BY SCOTT LAUBERSurely, it comes as no surprise that the Phillies are among the elite teams in the majors. They did, of course, win a little something called the World Series last October, and they have a big, shiny trophy to prove it.
That said, teams are always measuring themselves against the competition to see where they stack up, and the Phillies just completed a perfect 10-game test. They went 2-2 against the Dodgers in L.A., losing a pair of games because Brad Lidge blew ninth-inning leads. They moved on to New York and went 2-1 against the rival Mets, losing despite hitting four homers against Johan Santana before coming from behind to win a pair of games. Finally, they went 1-2 against the AL-best Red Sox at the Bank, and if Greg Dobbs' near-homer in the 11th inning Friday night had been ruled fair, who knows? So, overall, they were 5-5, which isn't too shabby when you consider:
1. Jimmy Rollins went 7-for-44 (.159) with a .174 on-base percentage.
2. Lidge went on the disabled list.
3. Antonio Bastardo, a 23-year-old with two career triple-A starts, replaced Brett Myers, meaning 40 percent of the Phillies' rotation consists of rookie left-handers.
So, as the Phillies catch their breath today and prepare for the Blue Jays' arrival tomorrow night, I ask you this: After watching them take on three prime contenders, what's your level of confidence that the Phillies can a) get back to the playoffs and b) win another World Series?
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Recapping the weekend in The News Journal: Lidge told us his balky right knee is feeling better (he's scheduled to throw from the mound Tuesday); in our Sunday MLB notes, we talked to assistant GM Chuck LaMar about Jason Donald's knee surgery today and analyze the impact it may have on the Phillies' attempts to trade for a pitcher; Rollins wonders if a pregame chat yesterday with John Smoltz may help him regain his mojo; in the notebook, we look at Raul Ibanez's shoe problems, Kelly Dugan isn't easily star-struck, and Tyler Walker hopes to stay with the Phillies for a while.
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Last Tuesday night, Rollins stood in the clubhouse at Citi Field and told us Santana's velocity was down. Sure enough, The Johan gave up nine runs in three innings yesterday against the Yankees. The Mets believe the velocity drop is due to a blister. At least they hope it's nothing more serious.
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So, who watched "The Pen" last night on MLB Network? Please post your reviews of Episode 1 in the comments section.
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Thanks to everyone who stopped by Section 111 before yesterday's game and got their copy of "Phillies Confidential" signed by Gary Matthews and yours truly. Sarge and I definitely hope to schedule another signing in the near future, so please stay tuned for more details.
3 comments:
I watched The Pen last night and thought it was very well done. Though I know how many things will turn out it was cool to see mroe of the behind the scenes footage like the managers and Amaro deciding on the final pitching roster spots available. I also liked the footage of Happ calling (home?) to give an emotional update after he learned he would not be a starter as well as newcomer Jack Taschner as he settled in to the mix after being traded to the Phillies.
Looking forward to next week!
Looks like the Johan isn't invincible.
I'd like to watch the Pen, bu don't have the MLB package. It's a great idea, and I've heard good reviews on the local radio.
Not sure if you can post this, but MLB's promo video can be found on youtube at this link ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8bBqd3pc&feature=player_embedded
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