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BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, in his sixth try, Jamie Moyer finally earned his 250th career victory, beating the Nationals, 4-2. And, after the game, the Phillies surprised him in the clubhouse with a champagne toast. The vintage, which came in bottles marked by "250," was Armand de Brignac (Shane Victorino tells us it's the champagne promoted in commercials by Jay-Z). Here's a picture of the bottles, captured by Philled In's high-quality camera phone.
Moyer is only the 44th pitcher all-time to reach 250 career wins -- and, at 46 years and 194 days, he's also the oldest. He allowed one run on a homer by Josh Willingham in six walk-free innings. He set down the final seven batters he faced and allowed only three hits against a Nationals offense that entered with the National League's fourth-highest batting average (.268) and third-most home runs (55). The Nats may be a joke, but their lineup -- featuring Nick Johnson, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Willingham -- certainly is not.
After posting a 13.86 ERA in three starts from May 2-13, Moyer has a more manageable 4.00 ERA in his last three starts.
More on Moyer here, and even more later.
(Updated, 8:13 p.m.): You might think May was a rough month for Moyer, and after today's game, he admitted he's happy that June has arrived. But, compared to some of the adversity tackled by Moyer during his 23-year career, a 13.86 ERA in three starts against the Mets and Dodgers was like a vacation. Early in his career, Moyer was released three times in 2-1/2 years. He has been traded three times. And, in 1992, he was told by the Cubs -- not to mention his father-in-law, Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps -- to retire and go into coaching.
"As usual, I didn't listen to him because I'm not a basketball player," Moyer said today. "And I'm assuming a lot of his basketball players didn't [listen] either."
Needless to say, 17 years later, Moyer wasn't about to listen to the masses who have been wondering if, now 46 and the oldest player in the majors, he's finally finished. Suffice it to say, he's not. Today's effort -- and, to a larger degree, his 4.00 ERA in his last three starts -- indicates that he has plenty of starts left, and with Brett Myers likely out for the rest of the season, the Phillies need Moyer more than ever.
"He's one of those guys where you really want to watch him throw so you can learn how to pitch," Brad Lidge said. "There's maybe one or two other guys ever that have done what he's done post-30, 35. It's hard to imagine how long his career has been, how successful he's been, as he's gotten older."
Well said.
(Updated, 10:21 p.m.): Some fun with numbers: The Phillies are 10-2 against the Nats this season, 18-18 against everyone else. ... At 13-36, the Nats have matched the 1962 Mets' record through 49 games. Those miserable Mets, of course, set a major-league record for futility at 40-120. ... On July 27, 2007, John Lannan broke Chase Utley's right hand with a high-and-inside fastball. Since then, Utley is 8-for-15 with two homers and five RBIs against Lannan. How's that for payback? ... Finally, the Phils are about to open a 10-game road trip. Their three opponents -- the Padres, Dodgers and Mets -- are a combined 52-20 at home. Good thing, I suppose, that the Phillies have the majors' best road record (16-6).
All for now.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, after Ryan Howard went upper tank last night, I asked him if there are some home runs that he remembers more than others.
"Ones like these, obviously, are ones that stick out in your mind," he said. "But it's the ones that provide big moments to help your team win, those you remember."
It all got me thinking: Years from now, when your children and grandchildren ask about Howard, which home run will you tell them about first? Will it be the 496-foot blast off Florida's Sergio Mitre on April 23, 2006, that, legend has it, landed in an ice-cream cart on Ashburn Alley? Or will it be the June 20, 2006 clout against the Yankees' Mike Mussina that touched down in a seat later marked with an 'H' to commemorate the first upper-deck homer at Citizens Bank Park? How about the 505-foot poke over the brick batter's eye against Cincinnati's Aaron Harang on June 27, 2007, and of course, the twin homers in Game 4 of the 2008 World Series?
That brings us to last night and Howard's latest titanic home run, his franchise-record eighth grand slam into the third deck in right field against previously undefeated Nationals starter Shairon Martis that propelled the Phillies to a 9-6 victory.
In the annals of Howard's greatest hits, it was more than worthy.
So, which one will you tell your grandkids about?
***
In case you missed it, Antonio Francisco Bastardo (is that a great name, or what?) will start Tuesday night in San Diego. Want to know more about Bastardo? Check out today's notebook. And within the Sunday MLB notes, we look at the chances that the Phillies can trade for Jake Peavy.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
And the Tuesday night start goes to ...
(drumroll)
... Antonio Bastardo.
That's right. After tonight's game, the Phillies announced that Bastardo, the 23-year-old left-hander who has emerged as arguably their most prized pitching prospect, will start Tuesday night against the Padres in San Diego. Bastardo was picked over right-handers Kyle Kendrick and Drew Carpenter, both of whom have major-league experience. In part, I'm sure Bastardo was selected because he'd been scheduled to pitch Tuesday night at Class AAA Lehigh Valley. But he also was outpitching Kendrick, Carpenter and just about every other pitcher in the Phillies' farm system.
Some background on Bastardo: He was a successful starter for the past two seasons. Last year, he was 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in five starts at Class A Clearwater before going 2-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts at Class AA Reading, but he also missed nearly two months with shoulder inflammation. After inviting him to major-league camp this spring, the Phillies decided to make him a reliever. Then, after noticing improvement in his slider last month, they returned to the starting rotation at Reading.
Ultimately, it may turn out to be their most serendipitous move this season.
Bastardo was 2-2 with a 1.82 ERA in nine appearances (five starts) at Reading. Since being promoted to Lehigh Valley, he was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA. Last month, pitching coach Rich Dubee said Bastardo typically throws his fastball from 90-93 mph. But it's the development of his slider that has made him so effective. At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, some scouts have compared his body type to Johan Santana.
"We've got some real good reports on him," Charlie Manuel said. "He's had two real good outings since he's been at Triple-A, and he was real good at Double-A."
For the time being, the Phillies will have four left-handed starters, but Manuel said he's not concerned about a rotation that leans more to the left than Nancy Pelosi.
"Doesn't matter to me," he said. "I like lefties. I had rotations in the minor leagues with four lefties. That's fine with me."
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Having made his way back from New York, Brett Myers was sitting in the Phillies' clubhouse after tonight's 5-4 win over the Nationals. And he spoke candidly -- and volumniously -- about his gut-wrenching, but ultimately sensible, decision to have hip surgery. The procedure, which is expected to sideline Myers until at least September and possibly for the duration of the season, will be performed next week by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital For Special Surgery in New York. Kelly is the hip specialist who operated on Chase Utley in November. Here's a partial transcript of Myers' comments:
"I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. [Kelly] pretty much flat-out today told me that he can give me a cortisone shot, but that's just going to make it worse. Any time 'hip replacement' comes out of a doctor's mouth, that's not good. He made it clear that further damage could lead to that.
"I've never had surgery before, so I don't know what kind of pain I'm going to be in. He told me it's similar to Chase's, but he's more precautious with pitchers than he would be with position players because of the constant use of the hip and the leg and the way we contort our bodies. I told him, 'I want to be back in September,' but he's like, 'It's kind of a long shot.'
"When he told me today that there's a chance, if I do the cortisone shot, you could mess the labrum up more, wear the cartilage down more. A cortisone shot may relieve some of the pain and pressure, but it's not going to relieve the popping and the clicking and the locking up of the hip. I was like, 'I can get through that. I've went through that pretty much the whole year.' But he also told me, 'You can hurt your arm possibly because you'll lose strength in your hip, and you won't be using your lower half to throw the ball.' I'm like, 'That makes sense, too. Is there any way away from surgery?' He's like, 'No, regardless of whether you finish pitching this year or get it now, it's going to have to be done, and if you tear it even more or mess it up even more, in five or 10 years, there's a possibility of a hip replacement.' So, I was like, 'Uh, can we go now?' I mean, it's not painful to walk or anything like that, so I didn't think it was anything serious.
"If you read [Kelly's] credentials, they're impeccable. It didn't matter if he did Chase's or not. There's only three specialists in the United States, I guess, and he's the top one. It's a little more comforting that he's done a whole bunch of them. He told me today that he's done more than 1,500 of them. I guess every week he has at least five or six. He knows what he's doing. I was a little more comfortable with how he explained it to me. It wasn't as bad after talking with him and asking about recovery time and where the incision's got to go and all that other stuff you might want to know before surgery. Of course, you're nervous and scared, but it was going to happen regardless. It was better now than after the season.
"The thing with free agency really doesn't come into factor. The only thing that would is that if the team knows at the end of the year that I absolutely have to have surgery and I'm still hurt, then they have nothing to kind of look at to see if I'm going to be healthy. If I get it now, then they'll at least know by the end of the season if I'm healthy."
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Still nothing official from the Phillies, but Brett Myers' father, Phil, has told the Times-Union of Jacksonville, Fla., that Myers will undergo surgery Thursday to repair the torn labrum in his left hip. Dr. Bryan Kelly will perform the surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Kelly, you may remember, operated on Chase Utley in November. The best-case scenario is that Myers will be ready to pitch by September, but it's possible he'll be lost for the season.
More as we get it.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Pardon me, but I'm having flashbacks to June 10, 2007. I was in Kansas City that day, talking to then-assistant GM Mike Arbuckle about which pitcher from the Phillies' farm system -- J.D. Durbin, Zack Segovia, or some unknown kid from double-A named Kyle Kendrick -- would make a spot start the following week in place of injured Freddy Garcia. Yeah, it seems like just yesterday.
Well, here we are.
The Phillies are not in Kansas City, although Arbuckle is. Who knows where Garcia is these days, but Brett Myers is awaiting his appointment with New York hip specialist Dr. Bryan Kelly, who likley will concur with team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti's diagnosis that the sooner Myers has surgery the faster he'll be ready to resume pitching. And the question facing GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and his inner circle today is which pitcher from the Phillies' farm system -- Carlos Carrasco, Drew Carpenter, Antonio Bastardo, or some well-known kid from triple-A named Kyle Kendrick -- will make a spot start next week in Myers' place.
In an ideal world, the Phillies would stay away from Kendrick, who hasn't made as much progress in developing his secondary pitches as they would like. But this is hardly an ideal situation, and Kendrick does have 21 wins in the big leagues over the past two seasons. If, as Rich Dubee said in spring training, Kendrick was the initial favorite to win the No. 5 starter job, shouldn't he be the favorite to pitch Tuesday night in San Diego?
Then again, Kendrick was passed over two weeks ago when Carpenter spot started in the second game of a doubleheader in Washington. And if Carpenter proved anything, it's that he wasn't quite ready. He allowed five runs and 11 base runners (eight hits, three walks) in only 4-1/3 innings and earned the victory only because the Phillies were playing the lowly Nationals and the game was shortened to six innings because of rain.
Carrasco is the Phillies' top pitching prospect, and there's no question they were hoping he'd be ready to step into a situation like this. But he's 0-6 with a 5.81 ERA at Lehigh Valley, and some insiders say he's close to being surpassed as the top prospect by Bastardo, who has a 1.89 ERA between double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley and pitched seven scoreless innings last night. Bastardo would be in line to pitch Tuesday night and could be a feasible option.
Anyway, we'll try to have some Phillies folks shed some light on all this during the day today. Meantime, please continue to weigh in with your picks: Kendrick, Carpenter, Carrasco or Bastardo? You choose.
***
(Updated, 5:04 p.m.): As I type, Myers is in New York, talking to Dr. Kelly. We're hoping to have an update before the game starts. If the Phillies have decided who will make his start Tuesday night, they aren't saying. One thing we do know: It won't be Chan Ho Park. Even now, with Myers likely headed to the operating table, Manuel believes Park will be more effective in the bullpen than the rotation. Ruben Amaro Jr. said it most likely will be someone from Lehigh Valley (our four candidates fill that description). For what it's worth, Amaro said the Phillies have no interest in 37-year-old free agent Pedro Martinez.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So there I was Wednesday, chatting up Ruben Amaro Jr. to gather material for an off-day story that would run in Friday's News Journal. It was going well, too. Amid growing hysteria that the Phillies absolutely, positively HAD to make a play for Jake Peavy or Roy Oswalt or even Jason Marquis or Brad Penny, Amaro admitted that he was in no rush to make a trade. In fact, he said he actually was beginning to feel pretty good again about the Phils' starting rotation.
"I've seen kind of a trend over the last 10 days or so where things have kind of stabilized, which is what we thought would happen," Amaro told me. "Right now, I see a trend toward a more positive situation for our starting rotation. But, obviously, things can change day to day."
Well ...
It's safe to say things have changed. Within hours of Amaro uttering those words, Brett Myers hobbled off the mound in the sixth inning, his balky left hip having flared once again and more violently than ever. And yesterday, an MRI exam revealed fraying and possible tearing of the labrum, dense tissue and cartilage that attaches to the hip socket.
The diagnosis from team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti: Surgery.
In fact, surgery is inevitable. The only question is whether Myers can put it off until the offseason and pitch through the pain. He will get a second opinion from Dr. Bryan Kelly, the New York hip specialist who operated on Chase Utley in November, but Myers likely will hear exactly what Ciccotti told him. Surgery, immediate surgery, is the best solution, and if he has surgery, Ciccotti estimates a three- to four-month rehabilitation. That would sideline Myers until early- to mid-September, at the earliest, and even then, he'd need to make some rehab starts before he would be ready to step on a major-league mound. It isn't unreasonable, then, to suggest that Myers' season -- and possibly his Phillies career -- may be over. Myers is in the final season of a three-year, $25.75 million contract.
But there may be one other option. As Baseball Prospectus injury analyst Will Carroll noted in a telephone conversation last night, Alex Rodriguez had surgery in March that mended his torn hip labrum enough that he was able to rejoin the Yankees a few weeks ago. The catch: Even if A-Rod is able to make it through the season, he'll likely need to have another surgery in the winter to fully repair the problem. But at least he didn't have to miss most of the season, like Utley would have if he'd have had his hip surgery during the season.
"For me, the question is, can [Myers] have that Alex Rodriguez hybrid surgery and come back in eight to 12 weeks," Carroll told Philled In. "Eight weeks is awfully aggressive for a pitcher. Twelve, maybe that's possible, but it's so tough that I can't see a way, even if he has the A-Rod surgery, to have him come back."
Of course, we don't know much about Myers' injury. Ciccotti said it's similar in nature to Utley's, although it's in a slightly different area of the hip, and we have no idea how it compares to A-Rod's or Mike Lowell's. Also, it's rare that a pitcher would have an injury like this, Carroll said. So, we don't know if the rehab time for Myers would be slower or faster than for a hitter like Utley. The irony, of course, is that Myers is never injured. He has been on the disabled list only once during his eight-year major-league career (in 2007 for a strained right shoulder). Just the other day, in fact, I was talking to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, and we agreed that Myers would get a big contract on the free-agent market because of his durability.
Regardless, it's not a good situation for the Phillies. For better or worse, Myers is their second-best starter after Cole Hamels, and he has been their steadiest starter for most of the season. Considering the struggles of Jamie Moyer, the inconsistency of Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ's relative lack of experience, the seemingly manufactured urgency to swing a deal appears to have grown more legitimate.
Wasn't able to reach Amaro last night, although I assume he no longer sees the starting rotation "trending in a positive direction." I don't think he'll rush into any trade either. He doesn't want to mortgage the farm system for a quick fix, nor should he. But I don't think any of the Phils' prospects are untouchable. Not anymore. In spring training, when the Lou Marson-for-Clay Buchholz rumors were floated (there was never any validity to that), I advocated making that trade, even though the Phillies like Marson. This team's time to win another championship is now, and from what I've seen, the only thing keeping it from running away with the NL East is a spotty starting rotation that will be further weakened if Myers lands on Kelly's operating table.
Consider this Amaro's first major challenge as GM, and if nothing else, it'll be fascinating to watch how he deals with it.
***
Interesting question from Carroll: Myers' velocity dipped earlier this season, and you have to wonder if he was using his legs more to compensate for a loss of arm strength. Perhaps that's what caused his hip to flare and for the condition to worsen. Myers said he's had hip pain in previous seasons, but it has come and gone.
One thing we do know: Myers admitted the hip affected his command, at least on Wednesday night, and helped contribute to the location problems that caused him to give up a majors-leading 17 home runs.
***
Don't forget to weigh in on our poll question in the post directly below. Assuming Myers can't make his next start (at this point, an extremely safe assumption), and assuming the Phillies decide to keep Chan Ho Park in the bullpen (another strong bet), who should face the Padres on Wednesday night at Petco Park?
a) Kyle Kendrick
b) Drew Carpenter
c) Carlos Carrasco
d) Antonio Bastardo
e) Vance Worley
More later.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Brett Myers will get a second opinion on his injured left hip. And if he doesn't like what he hears, he may even get a third. Regardless, even before it's determined that he'll need surgery, two things are immediately evident:
1. The Phillies' need to trade for a starting pitcher has become more urgent.
2. Without any days off until June 8, the Phillies will need a starting pitcher for Tuesday night's game in San Diego.
So, while I make more calls and try to pin down more details, I'll ask you this: If the Phillies call up a starter from the minors to pitch Tuesday (a more likely scenario than putting Chan Ho Park back in the rotation), which pitcher is the best choice:
a) Kyle Kendrick: 4-3, 4.25 ERA, 53 IP, 58 H, 20 BB, 34 K at Lehigh Valley
b) Drew Carpenter: 2-0, 3.61 ERA, 47.1 IP, 45 H, 19 BB, 29 K at Lehigh Valley
c) Carlos Carrasco: 0-6, 5.81 ERA, 48 IP, 57 H, 13 BB, 52 K at Lehigh Valley
d) Antonio Bastardo: 3-2, 1.89 ERA, 47.2 IP, 32 H, 10 BB, 51 K at Reading/LV
e) Vance Worley: 4-2, 2.83 ERA, 57.1 IP, 42 H, 10 BB, 42 K at Reading
BY SCOTT LAUBER
From Ruben Amaro Jr. after Brett Myers' MRI exam today:
"After speaking with Phillies team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti this afternoon, Brett Myers had an X-ray last night that revealed bone spurring in his right hip joint. He had an MRI this afternoon that revealed fraying and possible tearing in the labrum of the hip. Brett will seek a second opinion from a hip specialist to be determined.
"It is possible that Brett will not make his next start. That decision as well as any decision on a possible DL stint or surgery will be determined at a later date."
It's conceivable, then, that Myers, a free agent after the season, has thrown his last pitch for the Phillies.
Much more on this coming.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Just in from the Phillies: Harry Kalas will be inducted to the team's Wall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 7 at Citizens Bank Park.
Kalas, as y'all know, passed away last month. He was the Phillies' play-by-play voice for 39 years and called 6,037 games. To put that in perspective, Mike Schmidt holds the franchise record for games played with 2,404. Kalas was inducted to the broadcaster's wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
"When we started the Wall of Fame in 1978, the intent was to honor the great players in our history," team president David Montgomery said in a statement. "We believe it is fitting to make an exception because Harry deserves to be remembered along with some of the greatest names in our history. He is indeed a Phillies icon. Being a Wall of Famer is our organization's highest honor. There's no doubt Harry should receive such recognition."
BY SCOTT LAUBER
A few notes while we await the results of Brett Myers' MRI:
One week into spring training, Pedro Feliz still wasn't swinging a bat. His recovery from offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back was going more slowly than expected, leaving his readiness for opening day in some doubt. One thing, though, seemed assured: With infield prospect Jason Donald learning to play third base, the Phillies weren't likely to pick up their $5 million option on Feliz's contract for 2010.
Uh, not so fast ...
Two months into the season, Feliz is batting .307 with 25 RBIs and a team-leading 13 doubles. He's playing his usual Gold Glove-caliber third base. And with Donald struggling at Lehigh Valley (and now dealing with a sore hamstring, evidently), Feliz is looking more and more like a guy who factors into the Phillies' 2010 plans.
"Him playing well, there's nothing bad about it. It's all good," Ruben Amaro Jr. told Philled In yesterday. "I really hope he does put us in a position to say, 'Hey, this guy's less expendable than maybe he would've been a couple years ago.'"
***
We'll get into this more over the weekend, as J.C. Romero makes his final minor-league appearances at Lehigh Valley. But with Romero eligible to be activated Wednesday after serving his 50-game suspension, the Phillies have a roster move to make, and they seemingly have two choices:
a) Send lefty Jack Taschner, their only reliever who still has options (he can go to the minors without clearing waivers), to Lehigh Valley. Taschner has a solid 3.92 ERA in 15 appearances, but he has walked 15 batters in 20-2/3 innings and lefties are batting .318 against him.
b) Return slugging reserve outfielder John Mayberry Jr. to Lehigh Valley, leaving only four players on the bench. Mayberry hit his first major-league home run last Saturday at Yankee Stadium, but he hasn't gotten an at-bat since Sunday.
Personally, I'd keep Mayberry and stash Tasch in the minors, adding to the Phillies' stable of veteran relievers at Triple-A (Gary Majewski, Mike Koplove, Tyler Walker, etc.). What would you do?
***
Two interesting stats about Jimmy Rollins:
a) Until the fifth inning last night, he hadn't grounded into a double play in 259 at-bats, since Sept. 7, 2008.
b) After hitting 30 homers in 162 games in 2007 and winning the NL MVP, he has hit only 14 in 186 games. Charlie Manuel believes Rollins has been pitched differently since his MVP season, namely he has seen more high fastballs out of the strike zone and slow breaking balls than hittable fastballs. And as long as Rollins keeps chasing those bad pitches, he'll keep getting them. But Manuel also believes Rollins' homer-hitting days aren't a thing of the past. "If he did it once, why can't he do it again?" he said. "He's 30 years old."
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Brett Myers is nervous.
Myers left tonight's game against the Marlins in the sixth inning with what the Phillies are terming "right hip inflammation." He said the pain, which he describes as a "sharp pinching that runs from my hip down to my knee sometimes," has existed on and off for the past month, but was more persistent tonight, especially when he pitched from the stretch. He's scheduled to undergo an MRI exam tomorrow.
Minutes ago, Myers hobbled to the table in the center of the Phillies' clubhouse and expressed concern that it may be something serious.
"Today was the worst it's been in the whole month," he said. "It was pretty bad out of the stretch. Sometimes it'll kind of give way. It's kind of hard to finish pitches when you don't have your back leg pushing off. Against the Yankees, I was feeling it, but it wasn't too bad. It was maybe once an inning. But tonight, it was every second or third pitch that it was bothering me. Hopefully, there's nothing serious with it, and there's some treatment I can do to get rid of it.
"For the past couple of years it's bothered me, but it hasn't been that bad. It was hard to put pressure on my back leg out of the stretch. It usually will come on one pitch and go away for a while. I felt it probably in the second inning in warm-ups, and it kind of went away. I felt it again in the third inning, and in the stretch, it got pretty bad. I was going to try to get through it and keep the ball down. But stuff started flattening out in the stretch. You've just got to try to power through it.
"I'm kind of nervous because I've never been hurt really bad. I don't really like needles either. It's when I put pressure on it out of the stretch or when I push off. More than anything, I feel it as my leg is following through. It was doing it probably every two, three pitches tonight, which it hadn't done in the past. It's kind of hard [to diagnose]. It's not like I can put my finger right on it, unless I feel it. You can tell the trainers anything you want. I've been doing exercises for a month trying to get rid of it. Tonight it was acting up.
"It usually happens every year about a month after we get into the season. I've always thought, 'Fine, it locked up one time. I'll get over it. Just keep pitching.' Tonight, it was doing it every couple pitches, and I knew something wasn't right. Today was definitely the worst it's been."
Keep this in mind: If Myers has to miss a start or go on the disabled list, Kyle Kendrick pitched tonight for Lehigh Valley. He allowed three runs on nine hits and didn't walk a batter in a victory at Buffalo, and for the season, he's 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA.
More later and in tomorrow's News Journal.
(Updated, 11:54 p.m.): We've learned that Myers also had an X-ray after the game that showed "some jaggedness," he said. The MRI will reveal more about what's going on in that hip, so check back here tomorrow for details.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, we haven't written much about it here at Philled In (shame on us), but surely, you've noticed it.
Ryan Howard's defense has improved.
A lot.
Last season, Howard made 19 errors, three shy of the Phillies' record for a first baseman. Fred Luderus committed 22 errors in 1916. But Howard has dropped nearly 30 pounds since the end of the World Series, going from 275 to 248. It's the lightest he's been since he was drafted, he said today. He also started working with new infield coach Sam Perlozzo in January, mostly to fine tune his footwork around the bag. And the results have been obvious. Howard committed only his first error of the season last night, a poor throw in the ninth inning. Howard said he has gotten compliments on his defensive improvement from opposing coaches and players. A few weeks ago, Dodgers backup first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, always known for his defense, made a point to tell Howard how much better he looks in the field.
But Howard always was capable of this. The first time Charlie Manuel ever laid eyes on Howard, it was his glove that he noticed. Howard was playing at Class A Clearwater in 2003 when he made two diving catches in one inning. Manuel was impressed that such a big man could be so agile.
So, what happened over the years? People around the Phillies believe Howard hasn't been as conscientious about his defense as he has about his offense. Quite simply, he hasn't worked as hard. But, as he told us a few weeks ago in St. Louis, he wants to be known as a complete player, not just a slugger. So, he got to work with Perlozzo, and just look at the results.
"People always told me I had good hands," Howard said today. "It was just a matter of getting in the right position to make plays. I'm lighter, but with the way my starts are now, I'm getting better jumps on the ball and it's easier to get to the ball."
More in tomorrow's News Journal.
***
Tonight's lineup against Marlins RHP Burke Badenhop (2-2, 5.75):
SS Jimmy Rollins
CF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
LF Raul Ibanez
RF Jayson Werth
3B Pedro Feliz
C Carlos Ruiz
RHP Brett Myers (4-2, 4.34)
BY SCOTT LAUBER
If you're a regular reader of Philled In, you know I'm a big fan of politics. And, in baseball, there's nothing more political than the All-Star balloting. That's probably why, if the voting ended today, Raul Ibanez wouldn't be a starter for the National League.
Crazy, isn't it?
Ibanez is batting .345 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs, yet he's running sixth in the voting among outfielders with 399,969 votes. He trails the Brewers' Ryan Braun (663,164), the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano (545,354), the Mets' Carlos Beltran (476,863), suspended Dodgers' outfielder Manny Ramirez (442,763) and the Brewers' Mike Cameron (432,034).
How are the other Phillies faring?
Well, Chase Utley is leading second basemen with 675,596 votes, well ahead of the Brewers' Rickie Weeks (401,918). Ryan Howard ranks third among first basemen with 294,830 votes, well behind the Cardinals' Albert Pujols (842,058) and the Brewers' Prince Fielder (427,284). Jimmy Rollins is running third among shortstops with 321,098 votes, but he's in a close race with the Brewers' J.J. Hardy (403,269) and the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez (365,746). And among outfielders, Shane Victorino is 10th (300,385) and Jayson Werth is 12th (217,670).
Balloting will continue at MLB.com through Sunday, June 28.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, rather than continuing to rehash the series of miscues that led to last night's loss to the Marlins (there's enough of that in today's News Journal), I thought we'd look ahead to tonight's game. In that vein, I spent a few minutes with Joe Blanton yesterday. Blanton hasn't pitched particularly well this season, as evidenced by the 7.11 ERA that he'll lug to the mound tonight. But after his outing last Thursday in Cincinnati, he seemed to have an awakening.
To recap: Blanton had sailed through four innings against the Reds before yielding five runs in the fifth and slashing a 6-0 Phillies lead to 6-5. So, after the game, we naturally asked how everything unraveled so quickly. Blanton noted that he has been far more effective when there aren't any runners on base, and the numbers support that claim. With the bases empty, opponents are batting .286 (32-for-112) with three home runs against him. But when runners reach base and Blanton pitches out of the stretch, opponents are batting .342 (25-for-73) with six homers. And with runners in scoring position, the numbers rise to .381 (16-for-42) with four homers.
Since Thursday, Blanton has been watching video, and he spotted a slight mechanical flaw when he pitches out of the stretch. Basically, it has to do with how he comes set, and it's preventing his arm from following through completely. He thinks he has corrected the problem (he really won't know until he pitches tonight), and he's expecting to have more success against the Marlins.
"It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference," Blanton said. "With this little adjustment, hopefully that will be the cure."
***
Also within the notebook today, there's more on John Mayberry Jr. and J.C. Romero. It'll be interesting to see what happens next week when Romero finishes serving his 50-game suspension. The Phillies will have to make a roster move, and it would seem they have two choices: a) they can send Mayberry back to Lehigh Valley and use a short, four-man bench; b) they can send a pitcher (likely Jack Taschner) to Lehigh Valley and still keep 12 pitchers.
What would you do?
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Shane Victorino screwed up.
He knows it, too.
Trailing 5-3 in the ninth inning tonight and facing hard-throwing Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom, against whom the Phillies staged a seven-run ninth-inning rally April 24 in Miami, Victorino drew a leadoff walk. Matt Stairs, the free-swinging slugger with the flair for pinch-hitting dramatics, stepped to the plate as the tying run. But Victorino was caught stealing second (it wasn't even close), killing the potential rally.
"I made a stupid mistake," Victorino said later. "I'll face the questions. I told myself to stay out of the double play, but I need to be safe. There's no excuses to the fact that I f'd up. Stupid situation there. But, hey, I made a stupid mistake. I'm not going to second-guess myself right there. I'll face the reality that I messed up. Charlie [Manuel] spoke to me about it, told me I needed to be safe. I told him, 'The fact of the matter is I'm out.' That's where we are right now. All I can say is it was a stupid play on my part, and I need to be safe."
Manuel lectured Victorino in the dugout. He acknowledged that Lindstrom is relatively slow to the plate (the Phils timed him at 1.37 seconds, and anything over 1.35 is considered slow), but in that situation, with Stairs representing the potential tying run, Victorino has to stay put.
"Evidently, it was his decision," Manuel said. "It was a mistake. We like to talk about our running game, but you've got to know when to run."
And in that situation, you don't run.
***
Something that didn't make its way into your newspaper: Jamie Moyer made a close pitch to Wes Helms in a 2-2 count in the fourth inning, but plate umpire Marvin Hudson called it a ball. One pitch later, Moyer served up a middle-of-the-plate changeup that Helms hammered into the left-field seats for a three-run homer. Asked if he thought the questionable 2-2 pitch was a strike, Moyer said, "It doesn't really matter what I think. You need to go ask Marvin."
***
In case you were wondering (I was), Manuel said the Phillies were trying to pitch around Ronny Paulino in the sixth inning, forcing the Marlins to either pinch-hit for pitcher Chris Volstad or send him to the plate. Moyer ran the count to 3-0 before Paulino laced an RBI single up the middle. "It was a pitch-around, and I really didn't do a good job with that either," Moyer said. "I should've thrown it to the backstop."
***
Adding insult to injury, Helms and Paulino, both Phillies castoffs, drove in all five Marlins runs. Helms had his first four-RBI game since 2004.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, I appeared on a radio show this afternoon on WIP and was asked if the Phillies would consider pulling Brad Lidge from the closer spot, especially after J.C. Romero returns from his 50-game suspension next week. My answer: "Absolutely not."
Turns out, Charlie Manuel had the same answer.
"I want Lidge to feel like we've got all the confidence in the world in him because I do," Manuel said about an hour ago in the Phillies' dugout. "People are going to voice opinions and all that and say, 'Sit him' and all this stuff. What's sitting going to do for him? Sooner or later, he's got to get back out there and pitch and get somebody out. What's going to be good for him is when he goes out and throws a good inning. He does that a couple days in a row, and then, I think you'll see a huge difference. Once he gets his command, he'll be off to the races. Sitting is just kind of prolonging it. That's how I'd look at it if I was a player. If I say to him, 'After the last two days, I'm going to give you a break or slide you into the seventh inning,' how would you feel? I'd say, 'Chuck don't like me too good.' Believe me, that's how I look at it.
"I think his stuff is there, and I think it's just a matter of him making more quality pitches and cutting down on his walks. That's what I think. His stuff will play out over 162 games. That's what makes him a good closer. Will he blow some games? Sure. He had a perfect year last year. He wasn't going to top that. He had to have some letdown this season. And that's baseball."
Asked if he would consider using setup man Ryan Madson as the closer until Lidge gets his stuff together, Manuel said, "No. That's worse. What kind of message is that? That's really worse. That's what Houston did. They used to slide him in the sixth and seventh. What good did that do?"
The answer: It didn't do any good. In 2007, Lidge allowed six runs (three earned) and blew one save in his first two appearances and was removed from the closer role. If anything, then-Astros manager Phil Garner shook Lidge's confidence, and it took a trade to the Phillies after the '07 season for him to regain it.
More on Lidge in tomorrow's News Journal.
***
Tonight's lineup against Marlins RHP Chris Volstad (3-3, 3.64):
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
LF Raul Ibanez
1B Ryan Howard
RF Jayson Werth
CF Shane Victorino
3B Pedro Feliz
C Carlos Ruiz
LHP Jamie Moyer
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, in the June issue of Playboy (I read it only for the articles), Jimmy Rollins predicts a Phillies-Yankees matchup in the World Series.
Could it happen?
"We've proved we can put on a pretty good show," Rollins said.
No kidding.
You can't learn much from a three-game series in May, but here's one thing we know after watching the Phils and Yanks over the weekend at The House That George Built: We want to see more. The Phillies won the series with victories Friday (7-3) and Sunday (4-3), and they would've swept had Brad Lidge not coughed up Saturday's game in the ninth inning. Really, though, all three games could've gone either way.
The series had a little of everything. Seven home runs Friday night (four by the Phils, three by the Yanks). Back-to-back blown saves by Lidge. A series-opening homer by Rollins, already a villain across town in Flushing. No walks allowed by Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels. More hits by Raul Ibanez. The sudden clutchness of Melky Cabrera. Proof that Johnny Damon can still play. A shattered-bat home run by Mark Teixeira. Home runs No. 559 and No. 560 for Alex Rodriguez. A seemingly cordial pregame conversation between A-Rod and Jamie Moyer. Two infield hits in one game for Ryan Howard. An offensive awakening for Carlos Ruiz. John Mayberry Jr.'s first major-league home run, and of course, and a random dude wearing a Panama jersey misidentified as Mayberry's father by FOX.
There was something for everyone.
Just imagine how exciting it could be in October.
***
The Phillies were 8-2 on the road trip, raising their best-in-the-majors road record to 16-6. The downside, of course, is that they're back home this week, where they're only 8-12. That needs to change if the Phillies are going to maintain -- and extend -- their lead in the NL East.
Here's your primer for the series with the Marlins that opens tonight. More in a bit from the Bank.
MARLINS (20-25) at PHILLIES (24-18)
Tonight, 7:05: RHP Chris Volstad (3-3, 3.64) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (3-4, 7.62)
Tomorrow, 7:05: LHP Andrew Miller (1-1, 4.94) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (2-3, 7.11)
Wednesday, 7:05: TBA vs. RHP Brett Myers (4-2, 4.34)
Hot: Marlins RF Jeremy Hermida has a six-game hitting streak during which he's batting .370 (10-for-27); Marlins CF Cody Ross has 12 hits in his last 34 at-bats (.353); Phillies LF Raul Ibanez batted .395 (17-for-43) with seven homers and 17 RBIs during the 10-game road trip; Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins has 14 hits in his last 38 at-bats (.368).
Not: Marlins OF Chris Coghlan was in a 2-for-27 funk before going 3-for-5 Sunday; Marlins INF Wes Helms has one hit in his last 11 at-bats; Phillies RF Jayson Werth batted .184 (7-for-38) with 12 strikeouts during the 10-game road trip; Phillies 1B Ryan Howard was 2-for-14 with two infield singles in the three-game series against the Yankees.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Sometimes, when he catches Cole Hamels and there aren't runners on base, Carlos Ruiz sits on the ground behind home plate, his right leg splayed out to the side. I asked him once last season why he does it, and he told me it serves as a reminder to Hamels to keep his pitches low in the strike zone.
The first catcher I ever saw do that was Tony Pena.
These days, Pena is the Yankees' bench coach, and in many ways, Ruiz reminds me of him. Pena, like Ruiz, was known for his defense and game-calling. But he stayed in the majors for 17 seasons, many as a starter, because he also was a .260 career hitter. The Phillies believe Ruiz can hit .260, even though he batted only .219 last season. Rich Dubee even thinks he can be an All-Star. And on days like today, when Ruiz collected three hits including a game-winning RBI double in the 11th inning, he makes you think Dubee may be right. "Chooch" was 6-for-8 with a homer and three RBIs in two games against the Yankees, and in his last eight games, he's 14-for-32 (.438) with four doubles, one homer and eight RBIs, hiking his average to .302.
***
Maybe it was being in Yankee Stadium, but John Mayberry Jr. reminds me of Dave Winfield. He has the build (6-foot-6, 230 pounds), the long running stride, even the home-run stroke.
Who's with me?
Speaking of Mayberry, Charlie Manuel said after today's game that he's going to stay with the Phillies for a while. "How long is kind of up to big John," he said. In spring training, I thought Mayberry could be an asset to the Phillies as a right-handed hitter off the bench. I still feel that way. Should be interesting to see how consistent he can be at this level.
***
Several years ago, Derek Jeter said he didn't want anybody to announce his name at Yankee Stadium except longtime public-address man Bob Sheppard. But Sheppard, now 98 years old, has been sick, and in his absence, a recording of his legendary voice is played whenever Jeter comes to bat.
It has to be one of the coolest things in sports.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- So, as you settle in for today's Phillies-Yankees series finale, I know what you're thinking.
What's wrong with Brad Lidge?
Here at Philled In, we're wondering the same thing, especially after yesterday's ninth-inning meltdown. After the game, Lidge mentioned a few things: a) He insisted he's healthy; b) He was more frustrated by the leadoff walk to Johnny Damon than the full-count fastball that Alex Rodriguez hit for a home run; c) To improve his command, he's considering either making a mechanical adjustment when he's in the windup or simply starting every inning out of the stretch.
Asked Rich Dubee about Lidge this morning, and here's what he said:
"It's just being committed to what he's doing. There's a doubt right now about whether to throw the fastball or the slider. He needs to be decisive. Don't say maybe. Be committed to what you're doing. Just committ to it, throw it and throw it to a certain spot. The guy was 48-for-48 last year. Why change? He expects perfection, and when you don't get it, you start questioning yourself."
So, why is Lidge questioning himself?
Well, according to Dubee, his fastball command has been spotty. So, even though he needs to throw his fastball to set up his slider, he's been trying to throw the slider more often. He threw A-Rod five straight sliders yesterday before throwing a fastball that caught too much of the plate, and A-Rod pounded it over the short right-field fence here.
"He doesn't throw the fastball for strikes, so [the hitters] sit slider," Dubee said. "And if the slider's not up, they take it."More on this tomorrow in The News Journal and on http://www.delawareonline.com/.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Good morning from new Yankee Stadium. A few notes to pass along before we head into the Phillies' clubhouse to see what's what:
1. Charlie Manuel believes Brad Lidge is healthy. Why? Well, Lidge's velocity has been normal (mid-90s), and Manuel said yesterday that his follow-through is good. But today is Game 42, which means we're more than a quarter of the way through the season, and Lidge's ERA is 9.16 ERA. He's only 8-for-11 in save chances, and after allowing only 17 runs (15 earned) and two home runs all of last season, he already has given up 19 runs and six homers this year. Obviously, nobody expected Lidge to be perfect again. But nobody expected him to struggle like this either. The Phillies aren't about to do anything rash, like replace Lidge with Ryan Madson, but they have to be concerned about him, too.
2. With CC Sabathia starting for the Yankees, Chase Utley is getting a day off. Personally, I would've used today to give Ryan Howard a break. He's 0-for-9 in the series, hitless in his last 10 at-bats overall, and struggles big-time against lefties. But Manuel has opted to rest Utley instead. That's why he's the manager and I'm not, I suppose.
3. One day after hitting his first career homer, John Mayberry Jr. is back in the lineup, batting sixth. I'd like to see Mayberry stick around for a while. He's still raw, still a project, but after watching him hit well during the first half of spring training, I thought he'd be able to help the Phillies, even as a right-handed pinch-hitter. And, at age 25, the time for him to be in the big leagues is now.
4. Within our Sunday MLB notes, we take a closer look at new Yankee Stadium, which is beautiful, but totally unnecessary.
Hoping to write more about Lidge later today, so please check back for that. And, of course, enjoy your Sunday.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Since FOX showed the wrong guy on screen, here's a picture of the real John Mayberry Sr., who is at Yankee Stadium today with his wife and must be very proud of his son. (The elder Mayberry, by the way, hit 255 career homers in the majors. Not too shabby.) There's some symmetry here. John Sr.'s last major-league homer was a three-run shot at original Yankee Stadium on Aug. 8, 1982. Naturally, John Jr.'s first homer was a three-run shot at new Yankee Stadium. Pretty cool.Still not sure who the guy in the Panama jersey was, but I'll bet he's proud of his children, too.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- So, a few minutes after John Mayberry Jr. walked into the Phillies' clubhouse today, Matt Stairs gave him the typical rookie treatment.
"Hey, Junior," said Stairs, lounging on a nearby couch. "I need a coffee and three creams."
Mayberry laughed.
A few minutes later, he summed up the feeling of getting his very first big-league call-up by saying, "It's the moment I've waited my whole life for." Mayberry is in the lineup today, as expected. But instead of DHing against Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte, Mayberry is playing right field. Jayson Werth will move to left, and Raul Ibanez will be the DH.
Here's the full lineup:
SS Jimmy Rollins (.240/3/16)
2B Chase Utley (.293/11/31)
LF Jayson Werth (.279/8/26)
1B Ryan Howard (.258/10/30)
DH Raul Ibanez (.353/16/41)
CF Shane Victorino (.262/4/23)
3B Pedro Feliz (.308/2/23)
RF John Mayberry Jr. (MLB debut)
C Chris Coste (.241/1/6)
There's another storyline today, of course, and it involves lefty J.A. Happ, who will make his return to the rotation. Asked Happ yesterday about pitching in new Yankee Stadium, and he said he'd have to guard against getting "too amped up." Naturally, Happ was speaking in his usual low monotone. Not sure I've ever seen Happ get "amped up," but he says it happens.
Anyway, here's the star-studded Yankees' lineup he'll be facing: SS Derek Jeter (.278/6/20), LF Johnny Damon (.310/10/28), 1B Mark Teixeira (.257/12/33), DH Alex Rodriguez (.200/6/11), 2B Robinson Cano (.310/8/25), CF Melky Cabrera (.317/5/18), RF Nick Swisher (.231/9/23), C Francisco Cervelli (.323/0/3), 3B Ramiro Pena (.263/0/4).
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Big win last night for Brett Myers.
It was big, of course, because it gave the Phillies a victory in the opener of a three-game series against the Yankees, who had won nine straight. And with lefties Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia starting the next two games, that's important for the Phillies' lefty-leaning lineup. But it was also big because of how Myers pitched (three solo homers, no walks in eight innings) and the pitcher that he defeated.
Allow me to explain: Myers is a free agent after the season, and you have to think he's going to cash in. Why? He's a durable right-hander with electric stuff and a track record for staying healthy. When agents negotiate contracts, they often look to "comparables," players against whom their clients stack up favorably. And one of the more sensible comparables to Myers is Yankees starter A.J. Burnett, who gave up three homers last night and took the loss. Burnett is 32. Myers will be 29 in August. Burnett is 89-78 with a 3.87 ERA in parts of 11 major-league seasons. Myers is 73-62 with a 4.37 ERA in parts of eight major-league seasons. Burnett has logged 200-plus innings in three seasons, including last year with the Blue Jays. Myers has logged 198-plus innings twice and would've topped that mark last year if he hadn't spent three weeks in the minors. Burnett throws harder than Myers, but he also walks more batters. And assuming Brandon Webb, Josh Beckett and Cliff Lee have their 2010 options picked up, Myers will be among the better pitchers on the free-agent market, in the second tier behind John Lackey, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard.
You get my drift. And Burnett signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Yankees last winter.
Makes you wonder what Myers will make, with the Phillies or elsewhere, doesn't it?
***
Back in a bit from the new Stadium with lineups and other goodies.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Well, Charlie Manuel made it official about 30 minutes ago. John Mayberry Jr. has been recalled from Class AAA Lehigh Valley, and he will join the Phillies here tomorrow. To make room on the roster, lefty reliever Sergio Escalona has been optioned to Lehigh Valley, although Manuel was very impressed with his 2-1/3 scoreless innings after being called up last weekend.
Manuel wouldn't say if Mayberry will be the DH tomorrow, but you'd have to think, with the Phillies looking for a right-handed DH against Andy Pettitte, that he'll be in the lineup. Earlier today, I asked Manuel if he'd consider using Chris Coste as the designated hitter, even though Coste is also the backup catcher. If you recall, Manuel used Coste to DH in Game 1 of the World Series, and the Phillies didn't have a third catcher on the roster then either. Manuel's answer: "I'd DH him, but that can come back and beat you, too. You know going in, if you do that, that's a chance you take."
More on this tomorrow.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- So, Matt Stairs is the Phillies' DH for tonight's game, but that's hardly surprising. Stairs has two hits -- both homers -- in his career against Yankees starter A.J. Burnett.
The question, of course, is who will DH tomorrow night and Sunday, and Philled In's sources in Lehigh Valley say they haven't seen John Mayberry Jr. today. Wonder if he's heading to New York? We'll find out after the game. I've been told the Phillies will make some kind of a move. Asked Charlie Manuel if he'd consider DHing Chris Coste, even though Coste in the Phils' backup catcher. Manuel didn't sound overly enthusiastic about the idea.
A few other things:
--Jamie Moyer exchanged pleasantries with Alex Rodriguez behind the batting cage. Moyer, you'll recall, was outspoken in spring training about A-Rod's steroids revelation. The conversation appeared cordial, and afterward, Moyer said, "Everything's good." OK, good.
--Adam Eaton has been released by the Orioles. But Baltimore can take solace in this: The Phillies are still paying the bulk of Eaton's salary.
--Tonight's lineups:
PHILLIES: SS Jimmy Rollins (.234/2/15), 2B Chase Utley (.295/11/30), LF Raul Ibanez (.349/15/40), 1B Ryan Howard (.266/10/30), RF Jayson Werth (.272/7/24), CF Shane Victorino (.257/4/23), DH Matt Stairs (.304/2/7), 3B Pedro Feliz (.310/2/23), C Carlos Ruiz (.236/0/5). On the mound, RHP Brett Myers (3-2, 4.50).
YANKEES: SS Derek Jeter (.273/5/19), LF Johnny Damon (.318/10/28), 1B Mark Teixeira (.250/11/32), 3B Alex Rodriguez (.171/5/10), DH Hideki Matsui (.252/5/14), RF Nick Swisher (.238/9/23), 2B Robinson Cano (.317/8/25), CF Melky Cabrera (.319/5/18), C Kevin Cash (.077/0/1). On the mound, RHP A.J. Burnett (2-1, 5.02)
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- OK, full disclosure time: I grew up in Central Jersey, and when I was 5 or 6, my dad took me to my first baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Soon after, we went to another game and another and another. Through the years, I saw more games there than I could count. So, when I got off the 4 train today at 161st Street & River Avenue, I naturally walked to my left.
Everyone else went right.
Yankee Stadium, the one that I know, is still standing, although nobody pays much attention to it anymore. It's impossible to fathom, really. So many memorable games were played there. It's the place where Reggie Jackson hit three homers in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series and where George Brett charged out of the visiting dugout, eyes bulging and arms flailing, to accost umpire Tim McClelland in the Pine Tar Game in 1983. It's where Don Mattingly edged Dave Winfield for the AL batting crown in 1984 and where a 12-year-old kid named Jeffrey Maier leaned over the right-field fence and stole a home run for Derek Jeter in the 1996 AL Championship Series (Pat Gillick, then the Orioles GM, is still bitter about that, by the way.) It's where David Wells and David Cone threw no-hitters in 1998 and 1999 and where Roger Clemens boomeranged a broken bat at Mike Piazza in the 2000 World Series. It was the House That Ruth Built and the House That Reggie Rebuilt. And, now, it just sits there, like some aging beauty queen, while the fancy new palace next door gets all the adoration and attention.
The new place is nice (for $1.4 billion, it better be). I just took an abbreviated tour to the Yankee museum along the first-base line and the new Monument Park in center field. In many ways, it looks the same as the old place. Same blue seats and blue outfield fence. Same opening in right field where the elevated subway rattles by. Same white frieze, only larger and ringing the stadium instead of merely spanning the outfield. And if you can afford it (a ginormous "if," considering the exorbitant ticket prices here), it's worth taking a trip and looking around for yourself.
It just isn't quite the same, though. Not to me. Not after all of those days during my childhood that were spent across the street.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- So, we've arrived in the Big Apple, and in a little while, we will be taking a tour of new Yankee Stadium. I'll be sure to offer a full review. In the meantime, a few things:
1. Don't forget to vote in our little reader poll below: Who would you rather have as your shortstop and why: Derek Jeter or Jimmy Rollins?
2. Could there be two hotter teams in baseball right now? The Yankees have won nine straight games, while the Phillies have won six of seven, all on the road.
3. A little Yankees-Phillies history: Overall, the Phillies are 8-10 against the Bronx Bombers. They were 6-3 at the Vet, 1-5 in two series at old Yankee Stadium (1998, 2000), and they're 1-2 at the Bank. Nine Phillies players homered at old Yankee Stadium (Rico Brogna, Bobby Abreu and Mike Lieberthal had two apiece, while Pat Burrell, Brian Hunter, Ron Gant, Jon Zuber, Scott Rolen and Mark Lewis went deep once.) With the way the new Stadium is playing, nine Phillies could hit homers this weekend.
4. Trivia question: Who is the only Phillies pitcher to get a win at Yankee Stadium since inter-league play began in 1997?
5. Here's your Phillies-Yankees primer for the big inter-league showdown:
PHILLIES (22-17) at YANKEES (24-17)
Tonight, 7:05: RHP Brett Myers (3-2, 4.50) vs. RHP A.J. Burnett (2-1, 5.02)
Tomorrow, 4:10: LHP J.A. Happ (2-0, 2.49) vs. LHP Andy Pettitte (4-1, 4.18)
Sunday, 1:05: LHP Cole Hamels (2-2, 4.95) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.43)
Hot: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins has hit safely and scored a run in nine of the last 10 games, going 15-for-44 (.341) with 11 runs; Phillies LF Raul Ibanez is batting .400 (12-for-30) with five homers, 14 RBIs and seven runs in seven games on the road trip; Yankees LF Johnny Damon is 25-for-67 (.373) with six homers and 18 RBIs in his last 16 games; Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira is 15-for-34 (.441) with four homers and 15 RBIs in his last nine games.
Not: Phillies C Carlos Ruiz has one hit in his last 16 at-bats; Phillies RF Jayson Werth is 5-for-25 (.200) during his last six games; Yankees DH Hideki Matsui is 5-for-32 (.143) with two RBIs in his last 10 games; Yankees RF Nick Swisher is in a 4-for-31 slump (.129) in his last 10 games.
6. Trivia answer: Dave Coggin on July 17, 2000, in a 10-8 Phillies victory.
Back with more in a bit.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
HEBRON, Ky. -- Howdy from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, where we're sitting at Gate A-4, awaiting a Delta flight home. In the morning, I'll hop an Amtrak train to the Big Apple, and at about 2 p.m., before the big Phillies-Yankees inter-league series opens, Philled In will get a mini-tour of the House That George Built. We'll be sure to jot some notes and pass along our impressions of the New Stadium.
First, though, let's recap today's 12-5 Phillies win over the Reds.
1. Jimmy Rollins went 4-for-6 and has hit safely and scored a run in nine of the last 10 games, going 15-for-44 (.341) with 11 runs. That's good news for the Phillies' offense, which functions far more consistently when J-Roll reaches base. Rollins also notched a couple of milestones: He stole his 300th base in the second inning, then picked up his 1,500th hit in the seventh. "It means I'm halfway there," Rollins said, referring to the magical 3,000-hit plateau. Asked Rollins if he thinks he can reach 3,000 hits. "If I can play until I'm 39 or 40, yeah," he said. "It's a very large number, but it shows the longevity. The guys who got 3,000 hits played 19 to 24 years back in that time. They played forever. Guys just don't last that long if you're that significant of a player today. You get old, you're automatically a role player. That's what makes it even tougher. I've got to make sure the young guys stay young, until they say, 'J-Roll, you need to go.'"
2. One player who may reach 3,000 hits: Derek Jeter. The Yankees' shortstop, who turns 35 next month, has 2,580 career hits. During our weekly live Phillies chat Wednesday, there was a spirited debate about whether you'd rather have J-Roll or Jeter as your shortstop. To me, if you're basing your argument on the entirety of their careers, you'd have to go with Jeter. If you're talking strictly about 2009, you'd probably go with J-Roll. So, you tell me: What do y'all think?
3. Deep within the notebook in today's News Journal, there's this from Joe Blanton, who cruised through four innings before giving up a five-spot in the fifth: "I'm not pitching very well with runners on base," said Blanton, who has a 7.11 ERA in eight starts. "I'll just have to go to video, see if I'm doing anything different out of the stretch. I could be tipping my pitches. I'll have to go check it out." Entering Thursday’s game, opponents were batting .338 against Blanton with runners on base, .175 with the bases empty.
4. Charlie Manuel said Matt Stairs or Greg Dobbs will DH tonight against Yankees right-hander A.J. Burnett. My money is on Stairs, who is 2-for-8 with two homers in his career against Burnett, his former teammate with Toronto. Dobbs is 4-for-6 in his career against Burnett. But with lefties Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia starting Saturday and Sunday, Stairs and Dobbs will be on the bench. Manuel hasn't decided who he'll use as a DH, but it'll be a right-handed hitter. Chris Coste may be the best option, although the Phils would have to be willing to use their backup catcher as the DH. Eric Bruntlett could play first or second base, freeing up Chase Utley or Ryan Howard to DH. It's also possible -- and likely, according to assistant GM Scott Proefrock -- that the Phillies will call up a right-handed hitter from Lehigh Valley, possibly Pablo Ozuna or John Mayberry Jr. My guess is it'll be Ozuna.
6. While the Phillies were winning their series against the Reds, Ruben Amaro Jr. dropped by Reading, where 21-year-old right-hander Vance Worley was pitching. Worley allowed a pair of solo homers but struck out three and didn't walk a batter in seven innings. In eight starts overall, he's 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA, 40 strikeouts and only nine walks in 50-1/3 innings.
OK, that's all for now. Back with more tomorrow from New York.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
CINCINNATI -- Charlie Manuel is stacking the lineup with lefties for today's 12:35 start against the Reds and RHP Micah Owings. Here's today's lineup for the rubber game of the three-game series here in the Queen City.
SS Jimmy Rollins (.217/2/14)
2B Chase Utley (.280/10/26)
LF Raul Ibanez (.347/14/37)
1B Ryan Howard (.268/9/29)
RF Matt Stairs (.318/2/7)
CF Shane Victorino (.259/4/23)
3B Greg Dobbs (.121/0/3)
C Carlos Ruiz (.235/0/5)
RHP Joe Blanton (1-3, 6.86)
***
(Updated, 11:26 a.m.): According to a source, the Phillies will make a roster move before or during the Yankees series this weekend, and it likely will involve the call-up of a position player. They haven't decided who or when, but you'd have to believe it'll involve a right-handed hitter and it'll happen before Saturday's game. The guess here -- and it's strictly a guess -- is the Phillies will call up infielder Pablo Ozuna from Lehigh Valley. He has major-league experience (slugging outfielder John Mayberry Jr. does not), and although he doesn't have Mayberry's power, he's also better at putting the ball in play. Obviously, as soon as we know, we'll let you know.
(Updated, 1:20 p.m.): Quick note on Rollins, who just picked up his 300th career stolen base. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's the fourth active player with 300 steals and 300 doubles (Bobby Abreu, Omar Vizquel and Johnny Damon are the others). He's also the third Phillies player with 300 steals and 300 doubles, joining Ed Delahanty and Sherry Magee.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
CINCINNATI -- It wasn't a win, but it was progress.
Jamie Moyer was credited with the loss tonight in a 5-1 setback to the Reds that ended the Phillies' five-game winning streak. But he also allowed only three runs on nine hits, including at least four bloopers, in six innings, meeting the criteria for a quality start and silencing the doubters (at least temporarily) who wondered if he could still pitch effectively at age 46. In particular, Moyer said he was pleased to be able to throw strikes and force contact. Of the 105 pitches he threw, 70 were strikes. He threw a first-pitch strike to 15 of 25 batters.
"I did some things I wanted to do, but we ended up losing," Moyer said. "That's what it all comes down to. Was it a bad night? No. But am I happy that I threw decently and we lost? No, not at all."
Judging by the e-mails I've been getting over the past week (and comments on our live chat yesterday), many of you are concerned that Moyer is finished. Before the game, Rich Dubee talked a little about that perception. (It should be noted that Dubee believes Moyer can pitch until he's 50, although it was ESPN.com's Jim Caple, not Dubee, that came up with this hilarious mock Hall of Fame plaque that shows Moyer pitching through 2030.)
"The guy's got 249 [career] wins," Dubee said. "If he was 32 years old, what would you say? He's in a slump. He's not pitching well. He's 46. Now, oh, has the time come? Well, who the hell knows when the time's going to come. ... You don’t think he's lost games or had bad outings before or been on a bad stretch? Hell, if it wasn't for Charlie [Manuel] and I, if the public had a vote, last year he probably wouldn't have pitched in the World Series."
So, what do you think? Is Moyer on the right track? Are you any more confident in him today than you were before tonight's start?
***
Raul Ibanez hit his team-leading 14th homer in only his 145th at-bat. Here's a look at when Ibanez reached 14 homers in each of the past eight seasons and how many homers he finished with during each season:
2009 -- 145 at-bats, May 20, finished with ??? homers
2008 -- 390 at-bats, July 23, finished with 23 homers
2007 -- 420 at-bats, Aug. 20, finished with 21 homers
2006 -- 285 at-bats, June 22, finished with 33 homers
2005 -- 379 at-bats, July 28, finished with 20 homers
2004 -- 324 at-bats, Aug. 21, finished with 16 homers
2003 -- 386 at-bats, July 24, finished with 18 homers
2002 -- 255 at-bats, July 21, finished with 24 homers
***
Tomorrow comes quickly when a 12:35 p.m. game follows a 7:10 p.m. game. More in the morning from Great American Ballpark.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
CINCINNATI -- So, before Sunday's game in DC, I was chatting with pitching coach Rich Dubee about Jamie Moyer. Dubee is fairly certain that Moyer's problems stem from poor location. Everyone knows Moyer doesn't throw hard, so if he's unable to put his pitches where he wants them, they're going to get hit, often hard. But there was something else Dubee believes may be contributing to Moyer's woes.
"Maybe 250 is weighing on him a little bit," he said.
Interesting.
Moyer has been stuck on 249 career victories since April 26. In three tries for the milestone 250th win, he's 0-2 with a 13.87 ERA, his worst three-start stretch since 2005. Overall, he has an 8.15 ERA in seven starts, the highest his ERA has ever been this late into a season. I was having a conversation over lunch with a few fellow beat writers (if you're ever in Cincy, grab a bite to eat here) about the seemingly arbitrary nature of 250 wins. It's a nice round number, sure. But why is 250 more meaningful than 249 or 251? Only 43 pitchers have won 250 games, but only 45 have won 249. If 250 is a more exclusive club, it's only marginally so.
Is it possible, then, that Dubee is right, that Moyer has been distracted by 250? We'll find out soon enough when he faces the Reds tonight.
One thing is for sure, though. Moyer isn't a candidate for the bullpen. He isn't going to the minors. And after signing a two-year, $13 million contract extension last winter, he obviously believes he can still pitch, even at age 46. So, if his struggles continue tonight, the Phillies have little choice but to send him back to the mound to try again in five days.***
Fun fact about Moyer: Great American Ballpark will be the 48th different stadium in which he has pitched, most among all active pitchers.***Tonight's lineup against Reds RHP Aaron Harang:SS Jimmy Rollins (.223/2/14)2B Chase Utley (.289/10/26)LF Raul Ibanez (.350/13/36)1B Ryan Howard (.267/9/29)RF Jayson Werth (.285/7/24)CF Shane Victorino (.256/4/23)3B Pedro Feliz (.315/2/21)C Chris Coste (.236/1/6)LHP Jamie Moyer (3-3, 8.15 ERA)
***
Add another name to the Phillies' inventory of veteran relievers at triple-A. They have claimed right-hander Steve Register off waivers from the Rockies and optioned him to Lehigh Valley. Register, 26, is 0-2 with six saves and a 4.50 ERA in 16 games at triple-A Colorado Springs. He appeared in 10 games for the Rockies in 2008, going 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
CINCINNATI -- Sure, the Phillies won another game here last night, running their best-in-the-majors road record to 13-4 and matching their season-high with a five-game winning streak. But, in the bigger picture, last night's game was significant for two reasons.
Jimmy Rollins.
Cole Hamels.
Rollins, a rally killer for most of the season's first six weeks, sparked the decisive rally in the fifth inning against good-looking Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto. To recap: With the game tied 1-1, Pedro Feliz ripped a leadoff double, and after Hamels laced a one-out single, Rollins stepped to the plate and got two quick strikes. But he worked the count full before driving a cutter into the gap in right-center for an RBI double. Chase Utley's single up the middle scored Hamels and sent Rollins to third, and when Raul Ibanez's sinking liner was caught by left fielder Darnell McDonald, Rollins tagged up and slid head-first across the plate to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead in their eventual 4-3 win.
As I wrote in today's News Journal, it was vintage Rollins. It's also no surprise that the Phillies' five-game winning streak has coincided with an 8-for-22 (.364) streak for Rollins, who has a a .440 on-base percentage during the past five games.
"Jimmy's the kind of guy, he loves to play baseball," Charlie Manuel said later. "He likes to smile. He's got a little, I call it 'slick,' on him, but his is in a real good way. His personality kind of corresponds to it. When he's going, he creates a lot of energy in the game. The more he hits, the more he gets on, that really gets us fired up."
Then, there was Hamels, who breezed through five innings, then got in trouble in the sixth. But he still turned a 4-3 lead over to the bullpen, which got three scoreless innings from Clay Condrey, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. Most telling, though, was that Hamels threw 117 pitches, more than in any game (regular season or postseason) since July 3. To me, he looked like the ace with whom the Phillies are so familiar and the ace they need him to be.
So, now, it's up to Jamie Moyer to continue the streak tonight. I'll have more on Moyer later today, so please check back. Also, please join me at noon (about an hour from now) for our latest weekly Phillies live chat at www.delawareonline.com. Talk to you then.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
