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PHILLIES JOURNAL 2010
PHILLIES JOURNAL 2010
by Max Blue
OPENING DAY, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010. It’s a bright sunny and warm day in the Nations’ Capitol,
and the honorable Barack Obama, sports fan, and incidentally, President of the United States, toes the rubber with his left foot and rocks into a herky-jerkey motion. The pres wears a red satin Washington Nationals jacket and on his head, a wrinkled Chicago White Sox cap to show the crowd where his baseball allegiance rests. The good natured crowd handed him the first Bronx cheer of the day when he whipped out the cap on his way to the mound. The TV announcers note that Obama’s pitch marks the 100th anniversary of the day in 1910 when William Howard Taft became the first U.S. President to throw out the first pitch of the baseball season (never mind that made-for-TV Yankees-Red Sox game last night).
The pitch is high and away, nowhere near the strike zone, a fitting reminder of where the 2010 Washington Nationals are likely to end the season. The star-spangled Phillies’ lineup takes a couple of innings to get the kinks out, then goes to work on John Lannan, the hapless Nats’ lefty to the tune of a five-run fourth inning keyed by Ryan Howard’s two-run blast over the right field bullpen. Placido Polanco ices the cake with the first Grand Slam of the season in the 7th inning. Meanwhile, Doc Halladay fans nine Nats in seven innings on the way to an 11-1 win. Phillies’ fans are pleased by the near-perfect outcome, but nervous at the thought that the successful 2006, 07, 08, and 09 seasons all began with an opening day loss. Whatever. We will do what we have to do.
DOC HALLADAY’S FIRST DAY
Welcome to Philly, new friend,
let’s hope that this win starts a trend
to a big winning season
we’ll all find most pleasin’
with a World’s Series crown at the end.
Monday, April 5, 2010. Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 11, Washington – 1.
WP – Halladay (1-0), LP – Lannan (0-1)
HR – Howard (1), 4th, 1 on; Polanco (1), GRAND SLAM, 7th.
.
Brown in Town
To Philly town came Domonic Brown, an outfield job to find. The kid had all five tools, and longballs on his mind. But mostly what he sought was a Champion’s cap for his crown. The 22-year-old lefty didn’t hurt his cause on this sun-splashed west-Florida day. In the second-inning, with Detroit-ace Justin Verlander buzzing his heat, the kid turned on an inside pitch and launched it over the rightfield seats for a 1-0 Phillies lead. Two innings later, hitting against lefty Steve Coke, the phenom was at it again with a two-run blast to center, and then in the fifth he bounced a bases-loaded infield hit to complete his three for three, four RBI day. After the game, Domonic Brown packed his bags and headed for the Phillies’ minor league camp. Say what? If the Phillies were a bad team and destined for a somnolent summer, Dom Brown would no doubt still be polishing his major league credentials, but when you are three-straight NL East Division Champions, and have all-stars at all three outfield positions, Brown has to go down to the farm and wait his turn. He will do that, and so will Phillies’ fans – thank you, Ruben, Junior, for not trading what might be the next Phillies superstar. The folks in Reading are smiling. More good news: Cole Hamels pitched five innings, yielding one unearned run, and Ryan Howard hit his first Spring Training homerun. Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Brighthouse Field, Clearwater, Florida. Philadelphia – 6, Detroit – 1. WP – Hamels (1-0), LP – Verlander (1-2). HR – Brown -2 (2), 2nd; 4th, 1 on. Howard (1), 4th.
NO ROOM FOR ERROR
NO ROOM FOR ERROR
by Max Blue
http://maxblue3.tripod.com
Another gut-wrenching loss,
because of one ill-timed Happ toss.
Champs led two to one
when the damage was done.
How hard is it not to be cross?
Thursday, August 27, 2009. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh – 3, Philadelphia – 2.
WP – Denny Bautista (1-0), LP – Happ (10-3),
S – Matt Capps (24).
HR – McCutchen (9), 1st; Garrett Jones (15), 8th, 1 on.
Bako (2), 2nd.
LIDGE LOSES SWITCH
LIDGE LOSES SWITCH
by Max Blue
http://maxblue3.tripod.com
When Brad Lidge can’t find the light switch,
his team will end up in the ditch.
Champs came from behind in 9th to take lead,
then Lidge broke our hearts with his deed.
Has the peerless closer forgot how to pitch?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh – 6, Philadelphia – 4.
WP – Capps (3-7), LP – Lidge (0-6).
H – Hanrahan (8), Dumatrait (1), Chavez (1).
BS – Capps (4), Lidge (9).
HR – Doumit (8), 2nd; Pearce (3), 6th, 1 on; McCutchen (8), 9th, 1 on.
Rollins – 2 (17), 1st, 3rd.
J-roll homered on the first two pitches he saw from Pirates’ righthander and 11-game winner, Ross Ohlendorf, one in the first, one in the third. Clutch 9th inning hits by Ruiz, Francisco, and Victorino gave the Champs a 4-3 lead.
And then came Lidge: single, wild pitch, single, homerun. Ouch. His post-game quote stated the obvious: “I didn’t have anything on the ball tonight.” Charlie Manuel to Lidge: “Hang with it.”
Hang it all, Charlie, everybody and their sister can see that the light at the end of the tunnel is a train coming straight at us. We remember 1993 when Jim Fregosi told Mitch Williams to hang with it right up to the time Joe Carter cartwheeled around the bases for the only time in World’s Series history that a come-from-behind walk off homer ended it.
Is that where you’re taking us, Charlie?
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