being at the park for both halves of Game 5 of the World Series? Would I still have a wife? I posed that question to Christine tonight. I didn't get an answer. I'm glad I don't need to know the answer.

More PhilsandBrews: We loved the shirts worn by the family of Brewers pitcher Zack Braddock, a South Jersey native. They said "Phillies by choice, Brewers by blood." We'll have to remember that if Trent winds up playing for a team other than the Red Sox or Phillies: "SoxandPhils by choice, Trent's team by love."

Tonight's games: The Red Sox dropped their afternoon game to the White Sox, 3-1. Then, for good measure, they duplicated that loss in the nightcap. The Phillies beat the Brewers 5-4. The local kid got a blown save.

Game shape

Although they're ultra-meaningless, we're just a couple days away from game action. Charlie Manuel has set the Phillies early pitching rotation, and Terry Francona has already posted the Wednesday Red Sox lineups against Northeastern and Boston College.

Christine and I spent the last couple days getting ready to watch baseball again. On Saturday, we caught some of the Pine Tar Game on MLB Network (it was more interesting than I remembered).

Then we watched some extras on Legends of the Fall - the celebration of winning the National League Championship (highlight was Carlos Ruiz shouting "Chooch" like a choo-choo train) and the 9th inning of Game 4 of the NLCS.

Finally, we returned to MLB Network to see the infamous 10-inning game in 1979 in which the Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22. Unfortunately, they used the Cubs broadcast. It would have been interesting to hear Harry Kalas' take. While I was in midseason form, conking out around 11:30 p.m., Christine was not. She couldn't stay up to watch the ending.

Last night, we watched some of the infamous 2008 All-Star game in which J.D. Drew led the American League past Brad Lidge and the National League. Christine grumbled when she remembered the abuse Clint Hurdle subjected Lidge to. Today, I reminded her that that game enabled us to witness this.

Game, well, pre-game on.

Classic

Last night we were flipping around the TV while trying to forget that we were colder than penguins during this cold snap. MLB Network was not an option because it was showing games from the 2009 playoffs. We were quite surprised, however, to see ESPN Classic come through with Game 5 of the 2008 World Series - both parts.

Although we have this game saved on DVR and in a DVD set, we watched.

Three thoughts:

1. In the 7th inning, when J.C. Romero was summoned from the pen, Christine looked at me wondering why I wasn't heckling. As soon as I started the "ster-oid" chant, it went to commercial and the first one was the anti-steroids commercial with the crumbling statue. Just sayin'.

2. Our amazement for Chase Utley's play in the 7th inning continues to grow. It just gets better every time we see it. When watching it unfold live, I didn't think he had a play at home or first, but somehow he nailed Jason Bartlett at home and prevented the Rays from taking a lead. I don't know where it ranks among defensive plays in World Series history, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't get the credit it deserves.

3. We still can't believe we were there. Even though Christine has the pin to prove it.

More winner's lament

A week or so ago, one of the WIP hosts had a good observation. He said the Phillies are no longer in the National League, but are competing more against the Yankees, Angels and Red Sox.

It's true.

Whether you believe they are legitimately in on Roy Halladay or not, you can't help but notice that they're the only National League team mentioned in the Halladay speculation. It's as if every team is just resigned to the fact that the Phillies will be league champions for the third straight year.

Christine wasn't happy when she read this bit from Tom Verducci:

After almost a decade in which democracy ruled in the NL, Philadelphia is becoming the Yankees of its league: the king who wants more. Already the two-time league champion, the Phillies, given their aggressiveness and stockpile of young talent, are emerging as the favorite to land Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

They may have even supplanted my Red Sox:

The Phillies represent the biggest growth brand in the baseball industry, similar to how the Red Sox began to rise in 2003 under new ownership.

Their farm system is so flush that they could trade for both Lee (who cost them four prospects) and Halladay inside of six months and still have hay in the barn.

Their attendance has risen 38 percent since 2006, climbing from 2.6 million -- ninth in the league -- to 3.6 million.

Their payroll in those three years jumped 49 percent, from $88 million to $131 million and is likely to approach $140 million in 2010.

Local television ratings for the Phillies on CSN Philadelphia, their regional sports network, soared 24 percent last year alone -- the team's seventh consecutive season with increased viewership. The Phillies' 7.13 rating and 210,000 average homes are team records. Only the Yankees and Red Sox reach more households with their local networks -- making the Phillies the most watched team in the NL.

But, as we've noted before, this success comes with a price. Last week, Christine and I debated whether to fall for the Phillies extortion and purchase a Sunday plan because they no longer allow you to buy six packs with a Red Sox game and Fan Appreciation Day.

We had pretty much decided to go ahead, but the grown-ups in us hesitated before splurging and committing ourselves to so many games when we don't know what the summer holds for us.
My desire to see the Red Sox and continue our tradition of seeing Philadelphia's last home game of the regular season, as well as Christine's desire to attend as many Phillies games as possible, trumped those concerns. We logged on last night, but alas, all the Sunday plans are sold out.

It was quite different from when we were able to purchase a Sunday plan with prime seats for 2008 on New Year's Eve.

We bought a six pack, but we're disappointed. The seats are lousy, and we feel shut out from the Phillies.

I miss the days when you could walk up to Veterans Stadium, pay $5 and see the game whenever you wanted. {But do we miss seeing those stinky teams at the Vet? Ah, the dilemma of being a fan of an elite team.}

Thanksgiving update

A year ago, Christine and I started a new tradition of going to a diner on Thanksgiving Eve. We had a nice evening, and I remember really enjoying last year's holiday weekend for no particular reason.

In last year's Thanksgiving post (spent mostly griping about the dearth of good football games), I briefly mentioned things to be grateful for: "family and friends, health, jobs, our successful baseball teams, etc."

Little did I suspect that my semi-successful journalism career would be over in a few days and our teams would succumb to the Yankees. Health, family and friends, thankfully, remain status quo.

Obviously, I'm doing a lot of introspection and looking back right now, and last night Christine and I found some rather amusing posts from November and December that are either ironic or just way off target.

Like when we mocked the Yankees and Mets for signing CC Sabathia and Francisco Rodriguez: "So let the New Yorkers enjoy their early Christmas presents. We at the home of the World Series Champions know that Phanta Claus delivers the real goodies in October."

Oops.

How about these bold proclamations: Signing Raul Ibanez was a mistake, and Mark Teixeira was going to join the Red Sox.

That's why you should always take my prognostications with a grain of salt.

Finally, this doesn't really fit into the category, but it was sad remembering Mike Radano's last blog post. He was never my favorite Phillies beat writer, but that could be my bias against his former newspaper. It was sad that the fans lost another connection with the team immediately after it reached the pinnacle and almost got there again this year.

Sorry to be a downer; my personality doesn't let me completely forget what was or can no longer be. I do have much to be grateful for: I'm re-employed, I'm as healthy as I can be, our family is happy, and our friends, while few, remain true.

And, most of all, I have the love and support of the best companion, editor, Phillies phan, caretaker and confidant I could imagine.

Some more deja vu

When the Red Sox trailed the 2004 ALCS 0-3, there was a feeling that the Yankees should finish off the sweep because once the Red Sox started winning, they would not stop.

Anybody getting a similar vibe from the Phillies after they held on to an 8-6 win last night to stave off elimination and send the series back to New York?

Yesterday, I heard Jayson Stark comparing these Phillies to the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox, which are two of 11 teams, according to David Murphy, to overcome 3-1 deficits in the playoffs.

J-Roll used an interesting analogy in this separate piece by Stark:

Maybe 24 hours from now, in a stadium up the Turnpike, the Yankees will find a way to kill this team off. But if we learned anything from Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, it won't be easy. Just ask the leadoff man.

"How hard is it to kill this team? Hopefully it's like trying to run over an armadillo," said Jimmy Rollins, after his team had lived to play another ballgame. "Just roll up and put our shells on. And after the car goes over us, we unfold and walk away."

Yesterday, everything seemed so bleak for those of us rooting for the Phillies, against the Yankees or both. I didn't concede, but struggled to remain positive even though the Red Sox have mounted similar comebacks from 1-3 holes three times in the last six postseasons, hence the feeling that I've been here before.

In 2004, I conceded after the Game 3 drubbing, but my friend talked me off the ledge by pointing out the pitching was lined up (Derek Lowe, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling) to force a Game 7, which is basically a coin toss.

I was more confident in 2007, especially because we had a dominant Josh Beckett going in Game 5 and then home field advantage for Games 6 and 7.

Last year, I was nervous until we won Game 6. I thought there was no way the Red Sox would come back and force a Game 7 just to lose it - especially given their recent comebacks, Jon Lester was starting, and the Phillies were waiting for their blogmates in the World Series.

I was wrong.

Despite last year's example, I'm using similar logic for the Phillies. If Pedro Martinez can work his magic and the Phillies bats remember they're an elite offense against an old roider on short rest, there's no reason this series doesn't go seven games. If there is a Game 7, it will be all hands on deck and basically even odds whether good or evil prevails. But in this scenario, evil has a track record of choking, so there may be some intangible advantage for the champs.

Unless Cole Hamels really has quit.

Speaking of quitting: There's no quit-orino in Shane Victorino. He says he's playing tomorrow. I don't doubt it, especially given his reaction to being removed in the 8th inning last night - a truly funny moment. Great line about Shane by Mitch Williams today: "He won't build you a rocket, but he'll be the first one on it. He just wants to play."

Phinally: Johnny Damon is a jackass. I heard him say that this World Series is the highlight of his career. Good, value blowing a 3-1 lead more than being part of one of the most notable championships ever. I only mention to contrast what a class act Pedro Martinez is. He's a true SoxandPhil ... and 'Spo:

On whether it would surprise him to know Red Sox fans are pulling for him to beat the Yankees: "No, it wouldn't. It wouldn't surprise me at all. I know that they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games. And knowing that I am part of Boston, I consider myself a Bostonian, as well, too, I've been a Montrealer, a Bostonian, and now a New Yorker, and somehow, I might become a Philadelphian now. But I've only been there for a short period. It's something that's a work in progress. I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try to beat the Yankees, and I'm going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They're special fans, and they will always have my respect."

Thank you Pedro. Give 'em hell tomorrow.

[Photo credit: wlarmadillo.com]

Deja vu

Today was eerily similar to Oct. 25, 2008, another Saturday in which a Phillies lefty, who used to be a sure thing but whose recent performance was concerning the fan base, was set to start Game 3 of a World Series in Philadelphia. Last year it was Jamie Moyer's gutsy performance. This year, it's Cole Hamels time to win back the doubters.

Personally, it was a similar day with lots of things to get done before game time. While running to a store today, I thought of last year's Game 3 because I was in the same store on that day.

Anyway, today we finished everything we had to do with time to spare before the game so we decided to use our Cold Stone coupon I've been saving for some pumpkin ice cream. The line wasn't too long, but it took forever as people took samples and got quarts upon quarts of ice cream. I don't think they got the concept of a specialty ice cream store.

Finally, when our turn arrived, the guy looks at Christine's jersey and asks what time the game starts.

"Twenty minutes," she said.

"OK, I'll hurry," he said. "Do you want it to go?"

Usually, we eat Cold Stone in the car, but we decided to drive home because we were cutting it close, but as soon as I turned on the car, Jim Jackson said the tarp was on the field. No need to go home before eating ice cream.

When we pulled up to the house, I said we should have just stayed in and watched Jamie Moyer's World Series game on DVD. Turns out, MLB Network had it on, so we watched a couple innings anyway while waiting for tonight's game to start.

Halloween observations: A little girl at Wawa complimented Christine's Phillies shirt. {I told her I liked her mermaid costume.} ... A guy outside the store said he was counting how many Phillies shirts he saw - he didn't give us a count. ... First trick-or-treater of the year (out of a whopping six we got all day) wore a Cole Hamels shirt. Very disappointing Halloween.

Game update: I'm not going to make the end of this one because it's a quasi work night for me. I'm sure I'll sense vibes from Christine whether the Phillies win.

So far, the Phillies lead 3-0 in the 4th, and Christine and I can't decide whether she has her psychic vibe going on.

In the 2nd, they were talking about a promotion in which $1 million would be donated to cancer research if a home run struck a sign in the outfield.

"Ryan Howard's going to cure cancer," I said.

"No, Jayson Werth is," Christine said.

Next pitch, J-Dub hits one to left about 20 feet from the sign.

She wants credit for calling that one; I disagree because she would have said that no matter who was up at the time of the discussion.

I said I would post the conversation on the blog and let SoxandPhils followers decide. She said to wait a minute because there would be more to write about. Sure enough, the Phillies added two more runs in the inning.

So far, so good for King Cole. He looked really good hitting Alex Rodriguez in the 2nd inning.

Look back at 2008: I suck. Yesterday, I forgot to remember that Phils win! Phils win! Phils win! I also forgot to remember our recap of what will probably be the one and only World Series clincher we'll ever attend. Yes, Christine, it really did happen. And, on Halloween, there was a parade, but we still had some outtakes from Game 5 to post.

Thanks Zolecki

Late last month, Christine quietly tracked the Phillies magic number. I emphasize - quietly. She did this last year too, but never told me until the number was down to four. Even though they won the World Series, she still thinks she tempted fate to deal the Phils a horrible ending by mentioning their magic number.

But it would have been my fault, of course.

If the fates do so this year, she will blame Todd Zolecki. On Sept. 4, he gushed about the Phillies dominant pitching in a blog that ended with "The magic number is 22."

Since then, the Phillies have gone 3-5 against the tough Astros, Nationals and Mets. In a week, that number has been reduced by only five to 17.

Zo, you may be the Phillies best beat writer, but if the Phillies don't get going soon, you're going to have some dirty looks coming from South Jersey.

We'll probably be out of the loop today as the SoxandPhils take on their division rivals, the Rays and the Mets.

Thanks J-Moy

The Phillies worst-kept secret is no more.

One old SoxandPhil is unceremoniously bumping another old SoxandPhil to the bullpen.

Pedro Martinez debuts Wednesday, meaning Sunday really was Jamie Moyer's last regular turn in the rotation.

When Moyer was signed by the Red Sox as a 32-year-old free agent 13 years ago, I didn't think much: staff filler. When he was traded, I was stoked: I loved Darren Bragg, a scrappy player who never turned out as I hoped.

Moyer went 6-2 for the Mariners that year and has since posted double-digit wins every year, except 2004, through this season.

I didn't understand why the Phillies traded away two prospects - who in retrospect didn't pan out - for Moyer in 2006 after they had dumped Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle. But he went 5-2 down the stretch, helping the Phillies make a late season push toward the playoffs. They finished three games behind the Wild Card Padres, but after dumping the veterans, they really had no business even coming so close.

The next year, Moyer was serviceable, but started what could be considered the most important Phillies game ever played at Citizens Bank Park: Sept. 30, 2007. With the Mets getting blown out, the Phillies just had to beat the Nationals to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993. The old, grizzled veteran, who grew up a Phillies fan, was determined to make sure that win was secure - giving up just an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings. It was the most fun we've ever had at a ballpark. (Even though Christine was a bit nervous before the Marlins started killing the Mets.)

Last year, J-Moy was brilliant, going 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA for the World Champs. He struggled a little during the playoffs, and some wanted him skipped out of the rotation. But in the first World Series game played in Philadelphia since 1993, the 45-year-old, pitching with a stomach bug and in cold, wet weather, gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings in a game the Phillies won in the bottom of the 9th.

A few days later, he dug up the the pitching rubber while the Phillies celebrated the title. It could have been a storybook ending: Hometown boy wins his first World Series during the twilight of his career.

But storybooks don't always end at the right time. This year, Jamie Moyer struggled, and then the Phillies - who have had several holes in the rotation throughout the year - suddenly had a glut of starters after acquiring Pedro and Cliff Lee.

Jamie Moyer, seen on the right making the long, lonely walk to the bullpen before Sunday's game, had to go:

"Based on our reports on how Pedro has pitched in his rehab starts, we felt it was time to move him into our rotation," manager Charlie Manuel said in a press release. "Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been and will continue to be a very important part of this team."

Some idiots booed when he was lifted on Sunday. I clapped. And the Phillies aren't even my team. I agree with the move, but as long as there isn't anything we don't know about the Jamie Moyer story, he remains unbooable.

Unless the Red Sox win the World Series this year, I hope Jamie Moyer comes out of the pen to get some critical outs to help clinch the repeat. Then, maybe his storybook career will have the storybook ending he deserves.

Tonight's game: The Red Sox lead the Tigers 5-3 in the 6th. I'm watching on ESPN to see how they blow it. I'm more interested in Junichi Tazawa's start tomorrow.

A couple of rivalry series

The Phillies and Red Sox renew their big rivalries with the Rays and Nationals this week.

Everyone knows the bloody history between the Phillies and the Rays as they prepare for a rematch of the 2008 World Series. Actually, do two teams playing in a World Series count as a rivalry, especially when the series was so lopsided? Christine still dislikes the Rays, just because they were matched up against the Phillies, but I can barely remember who we beat in 2004 and 2007. I think if either the Cardinals or Rockies put up a fight, I might remember them more.

The Rays certainly remember. According to this story in the St. Petersburg Times, the Rays actually believe they would have won the World Series if Game 5 hadn't been postponed. Yeah, and I might be retired if I had bought a winning lottery ticket.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, relive their storied rivalry with the Nationals. OK, no real rivalry here, but I'll link to the Globe's story on the Nationals for our friend at Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump who's hoping for a Red Sox sweep to improve the Nats chances at Bryce Harper.

So far, so good: Phillies, on the road of course, are blowing out the Rays 10-1 in the 8th. Red Sox have a slim 4-3 lead over the Nationals in the 7th.

Latest bullpen injury: Clay Condrey. I swear Christine hadn't seen this post when she wondered whether MLB will cancel "The Pen" because injuries have wiped out just about everyone from the original cast. It's like the end of Family Matters when they replaced the mom and the youngest daughter quietly disappeared.

A baseball god in '04, a bear in '09

I've been meaning to compare Brad Lidge's struggles to those experienced by Keith Foulke a few years ago.

In 2004, Keith Foulke had a pretty good first season for the Red Sox before taking it up a notch in the playoffs. He probably sacrificed his career with the heavy workload during the playoffs - 14 innings in 11 out of 14 games the Red Sox played. He should have been the World Series MVP - yes, I said that even when I still loved Manny Ramirez.

In 2008, Brad Lidge had an unprecedented regular season. He wasn't needed as much during the Phillies' championship run as Foulke was needed for the Red Sox, but some argued that he was the MVP for the Phillies during the regular season.

The year after was different for each pitcher. Keith Foulke's 2005 began with a loss against the Yankees and went downhill from there. He finished with a 5.91 ERA in 43 games. The next year, he was supplanted by Jonathan Papelbon and out of baseball in 2007.

Similarly, Brad Lidge has pitched poorly the year after a stellar 2008. He has pitched a bit better lately, but even though he has stopped hemorrhaging runs, his saves are still nerve-wracking. His ERA is 7.85 - the lowest mark in two weeks. Both pitchers had knee injuries, and although Lidge's numbers are uglier than Foulke's in 2005, there's a feeling that it won't be permanent.

I decided to write this today because the Globe has an update on Foulke. He's actually pitching in New Jersey. He had a nice comeback year for the A's in 2008, but couldn't get a major league job this year. I don't think Lidge will wind up on the Camden Riversharks by 2013, but it does show you how quickly someone can go from a World Series hero to a Newark Bear.

Here are the highlights of the piece:

• "Do I think I should have been MVP?" says Foulke. "Absolutely. I mean, 'cause I did everything humanly possible that I could've done."


• Interviewing Foulke is difficult. By his own description, he's "a wise-ass." He says, "I don't care," a lot. At best, he's candid. At worst, getting the truth out of him is tedious.


• Foulke says his initial reception from the fans did not go well.
  "It was pretty bad," he says. "One guy of our seven people here said, 'Red Sox suck.' I don't care."


• Foulke made more than $33 million in an 11-year career that included stops in San Francisco, Chicago, Oakland (twice), and Boston. Now he's making $3,000 a month.
  "I'm losing money here," he says.
  Asked whether he needs the money, Foulke smiles. If worse comes to worst, he says, he can sell his game-used World Series memorabilia.


• "That's one thing that wore on me really bad," he says. "You're a Red Sox 24-7. I'm in a restaurant and everybody comes up and says, 'I hate to bother you, but ...' Being classic me, I'd say, 'I hate that you're bothering me, too.' I'm like, 'You hate it and I hate it, so why are we doing it?' "


• Foulke says he doesn't want to compare himself with Curt Schilling, who accepted $8 million from the Sox last year and never pitched an inning because of shoulder problems.
  "He's got to wake up and look himself in the mirror every day," says Foulke.

Last night's games: Good job by Tim Wakefield in the 2-1 win. Cole Hamels started out like gangbusters before struggling a bit as the Phillies held on to the 4-3 win.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox lead the Blue Jays 3-0 in the 5th on two home runs by Jason Varitek and a double by Dustin Pedroia. The Phillies and the struggling Jamie Moyer are losing to the Reds 3-1 in the 5th.

[Photo credit: Boston Globe]