Monkey see, monkey do

So Dustin Pedroia is back at it, not only taking grounders from his knees, but having a catch while sitting on a stool. Again, I love the spirit and the fact that he's at least following doctor's orders to stay off his feet, but I'm not going to be happy when he injuries himself again because of his unconventional rehab.

Chase Utley, meanwhile, is not going to be outdone by his SoxandPhils keystone counterpart. He announced today that he won't miss the full eight weeks originally estimated. He sounds like he's pushing the envelope, but hasn't been seen doing anything weird like Pedroia:

"Yeah, I might be back before eight weeks," he said. "Obviously, knowing that I've come back from an injury before and I've been successful, yeah, that's good to know. I'm going to do everything that I'm allowed to do, up until the point that I play, in being ready. Once this (cast) comes off, I'll be able to take ground balls. Obviously, keep this (hand) out of the way. The only thing I won't be able to do is throw or hit. I'm going to try to stay in shape as best I can."

Huh? Geoff Jenkins, who had a huge leadoff double in the second half of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, signed with the Brewers to retire. I would have no problem with this, except that he hasn't done anything in baseball over the past year. I think a one-year statute of limitations for a sign-and-retire is appropriate.

Tonight's games: Christine and I are almost caught up after a very long week, so we actually saw a few pitches as Roy Halladay pitched a complete game 3-1 win over the Braves. It was Gary Matthews and Tom McCarthy's birthday. Happy birthday Sarge! The Red Sox and Rays are tied at 5 in the 6th.

I really saw this coming

As predicted on this very blog, Geoff Jenkins beat out last year's playoff hero Matt Stairs for the role of mediocre left-handed backup outfielder. Also as predicted here, Chan Ho Park has no business opening a season in a starting rotation unless we're still in 2001.

Oops, maybe I was wrong. There's another reason you shouldn't bet your dwindling 401(k) on my predictions.

In a surprise move that will cost them $8 million, the Phillies cut Jenkins, fueling speculation that Gary Sheffield, released today by the Tigers, could wind up in Philadelphia. I don't think the Phillies - despite their longing for a right-handed bat - would take a chance on Sheffield's character, nor do I think Sheffield would come to Philly, where he would be relegated to pinch hitting. Either way, I think Matt Stairs has a job with the defending World Champions.

Christine isn't so sure, even though unnamed sources say there's only a "very slim" chance that Sheffield will be a Phillie. She thinks it's suspicious that two surprise cuts - Jenkins and Sheffield - happened so close together. And, she is worried about taking on Sheffield's bad attitude when the team already jettisoned another good-hit, no-field, right-handed bat who happened to be a good clubhouse guy.

I predict Sheffield will find another home, but you've just read how well I predict. Park is "happy" that my fifth starter prediction was wrong; J.A. Happ isn't.

Last year's hero, this year's ...

Andy Martino has a good read today on a big hero of last year's playoff run who probably will be discarded before spring training ends because there are limited roster spots available for mediocre left-handed hitting backup outfielders.

Matt Stairs probably won't make the team because Geoff Jenkins, possibly the lesser of the two, makes about $5 million more.

The cutting of Stairs, a weathered veteran with a good old-fashioned baseball attitude, was pretty much telegraphed by Charlie Manuel, who was asked whether the outfielder's leadership would be considered:

"No," Manuel said, shaking his head. "He knows a lot about hitting, and he likes talking, and that's going to help him if he wants to stay in the game. But we're going to go with the players who can help us the most on the field."

Despite a good spring (.304/.370/.435), Stairs won't gripe if he's discarded months after hitting possibly the biggest home run in Philadelphia history:

I guess I'm in a competition. No one has said anything to me. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, I understand.

MLB.com has a story from Jenkins' point of view, but it's not as compelling. I'm pulling for Stairs and that's not just because he's a SoxandPhil or because his story contained a reference to a forgotten Slappy low-point:

Stairs believes strongly in helping other players ... an approach that he hopes will eventually lead to a managing job. But he complains of a recent erosion in baseball's code of civility and sportsmanship.

A notable example came in 2007, when Stairs was playing for Toronto. Yankee Alex Rodriguez, approaching third base on a Jorge Posada pop-up, yelled "Ha!" This distracted Blue Jays third baseman Howie Clark, who allowed the ball to drop.

At the time, Stairs was highly critical of Rodriguez and had to be restrained during a resulting brawl in August.

Stairs rolled his eyes and smirked when reminded of the play. "The game has changed," he said. "I'm just talking about being a good person."

Random thoughts

I woke up this morning to screaming headlines about Brad Penny's bum shoulder. I was terrified. But then I remembered: This isn't 2003. The Red Sox don't always choke in October, and the Phillies no longer end their seasons in September.

Plus, we have ample depth at starting pitcher: John Smoltz, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden or even Justin Masterson could be the team's fifth starter if needed.

Now, if J.D. Drew's back doesn't respond to these injections, then you can write off the season. I'm just kidding. It's just nice that these tidbits would have seemed disastrous five years ago, but after championships there's a calming sense that the front office has it all under control. Ditto for the Phillies.

He's fallen that far: Scott Lauber notes that Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins have become redundant and that one of them won't be in Philadelphia this year. I wonder whether Jenkins would have been considered one of the Phillies' worst free agent signings ever if Jayson Werth hadn't picked up his slack.

Showdown: We have some disagreement between current and former Philly.com writers. This afternoon, the Inquirer's new guy, Andy Martino, reported that the Phillies made an offer to free agent reliever Will Ohman. He cited the lefty's agent as the source.

Two hours later, Martino's predecessor, Todd Zolecki, reporting for MLB.com, shot him down: "A Phillies source told MLB.com today that they 'are not on Ohman.' The source indicated that Ohman's agent might be trying to generate interest in his client."

An hour after that, the Daily News' David Murphy reported that the Phillies have kicked the tires on Ohman all offseason but that a deal is unlikely.

I can't wait to see whether Zolecki or his replacement is correct.

It really happened

It still seems surreal. We sat in bitter cold for two nights and watched with our own eyes as the Phillies clinched the World Series, but it's still hard to believe it's all over.

I'm sure tonight or tomorrow, Christine will flip on Comcast and be disappointed there's no game. She appreciates what the Phillies have done, but whether a season ends in bitter disappointment or the ultimate win we saw Wednesday, she'll soon be pining for spring training. She just likes watching the game. Meantime, we can still soak in what has just transpired.

Here's the scene from the last game of the year, played on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29. Phils 4, Rays 3, ending the series 4-1 for the 2008 World Champion Phillies.

Parking lot: We arrived way too early, although I guess it's never too early to get to the park for a World Series clincher. We sat in the car and ate sandwiches we brought along. A guy parked next to us and started bickering with a parking lot attendant. It seems he didn't want to pay for parking again. I didn't like having to pony up another $25, but we park at an unofficial lot that doesn't give receipts.

Pre-game inside the park: We walked around a bit, soaking in the fans revving up for the frenzied three innings. We saw Mitch Williams and Michael Barkan doing a pregame show. After they were done, Mitch posed for pictures with the fans.

The Build-A-Bear shop stocked Rays uniforms for the bears. What parent would do that to their child? On Monday, Christine high-fived a guy in a bear costume when we passed the store.

The Phillies apparently weren't planning for four home games. All of the World Series cookies and cupcakes from Monday night were sold out.

When we got to our seats, there was a cute little kid in front of us who decorated a paper towel roll that said "Phillies Rule" on one side and "Slay the Rays" on the other. He gave me high-fives during the game. The dolt sitting next to us on Monday who didn't know Shane Victorino's nickname asked me, "Do we bat first tonight?" How do these people get tickets? And how could you go the last 48 hours without getting it drilled in your head where the game left off?

The Phanatic whipped up an already feverish crowd into near-mayhem. Christine said only he could get such a reaction in Philly. But one of the Rays relievers then taunted the fans by raising his arms, almost suggesting, "Is that the best you got?"

It was like waving raw meat in front of a tiger cage. I don't know which reliever it was, but I'm sure that was the last little bit of fun he had that night.

Before the game started, Dorcus Whigham sang God Bless America. I like her performances. The crowd wanted the usual slow version, but she kept it upbeat, which was a good thing to keep the crowd's spirits high. Between this and Monday's National Anthem, I've never heard so much patriotic singing along.

Game on: With the crowd roaring, waving towels and shaking the stands, the much anticipated chess match between Charlie Manuel and Joe Maddon began with Geoff Jenkins doubling off Grant Balfour. There's never been so much excitement over a leadoff double.

Jenkins went to third on a Jimmy Rollins sacrifice bunt and scored on a Jayson Werth single. That's all they got, but the game felt over.

In the 7th, after striking out Dioner Navarro, Ryan Madson was tattooed by Rocco Baldelli, tying the game at three and costing Cole Hamels his fifth win in the playoffs. I wasn't concerned, but Christine blamed me for flashing the "eight more outs" sign. The Rays gave another scare, but Chase Utley ended the inning by duping a throw to first then throwing out Jason Bartlett at home. This might have been the play of the game.

In the bottom of the 7th, Pat Burrell led off. I've stuck up for him a lot this season, but said no more if he didn't come through with a hit. But I was confident and he ended up nearly homering, but he would up with a double. Eric Bruntlett came out to pinch-run, probably ending Pat the Bat's Philly days. Bruntlett advanced on a groundout and scored on a single by Pedro Feliz.

In the 8th, J.C. Romero had a relatively quiet inning, aided by a double play. David Price escaped harm in his half, setting the stage for Brad Lidge to do it for the soldiers one last time in a perfect season. Everyone notes that his only loss this year was in the All-Star game. I'm not saying he threw that game in July, but there were more World Series games in Philly than Tampa - including the home clincher.

Lidge got Evan "Eva" Longoria to pop out before Navarro singled. Pinch-runner Fernando Perez stole second, putting some doubt in the crowd. I got a little worried when Ben Zobrist hit one to right, but it hung up for Werth to catch. Up next: Eric Hinske, who had already homered earlier in the series. And I feared him throughout the series because he was a Red Sox last year. But he struck out, and Lidge dropped to his knees, shouting something he couldn't remember as Ryan Howard and his mates pummeled him into the ground.

Post-game: National TV ruins everything. Last year, when the Phillies clinched the NL East on the last day of the season, there was pure emotion as they celebrated with their fans.


Tuesday was a bit more orchestrated. Fireworks shot. A banner, rolled up all through the game, unfurled down the batter's eye. The Phanatic wove a 2008 banner, which the players grabbed to do a victory lap around the field.


Then everything was put on hold so Fox could do its official post-game. Bud Selig was drowned out in boos. Cholly got the loudest cheers. World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who's about to cash in after these playoffs, got a sweet 2010 Camaro that Carlos Ruiz probably could have used more.


I noticed one of the cops standing in the outfield threw someone's rally towel back into the stands. Then I saw more towels being thrown at the cop. He was rubbing them in the dirt for people to have a nice souvenir. Very nice gesture by one of Philly's finest.


The crowd was loud and supportive without incident. The only rioting came from the Phillies digging up home plate and the pitcher's rubber, which Jamie Moyer lugged off like a lumber jack.


Harry Kalas sang High Hopes and smacked down the Mets, CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez and his own son.


We waited and waited, but saw no sign of Pat Burrell and Elvis - the only disappointment of the night.

Today: We woke up tired but happy. I was almost deprived of one of my day-after-a-championship pleasures because the newspapers were nearly wiped at my Wawa. There were a handful of Inquirers and just one Daily News, but it was overlooked by people in front of me because it had fallen apart. I pieced it together for Christine. Joe Wolf’s Vertical Jump has some of the celebratory covers along with some of the ones from Tampa.

Future: The parade is scheduled for Friday, and the stories about how the Phillies are built for the future have run. Just once, I'd like to see someone write that a newly crowned champion is going to fall apart next year. But I think the Phillies are in good shape for next year. The biggest challenges will be replacing Pat Burrell, fortifying the pitching and figuring out how to keep the money-hungry youngsters (Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard) happy.

This team went 24-6 down the stretch, losing just one game in each round of the playoffs. I've told Christine many times she has no idea – even with the suspended Game 5 – how easy it's been for her during the playoffs.

Each of us has been incredibly lucky the past few years. Our teams have won three of the last five championships – two of which ended long droughts. In person, we've seen the last game at the Vet, last year's division clincher and this year's World Series clincher. We'll never have a run like this again.

We probably won't renew our Sunday plan. It was great fun, but we expect other commitments next year. But we know there will be no way to top the baseball we've witnessed. We'll savor it a bit more, but pretty soon we have to get working on SoxandPhils 2009: World Series or bust.

We have some outtake photos that we'll post tomorrow or during the weekend. And Christine will pen some final thoughts on the season as well.

Finally, a nice day at the park

An innings-eating start by Jamie Moyer, a clutch comeback by the offense and a shut-down performance by the bullpen. It was quite a win for the once-again first-place Phillies, 7-5 over the Marlins. (And, for the first time this year, we went to a game when it wasn't raining, freezing or both.)

The Phillies hung tough, even after the Marlins took a 5-1 lead in the 3rd. The turning point came in the 6th with the Phillies down 5-3. Geoff Jenkins pinch hit for So Taguchi with Pat Burrell on and two out. Moyer, who had thrown 81 pitches to that point, was on deck. I mused out loud whether Charlie Manuel would let him hit if Jenkins hit a homer. As soon as I said it, Jenkins crushed one to right. (Moyer struck out and then pitched a good 7th, making Cholly look like a genius, according to Christine.) The rest of the game seemed like a formality. It was just a matter of how they would win it.

Burrell answered that with a two-run double to the delight of this guy in our section who must be the biggest Pat the Bat fan out there. He always wears his jersey and starts a pronounced clap every time Don Henley starts playing Burrell's intro music. Although Burrell won the game, it wasn't all good for his fan. A kid about 12 years old dumped some chocolate ice cream on the back of the jersey. (You can see some of it near his left shoulder.) We're not sure if he felt it because he didn't seem to wipe it off.

In-game notes: Ryan Howard made not one but two great plays in the field. A diving catch of a bunt in the 7th. The inning before, he speared a liner and then doubled off the runner at first. ... Marlins CF Cody Ross had a nice catch off Pedro Feliz in the 3rd. We'll be watching Web gems tonight. ... Mike Jacobs' 2nd inning homer hit a billboard that says "great home run." ... Tom Gordon started out shaky in the 8th, walking the first batter and going two balls on the next, Hanley Ramirez. Jimmy Rollins went to the mound. It worked. Ramirez struck out and the next two flew out.

Pre-game festivities: Michael Scott Lieberthal, possibly the greatest Phillie to ever don the tools of ignorance, signed a one-day minor-league contract to retire in the red pinstripes. He threw out the first pitch, then caught a second first-pitch from some corporate sponsor.

Observations from the stands: J-Roll, who had been using the song from the Geico caveman in the airport commercial, has gone back to rap intro music. The Geico music ended just as quickly as it started; it was weird. ... I filled out 19 All-Star ballots. It got tedious, but I didn't want them to go to waste. ... Saw some odd jerseys today. We thought we'd see plenty of Lieberthals, but saw only one on the way out. We did spot a Curt Schilling from his Phillies day and a Daisuke Matsuzaka hat. But the kicker was a couple near us wearing home and away Doug Glanville jerseys.


We thought it was funny because we were at the game when New Jersey native Doug Glanville signed a one-day contract to retire as a Phil. He may have been the last player to do this before today.

Giveaways: Like Mother's Day, Father's Day was celebrated early at Citizens Bank Park. Although not a dad, I'm older than 15 and qualify for the giveaway: a picture of a hat. On a hat. Sometimes the Phillies marketing department is quite clever; sometimes they got nothing. Here's the hat on a hat, next to the pink visor Christine got on Mother's Day. (We forgot to post a picture of it last month.)


Red Sox: Another decent outing for Bartolo Colon and Manny Ramirez's 501st homer led the Sox past the Orioles, 9-4.

A win is a win

The pitching duel between Cole Hamels and Tim Lincecum fizzled today, but we'll take the walk-off 6-5 win for the Phillies over the Giants. And for the first time this season, we weren't shivering in the stands.

At times it looked like the young aces were pitching to expectations, but each got tagged for four runs in six innings. Each had stretches where they struck out five in three innings, but that represented all of their K's in the game. Neither pitcher issued a walk until the fifth. And, truth be told, Lincecum had a better game. All of his runs were unearned, although he didn't help himself with two wild pitches in a two-run fifth.

We have seen lots of extra-inning or walk-off wins from the Phillies through the years, but this might have been the most anti-climatic. Eric Bruntlett and Chase Utley led off the ninth with flyouts. Ryan Howard then drew his third walk of the game (he somehow managed to avoid strikeouts despite ugly swings). Pat Burrell followed with another walk. "Star of the game" Geoff Jenkins grounded to second, which should have sent the game to extra innings, but second baseman Eugenio Velez (never heard of him or 3/4 of the Giants roster) misplayed it, ending the game.


Observations from the stands: Why do people cheer Aaron Rowand? Why aren't they bitter he took a little more money to play for a team that has no chance of winning? And even if you cheer him once, you have to stop by the third game of a series. ... It's odd to be hoping that Howard somehow prolongs an inning so Burrell can bat. ... Before the game, I had a no-hit premonition and was nervous when Hamels set down the first five. ... It was Mother's Day a week early at the park. The Phanatic's mom got flowers; Brett Myers' mom got roses; all other ladies 15 and older got pink visors. Christine doesn't like pink hats. {Worse yet, the name of the sponsor of the day, Mortrin IB, is prominently displayed on the side of the visor.}


When filling out our first all-star ballots of the year, Christine and I negotiated which Phillies I would vote for and which Red Sox she would vote for. When discussing AL third basemen, I said she could choose her own because Mike Lowell hasn't played much and there's no chance Alex Rodriguez won't win it. An usher overheard the conversation but thought we were talking about NL third basemen. "Even though he's a Met, you have to vote for David Wright. He's our Chase Utley," she said. Christine disagrees. {Maybe he is their Chase Utley, but you do not vote for a rival. And whoever is in charge of the music at Citizens Bank: Stop playing that stupid "Everybody clap their hands." Everyone associates that with the Mets and Shea, and I don't want that in my ballpark.}

Finally, based on the amount of harassing I have gotten from stupid Phillies fans this year who don't like seeing a Red Sox fan in their park, Christine isn't looking forward to the June interleague series. I don't get it - except for that friendly mid-season competition, we're friends until the World Series. ... Speaking of which, both teams are in first place.

All-Star voting: National League: C-Carlos Ruiz; 1B-Adrian Gonzalez; 2B-Utley; 3B-Bill Hall; SS-Hanley Ramirez; OF-Burrell, Justin Upton and Shane Victorino. American League: C-Jason Varitek; 1B-Kevin Youkilis; 2B-Dustin Pedroia; 3B-Mike Lowell; SS-Edgar Renteria; OF-Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury (write-in); DH-David Ortiz.

Yes, we have complaints after three dramatic wins in two days

Preface: I have a gut feeling, beyond just a fan's hope, that this post will soon be outdated.

Last night was vintage modern-era Red Sox baseball: four and two-thirds gutsy innings by the bullpen to keep the team in it; a hit or walk by all nine starters; and a crushing blow by Manny Ramirez. They followed with another comeback win, 5-3, tonight.

But it was hard witnessing David Ortiz's struggles on Monday. He's off to the worst start of his career, and it's disconcerting. Last night he went 2-5, nearly matching his hit total in the first 13 games and pushing his average above .100 for the first time in a week. But those hits were weak. And in the 7th inning, in a situation made for Papi - two on trailing by two runs with one out - Papi struck out.

Yes, two innings later he set up Manny's game winner with a bloop that fell between the left fielder, center fielder and shortstop, but it wasn't the authoritative Big Papi blast.

It's just sad. He's one of the few athletes who deserves a free pass because of his past feats. I often think of an interview he gave after 2004, talking about all the pained faces in the stands after the Game 3 drubbing and how he was determined not to let the fans feel that way again. And he didn't. So now, I turn that sentiment around. I don't care what his struggles mean to the offense, it just hurts to see Papi struggle with his own failings, and for the first time since early 2003, not look superhuman.

He had another single tonight, so hopefully he's in the phone booth putting on his cape.

We'll see tomorrow night when the Red Sox make their first journey to Yankee Stadium this season. It's on ESPN. This week we're seeing more games of the Red Sox than the Phillies. I'll let Christine complain, I mean explain:

I found out late this afternoon that the Flyers game was preempting the Phillies on Comcast, and the Phillies were relegated to CN8 again. As I've explained before about Verizon FIOS, that means we don't get to watch the game. So what happens? A four-run dramatic 9th inning and a Phillies comeback win against the Astros.

The Flyers won their game, 6-3. I used to be a big hockey fan, and I'll always root for the Flyers. But the game was already scheduled to be on Versus, so why was it moved to Comcast?

From what I gathered from the radio broadcast, Adam Eaton pitched OK again. Three runs in six innings. Not the best line, but with the offense the Phillies should have, he could very easily be 3-0 right now instead of 0-0.

Now I'm off in search of highlights of Pat Burrell's clutch game-tying home run and Geoff Jenkins scoring the winning run. Tom McCarthy made it sound like the Phillies might have gotten a blown call in their favor tonight. About time.

And Wednesday night? Last scheduled CN8 game. We'll see what happens if the Flyers keep winning.

So why exactly did we buy season tix?

I'm cynical when players argue calls that go against them, but I've never seen a left fielder run to the infield to argue a home run call. But Pat Burrell did just that after umpire Adrian Johnson ruled Mark DeRosa's poke in the sixth inning fair, giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead. The replay on Baseball Tonight showed the ball was definitely foul.

The game seemed over. Even when the Phillies trailed by only one run today, it felt like seven for some reason. I can't decide whether they were flat or whether the cold day made them seem so. But the Phillies finally made a game of it, taking the lead with three in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, Christine had to miss much of the rally to dry off after a drunk sitting behind us dropped his beer bottle on her. He was all excited that 10 people, two sections over, were starting a wave. People suck.

The Phillies gave the lead back in the eighth when Jimy Williams (Charlie Manuel was ejected in the sixth arguing the home run call) decided to stick with the book that says Tom Gordon starts the eighth inning, not the better pitcher, J.C. Romero. Flash struck out Kosuke Fukudome and then reverted to his awful self, giving up two singles.


Williams suddenly remembered he had Romero. J.C.'s quite adept at pitching out of self-inflicted jams but couldn't pitch out of Gordon's today. Pinch-hitter Geovany Soto (Christine's pick for NL Rookie of the Year) hit a dying quail just out of Chase Utley's reach. The game stayed tied until the 10th,when pinch hitter Carlos Zambrano (yup, Lou Piniella depleted his bench by the eighth inning) grounded into a surefire double-play, but Utley couldn't turn it and threw the ball into the Phillies dugout.

Overheard in the stands: One nimrod blaming Eric Bruntlett for that throw; another blaming Howard, who was getting ripped unmercifully by the fans every time he touched the ball. Don't let the facts get in the way of preconceived notions.

Observations from the stands: The maligned Bruntlett had a good day, going 3-5 with a homer. You probably won't see this on the highlights, but Burrell made a good catch in foul territory to end the ninth with a man on. Chris Snelling made his Phillies debut, popping out to third on a towering fly.

Lineup change: Today's lead-off batter was Geoff Jenkins. Usually when we walk by the wall where they post the day's lineup, I happen to look up. Today I didn't, even though everyone was wondering who Cholly would bat lead off without Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. When was the last time "Rollins" didn't appear atop my scorecard?

Losing streak: Counting playoff and exhibition games, the Phillies are in a three-game losing streak when we attend. We don't think we've seen three straight losses ever. They better break it next Sunday night against the Mets. And Daisuke Matsuzaka better dominate tonight against the Yankees.

Last night's notes: We left the house at 5 last night but saw five innings in what seemed to be the quickest Yankees-Red Sox game ever, until rain hit. Good job by Josh Beckett, Manny Ramirez and Jonathan Papelbon. And when our party ended, the Phillies game was still in the eighth, so we bought drinks and watched the end in a bar in Philly.

[Photo credit: Christine {Please excuse the blur. These are zoomed in from the 400 level.}]