More scoreboard watching

During last night's game, there was a lot of talk about scoreboard watching as the Phillies win, coupled with the Braves loss, sent the Phils back to their customary spot atop the NL East.

The fans cheered every time the scoreboard revealed another run for the Pirates against the Braves, and the announcers noted how Mike Sweeney, who has never been to the playoffs in his 16-year career, acknowledged that he has been scoreboard watching.

Christine and I like to scoreboard watch at the ballpark. Well, we like to note the different screens they have for players' photos.

Here's what caught our fancy from Sunday's game, starting with Amoroso's. Jimmy Rollins had been slumping, but he's been on a roll since moving to the 5th spot in the batting order two games ago. (Ed's note: I wrote this before J-Roll left tonight's game because of a tight hamstring. I'm too tired to change it.)

Charlie Manuel likes the new lineup, so he's locked it up. Too bad that Steve Urkel, err, Ben Francisco can't crack it.

Of course, the Phillies scoreboard operators seem to have it locked in their minds that Jayson Werth is still clean-cut. They really seem to be in denial about the various wild looks he has sported in 2010. Or maybe they're just helping J-Dub audition for a job with the Yankees.

It's not just the home team that participates in these screen shots, although I doubt the visitors get any say whatsoever in what happens with their mugs.

It also seems like more of the nonprofit billboards go to the road team. I wonder if the Phillies give them a discount.

Casey McGehee demonstrates the Please Touch Museum advertisement.

Prince Fielder, with a very cheesy smile, has gone artsy, advertising the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

We actually saw the Cleopatra ad at our previous game but didn't get a picture. It worked out well anyway because we really like Prince Fielder's big grin.

His squishy eyes remind us of the first studio pictures we got of Trent last weekend. The kid wouldn't smile for the camera except one shot where his eyes are half closed.

Of course, as soon as we left the store, he wouldn't stop smiling for the rest of the weekend.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox are done. I'll lead with them because they are done. I don't like admitting that prematurely, but Terry Francona has waved the white flag and started Tim Wakefield, scotching plans to start the league's ERA leader Clay Buchholz.

It doesn't matter, but the Sox beat the Rays 11-5. Should I have rooted for them to blow it so the Rays didn't lose ground to the Yankees?

The Phillies held on to their half game lead over the Braves, beating the Marlins 10-6. (The Braves beat the Pirates 9-2.)

The Phillies led 10-0 in the 8th, but Nate Robertson's mop sprung a leak, allowing six runs and making the game much closer than it needed to be.

The Phillies need a better scheduler

An ad caught my eye in the Phillies program I bought last week. It was for a sports card and memorabilia show. It's odd because the featured athletes are Curt Schilling and Joe Blanton. (Another current Phillie, Ben Francisco, is also listed.) Fine, you can theme Schilling and Blanton as two rotund pitchers with Phillies connections, but the date is the odd part. The show runs Sept. 24 through Sept. 26.

That's the dates of the Phillies last home series of the year. It's against the Mets, who I'm sure would love to play spoiler against the team that has ruined their recent seasons.

I thought maybe someone made sure the show didn't conflict with games, but nope. Friday's show runs from 5 to 9 p.m. when there's a 7 p.m. game. While Saturday's game time hasn't been announced, it's hard to imagine one not conflicting with a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. show. And there's no way a player can participate in a 1:35 p.m. game Sunday and a show that runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I think somebody screwed up. I went to the show's site to investigate further and found out that the appearance times for everyone, even former Phils like Curt, Darren Daulton and Geoff Jenkins, are listed as TBD. And there are additional current Phillies booked for the show: Placido Polanco and Ryan Madson.

Christine won't be happy if the Mets beat the Phillies that weekend with a quarter of the team signing cards with Curt Schilling.

Speaking of members of the 2004 Red Sox: Manny Ramirez is leaving the Dodgers, who start a series with the Phillies today, and joins the White Sox, who play the Red Sox on Friday and seven times until the end of the season. As if the end of this season won't be annoying enough.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox are off. The Phillies play late in Los Angeles. I had a nice day with Trent, but I'm pooped and won't attempt to get the beginning of the game into this post.

Big Ben

As I fell asleep, I heard a Phillie hit a home run to put them up in extra innings against the Cubs.

Christine tapped my shoulder excitedly.

"Who hit it?"

"Big Ben."

"Who?"

"Ben Francisco."

"Does anyone call him Big Ben, or are you making it up?"

"I just started it. We should get it on the blog before someone beats us to it."

This morning's headline: "Big Ben clocks Cubs in 12th."

Phils land Cy Young pitcher; questions still abound

While still contemplating the Phillies big trade for reigning AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee, I heard a radio caller put it in perspective. Most of the talk show scene was anti-Cliff Lee because he's not the big name - Roy Halladay - they had been clamoring for.

"Doesn't anyone remember the days of Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten or Gregg Jefferies?" the caller said. "We won the World Series last year and just got an ace. Sure, he's not the ace, but he's an ace."

Damn straight.

I hope the Phillies didn't give up too much - Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Jason Knapp and Jason Donald are going to the Indians for Lee and Ben Francisco. Those are some of their top prospects, but not the big ones they didn't want to give up for Halladay.

Christine didn't want to give up a large haul for Halladay - the Phils were good enough to win it all without him last year and have as good of a shot as anyone to win it all again this year without mortgaging their future. She feels a bit bad for J.A. Happ, the likely candidate to get sent back to the bullpen, but pitching depth is fleeting, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get some more starts even after Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee arrive.

Heck, a few weeks ago, the Red Sox were seen as having an embarrassment of riches with their starting pitching, and now some think they need to get Halladay.

Todd Zolecki has a nice post on why the deal makes so much sense for the Phillies.

We've been upset with the way the Phillie players have been outspoken in their yen for Roy Halladay. I am concerned that they don't believe they can win without him. Hopefully, Clifton proves them wrong. He's looking forward to the opportunity:

I'm going to the defending World Champions, that's a good thing ... I'm anxious and excited to get there. ... It's the National League. I'm going to have to figure out how to get a bunt down more consistently.

This being SoxandPhils, we have to speculate what this trade means for the Red Sox deals. Will they pull the trigger on Roy? Or, since the Indians acquired Marson, does that mean Victor Martinez is coming to Fenway? We have less than 48 hours to find out. Until then, we'll think about the possibility of the World Series opening in Fenway: Lee vs. Halladay.

Today's games: After the Red Sox blew a three-run lead in the 9th last night, that World Series fantasy is starting to look like a pipe dream. They're trailing the A's again tonight, 5-3 in the 5th.

The Phillies won 4-3 last night as Brad Lidge turned a comfortable Cole Hamels performance into a squeaker against one of the worst teams in baseball, the Diamondbacks. They end the series late again tonight.