Machete man

Since Trent came home, a lot of things have had to change because of time constraints - showers have to be less than five minutes, meals have to be quick or easily consumed with baby on lap, and there's not much time for mindless Web surfing.

Deadspin is one site I don't get around to anymore, but luckily, we caught this spoof on how Ken Burns would have treated the story of SoxandPhil Ugueth Urbina (if the filmmaker had the gravitas to touch the saga of the machete man). The parody is hysterical and makes we want to watch the real Tenth Inning.

We have it DVR'd, but it's just a matter of finding time for the four-hour documentary. It was hard enough finding four minutes for the satirical story of the great Urbina.

Today's games: NL East Champs are off. Jon Lester has his first and last chance at his 20th win tonight against the White Sox.

Least relevant retrospective you'll read this week

This week, which ends the first decade of the 21st century, there are all kinds of best-of lists, look-backs and assessments of what the last 10 years actually meant.

This post is similar in that it takes a look back, but it really has little connection with the '00s. It's a look at the 1996 Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. Why? Because their yearbook somehow made it into the latest batch of stuff I salvaged from my parents' attic. I don't know who gave me this book, but I thought it would be worth a write-up before I send it to the recycling bin.

As you can see from the pictures (replete with period hair styles), the big future stars were Mike Lieberthal and Scott Rolen. They were managed by former Red Sox Butch Hobson, until he was arrested on cocaine charges. Funny, there's no mention of his extracurricular activities in a yearbook story that paints him as an All-American winner.

Other notable players on the team included Ruben Amaro Jr., Mike Benjamin, Rob Butler, Bobby Estalella, J.R. Phillips, Kevin Sefcik, Bob Zupcic, Desi Relaford, Kevin Stocker and Gregg Jefferies.

Some of the pitchers included Mitch Williams, David West, Curt Schilling, Tommy Greene, Bobby Munoz and Mike Mimbs.

There wasn't a lot of talent on this team. Most of the notable players were veterans on rehab assignments.

The back page kind of proves how weak the Phillies system was back then - besides Rolen. Following Scott on the list of the organization's top 10 prospects were: Dave Coggin (a pitcher out of the Curt Schilling mold), Marlon Anderson, Reggie Taylor, Mike Grace, Estalella (The Phillies see their catcher of the future as Estalella, not former first-rounder Mike Lieberthal, who was eligible for this list but hasn't show (sic) enough with the bat to project as a big leaguer starter), Carlton Loewer, Wayne Gomes, Larry Wimberly and Wendell Magee.

Highlighted as a prospect on the Montreal Expos was SoxandPhil Ugueth Urbina. He was recently mentioned in a traditional decade retrospective with a slot on the "aught-not" team because of his legal troubles.

The Pawtucket Red Sox also had a page, which was highlighted by Clyde "Pork Chop" Pough, a slugging prospect who never panned out. He played for the Trenton Thunder when we were in college. I was convinced that with a name like Pork Chop he couldn't miss. Christine would have loved him.

Even in some random 13-year-old minor league program, you can find some SoxandPhils connections to reminisce about.

Seven years

Since July 21, 2002, the Red Sox and Phillies have played 2,258 regular season games going 1,270-988, a .562 winning percentage.

They've made the playoffs seven times, going 11-4 in 15 series, with three World Championships.

Yes, we've had a nice run of baseball since then. We've had a pretty nice seven years of marriage as well.

While researching this post, Christine insisted that she remembered that the Phillies won on our wedding day. They didn't. Kevin Millwood (then a Brave) beat Randy Wolf 2-1. Maybe she just looks back on that day with rose-colored glasses.

I don't remember a thing about the Red Sox game, but there's no sugar-coating (even retrospectively) SoxandPhil felon Ugueth Urbina blowing a 9th-inning lead against the Yankees.

Today: Tim Wakefield has been DL'd, temporarily solving the rotation's logjam. Josh Beckett takes aim at the Rangers in hopes of ending this three-game skid. After Rodrigo Lopez kept himself in the Phillies rotation with another strong showing, this time against the Cubs, Joe Blanton looks to extend the team's nine-game winning streak.

Hall of Fame II

So thinking back to Tuesday's sham of a vote. OK, not as bad as not inducting Buck O'Neill before he died, but it would have been nice to induct Jim Rice and Goose Gossage at the same time. Nice symmetry -- two feared stars of the '70s and '80s who were key parts of the rivalry, especially in 1978.

I like when there's a connection among inductees. Nolan, Yount and Brett in '99. Ripken and Gwynn last year. And Reggie Jackson by himself in '93.

Hopefully, next year we'll see two Red Sox OFers at the podium: Rice and Rickey Henderson.

Other SoxPhils slated to appear on the ballot in coming years (and there's some real immortals here):

2009: Steve Avery, John Burkett, David Cone, Ron Gant, Dan Plesac, Mo Vaughn, Mike Williams.

Mo's been gone that long already? Plesac too? And, Avery, what can I say?

2010: Andy Ashby, Ellis Burks, Mike Jackson, Todd Zeile

Immortals. Real immortals. No disrespect to Burks.

2011: Hideo Nomo, John Olerud, Benito Santiago, Ugueth Urbina

Nomo's comeback might push this class back. And, wouldn't it be great to induct a guy doing time in Venezuela?

2012: Bill Mueller, Tim Worrell

Will there be an '04 bump giving him a few votes?

In other sports: Another big playoff weekend. I went 3-1 last week, and probably will do the same. Go with the Packers over the Seahawks; Patriots to tie the whiny '72 Dolphins; Colts to close the RCA dome with a win; and Cowboys over the Giants. Yes, I know, weak that like most I'm taking all favorites. I think there may be an upset, but when my gut tells me the best chance for an underdog is the Giants, it's time to play it safe.

Former Phils in the agate this week

Pitching prospect Gio Gonzalez, who seemed destined to have a career shuffling between Chicago and Philly, is headed to the rebuilding A's in the Nick Swisher trade. And Matt Smith, the most productive piece of the Abreu/Lidle fleece, has been put on waivers.

Gonzalez, originally a White Sox prospect, was traded to the Phils in '05 with Aaron Rowand and Daniel Haigwood for Jim Thome. With Rowand gone to the Giants, the only piece left from this is Fabio Castro, who I still think should have been used more in the past two years. Castro was picked up from the Rangers for Haigwood who last year was released by Texas and picked up and released by the Red Sox. Gonzalez was traded back to the White Sox in the great Freddy Garcia deal last off season.

Getting nothing in trades of superstars is nothing new for the Phils... in 2000 they gave up not-yet World Series hero {gag} Curt Schilling to the D-Backs for Travis Lee, Vincente Padilla, Omar Daal and Nelson Figueroa. (Padilla was the first scrubby Phillie who always seemed to be pitching when we go to a game. That designation then went to Cory Lidle. Last year thankfully we got a good mix).

Then, of course there was the 2002 Scott Rolen deal that also netted a future World Series hero {gag, again}, Mike Timlin, who stayed for half a season. They did get a productive Placido Polanco, but flipped him three years later for Ugueth Urbina, who pitched well for half a season before that little attempted murder thing.

And that brings up the Abreu deal. I'm guess I'm glad it happened. Though the Yankees got a good player, he's overpaid and doesn't help the team regain the mental toughness that's been lacking. But I still think the Phils should have been able to get something for him.

This week, they released Matt Smith, ending his 23 game Phillies career. Also in the deal was minor league SS C.J. Henry, released by the Phils, taken back by the Empire, and P Carlos Monastrios* and C Jesus Sanchez who were both still in A ball last year. Monastrios could still pan out, but you'd like something to be able to point to for Abreu -- even if he was first obtained for Kevin Stocker.

*Correction 9/4/08: Oops. Guess we've had Carlos Monasterios' name spelled wrong for the past eight months. He was still in Clearwater this year.