'Tis the season to start new threads...

Here's an obituary of a 78-year-old Phillies fan who, along with her sister, had been to spring training in Clearwater every year since 1954.

Why do I bring this up? On the WIP Morning Show, decrying GM Pat Gillick's lack of activity (particularly compared to the Mets and Braves), the hosts decided that the woman died of boredom. eek! Sounds like the Gillick honeymoon may be over. But considering how the salaries for starting and relief pitching have gone absolutely haywire -- thanks in part to the Toronto "Steinbrenner Canada" Blue Jays wink -- I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing. But it's tough to picture the Phillies in the race at all if the Braves and/or Mets play up to their expectations.

The Phillies signed Ryan Franklin to a one-year deal. The last two years with Seattle he was a combined 12-31 with a 4.99 ERA, including 8-15 with a 5.10 ERA last year. (Both Franklin and the Phils feel much of that was due to poor run support.) He also served a 10-day steroid suspension, claiming he had purchased a supplement from a nutrition store and had no idea how he tested positive. Ooooooookay...

For the New Year just as CattleDog recaped the new Yankee aquisitions, I figured I might as well do the same. This list does not include any of the wonderful minor leagers the Phillies received.

So with trumpets blasting and much fanfare the new Phillies include:

Aaron Rowland -----CF
Sal Fasano --------Catcher (Backup)
Abraham Nunez ----3rd base/utility
Tom Gordon -------RHP (closer)
Julio Santana ------RHP (relief)
Ryan Franklin ------RHP (5th starter ??)

If anyone has been missed go ahead and include him.

Buy a beer from a Phillie! These appearances are listed as part of their promotional Winter Tour:

What sucks is that they aren't doing one of these before any of the upcoming Flyers games -- two of which I'll be attending. I'm sure not going to a 76ers game.

A quote in the paper from GM Pat Gillick: "Are we going to win the division? No. We have to improve."

At least he's honest.

From the Phila. Daily News:

While perhaps not as bad as charging more for a particular opponent, this is still an absolute disgrace. Notice how, in instituting these variable-price scams, teams generally don't lower tickets for certain games and leave the rest at their current rate.

This is disgusting.

What struck me is that ticket prices are lower later in the season, implying the Phillies are going to have a hard time filling the seats late in the season. Could it be because the team figures they'll be out of the race by then?

~Adam

It's almost based exclusively on demand. Regardless how well the team is doing, September games don't sell as well (nor do the often chilly April games). Attendance is a lot higher during the summer, when weather is nicer and school is out.

If the Phillies were being really greedy, they'd raise prices on a per game/series basis, as opening day always sells out, yet that is a lower priced game, because it is in April.

Here is a thought, If it is really only about the summer being the peak time, then why not have the tickets prices higher from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Keep in mind most kids are still in school till mid June.

It's reported to be likely that Jason Michaels will be traded to Cleveland for relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes. That would enable the Phils to move Ryan Madson into the starting rotation (a move he wants very much).

Hey a move is a move, better than doing nothing. Normally these less then marquee moves are considered to be ho-hum. But I think it fills a need for starting pitching the Phillies otherwise might not fulfill till the trading deadline. Rhoades pitched well last year in relief with 2.08 era. If he can be anywhere close to that this year, it will be a blessing. Now we finally get to see what type of starter Ryan Madson will make.

A couple of items from philly.com:

The Michaels-Rhodes deal is on hold. It was contingent on Cleveland getting a deal done with Boston that included Guillermo Mota, but Mota failed his physical. If they can agree on some replacement(s) for Mota and finish the trade, then Cleveland will go ahead and deal Rhodes to the Phils.

Meanwhile, the Phils have reportedly inquired about free agent Mike Piazza's interest in backing up Ryan Howard at first and Mike Lieberthal at catcher, but a source says the Cubs and Padres are "more realistic options." I thought Piazza was going to the AL to be a designated hitter?

The Jason Michaels-Arthur Rhodes deal is apparently back on. The AP reports that Rhodes is in town taking his physical and if there's no problem then the deal will then be announced.

Even bigger news than the recent signing of Alex S. Gonzalez (which may result in Tomas Perez taking his shaving cream pies somewhere else): the Phillie Phanatic may be in the next Rocky movie. From the Phila. Daily News:



[ February 13, 2006, 03:58 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

The joke's been going around, starting with different time frames: "In just a couple of months..." "In a couple of weeks..." "In a few days..." -- and now it can be officially nailed down: Today is the day...that no pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater.

eek!

He hasn't played a game yet but I'm loving Aaron Rowand.

Rowand: Full tilt into the fence

My son (age 8) and I are going to spring training. We are beleaguered, but still loyal to our Buccos...We'll be catching a Pirate v. Philly contest, so I'll give you guys the poop on Rowland, et al. Damn, I like Chase Utley; what a fine player....

Let's just hope he can convince good ole boy Manuel and his sidekick Leiby of that urgency.

Phillies got Alex Gonzalez! Not sure how much better he makes them, but they just got more beautiful!

Alex S. Gonzalez. Never forget the S. wink

This distressing article appeared in the paper today, speculating on whether the Phillies are trying to force Harry Kalas out of the broadcast booth after his contract is up this season.

We already know that Kalas and Wheeler don't get along at all outside the booth. Based on what I heard on WIP radio this morning, Larry Andersen isn't that well-liked by the team (players and front office), who consider him too critical during broadcasts. But why they'd want to get rid of Kalas is not known. You won't find a better ambassador for the Phillies. And even though he's lost a little over the years, he's earned the right to walk away when he's ready, on his own terms.

I still haven't seen anything from the Phillies about their change in policy regarding banners in the park after last year's Gay Community Night. They were supposed to announce something in January. Accordingly, they still haven't gotten money from me for season tickets. I'm beginning to think that they don't deserve my money at all, after reading this article in the paper today.

Even the Phillies can't be this stupid, can they?

New banner policy will not be announced until right before the season starts. If this is the only thing stopping you from paying for your season tickets, go ahead and pay.

I kind of want to know what the banner policy will state before I make a commitment. (Of course, they had a policy last year and didn't enforce it...but that's another story.) Also, I'm still undecided as to whether I'll keep two seats or cut down to one.

Speaking of commitments, on Channel 6 they did a brief feature on Mike Lieberthal, where he told the story of how he proposed to his girlfriend of three years. (He's had a girlfriend for three years?...wait...he's had a girlfriend??? wink )

Game delayed by sludge! eek! From philly.com:

A happy note for the day: Ryan Howard is hitting .410 this spring with 8 homers. And he says he's not happy with how he's swinging the bat.

So who's going to Opening Day? I'll be somewhere in left field with SNJFratboy, occasionally wandering the park to see friend out in right field and a (cute) kid from Missouri I work with (who wastes no time on the job to inform me of every Cards spring training win) and his girlfriend somewhere in the upper deck behind home.

Of course, since I'm attending Opening Day, the home team will probably lose (I've got a terrible average when it comes to this).

Also, are there any tickets left for the Yankee series in June? I really really really want to go at least once.

Are you two an item? Enquiring minds want to know... wink

They're the enemy. Destroy them! That's an order!

Ignore that last order -- you're not allowed to go. Give me your ticket right now. wink

Actually I haven't decided if I'm going (assuming I can get a ticket).

Some of us already got tickets to one of the games. I guess you weren't on the board at the time to see this thread?

I still haven't yet decided what I'm doing for season tickets but if I do get two seats in a partial plan (or one of their new 6-packs) that includes a Yankees game, you could use my other ticket.

Well hopefully I will counter-off Feverdog, cause I have been having a very good winning percentage with the Phils for the past few years!

It might be time to bust out the doorag and shorts combo early this year.

OUCH! St. Louis 11 - Phillies 0 in the 5th inning!!

...correction, 13-0

[ April 03, 2006, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: CHIathlete ]

And rumor has it that our own Scottie was in attendance. frown

just saw that rollins got a hit extending his hitting streak to 37 consecutive games....i'm really pulling for him to break the record!

josh

great to see muy caliente david delluci in phils uniform. super handsome!!

Are the Phillie fans absent in their ecstasy over the recent sizzle?

Stupendous broken-nose catch by Aaron Rowand last night, who appears to deserve his sabermetric rep as the game's new nonpareil defensive CF ... when Nady hit that ball I thought after a couple seconds, uh oh, it's Rowand. Apparently the wall padding for that area arrives next week.

4-1/2 inning games still suck, though. Suspend all games started and play them to 9 innings later.

Aaron Rowand's catch was unbelievable!!

Even the announcers here in New York had to stop their criticisms of the stadium and the umpires to say some words of admiration.

Rowand is now Philly's #1 son.

It's been a while since I posted so I'll chime in. Aaron Rowand was all over the airwaves and print locally, he is being compared to Lenny Dykstra.

Meanwhile, Cole Hammels debut tonight was worth the wait, he pitched well although not quite dominating. He left after 5 innings with no runs 1 hit 7 Ks but 5 walks. He seemed to get the ball up high on his walks, possibly due to a flatter mound then he is used to.

Speaking of players picking up the slack, since Aaron Rowand went down yesterday his replacement Shane Victorino is 6 for 6 with 2 doubles a triple a homerun and 4 RBI.

So let's recap the season so far...

After a dismal start during April 2005, everyone on the Phillies agreed they needed to do better this April, as they only missed the wild card by one game last season.

Well, we had another dismal start, finishing April 10-14. People were asking how long it would be before Manuel would be fired.

But May is here, and the Phillies are 12-1 so far this month. They even won 2 out of 3 vs. division leaders NY Mets, and as of this writing, are only 1 game behind the Mets in the NL East.

Billy Wagner, now with the Mets, did a number of press interviews with the Philadelphia press before the Mets series last week. He almost seemed to go out of his way to piss off fans, telling the press the fans weren't behind him when he played for the Phillies (I personally think nothing could be further from the truth). In a glimpse behind clubhouse doors, he said after he complained last July in the press about the team not having the stuff to win, he felt like it was 24-1 in the clubhouse, with him feeling totally isolated from his teammates. There were reports Pat Burrell called Wagner a "rat", although Wagner denies saying this to the press.

Phillies closer Tom Gordon has saved 13 games, only blowing 1 save. So far, this looks like an excellent off season signing. And Aaron Rowland's incredible catch last week (he broke his nose against the outfield fence catching the ball) will be replayed over and over in Philly for years to come. But in typical nega-delphia fashion, some are criticizing Rowland, asking if his catch (and winning the game) was worth losing him to the disabled list list for 2-3 weeks.

One popular afternoon sports radio talk show host in particular seems to like fueling all the negative Phillies talk. He hates the team so much (rumor has it Phillies management won't kiss his a_s the way other pro teams management will), I think the Phillies could win the World Series and he'd till be complaining.

Not saying Phillies will win World Series, but it's getting to be exciting season, with those wild roller coaster swings us Philadelphia fans are so used to....

It is getting exciting. I give a great deal of credit to the newer players on board. Ryan Howard represents the new Phils - in addition to his power he has heart. Lots of talk lately on WIP about how toxic Burrell and Lieberthal are in the locker room. I hadn't realized that - if it is true.

I think this is what Wagner was referring to in his comments to the press last week. I agree with you Scottie - I thought the fans were more than supportive of him here. But it was also clear that he was an outsider in the locker room. I guess there was a lot of brooding with Burrell and Lieberthal and certainly no chemistry there with Thome and some others.

A lot of credit also goes to the Phils new GM who gets it that assembling players with big numbers isn't enough to win. You need chemistry. He is creating a team with chemistry and heart. Rowland's catch and broken nose is already becoming legendary here - lots of talk about his heart and guts.


Let's see how they do against the Brewers starting tonight.

So that play two nights ago from the Phillies/Brewere game, where Burrell barehanded the ball and threw out the runner with Fasano blocking the plate has to be one of the better plays I've seen in some time. Burrell's one bounce grab and throw on the fly was pretty incredible, but Fasano's play at home was equally impressive.

I smile each time I see it. And not for nothing, and never would I ever wish for anyone to get injured, it was nice to see a baserunner coming up on the losing side of one of those home plate run ins. He's on the 15 day DL with a sprained ankele.

Phillies vs. Mets - 16 innings. What a long game. I listened the the game on the radio last night until the bitter end. I thought it was particulary interesting that in 16 innings the Mets had depleted their bullpen and bench, yet the Phillies still had one player left on the bench and 2 pitchers in the bullpen.

You can guess from my newly adopted screen name where the blame lies for last night.

Here are the pitch counts by the bullpen last night, knowing in advance that Cormier was unavailable because he got a "maintenance" cortisone shot:

Fultz - 6
Geary - 3
Rhodes - 7
Franklin - 21
Madson - 105

The lefty Rhodes should've been left in to start the 8th against lefty Cliff Floyd. Gordon could have easily come into the game during the 8th last night, considering that he's only pitched one inning since May 14th.

Even with an injured leg, Barbaro could run a race better than Charlie Manuel can run a baseball team.

[ May 24, 2006, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: FireCharlieManuelNow ]

Welcome back,Joseph.

Shouldn't the new handle be "FireKenHitchcockNow"

Just sayin'

What you are leaving out is despite giving up the game winning home run in the 16th inning, Ryan Madson did a great job in "relief".

In the words of the great tv game show "To Tell The Truth", will the real Phillies please stand up?

April record: 10-14
beginning of May record: 14-1
end of May record (to date): 1-7

And the roller-coaster ride continues....

Why would you want to fire Charlie Manuel? Still having problems emplyoing the double-switch? Hey, our manager can employ a triple-switch, but still screw with the mechanics of Oliver Perez and keep Valerio Santos in the majors, and option Brandon Duckworth to Indianapolis! Incompetence in the state of Pennsylvania? Yikes!

That is true. Madson pitched very well. Rhodes was fine also, and should have gotten to throw more than 7 pitches.

Gordon was brought into today's game to get the save...in the 8th inning!

Welcome back FireCharlie!! Good to see you again old (well, not that old) friend

Is "Fire Andy Reid Now" just a few months away?

Here are some musings that makes one wonder what is Charlie thinking?

Jimmy Rollins regarding yesterdays move to hitting 6th: He said he was fine with it, but Manuel didn't tell him, he didn't know it until saw his number on the scoreboard in the six spot. :confused:

Bobby Abreu who everyone has assumed would not hit leadoff apparently has said that he would be willing to hit leadoff if it would help the team. Charlie opposes the idea saying he is more productive hitting third. eek!

[ May 26, 2006, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

He might want to think about how his team has now lost 8 of its last 10 games to fall into third place.

I'll be at the game tomorrow in my Aaron Rowand t-shirt as he is expected to return from the disabled list.