All in all, we've had worse days

Despite the Phillies' worst loss of the season, a Brad Penny implosion and the Harry Kalas ceremony getting pre-empted for the Flyers game, it was still a pretty good day at SoxandPhils.

With the Phillies booted to Comcast Network (unavailable on Verizon FIOS), I called a sports bar Thursday to make sure it would be playing the game because Christine was upset about having to miss the pregame memorial for Harry. A convenient coincidence with my work schedule allowed me to get my normal Friday errands done in the morning and us seated in the bar by game time.

Unfortunately, there were just a few TVs showing the Phillies - I guess Flyers playoffs are more important than Harry - but we did get to see his sons throw the first pitches to Michael Jack Schmidt, John Kruk and Jimmy Rollins. Then, Harry's son Kane sang the national anthem. I got chills watching some of the players, such as Jamie Moyer, break up during the ceremonies.

The bar had sound for the Flyers game only, so we couldn't get the full effect of the Phillies' half-inning silent broadcast.

We had a nice meal and headed home to "watch" the game on the radio. Larry Andersen explained at length about the ugly tie he wore (Christine picked up on L.A.'s odd look when the TV broadcast showed him). In a nutshell, it was one of Harry's ties, and Andersen has a connection to his paisley ties.

As we listened at home, the Padres slowly chipped away at Cole Hamels and the Phils' 7-1 lead and wound up winning 8-7. Christine was a little vocal during the game. However, the Red Sox did the reverse to the Orioles. Brad Penny was awful tonight and put the Sox down by seven runs after two innings. But the Sox struck back and won 10-8.

Another game Christine won't see: Monday. That's because I won another prize from the Inquirer. It's not the tickets for suites at the 76ers or Flyers playoff games we'd been hoping for, or the Daily News Home Run Payoff, but something Christine has wanted: tickets to an advance screening of Earth.

It's not all-you-can eat wings and beer, but I'll take a free show featuring bears.

Super Sunday

In reverence to the big game, there seems to be a dearth of SoxandPhils news. Nick Cafardo has some interesting nuggets on Jason Varitek's worth, Joe Torre's insight on Alex Rodriguez and teams facing dilemmas with out-of-option players this spring. But there's no big issue for a blogger to chew on. Phil Sheridan is in Tampa, and the rest of the Phillies writers seem to be on vacation, switching jobs or casualties of the newspaper industry's failure to weather the economy.

So on such a day, I think even Christine will acknowledge that baseball takes a back seat for football. But I don't think she will give the sport more than today - tomorrow we resume counting the days until spring training. {I just want this game to be over with.}

Game on: Finally, on the last week of the season, I remember to post playoff predictions before the games start. I'll pick the usually crowd-pleasing Budweiser Clydesdales to win the commercial wars; Buster to win the Puppy Bowl (I like the quiet confidence in his eyes); and the Steelers to win 37-30.


Update: The MLB Network is back on Verizon FIOS. I hope the other night was some kind of glitch, but I bet they're just messing with me.

Those rat finks

Since MLB Network launched on Jan. 1, Christine and I have wondered whether the Verizon rep I spoke with last month was mistaken when she said the channel is part of a premium package or whether I would flip on channel 86 one night and get a blank screen.

I've been hooked on the channel, and I thought that because we didn't get any kind of constant reminders telling us to order the channel, that it was included in the basic service after all.

But tonight, I got the blank screen.

What a crock.

Where am I going to get breathless ticker updates telling me that the Pirates are in "serious" negotiations with Eric Hinske?

Where am I going to hear about the exploits of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds that end with the damning "but later on, there were whispers about steroids?"

And where am I going to see the dumbfounded face of Barry Larkin, who can't grasp that Ken Griffey Jr. isn't 24 years old and worthy of being a Type A free agent anymore?

Most importanlty, how am I going to convince Christine that we should splurge on the sports package to get all this cheese?

I don't know, but I can't believe I'm more upset about losing the baseball channel than the very real possibility that come tomorrow morning, we'll learn that Jason Varitek would rather sit home than get $5 million to play for the Red Sox as they attempt to wrest the World Series trophy back from the Phillies. {Not gonna happen. The wresting, that is. I have no opinion on Varitek.}

24-7

Have you ever eaten so much of your favorite food that you made yourself sick and couldn't even look at it again? We're close to that point with Phillies World Series games, thanks to the new MLB Network, which seems to be included in the basic FIOS package after all.

Other than showing the same things (a couple news shows, Don Larsen's perfect game and the 2008 World Series) ad nauseam, I love the new network.

I was a bit worried when I read a quote from MLB Network president Tony Petitti saying, "This isn't MLB Classic" because that's precisely what I was hoping for. And so far, it appears that it is filling the void left by ESPN Classic, ever since the worldwide leader decided poker and rodeo qualify as classics. Thankfully, the new baseball network has more respect for legitimate sports history - we even saw some newsreel of the 1946 World Series last night. Why did Johnny Pesky hold onto that ball?

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that some of the repetitive programming will subside once the network gets a bit more established. My only real gripe is with its whitewashing of baseball history, such as saying that Cal Ripken and Ken Griffey Jr. - not the now-tainted home run race of 1998 - saved baseball after the 1994 strike and that the reason Andre Dawson got no contract offers in 1987 was because of his injury history without mention of the owners' collusion.

All in all, I'm very happy with the new network and will probably tune in to the their show on 1995 tonight to see how The Kid saved baseball.

Two more to go

We woke up tired but excited this morning. Christine is still sleeping as I write this, but she'll be up soon and I think I can speak for her on this one, after the Phillies crazy 5-4 Game 3 win that ended in the bottom of the 9th with a bases-loaded little dribbler to third. {Actually, I was awake when Greg was writing this. I lounged in bed for a bit, watching game highlights again on Comcast SportsNet. And maybe some 90210.}

I'll spare the details because I'm sure this game will be rehashed to death even though it's the all-important week eight of the NFL season.

Before Mitch Williams said it on the post-game show, and before the Phillies locked up this tenuous, rain-delayed, Saturday-into-Sunday game, I said that if the Phillies won Games 3 and 4, there's no way they'll lose Game 5 with Cole Hamels.

Before 2003, the Red Sox teams were always burdened by the pressure to end the drought. We see that burden with the Cubs. But the 2008 Phillies don't treat it like a burden; they see it as a responsibility to bring one home for the fans. And if they have the opportunity to win in front of their fans, they won't mess around with it.

So in some ways, the season rests with Joe Blanton tonight. Scary thought until Christine reminded me that they Phillies haven't lost in his two postseason starts. If that trend continues, there's a good chance we can watch a clincher Monday without having to hear Tim McCarver and Joe Buck prattle on about 24, marvel over Joe Maddon's hat and spew incorrect information, such as Citizens Bank Park is a homer haven, Carlos Ruiz is from Venezuela and how Carl Crawford's speed ignited the Rays two-run rally in the 7th when it was clear to everyone except the deaf and blind umpire that he should have been called out.

We'd also miss Harry Kalas' call, but I'm sure in a city starved for a championship, they might play that two or three million times in the offseason.

So it's up to Blanton: Win and this thing's probably done in five; lose and it becomes a three-game set for all the marbles.

By the way, have I mentioned my love for Verizon FIOS? It couldn't work miracles when TBS crapped out for the beginning of Game 6 in the ALCS, but at least it's not screwing up working broadcasts.

I did manage to catch nearly all the game. When the Rays switched pitchers in the 8th, I dozed during the commercial break and missed Chase Utley's strikeout and Jayson Werth stealing second and then getting picked off. I was up after that. Christine says she struggled around this time, but her displeasure with Utley's strikeout snapped her out of it.

Important update! 10:34 a.m.: I found the fishy song that was used to introduce the Rays! It's called Fishy Fishy Fishy by Sandi and Stevie. Here's a short clip. It's still undetermined whether this was played by the Fox broadcast or if this was played at the ballpark.

[Photo credit: Philadelphia Inquirer]