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The Phillies, who conveniently waited until just after I had uploaded the latest Philscast, have made their first move of the winter. They acquired relief pitcher and former closer Brad Lidge and utility infielder Eric Bruntlett in exchange for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, and minor league third base prospect Mike Costanzo.

No reliever has more strikeouts over the past four seasons than Lidge, and so it’s clear to see why the Phils would be interested in him. But he’s also been prone to giving up the long ball, which won’t serve him well in the hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park. Bruntlett is a backup and will fill the void left at backup shortstop and second base caused by the departure of Abraham Nunez. But Bruntlett is no Nunez at third, and he’s essentially a throw-in for this deal.

On the surface, I really just feel like the Phillies gave up too much in this trade. Also, what does this mean for the negotiations with both Aaron Rowand - who seems more necessary now that one of the key role players in the outfield is gone -and J.C. Romero - who may have just had his job taken from him by Lidge?

Unfortunately, after recording the latest episode of Philscast, I went away for a few days, and so I will not be able to update again until Saturday morning. But maybe it’s better that way. Because right now I really don’t understand this deal. Maybe by then, things will make a little more sense. One thing is for sure, you can tell by the make-up of this roster that the Phillies are not done dealing. This deal is just a precursor of things to come. So, until Saturday…

The Phillies answered the first of many off-season questions today when they signed manager Charlie Manuel to a two-year extension. Manuel, who is 63 years old, will be the skipper until at least the end of the 2009 season, and his contract has a club option for 2010.

At the end of next season, Pat Gillick will step down as General Manager of the Phillies, and so there is no guarantee that Manuel will be the choice of the next GM. But considering Gillick’s successor is probably coming from within the organization, it’s a good bet Charlie will see the end of this deal.

And I never thought I’d hear myself say this (or even watch myself write this, as the case may be) but it’s the right decision. Even if his press conferences cause my ears to bleed.

In the most recent Philscast, I compared Manuel to Danny Ozark. Ozark was the manager of the Phillies from 1973 to 1979, won three straight division titles, and led the team to it’s highest win total in franchise history in ‘76 and ‘77 (101). He was also an idiot, and he once said that the Phillies still had a chance to win the division, even though they were seven games out with only six to play. You just can’t make that stuff up.

I stand by my comparison between Manuel and Ozark, because they have a lot in common. Strategically, Charlie is not the sharpest tool in the shed. We all know that now. And yet Manuel is the first Phillies skipper to lead the team to three straight winning seasons in his first three years since Pat Moran did it from 1915 to 1918. He is one of only seven managers to ever lead the Phillies to a division title. He is the second fastest to 250 victories as a Phillies manager (Moran, again). And his .539 career winning percentage is eighth-best among the 30 active managers in Major League Baseball. It hasn’t been Ozark’s run quite yet. But then again, it took Ozark until his fourth season before the run began. Manuel is only in his third year.

Eventually, Ozark was famously replaced when Dallas Green came rumbling down from up above in the front office, and managed the team to their only World Series victory. Why did that happen, considering the Phillies were in the middle of the most successful stretch in the history of their franchise? And I don’t just mean they were dominant. Ozark did in three years what the franchise had never done in the 94 years before that combined: He won three division titles.

It happened because the decision was made by Paul Owens, then GM of the Phils, that the team was winning in spite of Ozark, and not because of him. The result, as I said, was a championship.

So isn’t it possible, considering how promising this young group of players looks, that Manuel isn’t really the reason for the team’s success?

I guess we won’t really know unless a few years from now, in 2010, the team declines the option on Manuel’s contract, hires Jim Leyland, and wins the World Series.

But for now, I go back to what I said in the beginning of this rant. This was the right decision. Because in one regard, Charlie Manuel is incomparable to Danny Ozark.

Ozark never had his team the way Manuel does. These guys will kill for him. Ask anyone on the team, and they’ll tell you the same thing. They love this guy.

Just listen to what Jayson Werth said a few weeks ago before a game with the Nationals. Werth hadn’t started the series before against the Cardinals.

“You can go through the mental shutdown thing (when you’re not starting),” Werth said. “He could just tell it was still on my mind. That was just something to help me get over it and get ready for Washington, because at some point I was going to be hitting with a good chance of the game being on the line. The talk lasted a minute, but I went on with my day and didn’t think about St. Louis. It put a smile on my face and changed my perspective.”

Werth, you’ll remember, hit the pinch-hit homer that brought the Phillies back into the game; one they would eventually win 7-6.

Or how about what Aaron Rowand said just before the playoffs?

“There’s a lot more to him than what everybody gets to see,” Rowand said. “He doesn’t showboat the fact that he’s doing this and that. He’s the leader of this group. The manager is the key and it’s not just pushing buttons during the game. He does a great job communicating and doesn’t need notoriety for it.”

Rowand is one of the key free agents – if not the key free agent – this winter for the Phils. Having Manuel, one of Rowand’s best friends in the game, will only help the team in their quest to persuade him to stay.

These guys love their manager. There’s no other way to say it. Ozark may have had the talent, but his coaching didn’t get them any further than they would have gotten on their own.

For Manuel, it’s a different story. He’s kept this team together through injuries and losing streaks. He kept them together well enough for them to win their division for the first time in 14 years. And now it was the front office’s turn. By bringing back Manuel, they are the ones keeping things together for at least two more years. They are the ones giving this magical group a chance to finish what they started.

The first playoff game in the history of Citizens Bank Park? The first playoff game period for the Phillies in fourteen years? The potential for a great pitching duel? I only had one thing on my mind: Running Diary.

I have to say that TBS has done an exceptional job so far with their coverage. I generally really hate Fox’s coverage of all sports, regardless of the announcers. But TBS has been pretty good. They even started off with a bad-ass montage at the beginning of their pregame show. “Twenty-two have fallen. But eight remain standing, and they play for one championship.” I’m ready to go.

2:50 - Just wanted to mention this, but the Braves studio team has Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken. Brilliant. Why don’t more networks (ESPN, we’re looking in your direction) get significant players to be their analysts? ESPN has Eric Young and John Kruk, and for their GM role they have Steve Phillips, the guy who ruined the Mets and traded away Scott Kazmir. Why not get legitimate people like The Big Hurt and The Iron Man? Can’t they provide a better perspective than mediocre players? If nothing else, can’t they at least fake it better?

2:56 - The guys wonder if you can overstate the value of a home crowd, and they switch to a shot of the Bank. The place looks great, and the fans look rowdy. Then they talk about how great the Philly crowd has been down the stretch, and how they expect it to be louder today. This is going to start going to our heads if they keep it up. I’m just not used to this kind of press.

3:00 - Another great montage brings us live to Philadelphia, where Don Orsillo and Joe Simpson are ready to call the action. I’ve never heard of either of them, I won’t lie.

3:05 - It’s really time to stop showing that Kenny Lofton DHL commercial. Not only is it about the trade deadline, which has long since passed, but Lofton actually GOT traded and is playing on a team that is in the playoffs. Film something new.

3:07 - As they give the lineups, I can’t help but think that Phillies fans are going to say playing Wes Helms is a mistake. I don’t like him either, but he’s a righty against a lefty, and he’s 6-9 with two homers against Jeff Francis. It’s the right play.

3:09 - Matsui grounds out to Rollins for the first out, and the crowd gets to chant MVP at Rollins for the first time. I get the feeling that the Rockies fans will have an answer when this series moves to Colorado.

3:11 - Hamels strikes out Tulowitzki, but boy are they making Cole throw pitches. The boos rain down as Matt Holliday steps to the plate.

3:13 - Howard tags Holliday awkwardly, but the Phils start it with a 1-2-3 inning. Putting up early runs is going to be a huge part of this series for either team, so we’ll see what the Phils can do here in Game 1.

3:18 - Rollins strikes out after being up 3-0 in the count. Not a great start.

3:20 - Victorino and Utley go down on a pair of 3-pitch K’s, and that’ll do it. Ouch.

3:23 - Todd Helton triples to open up the second inning. Hamels doesn’t look all that sharp. Even in the first inning, guys were fouling a lot of balls off, instead of swinging and missing like you see when Cole is on. This could be bad.

3:25 - Atkins lines a double into left, 1-0 Rockies. Hamels’ curve is catching an awful lot of the plate.

3:28 - Ryan Spilborghs comes to bat. This team has a bunch of annoying names to spell. No more running diaries after today.

3:29 - Hamels walks Spilborghs on four pitches. What in the world is wrong with Cole?

3:30 - Another crazy name, Yorvit Torrealba singles into center. 2-0 Rockies. The bleeding has to stop here.

3:35 - Hamels walks Matsui to load the bases. That will invite a visit from Rich Dubee.

3:38 - Hamels walks another one, this one drives in a run. And not only that, but now Holliday gets to bat with the bases loaded. That’s a bad situation.

3:39 - Holliday hits a rocket, but it’s foul. Grand Slam distance though. Don’t throw that one again.

3:40 - Pitch number forty in the INNING coming up for Hamels.

3:40 - Hamels gets Holliday to strike out, but it’s 3-0 Rockies. Yeah, it’s only three runs, but with the number of Pitches Hamels has already thrown, Kyle Lohse could find his way into this game sooner rather than later.

3:48 - Aaron Rowand becomes the first Phillie not to strike out. He grounded out softly to short. And he was down 0-2 anyway.

3:50 - Pat Burrell draws a walk. I mean…at least it’s a base runner. Or, in Pat’s case, a base walker.

3:52 - Career numbers, so what? Helms pops out and the inning is over.

3:59 - Hamels gets the 1-2-3 inning, just what the doctor ordered.

4:04 - Cole breaks up the no-no with two outs in the bottom of the third. Doesn’t that mean someone else should actually be able to get a hit? No? How about not strike out?

4:05 - Alright, maybe the strikeout was a better way to go. Rollins grounds into the around-the-horn double play, and the inning is over. The Phillies are playing one of those games again. The ones where they look asleep. My guess is the Rockies only put up another run or two, and the Phils get one in the sixth and one in the eighth just to tease us before giving up two more in the top of the ninth to lose 6-2.

4:11 - Hamels gets Jeff Francis for another 1-2-3 inning. He’s settling in nicely, but he’s still up around 80 pitches already. If he can go six, it would be a monumental effort.

4:12 - Our first Sonic commercial of the day. All I can say is this: Does anyone in the Philly area know where a Sonic is? I keep seeing commercials, and everything looks so good. Where are they? And if they aren’t around, why do they spend so much in advertising here?

4:18 - Howard strikes out, and the Phillies go down in order again. That’s seven strikeouts for Francis so far, for those of you scoring at home.

4:23 - Helms makes a brilliant diving stop to get Hamels another 1-2-3 inning, this one on just six pitches. The good news is that this game is settling down. The bad news is that the Phils are the team that needs to get something going.

4:27 - Well, there’s a start. Rowand goes deep to get the Phillies on the board. 3-1 Rockies.

4:29 - Pat Burrell waited a long time to get to the playoffs. That home run had to feel SO good. I know it felt good watching it. The Phils go back to back, an it’s 3-2 Rockies.

4:31 - I know that Helms just made an out, but it was a screamer to left. All I’m going to say is that Jeff Francis looks rattled. Burrell’s homer was a cheap one, and opposing pitchers tend to hate giving those up. I know John Smoltz has always found it unpleasant. The Phils are taking some really good swings now.

4:32 - Ruiz singles to left, and he’s a one out baserunner. Here come the Phils bats. Maybe they won’t sleep their way through this game after all. Hamels should bunt Carlos over here.

4:33 - Hamels pops up the bunt, two outs.

4:35 - Francis has thrown 20 pitches this inning. This should really help take the pressure off. At least it’s a one-run game now. And as I type this, Ruiz takes off and steals second. I said coming into this series that baserunning would be a huge advantage for the Phillies. Joe Simpson tells me that Torrealba has only thrown out 2 of his last 32 baserunners. You can run on these guys.

4:36 - Rollins draws a walk, so now it’s first and second with two outs. The Phils would love to take the lead here and take all the wind out of Colorado’s sails. Shane Victorino has had two pitiful at-bats so far. He’s taken his sunglasses off for this at-bat, which is a nice start. Now if we could just get him to ditch that little league helmet with the flaps on both sides.

4:38 - Victorino grounds out to end the inning, but we have ourselves a ballgame now. Let’s see how Cole reacts.

4:43 - Cole starts it with a strikeout of Todd Helton. Not bad.

4:45 - Hamels gets another strikeout for the third out of the inning. He has now retired 13 in a row, and the Phils offense gets to go right back at it.

4:49 - Chase Utley strikes out for the third time in three at-bats, and he’s looked ugly doing it. The top four guys in this lineup have been dreadful, and they need to step it up.

4:51 - Howard pops out on one of the ugliest swings I’ve ever seen. But look on the bright side. At least he made contact.

4:52 - Rowand flies out, and it’s a 1-2-3 inning for Francis. Three innings to go, and we look like we’ve got a good one on our hands.

4:57 - Spilborghs walks to start the inning. Cole is over 110 pitches. Why is he even still in there?

4:59 - Jeff Francis is going to hit for himself and pitch in the seventh after Torreabla flew out to right. This is an interesting decision, considering the Phillies are seeing him better.

5:00 - Francis grounds out to Utley, but the runner moves to second.

5:01 - That will be all for Cole Hamels. His final line is 6.2 inings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts. He threw 115 pitches, 72 for strikes. He really just had one awful inning, and he leaves trailing by one run, the one he walked in. It’s the first time since June he’s walked more than two in a game. But he recovered gracefully.

5:03 - Tom Gordon is into the game to try to get the Phils out of this inning. Spilborghs is at second, and they really can’t let him score.

5:05 - Flash strikes out Matsui, inning over. This sets up perfectly for the Phillies. Romero will come in for the eighth for the lefties, and then you’d have Myers for the bottom of the order in the ninth. All the Phillies have to do now is take the lead, which is easier said than done. Oh, and there’s the part where Gordon and Romero actually have to get everyone out. I know they’ve been good, but Holliday and Helton can flat out rake.

5:09 - Clint Hurdle waited until the start of the inning to take out Francis. What a jerk. He does this all the time, and it’s annoying. First, he let Francis bat. That’s just weird. Second, why wait until the beginning of the inning to take a guy out? It’s the equivalent of a coach waiting until the field goal is already good to call a timeout, a recent trend in the NFL. It’s obnoxious, and I hate it.

5:11 - LaTroy Hawkins comes in to pitch, and Burrell pops out on the first pitch. That forces my father into the following: “Why in the world would you swing at the first pitch from a reliever? Shouldn’t you wait to see what he’s got? Isn’t that just common sense?” Amen.

5:13 - Greg Dobbs comes on to pinch hit for Helms. So much for numbers, Helms didn’t help out at all today. He made a nice play defensively, but he was worthless again at the plate.

5:16 - Dobbs is having a good at-bat, fouling off pitches. Meanwhile, the Phanatic is putting the hex on Hawkins.

5:17 - Dobbs draws a walk with one out, and the Phils are going to use Michael Bourn to pinch-run. Think he’s stealing?

5:19 - Ruiz is buried in an 0-2 count, and that might prevent Bourn from running. Personally, I’d still send him.

5:20 - Ruiz gets the count back to 2-2 before grounding into the inning-ending double play. And we move to the eighth.

5:23 - Gordon stays in the game to go after Tulowitzki.

5:24 - Gordon blows him away with a fastball.

5:24 - Holliday takes Gordon deep, and I mean deep to left center. That was a bomb. 4-2 Rockies.

5:28 - Romero gets Helton right away. Regardless of what happens in this game, that’s a good sign for the rest of this series. Those two will meet again.

5:29 - Jimmy Rollins make a ridiculous play at short to get Garrett Atkins. But the lead is back up to two.

5:31 - This is sort of boring for a running diary. The announcers aren’t say stupid things for me to make fun of…what kind of network is this?

5:33 - Tadahito Iguchi comes out to pinch-hit for the start of the eighth against Brian Fuentes. The Phils need a baserunner in the worst way.

5:34 - And Iguchi walks. Now the top of the order comes up with a chance to redeem themselves for how terrible they have been up to this point.

5:36 - Rollins is 3-1 now, and the crowd is ready for something electric.

5:37 - Of course, Rollins pops up what might have been ball four. So if you’re keeping track, Holliday has a huge home run and Jimmy is 0 for 3.

5:39 - Victorino grounds to short, but he beats the relay throw to keep the inning alive for Chase. This is the first of what will probably be many matchups between Utley and Fuentes throughout this series.

5:40 - Utley flinched and backed away at a called strike on the outside corner. What’s wrong with him today? Also, Victorino looks runner-ish, to borrow a term from Richie Ashburn. Why would he run with two outs, down by two?

5:41 - Utley strikes out for the fourth time in four at-bats. Wow. Just wow.

5:44 - Brett Myers comes on to pitch the ninth. It’s real simple: He needs to keep the deficit at two. And it would be best for him if he could do it with a 1-2-3 inning, because he has the bottom of the order up right now.

5:45 - Speaking of which, Brad Hawpe is gone on strikes.

5:46 - Spilborghs is caught looking at a curveball. People were worried about Myers, and the fact that his emotions can get the best of him. He looks as comfortable as could be out there right now.

5:47 - Joe Simpson makes the point that Myers would be more amped up and his emotions would be more of a factor if it was a save situation and the crowd was going nuts. Touche.

5:48 - Torrealba gets an infield hit, and that will bring on Cory Sullivan to pinch-hit. The Phillies really don’t want the top of this order to come back up.

5:49 - Well, so much for that. Sullivan singles to center (say that quickly), and that will turn the lineup over.

5:51 - Myers strikes out Matsui for one of the more interesting “Strike out the side” innings I’ve ever seen. And we go to the bottom of the ninth. I hope the Phils come back. Not just because I want them to win, and not just because it would probably be good for business. I really can’t stand the Rockies’ uniforms. I hate any baseball team that wears the sleeveless shirts over top of another shirt. I just hate it. Like Lou Brown says in Major League, “We wear caps and sleeves in this league, son.”

5:54 - Ryan Howard will lead it off in the ninth. He’s a mere 0-3 today.

5:55 - Howard goes down on strikes again. He’s still striking out way too much. In the words of Tom Hanks, “That’s something that I’d like you to work on before next season.”

5:57 - Rowand grounds out to second, and it looks like the Phillies are going to go down fast and quiet. Not only that, but Nunez is due up behind Burrell because of all the switches. So now even if Burrell reaches, Nunez would come up as the tying run. They can’t pinch-hit, he’s the last third baseman on the roster. They could always use Coste or Werth, but that doesn’t make it a good idea.

5:58 - Burrell takes a pitch low for strike two. I’m sorry, but that pitch just isn’t a strike. I’ve been watching this game pretty intently, and I can honestly tell you I have no idea what a strike is today. It’s not why the Phillies are going to lose, but it certainly didn’t help.

6:01 - And just after hour number three of this catastrophe, Burrell pops out to center to end the ballgame. The Phillies offense was miserable today, and if you look at the top four guys in the order, it’s probably enough to make you cry.

Just a quick note for everyone out there listening throughout the Phillies’ postseason run. Philscast is completely FREE to download and listen to. You can subscribe via iTunes or listen right from this website (audio player is on the right). Schedule note: Normally new Philscast episodes debut twice a week but we are going to be releasing additional playoff episodes for the NLDS:

Thursday Oct. 4th (a.m.)
Thursday Oct. 4th (p.m.)
Sunday Oct. 7th (p.m.)
Monday Oct. 8th (a.m.)

Stay tuned to the show and this space for more news. Also, we rarely mention it on the show so here’s a reminder that it’s easy to sign up to be notified whenever a new episode of Philscast is released:

We hope you enjoy Philscast, and most importantly, Go Phillies!

Congratulations to the 2007 NL East Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies on winning the division today in the final game of the season! Stay tuned for a special ‘division clinching’ episode of Philscast, which will be released on Monday.

Send us an e-mail at hosts@philscast.com or give us a call at 215-253-3712 and let us know what winning the division means to you!

Go Phils! 11 more wins to go!

Scattered reports are coming in tonight that Pat Gillick has announced he will step down after the 2008 season. This story is still developing, and so it’s tough to say what kind of impact it will have. It’s really too soon to say what it means for the franchise both in terms of finding a replacement and in terms of moving forward through the end of this season and into the winter. Be sure to stay with Philscast as more details emerge.

It’s the middle of a playoff race, and so I wanted to do a running diary
of a game. I’ve just been waiting for the right opportunity.
Then it hits me: Sunday afternoon’s game against the Nationals.
Cole Hamels making his second start back from the DL. The final
game ever played in RFK Stadium. It just made so much sense.

Then I thought about it, and I realized the Phils would be playing at the
same time as the Eagles, and that I’d want to flip back and forth.
Plus, combine all of that with managing three fantasy football leagues
(I like to keep up with the live scoring), and it all would have been
too much. So I decided to do a diary of tonight’s game instead.

The Mets already won, which makes tonight’s Phils game important.
If the Mets win, the Phillies have to win to keep the pace. If
the Mets lose, the Phillies have to win to pick up the game. It’s
a tough situation, but the Phils did it to themselves. So on that
note, Phillies baseball.

7:05 - First pitch to Rollins
is a strike, and we’re underway.

7:06 - Paul Aspan of Phillydugout.com
likes to make a note of Sarge’s keys to the game. Tonight, “Keep
the same intensity and score runs early.” That’s a lot better
than his normal keys of “Hit well and pitch well”, but it’s not
all that far off.

7:08 - Chase Utley just tattooed
a ball to right field, 1-0 Phillies. He extends his hitting streak
to 17 games in style. One day people are going to realize that
you can’t sneak an inside fastball past Chase, but apparently today
is not that day.

7:16 - Dobbs strikes out
looking to end the inning. This umpire has the most exaggerated
strikeout call I’ve ever heard. It’s going to drive me insane
by the end of the night.

7:18 - Kyle Kendrick is on
the mound and going for win number 10. That’s amazing to think
about, considering he was a Double A call-up who came to this team in
the middle of the season. But he needs to give them some innings
tonight. This bullpen needs a break in the worst way. Oliver
Perez gave the Mets 8 innings earlier, and they needed it just as badly.
Now it’s Kendrick’s turn.

7:19 - Kendrick starts the
game with a 3-pitch strikeout. So far, so good.

7:22 - Another strikeout
for Kendrick. I enjoyed the strikeout call that time. A
great, quick 1-2-3 inning for Kyle.

7:25 - Let’s see if Kendrick
can get this bunt down and move Jayson Werth to second.

7:26 - UNBELIEVABLE.
Kendrick lays the bunt down, and the Nationals are taking their time
throwing him out at first. So Werth moves all the way from first
to third. Great baserunning. Now Rollins comes to the plate
to chants of MVP! For the third straight game, it sounds like
there are more Phillies fans down there than Nationals fans.

7:28 - Our pick for MVP is
now just 2-13 lifetime against Nats starter Tim Redding. We go
to the bottom of the second.

7:31 - Kendrick stabs a grounder
up the middle and throws to first for the out to start the second inning.
So far he’s gotten everyone out, laid down a bunt, and made a nice
defensive play. There are worse starts to a game.

7:32 - Aaron Rowand tracks
down a tough fly ball and catches it over his shoulder on the warning
track. It’s a nice play and it saves extra bases, but even better,
Kendrick gets to face Ronnie Belliard with two outs and nobody on.
Belliard is probably the most dangerous hitter in this lineup.

7:35 - Belliard grounds one
up the middle and beats Utley’s throw by a step. Judging by
the boos, the Phils fans in attendance disagreed with the call.
There goes the no-hitter.

7:37 - Robert Fick singles
to left, and the Nats have two on with two outs. You sure don’t
want to give up a run here. I’m almost tempted to make a mound
visit if I’m Rich Dubee.

7:39 - Kendrick gets a groundball
and the Phils are out of the inning. In other news, that “1-2-3-4″
song by Feist is still in my head.

7:43 - Utley leads off the
third with a hit. The only problem is they scored it an error.
I have to think they’ll change that. Utley smoked that ball
past two Nats fielders, and it took a bad hop. That’s a tough
error if it stands.

7:48 - Ryan Howard strikes
out for the second time tonight. When he gets behind in the count,
I’m always convinced he is going to strikeout. That’s just
not what you want out of your cleanup hitter. But he’s striking
out at an alarming rate. He’s probably going to set the National
League record for K’s in a season. And keep in mind: He missed
about 5 weeks.

7:54 - Dobbs strikes out
for the third out of the inning. He’s now personally left 4
runners on base through three innings. 3 more and he gets a set
of steak knives like Dan Kaffee in “A Few Good Men”.

8:00 - Another 1-2-3 inning
for Kendrick. So far, he’s been just what the doctor ordered.

8:02 - Chris Wheeler tells
me that Phils third base coach Steve Smith used to be an actor and was
in Die Hard 2. Are you serious? Sarge says Smith was voted
Sexiest Man by People Magazine at one point. That one just can’t
be true. All of this still just makes me sure that Smith isn’t
qualified to be a third base coach.

8:04 - On a related note,
the Phils are advertising that People Magazine is running a “World’s
Sexiest Fan” competition. Wheeler wants to know if Smith is
eligible, and Sarge is trying to convince Wheels to enter. This
whole game just deteriorated so quickly, I’m struggling to even understand
it.

8:08 - I just saw a preview
for the new Iron Man movie coming out next year. I don’t even
like Iron Man as a character, but this preview looks amazing.
Check it out online if you haven’t seen it. Trust me.

8:11 - Kendrick strikes out
Zimmerman to start the bottom of the fourth. His stuff is filthy
tonight.

8:18 - An excuse me hit for
Belliard on the hit and run, and now it’s first and third for the
Nats with 2 outs. Utley was covering second on the stolen base;
otherwise he would have gotten that ball. I never understood why
you would have the second baseman covering on a play like that.
You know Belliard likes to shoot it through the hole anyway, and with
Howard holding the runner on first, Jimmy should’ve covered the bag.

8:23 - Kendrick gets a fly
ball and he’s out of the inning. He’s thrown 64 pitches already,
but he’s kept the Nats off the board. If he can throw 3 more
innings, it will only be the third time a Phillies starter has gone
7 in the last 40 starts or so.

8:25 - Rollins flies out
to fall to 0-3 on the night. It’s no wonder this team isn’t
scoring runs tonight. This offense is completely different when
Rollins isn’t setting the table.

8:29 - The Phils go down
in order again after Burrell strikes out. I have a craving for
a turkey sandwich, but the second I go to get it is when something exciting
will finally happen in this game. So that being the case, I’m
going to wait until the Phillies are batting again.

8:33 - The pitcher hits a
fly ball to left field that goes off of Burrell’s glove for a double.
No matter how much he does offensively, he never seems to let you forget
what an incredible liability he is defensively. This is the most
trouble Kendrick has been in all night, but maybe it’s good to have
Redding running the bases instead of sitting down.

8:37 - You’ve gotta be
kidding me. Aaron Rowand just saved a run with a phenomenal catch
off his shoestrings. He’s made a few amazing catches in this
game, but that one saved the tying run. 1-0 Phillies as the game
is now official.

8:38 - “1-2-3-4, tell me
that you love me more.” Our first IPod commercial of the night.
This reminds me. What’s the point in advertising for IPods at
this point? Are there really people out there who aren’t aware
of the product? Is someone sitting on their couch watching this
thinking to themselves, “Wait, you’re telling me you can listen
to music on a little player….almost like something portable that you
can take with you when you leave your house?” I just feel like
Apple is wasting money here. We’re already slaves to you.
You don’t need to rub it in our faces.

8:42 - Howard strikes out
for the third time tonight. He’s been incredibly inconsistent
this year. He has been killing the ball lately, and all of the
sudden he’s back to looking completely lost at the plate. I
don’t get it. I really don’t. Either way, he’s only
two strikeouts shy of the all-time record of 195.

8:43 - Rowand crushes a ground-rule
double to right-center. Is there nothing he can’t do?
You know, other than sign on the dotted line to come back next year.

8:45 - Dobbs leaves another
man in scoring position. This won’t be one of those games he
tells his kids about.

8:48 - As Werth flies out
to left field, I realize that I forgot to make my turkey sandwich.
So not only do I take full responsibility for the fact that the Phils
didn’t pick up that run, but now I have to wait another inning before
I eat my sandwich. It’s a cruel, cruel world we’re living
in.

8:51 - Abraham Nunez comes
in to replace Dobbs at third. What can you say? It just
wasn’t Dobbs’ night.

8:53 - Kendrick strikes out
Austin Kearns for his sixth K on the night. That’s a new career
high for Kyle.

8:54 - He just keeps throwing
sinkers with a runner on first. All anyone is going to do is ground
that ball into a double play. The fact that he is throwing that
for a strike is such an asset tonight.

8:57 - Ryan Church hits a
1-2 pitch into center for a base hit. It’s first and second
again for the Nats, and the Phils have bullpen action for the first
time tonight. Kendrick has to get out of this inning. He
can’t give the Phillies 5+ tonight. He has to give them 6 or
more, especially considering how well he’s pitched.

8:59 - So unfortunate.
Kendrick gets the ground ball he needed. Nunez throws to second
for one, but Utley’s relay gets past Howard and the tying run scores.
They probably weren’t going to get the double play anyway, but Sarge
makes the point that Howard has to stop that ball. He’s absolutely
right. That run shouldn’t have scored, and even though the error
goes to Utley, Howard is the one to blame there. 1-1 ballgame.

9:02 - Kendrick gets out
of the inning after just giving up one. He’s thrown 96 pitches
through 6, and if they take him out before the seventh, I’ll scream.
He is due up. If it’s me, I bunt Kendrick regardless of the
situation. Charlie is the type that will play for the big inning
and pinch hit for his pitcher. We’ll see what happens.
Turkey time.

9:05 - So of course, Charlie
pinch hits for Kendrick. His final line: 6 innings, 1 unearned
run, 6 hits, 6 strikeouts, 0 walks. He deserved another inning,
especially considering pinch hitter Pete LaForest made an out on 3 pitches.

9:06 - It took them forever,
but they finally gave Utley a hit on that play in the third.

9:09 - It took Rollins forever,
but he finally got himself a hit. That’ll chase Reading from
the game, although no pun intended with Utley coming up to bat.

9:10 - While I eat my delicious
turkey sandwich during the pitching change, I can’t help but think
about what a mistake it was to take Kendrick out of the game.
He was pitching an absolute gem. When was the last time you uttered
that sentence to yourself? “Wow, (Phillies starter) is pitching
a gem tonight.” It’s been a while. I would have given
him one more inning.

9:15 - Chase grounds out,
inning over.

9:17 - J.C. Romero will be
the new pitcher for the Phils. He’s been great, don’t get
me wrong. But this will be the fifth straight day they have used
him. I would have just as soon left Kendrick out there.
I really think this is going to bite them.

9:21 - Brian Schneider laces
a ball to center field and Rowand can’t get this one. It gets
by him and rolls all the way back to the fence. Schneider is on
third now with nobody out. “Gonna Fly Now” is playing in RFK.
Won’t that just pump up the Phillies?

9:23 - They gave Rowand an
error for not coming up with a diving catch. So it’s a single
and a two-base error. Rowand should have just kept that ball in
front of him, but that’s a tough error. It’s also the third
error of the night for the Phils, who are doing their best New York
Mets impression.

9:25 - Romero walks Tony
Bautista. Rich Dubee comes out to buy some time while the Phils
get somebody up. I hate to say I told you so…

9:27 - Nook Logan hits a
liner right at Rollins for the first out. Nobody advances, and
now a ground ball gets the Phils out of the inning. We can hope,
can’t we?

9:28 - Now the Nats are going
to pinch run for Schneider. This smells like a suicide squeeze
to me with Felipe Lopez at the plate.

9:29 - Romero gets a grounder
to second, and Utley tries to tag Bautista. He misses him, so
he rifles the ball home and they get the out. So now it’s first
and second with two outs. That’ll be it for Romero, and as they
show the replay, the Phillies caught a huge break on that play.
Guzman was safe by a mile at home.

9:32 - Geoff Geary will come
on to face Ryan Zimmerman in a huge spot. But again, Geary pitched
an inning and two thirds last night. These guys are tired.
None of this would be happening if they would have left Kendrick in
the game. In the worst case scenario, Romero would just be coming
in now.

9:36 - Nunez fields a grounder
cleanly and steps on the bag at third and walks off the field.
The only problem is that it was a foul ball. Nunez looked a little
silly, although the Phillies fans in attendance backed him up.

9:37 - Geary strikes out
Zimmerman, inning over. I’ll say this for the Phillies: They
are incredibly resourceful. That’s not at all how I would have
managed that situation. But people are doing their jobs, especially
in that bullpen right now. Now they need to take the lead against
the Nats relievers.

9:40 - So far, so good for
that whole “Take the lead” thing. Burrell goes down swinging,
and now Howard and his 3 strikeouts come to the plate. He’s
either going to embarrass himself or crush a ball somewhere.

9:44 - Howard looks at three
perfect strikes. What in the world is he thinking? These
balls are right down the middle, and the bat never even leaves his shoulders.
Remember that time when I said he is probably going to break the strikeout
record before the season is over? I think he might do it tonight.

9:47 - Rowand singled into
center for his fourth hit of the night. He’s done everything
he’s physically capable of to help the Phillies win this game.
Now Nunez comes up in place of Dobbs. What are the chances he
picks up right where Dobbs left off?

9:51 - Nunez draws a walk
after being down in the count 0-2. I don’t think I have ever
seen him be that patient at the plate. Now Werth comes to the
plate with a chance to do some damage.

9:55 - Werth goes down swinging,
and we move to the bottom of the eighth.

10:04 - Boy, Flash Gordon
has looked sharp these last few weeks. Another 1-2-3 inning for
him, and the Phils will have another chance at the lead in the top of
ninth.

10:06 - The Nats bring in
Chad Cordero for the ninth. I don’t know why, but I have a good
feeling about this.

10:07 - Chris Coste drills
the first pitch to left field, but it dies at the track for the first
out. He JUST missed that one. Now Iguchi will pinch hit
for Gordon.

10:09 - Iguchi flies out
to center. It’s down to JRoll.

10:10 - MVP chants aside,
Jimmy hasn’t had a great night. He flies out to left, inning
over. Brett Myers is coming into the game, and just like Romero
and Gordon, this will be his fifth straight game. The Phils have
an off day on Monday. I’ll bet the pitching staff can’t wait.

10:18 - And we’re going
extras.

10:21 - I’ve got a feeling
Utley is going to get a huge hit here to start things off.

10:22 - Nothing Earth-shattering,
but Chase starts it with a single.

10:23 - Just a thought: Howard
was having an awful game a few months ago against the Nats before he
clobbered a walk-off homer in the fourteenth inning. Just a thought.

10:24 - Burrell walks on
four pitches. Michael Bourn will pinch run. Howard is so
unbelievably due.

10:25 - As Howard takes strike
one, I think to myself that one more strikeout would tie him for the
record.

10:27 - As Howard swings
through strike two, I start to think this at bat is a lost cause.
Remember what I said earlier about how he hits when he’s behind in
the count. Three strikeouts is a hat trick, and four is called
the Golden Sombrero. I wonder what five is called.

10:28 - Doesn’t matter
now, does it? Howard lines a ball into center for a base hit,
and there’s pandemonium among the Phillies fans in attendance.
That pitch was supposed to be over Howard’s head. It came down
the middle of the plate. 2-1 Phillies, and a pitching change for
the Nationals. It’s still first and third with nobody out.
Incidentally, that was the first hit for either team with runners in
scoring position in 15 combined tries.

10:33 - Phillies fans start
a “This is our house” chant. What a dagger that is.
This is the second to last game in the history of this great stadium.
Imagine if Braves fans outnumbered Phillies fans in the last series
at the Vet and started chanting “This is our house”. That
hurts my feelings just thinking about it. But maybe that’s the
point. We’d never let that happen in Philadelphia. Where
are the Nats fans anyway?

10:34 - Rowand grounds a
ball to Zimmerman who comes home to get Bourn. Bourn almost beat
the throw anyway, but Flores did a great job to block the plate.
So now it’s first and second with one out. Victorino is pinch
hitting for Nunez. Remember Victorino? I guess he still
does play for this team…

10:37 - Victorino grounds
a ball to first base, but nobody covered and everybody is safe.
What happened there? Bases loaded now for Werth. Incidentally,
Wes Helms is pinch running for Victorino. Isn’t that the most
backwards sentence you’ve ever read?

10:41 - Werth draws a four
pitch walk to force in a run, 3-1 Phils. That will force a pitching
change. A base hit here, or especially anything for extra bases,
would be huge. Clay Condrey is going to pitch the tenth, and so
the more runs, the better.

10:48 - In response to the
Rockies taking a lead on the Padres, Phils fans get a “Let’s go
Rockies” chant going. Now that, I love. Admit it: This
is more fun than your standard “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” chant.

10:50 - Carlos Ruiz singles
in a run, and for some reason Steve Smith sends Wes Helms, who is out
by a mile at home plate. At least Smith is still in the running
for Sexiest Man awards, because he stinks as a third base coach.
What business does he have sending one of the slowest guys on the team
with two outs and Rollins coming to bat? Just miserable.
Either way, 4-1 Phils. It’s all up to Condrey now. But
should this game continue past this inning, you can blame Steve Smith.

10:55 - Nook Logan leads
it off with another infield single. He’s fast, but I don’t
think they’ll bother holding him on here with a three run lead.

11:01 - Condrey gets his
second save, and the Phils take game three of this series 4-1.
The Phillies are on an 8-1 road trip right now. That’s the kind
of run it was always going to take. Now we just need the Rockies
to hang on against the Padres and it will be a half game in the wild
card race.

It was the best of weeks. It was the worst of weeks.

One of the things that amazes me most about the Phillies’ 4-game sweep of the Mets is that they did it with absolutely no momentum. In the three series before this one, the Fightin’ Phils were hardly that. They lost six out of nine, including four straight to the Dodgers and Padres. It was a terrible start to a homestand that was supposed to make or break the season.

Then suddenly they blow out San Diego on Sunday, and they go on to take care of business against the Mets. What happened Monday through Thursday of this week was crazy on a lot of levels. Not just because of the double play interference, or an eighth inning comeback, or three stolen bases in one inning. No, it was crazy because all of this came at a time when the Phillies were left for dead. The Phillies picked the perfect time to complete the first four-game sweep in the history of Citizens Bank Park.

But the question I have been going over in my mind is a simple one: What happened? What happened between Saturday, when the team looked as if it was asleep, and Sunday, when the team looked like a waking giant?

The obvious answer to this question is Chase Utley. Utley came back for Sunday’s game, even though he did not play, and the team seemed to have a renewed spark. They put him in the lineup Monday, and the bats really came to life in game one against the Mets. Utley homered for his first hit. Not only that, but the first play of the game was a grounder to Utley, who made a diving stop before popping up and throwing a bullet to first base. His hand looks fine to me.

But it can’t be that simple, can it? Utley did not even play Wednesday, and the Phillies still battled just as hard. Sure, Utley was still in the dugout. But to say that Utley’s presence alone fires this team up would be selling guys like Aaron Rowand and Jimmy Rollins short. Don’t get me wrong: Chase Utley brings a fire to this team unmatched by anyone in recent Phillies memory. But on a team with this many veterans, I would find it hard to believe that it all came down to one player. This team has been there the last three years, right on the doorstep. You can’t tell me the other guys in that clubhouse don’t know what it takes. You can’t tell me they were waiting for Utley.

But if not that, then what? They look like a different team this week, and I’m still racking my brain trying to figure out what did it. Inconsistency is nothing new for the Phils, but this is night and day.

The best answer I have been able to come up with is this: The guys who aren’t exhausted have been stepping up. Because of injuries, this team is tired. Aaron Rowand plays the game as hard as anyone in the league, and so he needs a day off from time to time. With Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn out of the lineup, he hasn’t gotten one. Greg Dobbs hasn’t gotten one either, and considering he’s been thrown around in two positions pretty regularly, he certainly deserves one.

So they guys who are stepping up are the fresh troops. What Jayson Werth has brought to this team in the past few weeks cannot be measured in batting average and runs scored. Not even, as it turns out, in stolen bases. Guys like Werth carried the load for the guys who needed a break, and now the Phillies are healthy again. This week alone, Cole Hamels, Adam Eaton, Victorino, and Utley are all back in the lineup. Read those names again and think about what a significant part of this team that is.

This is all true in the bullpen, too. JC Romero has been nothing short of spectacular, and he’s allowed Charlie Manuel to use him late in games in big spots. This bullpen needed someone to step up, and Romero has done it. Not only that, but he’s a lefty, something this team desperately needed.

Now as they are healthy, guys who are solid everyday players are coming off the bench. Tad Iguchi is going to be an asset to this team down the stretch, because now a guy who just two years ago was a starter on a team that won the World Series is pinch-hitting. He’s been brilliant so far.

What remains to be seen is whether or not the Phillies can get over the hump. They have been two games back at several different times this season, and they cannot seem to get any closer. With 29 games left to go, there is still time. But not much.

Philadelphia is kind of a weird town. We like to think of ourselves as a big city, but we really aren’t. We don’t have the size of New York, with its tall skyscrapers and its huge subway system and its hustle and bustle. We don’t have the significance of Washington, DC either. It’s the center of our government. Philadelphia just can’t compete with that.

So we march on, inferiority complex in hand, talking a big game. It has to be a psychologists dream. We hate Washington sports teams, and in reality they don’t really care about us. That’s because they have other rivalries, sports rivalries, to care about. We feel like we’re fighting their entire city. Same goes for New York, although at least in their case the feeling is mutual.

Sports become the outlet for our desire to sit at the big kids table. We always want our teams to get national attention, and we know the only way to do that is to be competitive. We don’t want the attention for the glory or just to see ourselves on TV. We want the attention because deep down, we feel like Boston and New York get all of it. Where is this more evident than in baseball?

The Phillies only national attention recently has come from 10,000 losses, and that’s not the kind of attention any of us really wanted. The Eagles, on the other hand, have been a shining beacon of hope for the city. They’ve been on the brink of greatness for half a decade now, and the media sure does seem to like them. On top of which, the Giants and Redskins have been really bad for this whole stretch. How perfect. No New York and no DC. Just Philadelphia, King of the Region.

The only problem is that this has created a monster. Not that this town didn’t love the Eagles before they got good, because we did. We’re not like Patriots fans. But it’s gotten to the point now where if you don’t like the Eagles best, you’re a little bit like a cassette player. People walk down the street and wonder aloud, “Do they even still make you?”

Here’s my point. We tend to look at ourselves as a group, as a city. We’re more like an oversized village than anything else, and nothing gets to us more than when outsiders badmouth our village.

But is it possible that within this village, within this group of Philadelphia fans, there are actually separate groups? Are Phillies fans distinct from Eagles fans?

I think so. I think a Phillies fan would never do an “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” chant at a Phillies game. Those are your Eagles fans looking for something to do until camp starts. I think a Phillies fan would never call up the local talk radio station and say, “Well, at least it’s almost football season.” Those would be your Eagles fans again.

Here’s what I propose: Let’s start making a distinction between Philadelphia Sports Fans and Eagles Fans. The Philadelphia Sports Fans are allowed to go to games and support their team. They won’t mention other teams, because they are actually cheering for the one who is playing in front of them. Eagles fans are only allowed to go to Eagles games. That’s what they want anyway, so let’s give it to them.
Philadelphia Sports Fans are knowledgable, passionate, amazing fans. But you want to know something? Eagles Fans really aren’t. They aren’t knowledgeable at all. These are the morons who booed McNabb on draft day. They aren’t good fans. What they are is passionate; blindly passionate. And I don’t mean that as a compliment.

So as promised, we have a call-in line for the show. I really think this could be a lot of fun. My roots are in radio, not podcasting, and so I’m used to interacting with callers. That feedback is something I think is missing a lot of times from the show. So I cannot say this enough: I really want to get this call-in line busy. The number for it is 215-253-3712.

Look for more updates over the next two weeks as we gear up for the stretch run.

In the meantime, Go Phils!