Go back to Minnesota

Christine and I played hooky from watching the Phillies today to go to Popcorn Park Zoo, a favorite home for needy animals.

We missed them not giving Roy Halladay any support and getting shut down 4-1 in a complete game by Carl Pavano. Incredible.

So the Phillies lost a series to the Twins, and many Twinkies fans will be leaving Philly happy. We couldn't believe how many Minnesotans ventured to the East Coast for the series. At first it was cute, then it quickly became nauseating because the fans didn't give them the Philly treatment.

Consider this couple who sat near us on Saturday, decked out in matching Nick Punto (why Nick Punto?) shirts. We got past that tackiness when we learned from their sign, which they waved incessantly, that it was their honeymoon and they were following the Twins from Philadelphia to New York.

The kind usher in our section loved their story, offered some tourist sight-seeing advice and gave them a ball he said he got in batting practise the night before. (We've seen several ultra-nice ushers at the park lately.) They cheered hard for their guy, Punto, but left when he walked in the 9th inning, missing the Twins great comeback.

We can't understand why they didn't catch any of the Phillies fans' vitriol. Late in the game, finally, someone told them to put down their stupid sign and helpfully pointed out that they misspelled "Philly's." And, yes, that was in reference to the team, not the city.

Christine and I appreciate the idea of spending a honeymoon chasing baseball, but we would not feel the need to advertise it, and we would not wear matching outfits.

These weren't the only Twins fans near us on Saturday. Perhaps a foreshadow for the honeymooners were a couple of retired folks. The gentleman wore a Michael Cuddyer T-shirt, and his wife wore a "Gramma Jan" Twins jersey with the No. 41 on it. She also wore big baseball earrings with Twins logos. She didn't really irritate me until we were leaving and she stopped traffic down the stairs to chat with some more Minnesotans who were still in their seats.

Other observations from the stands on Saturday: The kid next to me amused me until late in the game when he spit incessantly. He didn't have anything to drink, so I don't know how one boy could have so much saliva. Before annoying me, I learned that he and a buddy got balls tossed to them from Twins Francisco Liriano and former Red Sox Ron Mahay. The balls had logos for the Twins inaugural season at Target Field; apparently the road team brings its own balls. ... His buddy made us laugh when he started calling Jayson Werth shaggy. "He looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo," he said, breaking out his best Scooby impression.

Once again, we caught the Phillies' father-child game before the real game started, so the dads actually lost two games in one day.

Musically speaking: After stints with Journey, Sammy Hagar, Kings of Leon and others, Jayson Werth is using Metallica's Wherever I May Roam for his intro music. It's probably a slump buster, but I wonder if he's talking about his impending free agency. ... I'm addicted to Placido Polanco's into music, I Know You Want Me by Pitbull. I don't know why it never caught my ear when Pedro Feliz used it. ... They played Roller Coaster at one point. I think it should be retired in honor of Chris Coste. ... The Phanatic danced to Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher. We never heard that one at the ballpark before. ... The St. James Alumni Blue and Gray Voices directed by Pete McLaughlin did the anthem because it was St. James Alumni day. I don't remember their rendition, so it probably wasn't bad.

Antiquated shirts: Jimmy Rollins (not being snarky, I saw a Rollins No. 6, ironically walking next to a Howard No. 6), Jim Thome (also saw a current version of his Twins shirt), Bobby Abreu, Cliff Lee and former Twin Carlos Gomez.

I don't consider shirts of Hall of Famers antiquated, so it was nice to see a Kirby Puckett jersey, even though the guy wearing it should go back to Minnesota.

Oh well, almost time to see the Red Sox try to complete a sweep of the Dodgers to remain a game behind the Yankees and pull into a tie with the Rays for the Wild Card. Who was worried about their slow start?

Former SoxandPhils stuck in New York

The Fan's Mike Francesa has quickly become enamored with Rod Barajas since he signed with the Mets, saying he is a student of the game with a real passion for baseball. That's news for us who lived through his 2007 stint with the Phillies.

It didn't hit me immediately that Barajas' arrival in New York means that just like in 2007, he's forcing Chris Coste to the minors:

Mets manager Jerry Manuel wasn't ready to concede the job to Barajas, but with a one-year, $1 million deal that the front office forced on the roster this late, it's hard to imagine how rough spring would have to be for him to not get the job. The Mets would like Josh Thole to get more seasoning in the minor leagues and Chris Coste seems bound to be his tutor there.

Poor Coste - being a Met is bad enough, being a minor league Met is just awful.

Other SoxandPhils stuck in New York were also discussing their departures from classy organizations this week. Chan Ho Park sounds generally bummed to be a Yankee:

Park said it was "too late" to accept the Phillies' offer. I think by the time he realized he couldn't do better than the Phillies' offer the Phillies already had signed Baez and Contreras and the Phillies no longer were interested.

"Philadelphia was the number one choice, and I had a tough time to leave there," Park said. "I'm mostly sad to leave Philadelphia, the teammates and fans were unbelievable. I had fun last year, good memories. That makes me sad. But this is the future and a good team and another chance."

Yeah, another chance to relieve his Rangers days - missing the playoffs with Alex Rodriguez.

Jason Bay, meanwhile, keeps talking about Boston. He says it was a mutual decision, but you know he's going to regret the fact that when his career is over, his only playoff experience will be his two years with the Red Sox:

"Would I have gone back [to Boston]? Yeah, I think so," he said. "But I'd be back on my terms. During the season I was part of the Red Sox, and once the offseason came I didn't consider myself part of the Red Sox. We kept in dialogue and they were a team on my list. I felt at that point I had a little more power, or at least it was going to be my decision what my direction was.

"I had teams on the list and I had my pluses and minuses, and Boston had its pluses because I'd been there and I’d understood how to play there."

Oh well. These guys were once beloved; now they're enemies. Hope they enjoy watching their former mates stomp all over their new teams.

Back to work

Rob Neyer opened his morning blog post with the observation: "When I have to work every day, I want a day off. When I have days off, I want to work. Go figure ..."

I interpret that as saying that he updates his blog even if he is off. Andy Martino, however, does not. I know it's the holiday season and Phillies news has been slow, but he's gone nearly two weeks since posting. That's ridiculous. Even if he has a good excuse like a personal reason for being unable to work, you'd think a colleague would post something every couple of days to stave off the blog's stagnation.

Christine and I returned to work today after a nice holiday break. I did have time to peek at a couple of pages of The Bill James Handbook that Christine got me for Christmas.

Among the early SoxandPhils highlights is the closest vote ever for a Fielding Bible Award. At second base, Aaron Hill and Dustin Pedroia were tied at 76 points with Chase Utley in third with 73 points. Hill won the tiebreaker with more first place votes than Pedroia.

And the best two catchers at blocking bad pitches? Jason Varitek (95.9 percent) and Carlos Ruiz (95.8 percent). See, Chris Coste, maybe you getting yanked in the 9th inning was more about Chooch and less about you. (That sentiment isn't as bitter toward Coste as it sounds. I was just a little defensive about Christine's favorite Phillie.)

Red Sox still working: But Mike Lowell won't be working as much in 2010. Welcome aboard Adrian Beltre. I like that this is a one-year deal; I'm just perplexed what it means for Lowell's role with the team.

The original Chris Coste

***Preface: I had this post planned before news broke that Chris Coste said he has agreed to a deal with the Mets. So until you finish reading this post, please pretend that Coste isn't an enemy.***

Before there was Chris Coste, there was Steve Fireovid.

Coste kicked around the minors for years, refusing to give up on his dreams of being a major league ball player until he beat the odds and became a rookie at 33 years old and a World Champion two years later.

Fireovid's story is a bit different. Like Coste, he never really got a fair shake, but he made it to the majors at age 24. But he never stuck, tossing 65 innings over five seasons for four teams, including the Phillies.

The similarity with Coste is that he refused to give up, making it back to the majors. And he wrote a book about it. In The 26th Man, Fireovid chronicles his 1990 season, which he thought would be his last, pitching for the AAA Expos.

I've read the book before, but decided to reread it recently. I'm glad I did. It's a gripping account of how a man who knows he won't get another chance at 33 years old never gives up. It's a nice look at the workings of baseball with the reminders that the game doesn't always reward the most able or hardest-working players. Sometimes the hot-shot draft pick gets preferential treatment, even though, as Fireovid constantly notes, the difference in talent between AAA players and major leaguers isn't that great.

I've been meaning to reread this book since I read Coste's The 33-Year-Old Rookie, which was first reviewed on this blog by Christine.

I think I liked Fireovid's book better - it seems more down to earth, personable and matter-of-fact. But I might be biased against the soon-to-be Met.

Incidentally, it's been several years since I read this book, and I had forgotten that he was a Phillie. Fireovid said he had a good spring in 1983 and was included in the team photo, but was sent down to the minors on the last day of spring training after a trade, which would have created room for him, fell through. Sounds just like one of the many events to stymie Coste's career.

I would love to know how Fireovid's life turned out. A Google search yielded nothing other than the book.

More bad news: Sports Illustrated is officially irrelevant, naming Derek Jeter its sportsman of the year. I think even Grady Sizemore would have been a better pic. {This is how he's been spending his time? Thanks, Grady. See if I pick you for MVP. Again.}

Catching up with former SoxandPhils

There was no shortage of tidbits about former Phillies and Red Sox in the news today. Here are the highlights. Followed by some snark.

Helping the Astros enjoy a win at the expense of yet another Brad Lidge blown save wasn't good enough for Phillies discard Chris Coste. He couldn't resist taken a swipe at his former team:

It didn't surprise me they let me go. After four years, they never recognized that I was actually a way-above-average defensive catcher. When my role became righthanded pinch-hitter off the bench, and I wasn't doing well in that role, it made sense. But what I never did understand was that I lost my job as a backup catcher, because in my mind I didn't do anything to lose it.

He also said that because he was constantly removed from games in the 9th inning, it hurt his reputation, suggesting he couldn't catch a slider in the dirt. He acknowledges this could be the last month for the improbable Chris Coste story.

The assessment comes from honest feelings and may be true, but at some point, Coster has to accept that sometimes players fall through the cracks. He was destined, too, but he got at least four years in the big leagues. Many would love that without the constant griping about reputation.

Jim Salisbury reports that the Indians fans aren't happy with the Cliff Lee trade (though Phillies fans haven't been that pleased either during the last two weeks), especially because Jason Donald and Jason Knapp have been injured and Carlos Carrasco got shelled in his major league debut. Unmentioned is that Lou Marson is hitting .240/.313/.320 in AAA.

Egad. This one isn't exactly looking like a repeat of Lee, Brandon Phillies, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew for the Tribe.

Nick Cafardo notes that Carlos Pena could be the first New Englander since Tony Conigliaro to win a home run crown:

"Don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but that would be an honor to be mentioned in the same way as Tony C," said the Haverhill native. "He's a Boston hero and I heard a lot about him growing up in the Boston area."

Good for him. I have no snark.

Cafardo also reports that Brad Penny credited his new catcher, Eli Whiteside, with his dominant outing against the Phillies because he suggested throwing more breaking balls earlier in the count.

Cafardo's snark:

Question: As a veteran pitcher, did Penny ever think about this on his own while he was getting drilled over his last 10 starts with Boston?

My snark: Um, where's the catching genius of Jason Varitek here? Shouldn't the columnist be questioning the Captain, too? But I agree, Penny's a punk.

Finally, hard to believe for those of us who watched him as a Phillie, but Gavin Floyd has pretty much become an ace.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen loves Floyd, and while he's placed the ace label on Buehrle, he said Floyd has pitched "tough games" for him the last two years. "When we most need him, he shows up," said Guillen. "This kid is so consistent. When he's out there in those situations, you're going to see who's tough. He goes out and dominates."

Today's games: Coste didn't play today, but Michael Bourn went 2-4 with two runs in the Astros third straight win over the Phillies. Cole Hamels' recent dominance has vanished: four earned in six innings. Astros 4, Phillies 3.

Billy Wagner gave up a solo home run after Jon Lester pitched seven scoreless. But the Red Sox scored three more in the 9th for a much-need 6-1 win over the White Sox.

Houston, we have a problem

The Phillies actually scored some runs tonight, breaking a 17-inning drought, and took a 4-3 lead in the 8th inning. Charlie Manuel said he would have Brett Myers make his 2008 bullpen debut in a stress-free situation. Instead, Myers was brought in in the bottom of the 8th.

We thought he would be overly excited and implode, especially after walking the leadoff man. But he got lucky when Lance Berkman tried to steal and was nailed by Carlos Ruiz. Myers finished the inning without incident.

Unfortunately, he didn't come out for the 9th. That's Brad Lidge's inning, no matter how many times he blows it.

He struck out the leadoff man and walked the next guy before Chris Coste, as predicted, singled. Jason Michaels walked. Michael Bourn (how many friggin' former Phils are on this team?) grounded out, allowing Kaz Matsui to be the hero with a two-run single. Game over: Astros 5, Phillies 4.

Red Sox: Not any better. Gavin Floyd retired the first 17, outpitching Tim Wakefield, who I guess did OK for a 42-year-old with no back. White Sox 5, Red Sox 1.

Love and marriage

We had an opportunity to clear out some space on the DVR, so we finally watched Cole and Heidi Hamels on E! True Hollywood Story: Baseball Wives.

If you haven't seen it, don't bother.

It's disgustingly stereotypical and filled with the kind of stuff that just breeds disconnect between players and fans. Although, to be fair, most of the grating stuff comes from the wives.

Some examples:

Heidi Hamels compares her life with that of a military family when Cole actually has to go to work in the spring.

Another wife complains of the long season, which, according to her begins, with spring training in "April" and can last through October if her hubby's team makes the playoffs.

One of the ballplayers, when discussing his long road to the majors, said he didn't know what he'd do if he didn't make it. (Get a real job?)

Maybe I was overly sensitive to this stuff because I was reading Chris Coste's book, and he seemed to understand how privileged a ballplayer's job is compared with the average fan, but some of the stuff in this show was obnoxious.

Today's happenings: After celebrating our anniversary with my "baseball" wife last night, we returned in time to see Jayson Werth's home run to win the game against the Cubs in the 13th inning. That extended their winning streak to 10, but it was snapped today as the Cubs beat Jamie Moyer 10-5.

The Red Sox lost again last night and look to end their four-game skid on ESPN with Clay Buchholz facing Vicente Padilla. And the Red Sox traded two minor leaguers I've never heard of for Adam LaRoche. I know the offense has been scuffling, but I don't quite understand this one. (Although in full disclosure, I haven't been giving baseball my full attention this week, in case you haven't noticed.)

Christine is mad at the Red Sox for breaking up the LaRoche brothers.

We are getting greedy, but have to say goodbye

A week ago, I thought SoxandPhils fans were going to be disappointed with their All-Star representatives.

I was wrong. Both our teams have starters at second base and left field and the backup first baseman. Plus, the Red Sox have three pitchers on the staff. There have plenty of feel-good stories - Tim Wakefield and Raul Ibanez making their All-Star debuts at advanced ages and Ryan Howard getting to play in his hometown.

Since then, the SoxandPhils contingency has grown: Shane Victorino won the final spot vote, and today, Charlie Manuel put another one of his outfielders, Jayson Werth, on the team as Carlos Beltran's replacement.

I'm surprised. Werth is probably having a better year than Victorino, but I didn't think Cholly could get away with putting another Phillie on the roster. As Todd Zolecki reported, this will be the first time since 1995 the Phillies have sent five to the midsummer classic (Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra, Tyler Green, Mickey Morandini and Heathcliff Slocumb). That's also the last time one team sent three outfielders (the Indians' Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Albert Belle). To quote Zolecki, and Larry Andersen, "Wow."

Before Werth was named to the team, I planned to get greedy for Tim Wakefield. The other day I heard Tim Kurkjian mention that it's possible Wake gets the nod to start the game. The Herald's Steve Buckley also endorsed him. Why not? Despite Bud Selig's protests, it still is a meaningless exhibition. Despite my indifference to wins, Wakefield does lead the league in them. It would be a fantastic story. And, hey, it's shaping up to be a SoxandPhils All-Star game anyway.

Chapter closed: Last night, when Paul Bako pinch hit and replaced the injured Carlos Ruiz, Christine said, "Where's Chris Coste? It's like he's not even on the team anymore."

Coste was still on the team last night. He's not tonight. He was released to make room for Ibanez. He's now an Astro.

Coincidentally, I finally started reading his book this week. He's been reminding me of one of my inspirations, wrestler Mick Foley. They both fought their way to the top, had to squeeze every ounce out of their semi-limited abilities and had to keep pushing down doors that were slammed in their face. Even better, they never lost their resolve:

"When I first got to the big leagues in 2006, I told myself, 'I just want to get one day in the big leagues,'" Coste said. "Once I got that day, I wanted a full year. Once I got that full year, I wanted 10 years. That's my approach. I want to stay in the big leagues and I'll do whatever I can to help the Astros win at this time."

The Phillies play the Astros eight times in the final weeks of the season. They better have the division in hand because I bet Chris Coste will do some damage against his former team - possibly knocking them out of the playoffs.

I'm a sucker for a good underdog story, and Chris Coste's was just about as good as it gets. I've rooted for him from the start and enjoyed watching him play. But it was clear that he had fallen out of favor with Cholly; I'm just glad management placed him on waivers instead of sending him to the minors so he gets to keep playing in the majors. Just don't play too well for eight games in September/October, please.

Tonight's games: Two words - pitching duels.

The Red Sox, with Jon Lester making his first start against the Royals since he no-hit them last year, and the Royals, with Brian Bannister matching him, were scoreless into the 8th inning. The Red Sox ended up winning 1-0.

Joe Blanton pitched into the 8th against the Pirates tonight, leaving with a 3-1 lead. Zack Duke pitched an eight-inning complete game. In the 9th, Brad Lidge came in with one out. Christine said, "He's got his ERA under 7.00." After Lidge got his first batter out, former Red Sox Brandon Moss crushed one.

Lidge's ERA took a hit, but he managed to get the final out, preserving the 3-2 win.

Two Brads didn't get the message

When I fell asleep, I thought the Phillies had the game in hand. So did Todd Zolecki, whose postgame post allowed early-risers like me to relive the roller coaster ending for Brad Lidge and the Phillies:

Sometimes I get the feeling something is going to go terribly wrong in a baseball game, and I get ready to rewrite my game story. I got that feeling when Steve Bartman interfered with Moises Alou in left field in the NLCS in 2003.

But last night was not one of those games.

Even after Brad Lidge put a couple runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, I still felt like Lidge was going to get out of the inning and preserve the Phillies' 3-2 victory.

I'll spare you the drama. Lidge didn't come through. Zolecki, however, pins blame on Pedro Feliz, who botched a ground ball with two outs in the 9th. "I just missed it," Feliz said. "I've got nothing more to say." Dodgers 4, Phillies 3.

Red Sox: There was no miracle comeback last night. Julio Lugo continues to draw ire from the fans and media. I don't see the games so I can't weight in. I do believe we need to upgrade defense at shortstop (isn't that what sealed the deal in 2004?) and remove Brad Penny from the team. He was outpitched by Kevin Millwood last night:

Penny pitched under odd circumstances. Roughly 90 minutes before the game, he sat on a clubhouse couch and watched a college game on ESPN. Every couple of minutes along the bottom of the screen, Penny could read about how the Atlanta Braves are reportedly discussing a trade for him with the Red Sox.
...
"That's been my whole career," Penny said. "I don't look at that at all, really."

While Penny couldn't last through the sixth, Millwood dominated. The Red Sox managed six hits in the first seven innings. Millwood struck out five, and his final victim was Lugo.

So despite the fact that both Brads were hurt by their defense, I still say they should have read the memo that this was supposed to be the week of good pitching news at SoxandPhils.

Maybe J-Moy doesn't trust the young'ins: I just like this note in David Murphy's story:

Chris Coste was behind the plate last night for the third time in Jamie Moyer's last four starts. Moyer entered the night 4-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts with Coste at catcher, compared to 0-4 with a 10.52 ERA in five starts with starter Carlos Ruiz.

Losing to the rivals

Both our teams lost to their rivals tonight.

Chan Ho Park was the big goat for the Phillies in their 7-4 loss against the Mets.

Christine: How long are we going to be stuck with Chan Ho Park in the rotation?

Me: Judging by Adam Eaton, a year and a half.

He was pretty darn bad tonight: seven runs on six walks and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. I've said since spring training he shouldn't be a starter - now I no longer have faith that he would be serviceable in the bullpen. Christine thinks he'd be fine switching spots with J.A. Happ.

In the 6th I was starting to believe in mystique and aura when the Mets over threw third base. I believed for all of two seconds until Greg Dobbs ran past second on his way to third, forcing Chris Coste to try to score when he had no chance.

Ryan Howard struck out to end the game with a poor swing at a bad pitch. "What the (insert Chase Utley's favorite word here) was that?" Christine said.

Red Sox: All I know about this 6-2 loss to the Rays is this: When flipping to MLB Network to try to find a mid-game update, they were talking about where Evan Longoria ranks among third basemen. They mentioned he hit a grand slam tonight. Ugh.

Justin Masterson pitched almost as poorly as Chan Ho Park, but Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez each pitched a scoreless inning, preserving their 0.00 ERAs.

Tomorrow: We're going to our first game. A colleague mentioned the rainy forecast. "No biggie," I said. "It won't be any worse than the last game we went to."

Seems like old times

We got to watch both SoxandPhils games today. With the Red Sox beating the Angels and the Phillies winning out West, it was a little reminiscent of last year's playoffs.

Red Sox: Forget about Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka - Josh Beckett's No. 2 will be Brad Penny this year, just like it's the Florida Marlins from 2001 to 2004. OK, Penny's days of dominance are over, but I'll take three runs over six innings every time from him.

The bats showed some life with two homers from Jason Bay and one from Mike Lowell, which accounted for all the runs in the 5-4 win.

Jonathan Papelbon was summoned for a four-out save. He made it a little too nerve-wracking in the 9th, giving up a run and walking the bases loaded before ending the much-needed win. Let's hope Josh Beckett makes like the Easter Bunny tomorrow afternoon and hops out of Anaheim with the Sox back at .500.

Phillies: Brett Myers was shaky, but the Phils managed an 8-4 win over the Rockies. Christine thinks he needs to gain back the weight to start pitching better. In his first game as a starter, Chris Coste nearly got Charlie Manuel to blow a gasket by dropping a pop-up, but he recovered to bare hand the ball before it hit the ground.

They're alive: All the starting position players had a hit - hopefully not just a Coors Field mirage.

Chris Coste

The other day I was playing Baseball Mogul. I was in the middle of the second year controlling the Phillies (2009) when a message popped up that Chris Coste was retiring.

I ran to tell Christine the news. As soon as the words came out, I realized that it wouldn't be the most bizarre scenario in real life, so I made sure to quickly add "in my game" to my report.

Well, then news hit that Coste - who seemed destined for a return trip to the minors or worse - will likely beat out newly acquired Ronny Paulino for the backup catcher job. I never understood why they got Paulino - Coste is a capable backup until Lou Marson is ready - so I'm not upset about these prospects. But I can't help but wonder, why did they get Paulino?

Congrats to New York

Once again, it looks like New York will win the hot stove league, with the Yankees getting CC Sabathia and the Mets getting Francisco Rodriguez.

We at SoxandPhils quake in our cleats.

Fact is, the Red Sox and Phillies have supposedly been bested by their New York competition in most recent offseasons - Johan Santana, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Billy Wagner. How many rings do those guys have? One. Johnny Damon for the 2004 Red Sox.

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.

Before I get to the teams that matter, one more CC point. I bet the guy most thrilled to have him on the team is Alex Rodriguez, so he's not the only nine-figure playoff choker in the Bronx.

Phillies: Not a good day. I didn't check the clips before heading out for an oil change, so I was surprise to overhear - while enjoying some pumpkin pancakes - that Jaime Moyer was demanding a two-year $20 million deal. And I thought Charlie Manuel was the one who was going to dampen the World Series afterglow with contract negotiations?

And I know we've been resigned that Pat Burrell's a goner, but it was sad hearing his agent put some finality to it.

Red Sox: Most of the news is status quo ... ripping the Sabathia deal and insistent reports that they're legitimately in on Mark Teixeira. But now there are some John Smoltz murmurs. I always like Smoltz and thought he could be a Red Sox, but he is 42 years old now.

This just in: The Phillies made their big trade. Yea! Minor league catcher Jason Jaramillo for backup catcher Ronny Paulino. Scott Lauber says this must mean Chris Coste's days are numbered.

These better be just rumors

Not a good day for SoxandPhils fans if the daily rumors become reality.

The Sox have been talking again to A.J. Burnett. This doesn't make sense. A pitcher with a history of injuries is exactly the long-term commitment the Sox have avoided.

Even worse is that they've now been linked to Carl Pavano. I know it would probably be a low-risk, Bartolo Colon-type deal. But c'mon. The guy was a laughingstock in New York. Just honor his place in Red Sox lore (as trade bait for Pedro Martinez and the embarrassment he caused the Yankees) and let it be.

Incidentally, that Nick Cafardo report may clarify Derek Lowe's standing with the Phillies: The team denies making an offer, but the player is said to want to go there. Maybe the Phillie denials are true, but D-Lowe doesn't want them to be.

Phillies: My alarm kicked on this morning midway through Rhea Hughes' report of some trade that could involve J.A. Happ, the Padres and Chris Coste. I know that Jake Peavy wouldn't go to Philadelphia, so I wondered what it was all about. I was less than enthralled when I found out the deal would send Peavy to the Cubs and bring Mark DeRosa to the Phillies for Happ.

{Update: The deal could involve Kyle Kendrick, not Happ.}

Complicated deals like this tend to fall apart. Let's hope so. DeRosa doesn't thrill me, and he's no Pat Burrell.

The only good rumbling of the day comes from bits I picked up from WFAN. Apparently, there's word that the Red Sox meeting with CC Sabathia wasn't exactly to lure him to Boston but to remind him how awful it would be playing for the Yankees. If true, I can't exactly be thrilled with the tact.

I am enjoying how the Yankee fans are growing frustrated that the big guy hasn't accepted the Yankees offer. Gee, maybe he wants to see if a championship-caliber team makes him an offer.

Game day: The Phillies held off the Nationals today ... oh wait. We already recapped this one. As I was watching the replay of the NL East clincher, Comcast SportsNet broke in with some real news. I was nervous as Neil Hartman started talking, given all the crazy rumors that are swirling. But he was just reporting the good news that Charlie Manuel will be the Phillies manager through 2011. Good for him - he deserves it.

Election Day

It seemed tempting, but I refrained from writing in Cole Hamels for president. A local merchant posted that note last week on one of the signs outside of his store; Greg was tempted to stop today and ask if anyone voted for Hamels, but he ran out of time on his way to work. He probably ran out of time because I think he stopped at more than one Starbucks for his free coffee. And yes, he did vote, even though it was no longer required to claim a cup of joe.

A few random thoughts and notes tonight as I await election results.

**Les Walrond's short-lived Phillies career is over. He was claimed today by the Blue Jays. (It is so refreshing to say "Blue Jays" without having the cloud of 1993 hanging over my head anymore.) And yesterday, Rudy Seanez filed for free agency.

**As the 2008 team disperses, I'm reminded of something important that I overlooked the other night. As I was reminiscing about players who will soon be part of the Phillies' past, I forgot to mention Chris Coste. I'm afraid that he's not long for this team. Lou Marson is waiting in the wings, and it's only a matter of time before he's in the big leagues for good. I expect that Marson will start in AAA in the spring, but once he's ready, Coste will probably be expendable. Sadly, he probably already feels that way, as Charlie Manuel made it clear in September and October that Carlos Ruiz is his preferred catcher. Well, whatever happens, Coste will always be welcomed in Philadelphia, and I'm glad that he got the chance to play here and be part of the magical 2007 and 2008 teams.

**Last week, after the Phillies won, I checked the Baseball Prospectus page. I wanted to see it officially say that the Phillies had a 100% chance of winning the World Series. But a little part of me still thought that it would say something like the Phillies only had a 99.2% chance of winning. (OK, so maybe it will take a while to shake away all of the negative thoughts.) Anyway, I love looking at those numbers - on Sept. 30, the Phillies were given only a 5% chance of winning it all.

**Following the Phillies lead, the Red Sox signed their GM. Jeez, what has he done to deserve a new contract? It's not like he's won any World Series lately.

**Crazy Scott Boras thinks Jason Varitek is going to get a huge contract, along the lines of Jorge Posada's 4-year $52 million contract. I think Scott Boras is nuts. I'm not the stats person on this blog, but 2008 was a dismal year for him. Yeah, he can still catch, but he was a liability offensively. Carlos Ruiz was no better offensively, but he's seven years younger than Varitek. Not to mention the fact that Ruiz is making just over the league minimum and isn't even due for arbitration until 2010. If baseball really is going to be feeling the economic crunch, I think the Sox should take a pass on resigning their captain.

**Current Sox and former Phil Mike Timlin filed for free agency today. Actually, barely a former Phil. I forgot that he was with the team for only half a season. It seems like it was longer. I guess because I've had to listen to Greg rave about him for the past six years. And complain about him this year.

I'm off to set up camp in front of CNN until Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert come on at 10 p.m. Let's hope this election is decided earlier in the night than some of those marathon playoff games I endured over the past few weeks.

When will it end??

We love how Charlie Manuel can burn through his bench players early in the game. So imagine my delight when Carlos Ruiz ended up playing third base in the top of the 9th, so that Cholly could save his last extra man, Eric Bruntlett, to use as a pinch hitter, if needed, in the bottom half of the inning. Thankfully, Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 inning, with no balls being hit to Ruiz.

Bottom half of the inning, with two outs and Jayson Werth on first, Bruntlett was needed and smacked in the tying run.

And that's where we still stand. Philles 7, Mets 7. In the 13th inning. Almost all players from both teams have been used. I can't even begin to recap this marathon: the huge comeback, all the hits, all the men left on base, the great defense, the poor starting pitching. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave this entry incomplete, as I'm struggling just to stay up and watch the game, let alone write about it. Phils are coming to bat now at 12:16 a.m. Let's win this now.

12:30 a.m. update: Phils win! First place! Chris Coste finally put this one to bed, 8-7 final. Sorry, it would take hours to break down this game, and I won't ever attempt to do it. If you missed it - Greg - you're just out of luck. Todd Zolecki has a nice roundup of all the craziness.

(Small note: Very annoying that Tom McCarthy kept talking about Aaron Heilman's history "here at Shea Stadium." Your true colors are showing, T-Mac.)

Red Sox: I can offer no insights into this game. They beat the Yankees 7-3. Tim Wakefield earned the win in his return from the DL, and Jonathan Papelbon picked up a save. The fantasy team thanks you for your efforts, Papelbon.

In off-the-field news, the Sox picked up Mark Kotsay from the Braves, pending a physical, to fill in for the injured J.D. Drew.

Playoff tix

Our playoff ticket order form arrived today. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 8-1. Coincidence? Probably, but here's my crazy conspiracy theory: The Phillies brass knew season ticket holders would be getting their orders today, so they threatened to withhold the team's paychecks unless they started hitting, raising the fans' playoff hopes again. Voila. Ten hits in an easy win.

Kyle Kendrick pitched decently - one earned on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts - to beat Greg Maddux, who was making his first start as a Dodger since 2006.

Ryan Howard, Chris Coste and Chase Utley homered.

Competitors: The Mets won (again), the Marlins are losing, and the Phils are still stuck 2.5 games out.

Red Sox: They beat the Blue Jays 8-4. Druggie Paul Byrd got his first Red Sox win. Christine's not happy that Shaun Marcum got beat badly because he's on our SoxandPhils fantasy team. Five RBIs came from the top spots in the lineup - Jacoby (slump's over) Ellsbury and Dustin (what's a slump?) Pedroia. Jason Varitek, who may also be rebounding a bit, was 2-3 with a homer.

Unfortunately, we may be a man down in the outfield for the rest of the season. All-Star Game MVP J.D. Drew has a herniated disc. He hopes to avoid the DL. I haven't seen a team so ravaged by injuries since the great 2008 Yankees.

Competitors: The Rays are winning (again) against the White Sox, the Twins are scoreless in the early innings, and the Yankees won.

Phils lick Braves; Sox lick their wounds

Christine was a little cranky tonight as Chris Coste popped up his first pitch in the 9th with the tying run on second and two outs in a 2-1 game.

"When Jamie Moyer gives up two runs, the Phillies should not be losing the game," she said earlier.

But Braves 2B Kelly Johnson dropped the pop-up, allowing the tying run to score; Pedro Feliz, trying to score the go-ahead run, was thrown out at home.

The Phils survived Tom Gordon's scary 9th inning and scored two in the 10th inning, highlighted by Shane Victorino's second triple of the game. The bottom of the 10th was also scary for Christine - who was blaming me for confidently starting a "Phillies win" post - as Brad Lidge put two on. Another hit seemed like it would tie the game, but Shane-O gunned out the tying run at home. Phils win, 4-3.

Will the Gordons match the Griffeys?: One of Gordon's sons, Devaris Strange-Gordon, was drafted by the Dodgers.

In Looneyville: The Sox lost an 8-0 drubbing to the Mariners, ending their 13-game home winning streak. Bartolo Colon had his first poor outing. Only three of his six runs were earned, but he can only blame himself for making two errors.

Suspensions have been handed down for yesterday's fight. Red Sox: Coco Crisp, 7 games; Jon Lester, 5 games; and Sean Casey, 3 games. Rays: James Shields, 6 games; Jonny Gomes, 5 games; Edwin Jackson, 5 games; Carl Crawford, 4 games; and Akinori Iwamura, 3 games.

Manny and Kevin Youkilis patched things up, but still no strong indication what that dust-up was about. They say Jacoby Ellsbury is day-to-day.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 1998: Phillies swept two in Boston, then split two at home. I can't believe they played four games home and away without a day off. I don't remember interleague play being set up like that. I digress. I had come down to Trenton from North Jersey for a school function, so Christine and I caught the Wednesday night game at Veterans Stadium. It was our first major league game together; we had been to a couple of minor league Trenton Thunder games previously (when they were an affiliate of the Red Sox, not the Yankees).

What a treat. Steve Avery was knocked out in the third after giving up seven runs. The Sox chipped away at Carlton Lower, but could only manage a not-as-close-as-it-looks 11-8 loss. Gregg Jefferies was the star of the game for the Phils. A general admission ticket cost $5. Other winners in that series were Wayne Gomes, Mark Portugal and Bret Saberhagen. Other losers were Tom Gordon (then a starter), Derek Lowe and Matt Beech, who in subsequent years would be part of a more infamous footnote in SoxandPhils lore.

No place like home

Greg and I just returned from a cruise to Mexico - great to be on vacation but tough for baseball fans like ourselves because the only sports updates we've seen over the past week have come from ESPN Deportes. [They seem to like Albert Pujols and Alfonso Soriano.] We're lucky if we can catch any baseball scores on the ticker in between all the soccer news.

So, we have no idea what's been happening in SoxandPhils world. I see from tonight's game that Shane Victorino was activated from the disabled list [Mike Lowell was too]. Other than that, I got nuthin'.

I do, however, have a quick book review. I saved The 33-Year-Old Rookie so I would have a breezy, fun read for vacation. I pretty much agree with all the other reviews. Nothing groundbreaking, a little bit cliched, but an interesting story and a good look at life in the minors and independent leagues. In some interviews, Greg and I think that Chris Coste can sound a bit too cocky, but this book makes it clear that he needed that extra confidence to make it through all of those years in low-level ball. The book is a quick read, and I recommend it.

Oh, one former Red Sox note: Before we left Philadelphia on Monday morning, I ducked into a newsstand and saw the headline blazing across the New York Daily News regarding Roger Clemens and Mindy McCready. I bought the paper and ran it back to Greg - can't wait to catch up on the details of that story.

Backup catchers

Most members of a championship team will be fondly remembered. Doug Mirabelli will always hold a special spot in Red Sox lore. Yesterday, Art Martone, of the Providence Journal, put Doug's Red Sox career in perspective, essentially comparing him to Forrest Gump - right place, right time. And he had the ability to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckler before it rolled to the wall.

That's why we'll always remember him. When push comes to shove, Mirabelli isn't much different than any one of a number of guys who spent years backing up the Red Sox' starting catcher. Some of them, like the ones in the accompanying list (Bob Montgomery, John Marzano, Russ Nixon), you may remember. Others, like Matt Batts or Roy Partee or Moe Berg, you probably don't. (At least not for their ballplaying. Berg earned a whole other level of notoriety for his work as a scholar and a spy.) No rings for them. Two for Dougie. It's what separates him from Marzano, Partee and others of their ilk, like Johnnie Heving and Roxie Walters.

That radiated glory, coupled with the big knuckleball mitt and his talent at using it, led the Sox to value Mirabelli beyond his station.

Cue the famous Bob Ueker quote, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then to pick it up."

Platitudes, of course, have been coming from teammates, including Curt Schilling, who offers a SoxandPhils-esque tribute on his blog:

In the 20 years since I was first called up to the big leagues I've played with exactly 2 players who's presence in the clubhouse carried onto the field. Darren Daulton in Philadelphia, and Doug Mirabelli here in Boston.

I'm surprised Jason Varitek wasn't mentioned.

Chris Coste, the Phillies backup catcher, also transcends his role, thanks to his storybook career that's about to hit bookstores. He did a Q&A with the fans through Todd Zolecki. Some of the nuggets: He prefers some tiger mascot in Mexico to the Phillie Phanatic; he doesn't mind that MLB '07: The Show gave him gray hair, as long as he has all his teeth; and he wants Matthew McConaughey to play him if his book, The 33-Year-Old Rookie, is turned into a movie.

And, we learn, that the euphoria felt when the Phils won last year will always have two sore points for Coste. Here's his account of catching that fateful last pitch:

Get rid of my gear. Get rid of my stuff. Try to get out to the mound as soon as possible. Unfortunately, in my slight delay, Pat Burrell, the slowest man in major-league baseball, beat me, the second-slowest man in major-league baseball, to the mound. As excited as I was, every time I see that highlight from here on out, I'm going to be embarrassed by the fact that, No. 1, I didn't keep the ball - go figure - and that Pat Burrell beat me to the mound.

Speaking of keeping balls, I forgot to mention that Doug Mientkiewicz had a good line earlier this month about Jonathan Papelbon saying his dog ate the ball that ended the 2007 World Series.

"Try using that one with the ball from the first World Series that broke an 86-year curse," Mientkiewicz told the Boston Globe. "If I had used that, that dog would have been strung up on a tree somewhere."