Jody Mac
06-13-2011, 12:17 PM
After a fairly successful weekend against the Cubbies at Citizen's Bank Park, Phillie nation should feel pretty good about themselves. At 40-26 they own the best record in baseball. They're not the hottest team, that would be the Boston Red Sox who are just a half game behind the Phils at 39-26. They've done a pretty good job of putting their 0-6 and 2-10 start behind them, I'd have to say. But you really shouldn't sweat the Red Sox for another couple of weeks, until they come to town for a three game inter-league set that will be deemed by many (yours truly included) as a World Series preview (they were my preseason picks for the fall classic).
Chase Utley is rounding into form, Shane Victorino seems to be back up to full speed, and Ryan Howard raised his average nine points yesterday with his 3 for 3 day to get his seasonal number up to .247. At .238 Howard was actually not hitting his weight (Phils list him at 240 lbs). At either number, Ryan Howard's production for a sub .250 hitter is nothing short of spectacular. He's on a pace to drive in 130 runs. It's not easy to drive in that many runs while only hitting in the .240's. He is hitting almost .290 with runners in scoring position and remember, he's done this with his main side kick Chase Utley out for the first 45 games, and the guy who had his back for the last couple years toiling away down in Washington. He's a throwback NL slugger. Low batting average, having to swing against massive over shifts, finding ways to plate runs. At some point during the year he should get into a home run groove which he hasn't really done yet this year, then the RBI’s will start really rolling in!!
Is the Philly offense perfect? Not close! Could they use another right handed outfield bat, sure. Can they continue to win without it if they can't acquire one? You bet!!
Quick quiz, what Phillie injury has actually hindered the Phillies most? I'll give you a couple hints... It’s not Chase Utley; Wilson Valdez did a yeoman's job of holding down the fort. It's not Brad Lidge or Jose Contreras since Ryan Madson has been close to perfect in the closer roll. Yes, the Phillies line-up isn't the same when either Victorino or Rollins are out because speed is still part of the red pin-striped attack, but the offense didn't come to a screeching halt when they missed games. No, the biggest injury to the Phils this year has been the one that continues to sideline the 5th Beatle, heavy Joey B. Not that Blanton had been having a great year when he's been healthy. Let's just say Blanton was having an average Blanton season, taking the ball every fifth day. Pencil him in for about a 5-3 record 4.00 ERA and decent ratios. At the July trade deadline, there will probably be a couple teams that would be willing to take on the prorated portion of the rest of his 8.5 million dollar salary this year and a good chunk of his 8.5 million next year. If part of what you were getting in return for him was an equally bloated salary of a bat that you needed, the Phils wouldn't have to kick in any parting-gift funds in the deal. Blanton is not going to get a postseason start here in Philly this year and may not even make the playoff roster. But he did help the Phils win their title back in 2008 and there are several clubs that he could start for that have designs on October baseball. But those possibilities wain with each passing day and no end date comes in sight for his reactivity. The question isn't "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?" in Philly it's "When will we see you again Joey B??”
The Miami Heat and LeBron James were out-played, out-hustled and out-performed in the NBA Finals by the Dallas Mavericks. The jokes about LeBron's inability to give change for a dollar because he's got no 4th quarter were painfully accurate. Miami put all the Heat on themselves with the way they carried themselves and strutted their stuff before they actually secured a championship. The Heatles haters are rejoicing, not only in Dallas and Cleveland but across most of the NBA fan nation. If they thought there was self-imposed pressure this year, wait till you see the heat that is ratcheted up next season (If there is a next season). The comparisons of James to Michael Jordon were not premature, they were foolish! All that being said, how about we give some credit to the team that actually went out and WON the NBA championship. The Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, JJ Barea lead Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has put a severe cramp in the superstar compilation game plan to a championship. While Miami was an easy team to root against, Dallas became an easy team to root for. It's great to see great veterans, some day Hall of fame players like Nowitzki and Kidd get their championship. The BETTER team won the game and the series last night. Maybe not the more talented group, but the better TEAM!!
There are rumors buzzing around NBA circles about potential Andrea Iguodala trades before the NBA Draft. To Golden State for Monte Ellis, to the Clips for Chris Kaman? Wherever Iguodala is headed the Sixers should do what it takes to make it happen in the next 10 days. Who they select with the 16th pick will almost definitely be affected by what they get in exchange for Iguodala. The often maligned, other AI's legacy here in Philly is going to end as a forgettable one. To me Iguodala is the Bobby Abreu of Philly hoops. Their laid back demeanor and lack of postseason accomplishments, coupled with a large contract doomed them for continued and overstated criticism. However there comes a time when it's just better to move on. We've reached that point with Iguodala. Ed Stefanski needs to build up as much interest and leverage as he can by next Thursday and pull the trigger on the best deal he has on the table. Despite being more of an Iguodala fan than a detractor, I will say I don't harbor much fear that Iguodala is going to come back and bite us on the butt after his departure. Shoot, even the real AI didn't do that when he was dispatched from town!!
There are several guys in sports I wouldn't mind being these days. Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki come to mind right away. One other individual I envy a little bit is the agent for Ilya Bryzgalov. When the Flyers acquired the former Coyote netminder and surrendered a 3rd round pick to do so, purely for the rights to negotiate with him between now and the June 24th NHL draft, they made it quite clear they believed getting a deal done was all but a done deal. That's a damn good position to be in if you’re Bryzgalov and his representation. You can't demand an outrageous amount because there is always the chance that no other team goes as high as the Flyers if you play it out all the way to free agency. But you can go to the top end of what goalies are making these days. Despite the fact that the Flyers have never been the team to set the financial bar for netminders before, it seems like they are about to here. They need to do some salary cap cleanup before they make this happen and a veteran like Jeff Carter may be the odd man out, but when you put a 3rd round draft pick on the line, just for the right to negotiate for a player that was 99% going to free agency before you acquired his rights, you better get his name on the dotted line. Shoot, getting Bryzgalov signed could be the final straw in the Sixers getting sold. Ed Snyder and Comcast have to come up with all those rubles for Ilya somewhere!!
My apologizes to any of my loyal readers who took my advice in any of the just completed thoroughbred Triple Crown races. I took an 0-for!! While I consider myself a non-chalk player, I could not zero in on the correct long shots that were victorious in this year's Derby, Preakness and Belmont. The odds on the three winning horses were 20-1, 12-1 and 24-1 for this past Saturday's Belmont champ Ruler on Ice. Despite the fact that I ripped up many a ticket in these three contests, I love it. It's what makes horse racing great. Upsets happen all the time. It's the reason we haven't had a Triple Crown champion in 34 years. It is very difficult to do and almost as difficult to figure out. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. 20-1, 12-1 and 24-1, try getting that in IRA, a CD or a mutual fund. I'm not talking about 20% (and only Bernie Madoff hits that kind of number consistently), I'm talking about increasing your investment 20 times what you put in!! Feels good when that gravy train arrives!! Although I was left standing at the station for this year's Triple Crown, I will from time to time register an opinion here on some major races to be run throughout the summer and leading up to the Super Bowl of racing, the Breeders Cup in November (it may be the only Super Bowl we have this year). Follow my advise at your own risk!!
Yours truly will be filling in for Tony Bruno on his nationally syndicated "Into the Night Show" 3 times this week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. It airs 10p-1a EDT. Check your local listings for the radio station nearest you airing this extravaganza. Think they'll be some Bron-Bron and Heat bashing going on???
Chase Utley is rounding into form, Shane Victorino seems to be back up to full speed, and Ryan Howard raised his average nine points yesterday with his 3 for 3 day to get his seasonal number up to .247. At .238 Howard was actually not hitting his weight (Phils list him at 240 lbs). At either number, Ryan Howard's production for a sub .250 hitter is nothing short of spectacular. He's on a pace to drive in 130 runs. It's not easy to drive in that many runs while only hitting in the .240's. He is hitting almost .290 with runners in scoring position and remember, he's done this with his main side kick Chase Utley out for the first 45 games, and the guy who had his back for the last couple years toiling away down in Washington. He's a throwback NL slugger. Low batting average, having to swing against massive over shifts, finding ways to plate runs. At some point during the year he should get into a home run groove which he hasn't really done yet this year, then the RBI’s will start really rolling in!!
Is the Philly offense perfect? Not close! Could they use another right handed outfield bat, sure. Can they continue to win without it if they can't acquire one? You bet!!
Quick quiz, what Phillie injury has actually hindered the Phillies most? I'll give you a couple hints... It’s not Chase Utley; Wilson Valdez did a yeoman's job of holding down the fort. It's not Brad Lidge or Jose Contreras since Ryan Madson has been close to perfect in the closer roll. Yes, the Phillies line-up isn't the same when either Victorino or Rollins are out because speed is still part of the red pin-striped attack, but the offense didn't come to a screeching halt when they missed games. No, the biggest injury to the Phils this year has been the one that continues to sideline the 5th Beatle, heavy Joey B. Not that Blanton had been having a great year when he's been healthy. Let's just say Blanton was having an average Blanton season, taking the ball every fifth day. Pencil him in for about a 5-3 record 4.00 ERA and decent ratios. At the July trade deadline, there will probably be a couple teams that would be willing to take on the prorated portion of the rest of his 8.5 million dollar salary this year and a good chunk of his 8.5 million next year. If part of what you were getting in return for him was an equally bloated salary of a bat that you needed, the Phils wouldn't have to kick in any parting-gift funds in the deal. Blanton is not going to get a postseason start here in Philly this year and may not even make the playoff roster. But he did help the Phils win their title back in 2008 and there are several clubs that he could start for that have designs on October baseball. But those possibilities wain with each passing day and no end date comes in sight for his reactivity. The question isn't "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?" in Philly it's "When will we see you again Joey B??”
The Miami Heat and LeBron James were out-played, out-hustled and out-performed in the NBA Finals by the Dallas Mavericks. The jokes about LeBron's inability to give change for a dollar because he's got no 4th quarter were painfully accurate. Miami put all the Heat on themselves with the way they carried themselves and strutted their stuff before they actually secured a championship. The Heatles haters are rejoicing, not only in Dallas and Cleveland but across most of the NBA fan nation. If they thought there was self-imposed pressure this year, wait till you see the heat that is ratcheted up next season (If there is a next season). The comparisons of James to Michael Jordon were not premature, they were foolish! All that being said, how about we give some credit to the team that actually went out and WON the NBA championship. The Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, JJ Barea lead Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has put a severe cramp in the superstar compilation game plan to a championship. While Miami was an easy team to root against, Dallas became an easy team to root for. It's great to see great veterans, some day Hall of fame players like Nowitzki and Kidd get their championship. The BETTER team won the game and the series last night. Maybe not the more talented group, but the better TEAM!!
There are rumors buzzing around NBA circles about potential Andrea Iguodala trades before the NBA Draft. To Golden State for Monte Ellis, to the Clips for Chris Kaman? Wherever Iguodala is headed the Sixers should do what it takes to make it happen in the next 10 days. Who they select with the 16th pick will almost definitely be affected by what they get in exchange for Iguodala. The often maligned, other AI's legacy here in Philly is going to end as a forgettable one. To me Iguodala is the Bobby Abreu of Philly hoops. Their laid back demeanor and lack of postseason accomplishments, coupled with a large contract doomed them for continued and overstated criticism. However there comes a time when it's just better to move on. We've reached that point with Iguodala. Ed Stefanski needs to build up as much interest and leverage as he can by next Thursday and pull the trigger on the best deal he has on the table. Despite being more of an Iguodala fan than a detractor, I will say I don't harbor much fear that Iguodala is going to come back and bite us on the butt after his departure. Shoot, even the real AI didn't do that when he was dispatched from town!!
There are several guys in sports I wouldn't mind being these days. Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki come to mind right away. One other individual I envy a little bit is the agent for Ilya Bryzgalov. When the Flyers acquired the former Coyote netminder and surrendered a 3rd round pick to do so, purely for the rights to negotiate with him between now and the June 24th NHL draft, they made it quite clear they believed getting a deal done was all but a done deal. That's a damn good position to be in if you’re Bryzgalov and his representation. You can't demand an outrageous amount because there is always the chance that no other team goes as high as the Flyers if you play it out all the way to free agency. But you can go to the top end of what goalies are making these days. Despite the fact that the Flyers have never been the team to set the financial bar for netminders before, it seems like they are about to here. They need to do some salary cap cleanup before they make this happen and a veteran like Jeff Carter may be the odd man out, but when you put a 3rd round draft pick on the line, just for the right to negotiate for a player that was 99% going to free agency before you acquired his rights, you better get his name on the dotted line. Shoot, getting Bryzgalov signed could be the final straw in the Sixers getting sold. Ed Snyder and Comcast have to come up with all those rubles for Ilya somewhere!!
My apologizes to any of my loyal readers who took my advice in any of the just completed thoroughbred Triple Crown races. I took an 0-for!! While I consider myself a non-chalk player, I could not zero in on the correct long shots that were victorious in this year's Derby, Preakness and Belmont. The odds on the three winning horses were 20-1, 12-1 and 24-1 for this past Saturday's Belmont champ Ruler on Ice. Despite the fact that I ripped up many a ticket in these three contests, I love it. It's what makes horse racing great. Upsets happen all the time. It's the reason we haven't had a Triple Crown champion in 34 years. It is very difficult to do and almost as difficult to figure out. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. 20-1, 12-1 and 24-1, try getting that in IRA, a CD or a mutual fund. I'm not talking about 20% (and only Bernie Madoff hits that kind of number consistently), I'm talking about increasing your investment 20 times what you put in!! Feels good when that gravy train arrives!! Although I was left standing at the station for this year's Triple Crown, I will from time to time register an opinion here on some major races to be run throughout the summer and leading up to the Super Bowl of racing, the Breeders Cup in November (it may be the only Super Bowl we have this year). Follow my advise at your own risk!!
Yours truly will be filling in for Tony Bruno on his nationally syndicated "Into the Night Show" 3 times this week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. It airs 10p-1a EDT. Check your local listings for the radio station nearest you airing this extravaganza. Think they'll be some Bron-Bron and Heat bashing going on???