Game 43 Rockies @ Phils May 19th

Just before the game started it was announced that Blanton would not be making his scheduled start tonight.
The hope was that he was traded. No such like.
Instead we get Kendrick in his place.

Surprisingly he has pitched decent this year, but not tonight.
First the hi-lite for the fans was when Cliff Lee came in to pinch hit for Kendrick and received a standing ovation just for that.

The Hi-light for the Rockies was Jason Giambi playing for Todd Helton because he had a cranky back.
Giambi comes in 0-17 and hitting .115.
So just to rub it in he hits three consecutive home runs starting in the first inning.
A three run shot and 2 two run shots.
Giambi is now one of Four players over 40 years old to hit three in a game.
Babe Ruth, Stan Musial and Reggie jackson are the others.

His seven rbi's matches the total for the Phils over the last 7 games or so.

I keep watching because I really like to watch a ball game but it's getting tougher every game.

You can't help have the feeling the game was over after Giambi knocked in three in the first inning.

Mood is I'm getting worried as this is getting serious now. In the eighth inning they are out hit 14-4.
They need to do something and I guess they can't trade Blanton now with that bad elbow.

Loss 7-1

Streak 1 loss

1-5 last 6 games

record 26-17

Game 41 Phils @ Cards

Another lousy game for the Phils offense.
If not for a dropped pop up by the Cards second baseman they might have been shut out again.
Rollins popped one up the Tyler Green dropped. Rollins didn't run it out so he stayed on first.
Martinez singled him to third and Polanco hit a sac fly that tied itnat 1-1.
Didn't last long as Danys Baez load the bases with no outs in the ninth. Got a force at home andthat was it for him.
In comes J.C. Romero who throws one pitch right down Broadway to lance Berkman who drove it right over Martinez head for the game winning hit.

Mood is good and bad. The good was Roy Oswalt comes back and throws five really good innings of gives up only one run.
The bad is the same old same old.
Btw this past weekend it has now been one year since they were caught stealing signs and told to stop, they have been slumping at the plate ever since, coincidence?

Loss 2-1
Streak 4 losses
Record 25-16 somehow still the best in the NL but now 1.5 behind the Indians.

Game 40 Phils @ Cards May 16th

I'm really not sure how to keep talking about how these guys don't score runs. It is every game.
At St. Louis tonight they have a guy pitching with an era near 7 so one would think they would be able to get some hits and score a few runs.

Not so much. Into the fourth they only have one run.

But that isn't the story. Cliff Lee has walked 5 with two outs in the fourth.
He hasn't walked that many in one game since 2006.

The Cards pick up two runs in the fourth and it could have been more.
With one out the Phils actually had a chance to get a force at the plate on a ball that one hopped to Francisco in left but his throw was weak and bounced twice before it got to Ruiz.

With two outs base still loaded another ball goes out to Francisco. He throws another bad throw in to the plate. This time it bounces to the back stop but Lee was there and he quickly threw to Ruiz and tagged out Molina who was banged up on the play and limped off but stayed in the game.

Phils only have two hits but with two outs in the fifth Lee gets a hit and so does Rollins but Valdez grounds out.
This is what makes me so angry, that they can't hit a guy wot a era around seven, just ridiculous.

They are really in danger of having their first three game kissing streak this season.

I haven't mentioned that Lee is undoubtedly getting squeezed. Some of the same pitches Westbrook is getting for strikes Lee is not.
I've always wondered how that happens, it's pretty clear that this bum on the Cards is getting better calls then Lee. How does an ump change the strike zone from one half inning and one pitcher to the next?

Mood is that I'm getting tired of this offense. They have only five hits and score only one run.
After forty games they have scored 3 runs or less on 20 of them.
Cliff lee walked 6. That is a carreer high. He battled in this one but can't be faulted for this loss.

Loss 3-1
Streak season high 3 losses
Record 25-15 still NL best and one full game behind Cleveland.

Game 39 Phils @ Braves Civil Rights Tribute and throwback uniform game 1974

I am very excited about today's game. Both the Braves and the Phils are wearing their 1974 original uniforms, oh also Halladay is pitching against Tim Hudson. Can't wait to see those uni's.
The reason for the old uni's is that today is the Civil Rights Tribute game so they went back to 1974 I suppose because that was the year Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruths home run record.
I love this old powder blue uni with the fat P.

Roy Halladay has given up five hits into the fourth. Three hits including, two to start the fourth, have shattered bats.
No score yet but they have first and third with no outs on those two broken bat hits.
After a k for one out a ball bounces right up the middle and Halladay tries back hand it and it just bounces off his glove.
That would have been an easy double play that's just a shame, they get out of the inning, but it ends up a hit, another cheap hit and a 1-0 lead for the Braves.
At least the pitcher hasn't gotten on base yet.
Got out of it with only one run. But they get that cheap run and the Phils just keep grounding little rollers to the infielders.
Zzzzzzzzz.
No early in the inning base runners, every one is always with two outs and the pitcher coming up, seems that way anyhow.

Gary Matthews called that one.
Top of the sixth two outs, John Mayberry comes up.
Mayberry walked first two times up and has seen a lot of pitches, Gary said it's good for him to see these pitches especially against a good pitcher like Hudson.
The Matthews said even though he only has one home run he still can hit the ball out at any time.
The next pitch, line drive home run just over the left field fence.
Good call Gary and a 2-1 Phils lead.

Morgan Freeman in the booth for the bottom of the sixth.

Leadoff walk given up by Halladay, and another cheap bloop hit for second and third again. This isn't what the ace, especially Halladay should be doing ring after the Phils get the lead.
And there is a strike out and a sac fly to tie it up.
Come Halladay that's weak.

Three outs but again, he gives up a run to let the braves tie it right after the Phils get the lead.

Rollins starts the seventh with a measly dribbler to second on the first pitch.
Another dribbler to second ends the Phils half of the seventh.

Hudson is out after the seventh.
Halladay looks annoyed, he slammed the rosin bag down because they have to wait for national tv to come out of the break.

Hudson walked 5 and he's only walked ten all season before today and Halladay just walked his second.

Seems like every time Halladay walks a guy he scores.
He didn't score.

Uggla leads off the eighth with a homer to give the Braves the 3-2 lead. And if the Phils don't score in the ninth, Halladay will get his second straight complete game loss.
Pathetic Halladay didn't pitch great game but he kept the Phils in it and Roy certainly gave them a chance to win, but four hits surrounded by five walks and they still don't muster more the 2 runs.
Just awful.

Mood is irritated because I'm getting tired of looking at this pathetic offense leave these good pitching performances be left hanging.


Loss 3-2
Streak 2 losses
Record 25-14

Game 38 Phils @ Braves May 14th Negro league Tribute

Todays game was part of the annual tribute to the Negro League. The Phils and Braves wore old uniforms of teams from that league.
The Braves wore the old Atlanta Black Crackers jerseys and the Phils wore the jerseys of the Phila Stars from 1944.

I love the red pockets on the back side. Very nice job with the replica uni's

As for the actual game ugh.
I only watched the first three innings then went to a family graduation, listened to the rest on the radio.

Big Joe Blanton started today. He is just not ready yet and
It was clearbn the first few innings as he was getting knocked around. Without a few outstanding defensive plays he would have given up more then just the two runs in the first. Btw those two runs where two long home runs by the first two batters of the game for the Braves.

the bigger story is, surprise the Phils couldn't hit again.
Jurjenns, took a perfect game 2 outs into then sixth inning. The Phils rule five guy Martinez singles and Rollins doubles him home but was out trying to get to third.
This got it to 2-1 but then Kendrick came in and gave up three.
The Phils somehow managed two more runs to get to 5-3 and almost tied it but Rollins hit a screamer to left that was caught. That would have knocked in two and tied it but that was it for the Phils and the game was over.
Once again they gave up a hit to the opposing pitcher and for good measure they also walked him.

A controversial safe call at second that should have been the second out, gave the Braves a chance to score a few runs and they did.
So I guess yesterday's missed strike out on Victorino just got evened up.
Victorino also left the game in the seventh with a tight hamstring so he might end up on the DL too, plus he lost his hit streak at 15.

Mood is bored and a little concerned. I'm bored, team is boring, they don't score runs which is boring. Concerned because they keep getting hurt and because they need to score more runs.

Loss 5-3
Streak 1 loss
Record 25-13

Game 37 Phils @ Braves May 13th Friday

You knew tonight's game would have a strangeness to it since today is Friday the 13th.

Started off great, after Rollins flies out to center Victorino extended his hit streak to 15 games then Polanco singled.
Howard then killed a ball that nearly hit the wall at the back of the center field fence. Must have been close to 420 ft.

They had the bases loaded after a walk to Ruiz but they did that to get to Hamels and he struck out.

So 3-0 into the bottom of the first.
Cole gave up a few hits and the Braves had second and third with one out but Cole struck out the next two and closed out the threat.

Hamels has had the ball up on the zone and has been giving up a few long hits that let the Braves get it tied up at three.

Two outs in the sixth another hit then a ground rule double puts them on second and rid, again for the Braves.
Hamels has not been sharp as he just threw a wild pitch to gives the Braves the lead.

The Phils finally get Hamels a few early runs and he decides to not be any good and give it back.
The two they have earlier in the game haven't help any either.

Braves starter Beachy came out after two with an injury, Christhian Martinez came in and retired all 12 he faced.
Not only did he do that but he also doubled off Hamels to tie the game. Another hit by the opposing pitcher.

Rollins doubles with two out in the seventh stopping the Braves streak of 14 outs in a row and no hits since the second inning.
So after the first inning they went Ruhr back to being unable to hit again.

That top of the seventh for the Phils was a definite Friday the 13th situation.
With two outs Rollins doubled.
Victorino, with a 1-2 count saw one curve rit in there, right down the middle.
Brian MCCann jumped up and ran right off screen towards the dugout. So it must have been strike three.
Hold on a minute, no one else has moved yet and McCann comes running back as apparently the Ump called it a ball.
McCann apologizes to the ump. Two pitches later Shane takes advantage and singles home Rollins to tie the game, and moves
to second on the throw.
I swear I have never seen a player run so far to the dugout on a third strike that was missed for a ball by the umpire.

Hamels is out and J.C. Romero loads the bases with Braves with one out, sending Romero to the showers for Stutes.

This team looks like it will be walking on the edge all season.
Stutes struck out Uggla right after Uggla hit a bomb just foul that would have made the score 8-4. Stutes comes out for Bastardo who then goes 3-0 to the next hitter, the Braves rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Bastardo came back nod K'd Freeman for the third out.
Freeman was steaming, and throw his bat and his helmet right into the turf.
He was mad.
Bastardo pitches to one batter Charlie takes him out and brings in Worley to start the bottom of the eighth after the Phils take the lead with a run in the top ofthe inning.
They are going to mess Worley up. He is not a relief pitcher and they throw him in a game in a big spot like this and he gives up a lead off single.
Braves bunt him over to second.
I don't see the point of using this guy like this. It doesn't make sense to me.
Vance Worely gets out of the inning but I still don't like it.
I'm not so sure that Oswalt will be ready next week for his scheduled start.
He didn't look good yesterday in his rehab stint in Clearwater. He had no juice on his fastball.
So I think they will need Worley to take Oswalt's spot in the rotation.

This has been a weird game.
A one out walk to chipper then a force out at second brings up Uggla.
Madson throws a pitch over everyone that tics off Ruiz glove to the backstop sends a runner to second.
Madson manages to strike out Uggla on a change up low and away and they win.

Mood is I'm not sure what my mood is. They won the game but it almost feels like they lost because it was a pretty ugly game with the two errors, the throw to the backstop and Hamels being off his game tonight.

Win 5-4
Streak 2 wins
Record 25-12 season high 13 over .500 on Friday the 13th

Game 36 Phils @ Marlins May 11th

The Phils haven't scored in cliff Lee's last three games. He fanned 16 in seven innings his last start and 14 of his final 15 outs were strike outs Wow.
He ties Steve Carlton for most K's in a game by a Phils lefty.
Dominating, too bad they don't score an runs or this team might win 120 games.

Tonight it will be Lee vs. Some guy named Ricky.
Not to say that Ricky Nolasco isn't a good pitcher but he is no Cliff Lee.
Lee in his last start struck out 16 making him the second pitcher in about 100 years to strike out 16 or more and lose because his team had been shut out and had 2 hits or less. The other was Randy Johnson about 15 years ago when he struck out 19.

Lee becomes the Phils first base runner when he walks in the third inning
But it's with two outs and Rollins pops out to center after being ahead in the count 3-0.

First hit comes with one out in the fourth. Polanco blooped one into shallow right, Stanton ran in for it but instead of running through the ball he did this new trend of the last few years of sliding into the ball. He misplayed it into a double as he completely missed it and it went right passed him.

Cliff Lee smokes a ball off the second baseman and here comes Schneider around third to score, and he blows a tire. Looks like he pulled a hammy coming in and, well it costs them a run and Schneider is out of the game.

Into the sixth inning of four starts by Lee and still no runs. They have 3 hits one by the pitcher.
Th bottom of the lineup, the last 5 hitters are all under .230. In fact three are below the Mendoza line including the pitcher.
Mendoza line, named for Mario Mendoza.

Origin of the term from Wikipedia:

The term is named for former shortstop Mario Mendoza, a flashy defensive player who struggled at the plate. Although Mendoza's batting average was .215 lifetime, he was known as a sub-.200 hitter whose average frequently fell into the .170 to .180 range during any particular year. That proved to be true in 1979 when Mendoza managed to finish the year with a meager .198 average.
The "Mendoza Line" was created as a harmless clubhouse joke amongst friends. "My teammates Tom Paciorek and Bruce Bochte used it to make fun of me," Mendoza said in 2010. "Then they were giving George Brett a hard time because he had a slow start that year, so they told him, 'Hey, man, you're going to sink down below the Mendoza Line if you're not careful.' And then Brett mentioned it to Chris Berman from ESPN, and eventually it spread and became a part of the game."
Berman deflects credit back to Brett in popularizing the term. "Mario Mendoza — it's all George Brett," Berman said. "We used it all the time in those 1980s 'SportsCenters.' It was just a humorous way to describe how someone was hitting."

One explanation for the expression relates to the historical presentation of numerous batting averages in the Sunday newspapers. Since not all players appeared in those papers, the theory holds that Mario Mendoza was placed at the bottom and those players with lower batting averages did not appear. Thus, the players that did not appear were said to be "below the Mendoza line".

Bottom six for the Marlins and after one out three straight hits to load them up for .226 hitter Buck, he singles four hits and 2-0 Marlins.

Tom McCarthy just said it's only a 2-0 game but for this team it each opposing run is like 2 runs, this may as well be 4-0.
Next batter, mike Stanton gets the count to 3-0 and McCarthy ponders that no way will he get the green light to swing away.
I said, why not let him go for it if he gets a good pitch. He did and lined it to Victorino for a sac fly and a three zip lead.
Finally three outs, that was a long inning and the marlins tacked on two for a three nothing lead after six.

I'll keep saying it until it doesn't matter anymore but this offense is terrible and it will catch up to them.

Pete Orr comes in to hit for Valdez and gets a hit and an RBI, first run for Lee in almost four games.
Lee is out after six innings for a pinch hitter Ross Gload.
No choice on this because they have runners on the corners and need to try and score another run right now.

Victorino just extended his hit streak to 14 by tying the game with a ball over that tall left field fence.
Cliff Lee off the hook for this one.

Kyle Kendrick comes in in the eighth and I think he might be in there for awhile or at least until or if the Phils can score a run. Or until he gives up runs.
...and he walks the first hitter, awful.
A ground into DP by their catcher and onto the ninth, wonder how long this can go since they have so much trouble scoring.

It didn't take long, Phils got second and third with one out but Mayberry went down swinging, but, but..... Jimmy Rollins doubles them in and it gives them a 5-3 lead. Can Ryan Madson get the save?

YES he can.


Mood still concerned about the scoring on offense, it's just not good but this was a good win. The need to do this more at least earlier in games.
This is one of those two game swing games. Lose and only a one game division lead, win and its a three game lead. They won.
Cliff Lee as very close to being 3-4 on the season, instead it's a no decision.
Looked like they were going to be 2-4 on the trip this puts them at 3-3, much better.

Win 5-3
Streak 1 win
Record 24-12

Game 35 Phils @ Marlins - Tuesday May 10th

Roy Halladay vs. Josh Johnson

This game has potential to be epic. Yeah I said it, epic.
The last two times these two faced each other Halladay pitched a perfect game and later in the season Johnson pitched a 2-0 shutout and this is the only loss
Halladay has against the East, (17-1).
This is gonna be fun.

Great first inning for both pitchers. Johnson mowed 'em down in under ten pitches and the Marlins half ended in a spectacular strike out throw'em out double play.
Sardinha, the phis catcher, pulled the pitch out of the dirt on a swinging strike out and the throw to second was a one hopper that Orr snagged while tagging out the runner, excellent.

Ryan Howard leads off the second with a long opposite field home run over the high part of the wall in left.
On the very next pitch Ibanez doubles off the same wall. Francisco gets smoked by Johnson right in the elbow, ouch, you could really hear the smack and it sounded like it hit a wooden bat.
That inning didn't turn out as good as it started. After Howard's homer they loaded them up with no outs but couldn't score a run. That was all Josh Johnson.
In the third after Victorino extended his hitting streak to 13, the Marlins manager called for a throw over to first but Shane was actually standing right on the bag and they got a good camera shot of everyone laughing.
They're getting their hits offJohnson, another two in the third and the Phils are making him throw pitches.

The trouble the Phils seem to have every year is not scoring runs with runners on scoring position.
They load the bases in the third and fourth and don't score. Typical.
The Marlins get second and third with one out and get a sacrifice fly and do score to tie the game.
The problem in the bottom of the third was, with one out Halladay walked the pitcher. That's cardinal sin in baseball because they always seem to score and he did score.

After a shaky first few innings for both pitchers including getting out of major jams, this has been as expected, a terrific pitching duel.

Top of the eighth still tied at 1, Johnson is finally out of the game and Halladay has retired the last 13 he's faced. Halladay comes up fifth in the eighth so I f the Phils need, they might pinch hit for him.

That just stinks, come on Rollins.
One walk to the pitcher and he scores. One lead off base runner in an inning and he scores.
This one wasn't Halladay's fault.
An easy bouncer to Rollins and he boots it, then a wild pitch gets the runner to second with no outs.
A grounder to the right side gets him to third then a single scores him.
Halladay doesn't deserve that. He has pitched great today, completely out pitched Johnson and then might lose the game on a easy ball that turns into an error.
Too bad loses can't be given to a fielder in stead of the pitcher.
Now Halladay has to pitch out of big jam because the defense stinks right in this inning.
Hanley Ramierez beats out another easy ground ball, this time to Polanco who took an extra little hop before throwing the ball and let's Ramierez get in base.
Finally Halladay takes it into his own hands and strikes out Sanchez.
Jeez, Phillies can score runs when someone besides Blanton is on the mound for a change.

Jimmy Rollins needs to make up for the error, nope he dribbles a grounder to second.
So they have two outs and a runner on second as Mayberry walked.
Will Victorino get a big hit and knock in the tying run?
NOPE another weak bouncer to first and the game is over.

Something odd happened after that last play. Victorino must have been talking to one of the Marlins, Tom McCarthy mentioned it but the camera stayed away from the play and continued to show the Marlins celebrating the win.
Then the camera showed the Phils dugout and the players who were still there looking onto the field.
All we got to see was Ryan Madson pulling Victorino off the field but both him and Victorino were both laughing and the Marlins manager Had pulled aside their catcher and appeared to be lecturing him. But since the camera never went to the incident we will never know what was going on.



Mood is ticked off because of the inability to take advantage of opportunities when they have them continues to plague this team. Two innings with the bases loaded and no outs and they get zip.
Florida has two chances to score runs and they capitalize on both of them.
Roy Halladay should be ticked at the team.
Score some runs already. He pitched close to his best game this season and nothing but a lose to show for it.
Halladay throws a complete game loss, walks two batters in one inning including the pitcher.
This was also the first time Halladay has ever walked the opposing pitcher according to Ricky Bottalico on the post game show.
So they are 2-3 in this stretch against the two teams right under them in the division. Halladay is now 17-2 vs. The East division and both loses to Josh Johnson.


Loss 2-1
Streak 1 lose
Record 23-12
2 games up on the Marlins

On a side note Chase Utley has started a 20 game rehab stint on the Clearwater minor league team.

Game 34 Phils @ Marlins May 9th

A few notes.
The Phils have won 6 in a row in there and are 17-3 last 20 and have 22 home runs last six games.

Ok good start, Rollins hits one out in left that just barely gets over the fence and actually ticks off the edge of Stanton's glove, the 36th career leadoff homer for Rollins. This also puts him 5th all time in lead off hr's one ahead of Bobby Bonds.

Howard doubles with two outs and Ibanez gets a hit but Howard was out by 30 feet at home so I'm not sure if he ran a stop sign or if Samuel sent him, but if he sent him why do that it wasn't even close, very odd.

Ryan great throw to second for double play in the first. He usually wings that ball ten feet off line or right into the outfield.
Four hits in the third to get one run, then Raul pops up for the second out.

Ross Gload comes through big with a hit that gets one home as Polanco stopped coming around third. But the throw was airmailed to the backstop and the pitcher wasn't backing up so Polanco heads home and he's going to be out as the catcher throws it back to the pitcher covering home, but he drops it and Polanco is safe.

Blanton just back from the DL is serving up BP. Ramierez is hitting under .200 but now he's 2 for 2.

Pete Orr hasn't shown that he can hit yet but he has shown that he can turn a double play as well as anyone I have seen on this team in a long time.
He just knows how to move off the bag and get out of the way when he Gets the throw. He protects himself with the bag and gets to the right side of the bag on his throws so he doesn't get blown up by the runner, he also makes very good throws to first as he's getting out of the way of the runner.
Four double plays through five for the Phils defense.

Only division with more then one team of 20 or more wins (3).
I think at this point we can call this the league's toughest division. 

The question I have is what is the plan for Vance Worley. He is a starter and pitched two great games in place of Blanton.
Tonight he comes in out of the bullpen and throws three innings. Gave up a HR but was very good again. I just don't want them to mess around with this guy. Don't put him in the pen and have him lose his starting ability for the season.
Send him down and let him pitch or put him in the rotation up here. Don't screw around with him.

Mood is up again after yesterday's panic due the them not getting clutch hits. Tonight Gload had two RBI's and two clutch hits.
It took four singles in a row just to get one run but they did get a few more in the inning after that.
Oh, can't Forget about the throw to start a DP by Howard.

Win 6-4 Blantons first W
STREAK 1 win
Record 23-11 best in league

Phillies 2011 game by game: Braves @ Phils Game 33 May 8th ESPN Sunday night game

Game 33 Braves @ Phils ESPN Sunday night game

I decided to start posting the current game and since I have the previous games done already I'll go back and put them in a couple games at a time too.

I like that anyone but the Red Sox or Yankees are on National tv but I rather have a day game on Sunday so I can sit outside and listen to the game.
A national ESPN game means I have to listen to former Mets manager Bobby Valentine and his nasally, whiney voice.

So it's another game that the Phils can't score. 
Into the seventh they've out hit the Braves 8-5 but trail 3-1. 
Braves have two homers to account for their runs. 
They keep hitting into double plays.
Hamels is out so he can't win but can still lose if they can't score any runs.

Stutes in  for the eighth and walks the leadoff guy and then gives one up to Eric Hinske 5-1 braves and three homers.
Walks the next guy and Stutes is out and in comes Scott Mathieson.
It's seems to be getting to where if they don't score 3 or more runs they just won't win.

This inability to hit is ridiculous and it's surprising that they still are tied for best record. 
Victorino just hit one off the top of the wall just to the left of the "corner" for a lead off triple.
I'm sure they will get this run in but it'll probably take three batters to do it.
And right as I type that Polanco gets on, on an error by the new SS into the game.
That extra two runs in the top inning hurts.

Howard forces Polanco at second and now this is when Francisco needs to start picking up these opportunities, but he just flies out to center, Polanco just was credited with a hit not an error.
Raul singles and there is second and third but two outs for ph Mayberry.
This is a big spot here, they need to start capitalizing with some clutch hits late in games.

Wow Mayberry sure looked like he went around but he got the call, ball 2.
Ugh long at bat but just sends an easy fly ball to right center. 

They need to get a hitter into the lineup, they're really pathetic looking right now.
Lovely start to the top of the 9th, walk, sac bunt, walk, another walk.
and that's it for Mathieson, but wait now we get Danys Baéz yay!!
BTW it's one out.

Well how about that, a DP to end the threat. Nice job Baéz.

This guy the Braves put in, Kimbrel is throwing 97 and up and K's over 15 per 9 innings.
Seems like a lot of guys are throwing near 100 this season.
The guy on the reds has been clocked over 100, Verlander on Detroit just pitched a no hitter and hit 100 in the ninth inning.
Something  is fishy about it if you ask me.

Schneider strikes out then Gload and Rollins walks, Victorino swings and misses the first two pitches and gets called out on a pitch a foot and half outside.
Now Polanco. Pop up it's over.

Mood is irritated because this is a series loss to a division team and could have been an early statement but they couldn't get the big hit and lost two of three, only winning one on a shut out.

Loss 5-2
Streak 1 loss
Record 22-11 still tied for best record.

Phillies 2011 A Game By Game Review

Phillies 2011 A Game By Game Review


I thought that it might be an interesting experiment to try and keep a diary of sorts for the 2011 baseball season for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sometimes I'll comment while I'm watching the game but usually it will be after the game is over.
This will evolve as the season goes along, 162 games is a lot of games to write on.

Reason being the extremely high expectations put on the team due to the signing of Cliff Lee on December 25 2010 and of course already having Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and of course the best pitcher currently in the league Roy Halladay.

One other reason is that I thought it would be interesting to go back and read what I was thinking throughout the season.


I planned on starting this from the first day of the season but out of simple laziness, didn't.


Today is April 16th and as it stands, they're record is 9-4.

So let me start from game one.



GAME ONE - Phillies vs Houston Astros home game.


Great pre game ceremony having fans on the field to shake the players hands as they come in from the bullpen.



Brett Myers actually out pitched Halladay through 6 innings and Halladay leaves the game trailing 1-0.


J. C. Romero and Herndon come in and promptly give up 3 runs leaving the Phils down 4-1.


The Phils had ten hits, most coming late in the game.

My mood while watching was blah another typical Bad game on an opener by the Phils.

They managed 2 runs in the 7th making it a 4-2 game so there was some hope.

The Phils made it a memorable opening day after scoring 3 in the 9th after a pinch single by Mayberry to win the game.


Mood is now great after it being very low during the first few innings.


Record 1-0

Puppies are awsome

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It's been a few months since I've posted anything as I haven't
had anything to say.

Over the last few months I've been
promoted at my job at Blockbuster.
I was made a 4 star csr, which is
basically a glorified csr who does
some of the things a regular manager
would do but less pay.

My wife's son went into the airforce so we
were finally able to get his car from him.
The car that we were paying for.

So now we have 3 cars, anyone want to buy a car?

I've found some old friends that I
haven't seen or spoken to
in over 20 years and I am overjoyed to
know them again.
I have lost touch with a few that
I hope to speak to again soon.

Still watching movies all the time,
you can see what I've watched in the link
on the right side.

I have almost finished my hometheater room.
We just need to do the trim
around the door and install rugs.
We also haven't decided on a name for the room.

I've been spending a lot of time on facebook
were I was able to find some
old friends and a couple found me.

During our visit to Atlanta last year
we ended up coming
home with my wife's son's 2 dachshunds.

Now we have 6 puppies that are 3 weeks old.
They were born on Friday March 13th.

Our Pom, Parker is the father and
Jenny one of the dachshunds is the mom.

These dogs are seriously cute and cuddly.
Super adorable.
Both of us really loves these pups.

Unfortunately we can't keep
all these dogs so we are
in the process of selling most of them.

Very bittersweet because we know we can't
keep all these dogs it also don't want to give them up.

I'll try to post some pictures of them if I can figure out how.

If anyone is reading my blog I'd appreciate
if you could go to the links on the right and
sign up as a follower, I'd also
appreciate and comments you might have.

That's it for now.

TD.

Pictures on the first day of filming Law Abiding Citizen

20 pictures
View Album at Shutterfly

This weeks quickie movie reviews

Traitor
House Bunny
Death Race
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DEATH RACE

This is based on a movie from 1975 called
Death Race 2000.

The '08 version is similar in name only
The original is a cross-country race that gives you points for running down pedestrians.

The 1975 version starring Stallone is satire
2008 version is starring Jason Stathom is just loud,
obnoxious and takes place entirely in a future prison
run by the the stereo type evil prison warden, yawn.

skip it
1 star out of 5
___________________-

HOUSE BUNNY

Anna Faris who is mostly known for the Scary Movie series
stars in House bunny.

House Bunny is surprisingly funny.
Faris is very good at "dumb blonde"
as she is exactly that in this movie.

Faris is a Playboy bunny celebrating her 27 birthday at the Mansion.
The day after she gets a note from Hef telling her it's time
to move out.
Apparently 27 is like 50 something in Bunny years.

Not knowing how to function in the real world
she ends up as house mother at a sorority.

Of course all the girls
are ugly ducklings and become transformed into
beauties.

This won't remind anyone of Animal House but I laughed out loud
a bunch of times.

Worth a rental.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

__________________

Traitor

Don Cheadle is Samir Horn.
As a boy he witnesses the death of his Muslim father by a car bomb.
years Later as an adult Samir is a bomb expert himself,
working with a terrorist group.

Samir is a traitor but you need to watch the entire film to know were his loyalties lie.
The clues are few but they are there.

The movie is worth watching for Don cheadle's performance.
Is Samir a double agent?
Supposedly these undercover people sometimes get confused about their
very own loyalties and that is what makes Traitor work so well.
As we also are confused about Samir's true intentions.

Traitor is a terrific spy thriller.

4 stars out of 5

A FEW EARLY REVIEWS

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THE MUMMY 3: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR


Hundreds of years ago an evil Emperor and his army were cursed by a sorceress and turned into stone.

Rick O'Connell and his wife Evelyn are brought in to take a relic,
The Eye of Shangri-La, to China.

The relic is a stone and has the power resurrect the Evil Emperor Han and reveals the secret way to legendary Shangri-la and allow Han to become immortal.
Han is inadvertently resurrected and must be kept from taking the stone to Shangri-la
Of course the O'connoll's son Alex and Evelyn's brother are along for the ride too.
However, they are betrayed by their friend Prof Roger Wilson,
who forces them to give the stone to Emperor Han.


They all make their way to the Himalayas and with the help of a few abominable snowmen (one of the yeti even does a fist pump after dispatching one of the bad guys.)
Fight off the Mummy emperor Han.

Despite the many action sequences this movie is a bit of a bore.
Evelyn was recast with Maria Bello and she is miscast and does a poor imitiation
of Rachel Weisz.

This review is of the Blu-Ray disc so
the special effects are stunning and the sound is thunderous
especially during the marching stone army sequence and the many explosions.

This really doesn't have the charm or the sense of humor the first Mummy or even
to some extant the second Mummy has.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

---------------------------------------
BURN AFTER READING

Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand
star in a confusing mess of a story.

A CIA agent gets demoted so he quits to write his memoir,
his wife is having an affair
with a man who meets woman on the internet.

CIA guy loses the cd of his memoir and it's found by a guy and a woman who work at
a local gym.
they decide to blackmail CIA guy because they think the cd is top secret documents.

He doesn't go for it.
Everything that happens next is pretty convoluted.
All of it depends on chance and coincidence and for the most part doesn't work.

Sure there are some funny moments
but most of it just falls flat.

The subplot of the CIA is pretty good and the punch line ending is funny.
Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't match it.

If this wasn't written and directed by
Joel and Ethan Cohen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo)
I wouldn't likely have given it much of a thought at all.

2 out of 5 stars

Some Quickie Movie Reviews

-------------------------------------------------------------

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STEP BROTHERS

This is a very funny movie.

Think the Brady Bunch, except each parent 

has only one kid and each kid is 40 years old and still lives at home.

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are the step brothers after

both their parents marry.

Yes they are both about 40 years old but you 

wouldn't know it by the way the act.

They are more like 12 year old kids.

Both these guys are enabled by their parents 

allowing them to stay home that long without jobs or 

just actually becoming adults.

All that changes after the wedding as they now have to

share a room and go out and get jobs.

Their antics during the job interviews and 

both brothers sleepwalking shenanigans are a laugh out loud riot.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

-------------------------------------------------------------------

MAN ON WIRE (documentary)

This is the story of how a man and his friends

strung a wire form one tower to the other 

of the World Trade Center about 35 years ago.

Even though you know that he has survived 

this feat(he narrates the movie and is interviewed throughout)

You are still mesmerized and on the edge of your seat hoping he doesn't fall.

This movie will probably win for best Doc at the Oscars for this year.

Must See.

4 out of 5 stars.

What is wrong with people?

When can I just stay in my house and not have to go outside anymore?

Today on the way home I got stuck behind a car that seemed to not want to turn
at an intersection until there was no car coming from the other direction for
about a mile.

So I gave a little "are you going to turn or what" wave.
Ok so she finally went.
Then after the next turn she started driving about 10 mph in a 30 zone.
So I did the little are you going to go or what motion.
This prompted her to slam on the brakes and try to get me to plow into her car.
I was driving somewhat close to her because she was going so slow but not close enough that would cause me to hit her.

She continued on even slower, then slammed her brakes again.
This time she stopped so I tried to go around her and this is when her craziness
came through after she now speeds up and tries to ram me from the side and forced me into the other lane of traffic.

After all that we are both stopped at a stop sign next to each other and she opens her window yelling at me and flicks a cigarette at my car.

Then she gets out of her car, so I yelled at her asking her were she learned how to drive.

After she got out of her car I decided to just go.
She punched my car while i was going away from her.

At this point I look back and see her on her phone so I just figured I better not push it and get out of there.

She looked like she was in her early 20's.
I just don't get what causes people to be this way.

A Few quick movie reviews

Wall-E 5 stars
Hancock 4 stars
Meet Dave 2 star
Eastern Promises 4 stars
Tropic Thunder 3.5 stars
Sweeney Todd 3.5 stars
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SWEENEY TODD

Another movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.
Basically a horror, revenge, musical.
Who could have known that Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter could sing so well.

I was really surprised how much I liked this.
Usually I could do without a musical, this one was really good.
Almost All the songs worked, and there was plenty of blood.

The ending really came out of the blue for me, I really
never expected that to happen.

3.5 stars out of 5
Recommended


TROPIC THUNDER

Ben Stiller stars in and directs a movie that's a movie within a movie.
Robert Downey Jr. plays, a dude playin', the dude, disguised as another dude!
Downey steats the show as a method actor who
surgically alters his look to look like a black man.

This is a comedy/satire but it also pretty gory being a film about making a war film.
great stuff and a few surprise cameos too.
Any movie that makes fun of Hollywood and does it well is worth a look for me.

3.5 stars out of 5
Recommended

EASTERN PROMISES

Viggo is a driver for the Russian mob.
He is there mostly to clean up the mess the the bosses son keeps getting himself into
but this time he has to clean up the boss's mess.
Seems a diary was found on a young pregnant girl who died during childbirth.
The boss is implicated in a horrific crime in the diary.

Mortenson was nominated for an Oscar as a leading actor and he deserved it.
He was one scary son of a gun in this movie.
He has a fight with two thugs that is not like any other fight scene I've seen before.

This movie is a Must See.
4 out 0f 5 stars


Meet Dave

Eddie Murphy's latest is almost a have to see it to believe it.
Murphy is a spaceship from another world coming here to find a probe that landed months before as they are looking for water to save their home world.

Dave is piloted by an army of tiny aliens and the captain looks just like Eddie Murphy.
While I actually laughed out loud a few times this is just typical slapstick and really just for younger kids or preteens.

2 out of 5 stars

Hancock

Will Smith's most recent summer blockbuster finally comes to dvd.
Smith is John Hancock and has superman like powers but has no idea how he got them or were he's from.

Hancock reluctantly saves the day but usually has to be prompted into action.
At least once by a child on the street who has to wake Hancock from a drunken sleep on a city bench.

Hancock is not the typical hero and always causes much financial damage
everytime he stops the bad guys.

Finally the city has had enough and he has to turn himself in as consequence
for his destructive behavior.

It won't be long before the city needs him again to stop all the rising crime while he's in jail.

So with a new attitude and help from a Public Relation specialist, Jason Bateman,
Hancock learns how to become a real hero.
That's not the end of the story.
He learns someting that he never thought possible.

Any more and it gives away too much.
Hancock is an action movie but it is more then just that.
It's also a character study and an unusual love story.

4 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended

Wall-E

Saving the best for last this week.

Based partly on Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS, this movie is practically a silent film
as there is very little dialog until the second half of the movie.

700 years in the future there are no people left on Earth and only one
little robot, who for 700 years has been trying to clean the planet of all the trash
and junk that has piled up.

A ship soon comes from the sky and another little robot comes out.
It's love at first site for Wall-E and his adventure begins.

EVE, goes back into the ship and Wall-E grabs on and goes for a ride and
an exciting surprise.

Sure it's animated but Wall-E is the best movie I have seen this year.
Wall-E, I think, is the best movie so from from Pixar,
Including both Toy Story movies and The Incredibles.

This is story telling at it's best, with very few spoken words to mess it up.

5 out of 5 stars
Highest Recommendation

Opus and Bloom County are no more

Opus has come to an end.

A year or so ago Berkeley Breathed mentioned
the end of the Opus strip and something about
killing him off, then he took it back,
said he was just kidding.
Apparently he wasn't kidding at all.

I suppose the last 2 strips
can be left to open interpretation.

For me it's clear what happened.

In the weeks leading up to this,
Opus ended up in a animal shelter with a dog.

Starting with the Aug 31st strip
BB essentially tells Opus his fate.
In that strip BB discusses the circle of life
and Opus notices that other comic
strips went away due to the creators croaking,
BB... "we'll be trying a different circle."


Next he meets Elvis who appears because,
"I hear you'll soon be checking out for good, hound dog"
and advises him on choosing his final place wisely

Through the 3-4 strips after that,
Opus is trying to understand
what he was put on earth to do.


Here realizes his destiny is to take
the place of the dog in the shelter so dog can go free.

Taking Elvis' advice about choosing one's
final resting place wisely,
Opus imagines that after he "goes"
he would like to
be in a happy place,
a warm place, a friendly place.
A beloved children's book.

As Steve Dallas is looking down at the book,
we see a reflection in Steve's glasses
coming from above.
We see a refection of Opus smiling.

So my interpretation is that Opus' life
was ended on the physical sense.
His spiritual being was caste into BB's
children's books to be seen there
and remembered by children for all time.

So don't mourn Opus because
he is in his happiest of all places

A place of his own choosing.




Go back to April and read Opus final adventures.

www.comics.com/opus

Phillies and Destiny

There is no other sport that has the same feeling
and can create emotion
the way baseball can.

To quote James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams.....

“The one constant through all the years, ..., has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is part of our past, ... It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again.”

Baseball is truly more then simply a "sport" it is a past time, it is a way of life.

I will never enjoy watching any event more then watching baseball.

There is nothing better then seeing my favorite team play my favorite sport
and winning the championship, the World Series.

In the past there have been so called
"teams of destiny" and
I believed in the destiny
of teams in the past.

In 1964 the Phils seemed to be a destiny team.
They had everything going for them that year.
A perfect game on father's day.
The game winning hit and MVP for the all-star game.
Rookie of the year.
Johnny Callison would have been MVP if not for the collapse.
It was all there for their destiny until it all fell apart in 1 week at the end of the season.

The 1983 Phils had a touch of destiny
because this was their 100th season.
they made it to the series that year but couldn't quite get it done.

Again, in 1993 destiny seemed to be with them.
The Phils controlled the East for the entire season after they took first place after their second game, and started 3-0.
They beat the powerful Braves in 6 games but couldn't get past the Blue Jays.

Phillies 2008 edition didn't have the team of destiny feel.
They had a team of purpose feel.
After winning each level of this season, the Eastern Division, the first round
and the NLCS, there was celebration but there was still a sense of purpose.
They always knew they had more to do.
And they did it.