Joe in Philly
Apr 14 2009, 01:55 AM
QUOTE(mdphl @ Apr 13 2009, 11:27 PM)
That said, anyone who saw or heard the guy the last few years, knew that he was struggling. His, how do I say this gently, spirited perhaps...singing of "High Hopes" (check out You tube) at various functions - and other unusual behavior - concerned many fans.
He was one of those people in baseball who was a post-game, late night heavy drinker at the hotel bars, but had stopped that in recent years -- though he never quit smoking, and some of the Phils
lit up a cigarette in the dugout before the game as a tribute. Does Washington have a ban on workplace smoking? We may have a controversy here.
His health hasn't been good recently. He had surgery earlier in the year for an undisclosed ailment and missed some of spring training. And he just turned 73 last month. Still, on most broadcasts you could hardly tell the difference. And I think in recent years he was actually better on the radio than on TV.
Joe in Philly
Apr 15 2009, 03:47 PM
Friday, when the Phillies return home, this is how they plan to pay tribute to Harry Kalas:
QUOTE
* The television booth in which Harry broadcast since Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 will be named the Harry Kalas Broadcast Booth, "That ball's outta here!" A plaque will be hung to officially name the booth. The neighboring radio booth is named the Richie ("Whitey") Ashburn Broadcast Booth, "This game's easy, Harry."
* The ceremonial first ball will be thrown by Harry's three sons, Todd, Brad and Kane.
* Prior to the National Anthem, to be sung by Harry's son Kane, there will be a moment of silence.
* All fans will receive an 8"x10" color photograph of Harry.
* Harry's signature will be displayed on the field during the seven-game homestand beginning on Friday.
* Also for the seven games, a black drape will appear in front of the Phillies radio and TV booths and the Phillies flag in Ashburn Alley will be hung at half-mast.
* A video of Harry's career will be aired on PhanaVision.
* During the seventh-inning stretch, a video of Harry singing "High Hopes" will be shown on PhanaVision. Fans will be encouraged to join in.
Other acknowledgements include:
* During the first half-inning of the game televised by Comcast Network Philadelphia (formerly CN8), there will be no announcer commentary.
* Throughout the remainder of the season, a billboard honoring Harry will be displayed on the outfield wall.
* As previously announced, an HK patch will be worn on Phillies uniforms this season.
* Throughout the 2009 season, following every Phillies home run, Harry's legendary "Outta Here!" home run call will be played over the PA system as the Liberty Bell lights up.
And on Saturday...
QUOTE
The Kalas family and the Phillies have announced that a memorial tribute for Harry Kalas will be held at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.
An opportunity to pay respects to the Hall of Fame broadcaster will be given on a first come, first served basis to as many fans as possible from 8:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. At that time, all fans in attendance will be directed to seats for an on-field tribute that will begin at 1:00 p.m.
Joe in Philly
Apr 16 2009, 04:26 PM
From the Phillies:
QUOTE
The Kalas family and the Phillies have announced the following details for Saturday’s Harry Kalas tribute to be held at Citizens Bank Park:
Beginning at 8:00 a.m., on a first come, first served basis, fans will have the opportunity to pay their respects on the field as they pass by Harry’s casket which will be located behind home plate. To accommodate as many fans as possible, the starting time of the memorial tribute program has been moved back to 1:30 p.m.
Fans will pass by the casket until approximately 12:45 p.m. at which time all persons in attendance will be directed to seats. Beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m., current and former players -- some of whom are travelling great distances to be here to pay their final respects -- broadcasters, front office employees, and friends and family members will pay their final respects before the on-field tribute begins at 1:30 p.m.
Fans will be directed to enter Citizens Bank Park through the Third Base Gate at Pattison Avenue and Citizens Bank Way and will be asked to leave the ballpark through the First Base Gate. Although fans are not being asked to bring flowers or other mementos, if they choose to do so such items should be left in the area of the Mike Schmidt statue prior to entry at the Third Base Gate.
Parking will be free. Fans are encouraged to park in the lots on the west side of the ballpark, located on the site of the former Veterans Stadium. Limited concession stands will be open.
All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative program, an 8”x10” photograph of Harry and a poem written by him in 2002 as a fan tribute.
They're reporting that the last person to lie in repose (which is
not the same as lying in state, it seems) at a major league ballpark was...Babe Ruth. Wow.
Joe in Philly
Apr 17 2009, 04:08 PM
Apparently Babe Ruth wasn't the last one to lie in repose at a ballpark, but he was one of a very few.
QUOTE
According to research by the Baseball Hall of Fame, Babe Ruth and Jack Buck are the only other men to have their caskets displayed at a major league stadium.
In August 1948, Ruth laid in state at Yankee Stadium with thousands of fans filing past to honor him before his funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
In June 2002, more than 10,000 people paid tribute to Buck, the longtime St. Louis Cardinals announcer, for nearly 5 hours at Busch Stadium.
According to the Hall of Fame, a funeral for Russ Hall, a former big-leaguer and scout, was held in July 1937 at home plate of Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, home of the Pacific Coast League team. It was unclear from news accounts whether the casket was on the field.
In February, the Colorado Rockies held a memorial service at Coors Field for Ted Uhlaender, a former major league outfielder and San Francisco Giants executive. The service was not on the field.
The Hall of Fame said it is possible there are others.
Joe in Philly
Apr 17 2009, 10:09 PM
What a disappointment with all the Harry Kalas tributes before and during the game -- Phils blow a 7-1 lead after 4 innings. Cole Hamels gave up a pair of 2-run homers, and Ryan Madson, who hadn't given up a run all year, gave up 3 in the 8th to get the loss. They need to get it together.
BigBlueCowboy
Apr 18 2009, 04:52 PM
After what they did to the Mets this week and your people last night, perhaps we might want to take the Padres seriously!
Joe in Philly
Apr 18 2009, 05:10 PM
It's still a little early for that, but if they keep it up...
It's interesting that the Padres don't have any lefthanded pitchers at all. You'd think this would be a huge advantage for the Phils and their largely lefthanded lineup.
The memorial service at the ballpark for Harry Kalas was extraordinary. Watching on TV, it managed to pull a few more tears from my eyes. Thousands passed by his casket, and Philly.com said about a hundred people actually waited overnight to be the first in line.
Everything's been so disjointed so far this year, with the Opening Night ceremonies and the Ring Ceremony and Opening Days in Colorado and Washington and Harry's death and three off-days plus a rainout. Hopefully there will be no more events coming along (other and the team can refocus and get down to business.
Joe in Philly
Apr 18 2009, 09:24 PM
And the disjointed-ness continues. Brad Lidge finally blows a save tonight. 3 straight losses now.
phillyrunner
Apr 19 2009, 07:46 PM
Well the good news is the 3 game losing streak is finally over thanks to my new favorite player Raul Ibanez. He is starting to make me forget about Pat Burrell's departure. He now has 5 HRs and is hitting about .380. The bad news is the team's pitching staff is still looking for its first quality start. At least there was no bullpen meltdown today.
Joe in Philly
Apr 21 2009, 09:24 PM
The Phils are up 11-3 in the 7th as I write this (game is delayed by rain), though Jamie Moyer gave up a first-inning homer (and a two-run shot later). I think the Phils' starters have given up at least one homer in every game.
Cole Hamels is taking the blame, says the headline, saying he spent too much time in January with personal appearances and such, delaying his workout routine. Now that he signed his new deal, though, he says it won't happen again.
QUOTE
"If it comes down to the end of the year and we lose the division by one game, I can easily raise my hand and say I [messed] up," Hamels said in an exclusive interview in the Phillies' clubhouse yesterday. "I didn't help the team in my first couple of games of the season."
phillyrunner
Apr 21 2009, 09:30 PM
Sounds like the Ryan Howard defense after his MVP tour had him in less than ideal shape the following season.
Joe in Philly
Apr 23 2009, 05:30 PM
Question of the day: is it wrong to root for the opposing team's pitcher to throw a no-hitter? That's what was left this afternoon when I went to the game. Cole Hamels was hit in the left shoulder by a line drive and was taken out of the game (which was a shame because he struck out 6 in the first 3 innings), just after a line-drive two-run homer by Ryan Braun landed about 5 rows in front of me and gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead. They're saying he got a bruise and Hamels says he ought to be able to make his next start. J.A. Happ then gave up 3 runs and Chad Durbin 1, so all Dave Bush had to do to make it a memorable day was finish off a no-hitter. Unfortunately, he gave up a Matt Stairs pinch-homer in the 8th so instead of being memorable it was just another dull performance by the Phils.
phillyrunner
Apr 24 2009, 09:24 PM
WOW!
Josh Johnson completely dominated the Phillies in seven scoreless innings only to see his bullpen melt in the ninth inning. The Marlins were leading 3-0 going into the ninth inning. Then Phillies sent 12 men to the plate to score 7 runs off of the closer Lindstrom. Shane Victorino got the big blow with a Grand Slam.
phillyrunner
Apr 25 2009, 10:25 PM
Hmm.. another come from behind victory for the Phillies. All eight of their wins this year were done in this fashion. This time the Marlins gave up the tying run in the ninth followed by two more in the tenth. Brad Lidge has really been walking a tightrope this year as his saves have not been easy. Tonight he loaded the bases in the tenth but also stuck out the side.
The most disturbing thing about the Phillies pitching staff is their porpensity to give up the long ball. They have already broken the consecutive game streak for giving up the bombs and they are just one short of the April record at 35.
Joe in Philly
Apr 26 2009, 04:59 PM
Phils pitchers gave up no homers today. The streak is over at 16 games (a record to start the season). It's a miracle!!!!
Oh, and they swept the Marlins.
phillyrunner
Apr 27 2009, 09:41 PM
Wow what a barn burner at the Park tonight. The game went back and forth with the Nats getting 5 homeruns but the Phillies responded with two slams for a 13-11 win. Raul Ibanez has done all you could possibly expect from a player, his hitting is clutch and he has even surprised with his defense.
Joe in Philly
Apr 27 2009, 10:00 PM
I just wonder how long Ibanez can keep producing. He'll be 37 in June. Every report says he works extremely hard, stays in shape, etc. but if old age hits and he doesn't start taking performance enhancers...
Speaking of which,
J.C. Romero is suing the makers of the over-the-counter supplement that caused his positive test, as well as the stores that sold it to him.
Joe in Philly
Apr 28 2009, 09:30 PM
This is unbelievable. Cole Hamels left his last start after getting hit by a line drive in the shoulder area. Tonight he left after spraining his left ankle fielding a bunt in the 5th inning. He's having the worst luck this year. No word yet on if he'll miss any starts.
What gets me is the Phils were up 5-0 at the time and the Nats had a runner on first with one out, and Manny Acta let his starting pitcher John Lannan bat anyway, and had him bunt. What kind of losing strategy is that? Oh wait, it's the Nationals.
Joe in Philly
May 1 2009, 04:03 PM
From philly.com:
QUOTE
The bad news - Cole Hamels did not throw a bullpen session today as was schedule. He long tossed but apparently was not ready to throw off the mound. Manager Charlie Manuel did not get into details, but said the Phillies will have a better idea whether he will make his next start after tomorrow. If Hamels does not throw tomorrow, or still has pain in his drive leg while throwing, there's a good chance he will not start on Monday or Tuesday. Manuel said the Phillies are leaning toward Tuesday regardless, which would put Brett Myers on the mound in St. Louis Monday. We will see tomorrow, though.
The good news is that Brad Lidge threw a lengthy bullpen session and labeled himself ready to go afterwards. Lidge still has pain in his knee when he drops too low on his backside during the stretch, but Lidge said it will be a good reminder of when his mechanics are off. He said he will not have to take a trip to the DL. While he likely won't be able to throw tonight, Lidge said he "absolutely" will be ready to go tomorrow.
The Phillies finished April 2 games over .500. J.L.L.Y.
And the Mets are in town.
BigBlueCowboy
May 2 2009, 08:38 AM
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ May 1 2009, 05:03 PM)
From philly.com:
The Phillies finished April 2 games over .500. J.L.L.Y.
And the Mets are in town.
Yes, the Mets are in town!!!
7-4!!
Thank you, Murph!
And thank you, Pelfrey!
If you see them in the ballpark, send my regards!
Joe in Philly
May 2 2009, 06:46 PM
Well, I won't be down there this weekend, but if you happen to be there, send my regards to Shane Victorino and Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul Ibanez.
BigBlueCowboy
May 2 2009, 10:01 PM
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ May 2 2009, 07:46 PM)
Well, I won't be down there this weekend, but if you happen to be there, send my regards to Shane Victorino and Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul Ibanez.
Good one, Joe!!!
Who knows what will happen tomorrow, though!
Joe in Philly
May 3 2009, 12:38 PM
Nothing. Rained out.
It looks like Cole Hamels will not start until Friday. With the rainout, they'll push Blanton and Myers back a day, then Chan Ho Park will have his regular turn, at least until they finally dump him from the rotation.
phillyrunner
May 4 2009, 10:04 PM
The Phillies finally got a good pitching performance out of Joe Blanton. He gave up 1 run in 6 innings. Ryan Howard who always plays well in his hometown of St. Louis hit a grand slam. Kyle Loshe who had an ERA of 1.97 gave up six runs.
On a somber note Rick Ankiel tracked down a fly ball in the oufield but collided head first into the wall. He was carted off the field, hopefully he will be ok.
Joe in Philly
May 4 2009, 11:24 PM
I read that Ankiel gave a "thumbs up" as he was carted off, so that's a hopeful sign.
After the Howard grand slam they noted on the broadcast that the Phils hitters are 14 for 27 with the bases loaded this year. That's like 4 grand slams in the past 10 days or so, and they also have 11 walks with the bases loaded. That is ridiculous!
Harry Kalas filmed a TV commercial a few weeks before he died. They aired it during the games over the weekend as a tribute.
Joe in Philly
May 5 2009, 11:10 PM
Not a pretty win tonight...as if many have been this year...
but at least the Phils didn't have to come from behind again. And with the Marlins' continued fall, the Phils are now in first place in the NL East.
Joe in Philly
May 6 2009, 10:14 PM
Too bad Pedro Feliz screwed up by making a stupid throw when he had no chance to get the batter out at first, which allowed the only run of the game to score...but, is anyone else in shock that Chan Ho Park pitched six shutout innings tonight? Or perhaps the question is, is anyone who actually is
not shocked?
Joe in Philly
May 8 2009, 08:46 PM
Once again Cole Hamels pitched well tonight, unlike Jamie Moyer last night, who made it possible for me to watch
Bones and record
Ugly Betty without worrying about watching the game.
And this time Hamels got through 6 innings without injury so he finally has his first win. So three good starts in five games -- progress, I suppose.
The Phillies have rescheduled their White House visit for Friday (a week from today). Their last scheduled visit was called off when Harry Kalas died.
Harry's blue blazer and white shoes are going with the team, either in the dugout (at home) or in an empty stall in the locker room (away games). The memorial was an idea of some of the players.
Nice column about former manager Danny Ozark, who died yesterday.
Oh, and here's Jimmy Rollins'
latest prediction.
phillyrunner
May 8 2009, 09:16 PM
Depending on if you're a glass half full or empty guy, will determine whether you think the starters are making progress or not. I see it as 3 steps forward and 2 steps back, with Moyer and Myers doing the backpedaling. If Blanton can pitch another strong game tommorrow then he may be finally back to his late 2008 season form.
Joe in Philly
May 10 2009, 09:48 PM
Blanton was mediocre...again...and while Brett Myers pitched reasonably well today, this time the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. I think we've seen enough of Jack Taschner. He'll be gone when Romero comes back from his suspension, if not sooner.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the Jayson Werth fleece blankets giveaway they were supposed to have for women 15 and older
had to be scrapped because his lips on the blanket were bright pink.
Joe in Philly
May 13 2009, 01:14 AM
Was at the Phils-Dodgers game tonight and saw something I've never seen in person before...no, not Manny Ramirez when not under the influence of performance-enhancers...
In the 7th inning Jayson Werth singled, stole second, stole third, and then...stole home! He timed it perfectly on the throw back to the pitcher after the 2-1 pitch. Awesome!
Werth's four steals overall tied a club record (most recently done by Garry Maddox way back in 1978); the last player to steal second, third and home in the same inning since Eric Young of Colorado in 1996; and the only other Phil to accomplish this feat, apparently, was that
speedster Pete Rose in 1980.
And Chan Ho Park pitched 6 innings to get his first win. Two strong starts in a row? His ERA is down to 6.00. What does he think he's doing?
phillyrunner
May 14 2009, 07:54 PM
Yesterday Jamie Moyer got torched and today Cole Hamels got no run support. So, the poor play at home continues where the team is 8-12. I really don't know how much longer one can go with Jamie if he does not get those off the plate pitches he relies on. You hope he finds his way out of it because there really is no where to put him. Brad Lidge is another mystery, his ERA is over 8 and is not the same as last year. Maybe this road trip will be good since the Phillies are 8-4 away.
Joe in Philly
May 14 2009, 11:26 PM
I'm kind of getting tired of this. How long after a world championship does one have to go before one is allowed to totally flip out about underachievers and such?
phillyrunner
May 17 2009, 09:57 PM
The Phillies were not playing well coming into the weekend, so the Nats came along and to make things look ok again. The sweep of the Nationals at least temporarily put the Phillies back on the right track. Whether they can keep it going on the road trip is anyone's guess. I hear that Jamie Moyer will be moved back a day in the rotation so he will pitch the second game of the Reds series. What that does is keep Moyer out of the Yankees series and lets him start against the Marlins whom he has owned.
Joe in Philly
May 17 2009, 11:32 PM
Brett Myers pitched well Saturday (though he gave up two more homers -- at least they were solo homers) but Chan Ho Park went back to suckitude today. Sooner or later they have to do something about the rotation if Park, Moyer and Blanton don't pick it up.
It was interesting that, when they needed to use Happ on Friday, making him unable to start Saturday's second game, they left Kendrick in the minors in favor of Andrew Carpenter.
Joe in Philly
May 19 2009, 09:05 PM
Chan Ho Park (with his 7.08 ERA despite those 2 good starts in a row before Sunday's meltdown) is now in the bullpen, and J.A. Happ will start Saturday at the new Yankee Stadium.
With the Phils' 5th straight win tonight at Cincinnati, they now have a 13-4 record on the road, best in the majors. Imagine their record if they weren't 8-12 at home.
Joe in Philly
May 21 2009, 03:23 PM
Joe Blanton self-destructs again. Four shutout innings and then gives up 5 runs, nearly blowing a 6-0 lead. Fortunately the hitters weren't done and the bullpen shut them down. The Phils take a 1 1/2-game lead into the new Yankee Stadium this weekend.
phillyrunner
May 22 2009, 08:46 PM
Even though 7 homeruns were hit in that bandbox known as the New Yankee Stadium, Brett Myers pitched one of his best games of the year giving up 3 solo shots and no walks. I can't believe how the ball flys out of there especially to right field. The Phillies have now won 15 road games out of 20.
Joe in Philly
May 25 2009, 07:49 AM
The Phils were a few lousy Brad Lidge pitches away from a three-game sweep. If Lidge's knee is still bothering him then he needs to go on the DL and get the surgery to fix it as he did in the offseason before 2008.
John Mayberry Jr. is apparently not going to be sent back down to the minors yet, after being called up for the last two games to get an extra RH bat into the lineup. After he hit his first ML homer on Sat. the idiots at Fox showed his father in the stands -- except it wasn't John Mayberry Sr., but just some guy. They later found the real Mayberry Sr.
phillyrunner
May 25 2009, 10:18 AM
Yeah, anything even remotely close to the Lidge of last year and the sweep would have happened. Lidge claims that yesterday's outing felt really good even though the result may not have said so. He should realize that until he gets that bite back on his slider he will not be striking people out as they will just wait on his fastball.
As an aside, I was a little surprised that the top three NL east teams went 7-2 against the top AL east teams. So much for all that media focus AL east as being the best.
Joe in Philly
May 28 2009, 02:53 PM
Brett Myers is having an MRI on his right hip, which bothered him so much last night that he was taken out of the game in the 6th inning -- granted, since he was down 5-1 he wouldn't have been in there much longer anyway. If there's something serious another starter would be needed. Would Park get another chance or would they bring up Kendrick or Carpenter or someone else? There's chatter about getting Jake Peavy but it's mostly from fans and media. Between the money involved and the no-trade clause and the fact that he wants to stay near his SoCal home, it's highly unlikely.
Update: Myers may need surgery. He's getting a second opinion.
The late Harry Kalas will be inducted into the team's
Wall of Fame. He'll be the first person not a player or coach to receive that honor.
Happy birthday, phillyrunner!
phillyrunner
May 28 2009, 06:13 PM
Thanks Joe!
Myers possibly being out for the season does raise the specter of acquiring another arm. The most likely candidates would be from the minors, as I don't believe Jake Peavy would be interested regardless of what the Phillies would offer the Padres. There is not much out there but Mitch Williams actually mentioned Pedro Martinez again. I hope it does not come to that.
Joe in Philly
May 29 2009, 09:12 PM
Myers is going to have the surgery, possibly next week, and miss 3-4 months. No word yet on who will take his place in the rotation.
This blog speculates about the possibilities, and says they have no interest in Pedro Martinez.
The Phils beat the Nationals tonight, but anything less than a three-game sweep this weekend over that woeful team would be unacceptable.
phillyrunner
May 31 2009, 06:37 PM
Well, the Phillies did get the sweep over that woeful team and Jamie Moyer finally got his 250th win. The way he was pitching this year, I didn't think he would ever get there. In the upcoming west coast trip, Myers will be replaced by Antonio Bastardo who is basically a double A guy, although his last two starts were in triple A.
Joe in Philly
Jun 1 2009, 04:39 PM
I can see a Daily News back page already for when he has a particularly bad (or good) game: BastardOH!
Good news: Raul Ibanez has moved up from 6th to 2nd in the All-Star voting for outfielders. Manny Ramirez has dropped to 5th, which is a good thing. Someone who's missing 50 games early on doesn't deserve to be an All-Star, no matter the reason.
Joe in Philly
Jun 3 2009, 12:07 AM
Okay, I've modified the headline. For a bad outing: BastardOH! As for tonight: BastardOH YEAH!
He wins his ML debut: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, beating Jake Peavy, who left after one inning (and 4 runs) due to illness. And Raul Ibanez homers twice on his birthday.
The Phils now lead the NL East by 2.5 games.
Bill W
Jun 4 2009, 11:26 AM
I do like Bastardo in headlines.
Also, someone who's had merely 50 great games should not be an All-Star starter.
phillyrunner
Jun 4 2009, 11:44 PM
Cole Hamels throws a complete game shutout against the Dodgers and the Phillies are now 20-6 on the road.
Joe in Philly
Jun 5 2009, 12:38 PM
And they lead the division by 4 games. They are mostly rounding into form now. Victorino is day-to-day with some hip injury he apparently suffered two nights ago but he said he could've pinch-hit last night so it doesn't seem Myers-level serious.
Joe in Philly
Jun 6 2009, 09:31 PM
Two more blown saves by Brad Lidge. Last night's wasn't entirely his fault -- he got 2 outs, then a little bloop hit, a walk, and then Pedro Feliz made an error that should've been the final out, followed by the game-winning hit. Still, he gave up the walk and the game-winning hit. Then the tying HR today, leading to a 12-inning loss. I said it before: if his knee is at all bothering him, put him on the DL and fix it. They can take the time now that Romero is back. These latest two came just after a stretch where he pitched four straight days from Friday to Monday. It wouldn't be surprising to hear he aggravated the knee somehow during that time.
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