Phillies Nation

140 Responses to “Hamels, Phils Unable To Sweep Mets”

1. Phil Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:15 am

   I am predicting the Phillies going 14-5 the rest of the season and the Mets going 12-7. 1 game playoff. I don’t know who will win it though.

2. Georgie Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:22 am

   I think maybe the Mets are in Hamels’ head, he really didn’t look comfortable from the start. When I saw him doing those weird warm-ups in the dugout in the 1st, I had a bad feeling.

3. Geoff Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:28 am

   The trolls would be out here in full force for that one.

4. Phil Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:29 am

   Yeah, but if we won Geoff then the trolls won’t be back for a full season. If we lose then we’ll hear about it the whole off season and all of next season.

5. Paul Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:55 am

   I think Hamels deserved the Jeltz. Your stopper can’t pitch like that in a huge game like last night.

   Dang… would have been nice especially after Myers and Moyer shut the Mets down.

6. Don M Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 9:57 am

   On Friday, I said I saw the Phillies taking this series 2-1, and that they would win the first two games…. RIVALEZ.. where you at today, bud????

   Gotta like how our pitching staff looked in the first two games, and you gotta tip your cap to the Mets.. they must be paying that 3rd base umpire a hefty salary for him to call David Wright safe… even though he was OUT ..TWICE..

   Delgado is a BEAST in the 2nd half.. good thing we dont have to face him anymore down the stretch cause he KILLED us this year.. Nice to see Utley and Howard get a few hits off of an extremely tough Lefty… thats a good sign.

   So although you know the Muts fans are going to boast about still being 2 games up… they had the ability to BURRY us in their own park, and instead they had to give it their all to make sure they didn’t get swept!! Great series by the Phillies.. a sweep would have been awesome, but if we knew Friday that we would win the series, we would have all been exited, so we should all still be exited today..

7. Geoff Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 10:19 am

   yeah a one game playoff actually is pretty likely if you look at the schedules of both teams. a win in that game, at shea stadium probably, would shut the trolls up for a while.

8. Geoff Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am

   the reality was that santana wins those matchups, regardless of whether or not its against hamels. the first two games were the games they shoudlve won and they got it done.

9. NJ Says:
   September 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am

   It was a tough one to watch, Hamels looked like a man on his own out there and didn’t look in sync with his defense of offense but nevertheless you can’t leave balls up or in the middle of the plate like he did last night.

   I still believe he is an ace at an early stage in his career but we never were going to appreciate him from the minute we starter over-valuing him when he came up as a rookie, we do talk of him like he has to be an experienced battle hardened ace but the kid hasn’t even pitched long enough to earn much more than the veteran minimum. He does though need to take some of that intensity and re-focus it to other areas of his game, would really like to see him add some more bite to that fastball so he can attack batters more aggresively. He looks great when he’s got guys off balance and keeping the ball out of play but he just doesn’t have that quiet swagger or belief he can get balls hit to where he wants in the defense.

   Tough outing, being slowed bown by the two managerial incidents in the first didn’t help but he didn’t help himself. That said he’s our guy and I don’t know about you guys but wouldn’t want anyone different and I hope the general consensus amongst the fans is to champion his cause inspite of the struggles he will inevitably go through.

   Anyone got any thoughts on that last bit?

10. Phillies are our bitches Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:26 am

    I heard that during the post game interviews, Hamels was wearing a “Delgado for MVP” t-shirt….I thought that was nice

11. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am

    sure, if he doesnt blow him arm out from not being trained properly to throw as many innings as he does.

12. Phil Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am

    If we have a 1 game playoff at Shea who else thinks Myers should be the guy pitching that game?

13. Justin Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am

    It was a tough outing for hamels but you have to give him some credit he kept them in the game where we could have had a game where the Mets just clearly ran away with it instead he held it to a 2-3 run game for 5 innings. The offense didn’t help him much either the only offense for 8 innings came off of Ryan Howard’s bat. Pat Burrell looks horrendous and lost, he has no idea what is going on, he’s guessing on pitches and had 2 chances in the 1st inning to make solid contact on fastballs that were in his zone that he just fouled off. That’s a sign of a player struggling when he’s fouling those pitches off instead of driving them into the outfield. Then after we had Santana on the ropes after 2 innings and 40 pitches the entire offense started swinging for the fences, instead of working counts like they were doing in the first 2 innings of the game, that allowed Santana to work 8 quality innings for the Mets. I give him credit for his performance but the phillies offense really let Santana off the hook in my opinion.
    Charlie getting tossed in the 1st inning really didn’t help matters as instead of firing his team up it took the rug out from under them and it showed for the rest of the game. For the most part the team looked uninspired and unenthusiastic, and the Mets looked the opposite. The Phillies do have the Mets on the rope now that the Mets know they’re within striking distance since they couldn’t drop the Phils at home and had to salvage the last game of the series to keep them down.

14. SJ Mike Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:34 am

    Also remember that Hamels doesn’t exactly have the greatest career numbers vs. the Mets. For whatever reason, the Mets have done a consistent job at hitting Hamels and taking him yard.

15. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:34 am

    Don M i’m right here. Your funny, the Phils gained a single game on them WOW the Mets are so done now. 14-5 for the Phillies the rest of the way?? That have played .500 ball for the past 2 1/2 months. I had a good idea that the Phillies would win 2 out of 3. To be honest I still am pretty confident regardless. Usually when the Mets lose big to the Phils this year, they win the last game against them and then go on a winning streak.

16. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am

    Justin, giving up 5 runs is not keeping you in the game against Santana.

17. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:37 am

    I love how Muts fans post under “PHILLIES ARE OUR BITCHES”.. after we just won the series at Shea. moron…

    AND… Delgado isn’t even the MVP on the Mets, let alone in the league.. David Wright is clearly the best player on that team.

    Geoff.. did the cheap-owners, have a talk with the lousy-trainers and horrible-pitching coach to instruct them to make sure Hamels doesn’t know how to throw, so he’ll get hurt, so they don’t have to pay him as much money? I heard that rumor somewhere… think its true?

18. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am

    I’m only busting your balls, im not trying to argue.. you guys are still 2-up, so I’m not an idiot…. but I did tell you that Myers and Moyer were the real deal as of late.. I didn’t think we had a chance against Santana though.

    How come the Braves and Gnats don’t struggle with him as much as we do.. we’ve faced him like 5 times this year, and still can’t get more than 2 runs???? damn

19. brian Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:46 am

    Is it set that the 1 game playoff will be at shea? i didn’t know they had the coin flip

20. David, the Mets fan from Queens Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am

    Your perspective is surely a valid one and quite interesting, Justin. I’m sure many Phillies fans would agree with the stance you’ve taken on “[having] the Mets on the rope.” You can also look at it from antithetical perspective. Try this perspective on for size…

    Maybe this series win was a shortcoming on behalf of the Phillies. I remember reading an article in the NY Daily News Thursday that essentially argued that even if the Phillies were to win the series 2-1, the Phils would be two games back with twenty-two to go. This obviously entails that the Mets are in the “driver’s seat,” or “in control of their destiny.” As long as the Mets keep winning, the Phils will not win the NL East. Granted, this aforementioned scenario requries the Mets to not lose, but it still seems like a more auspicious situation for the New York Metropolitans. If anything, the pressure still remains on the Phillies. Pat Burrell looked confused at the plate; so did Feliz! Your ace got harrassed by the Mets bats; especially Delgado’s red hot bat thrice in one game. If you look at the current circumstances in the race for the NL East, the Mets sure feel the Phillies’ hot breath behind their necks….

    Don’t forget though, for the Phillies to be breathing on anyone’s neck, they must logically be staring at that individual’s neck – essentially behind that individual. In your case, it happens to be a Mets jersey. Which kind? Choose your favorite one. I love the road jersey!

    My perspective is a legitimate alternative to your envisionment of the NL East race, Justin. What do you think?

21. Phillies are our bitches Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am

    I’m actually an Angels fan….I’m a frontrunner…just ask Rollins what that is….lmao…btw that appearance on the best damn sports show started the downfall of the phillies….please prove me wrong

22. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am

    Thrills and chills… we won the series at Shea. A lot of good that does. By dropping the last game we have firmly put the Mets in the drivers seat. With only 19 games remaining we didn’t have the luxury of ‘winning’ the series, we needed to sweep the series.

23. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am

    The funniest thing I keep seeing is Delgado as MVP. I think that’s ridiculous to even think. Unless he gets another 15 RBI and 5 HR and gets his avg. to at least .275. Delgado is not the MVP. The craziest thing is the guys saying it on ESPN and stuff.

24. David, the Mets fan from Queens Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am

    RiVLez…

    Carlos Delgado, post late June, has the best numbers in Major League Baseball. He’s surely a candidate for MVP. It’s not likely that he wins, but he surely is a valid candidate.

25. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am

    I’m a huge Mets fan but seriously that is crazy to say. You are going to vote a guy in that does great for 2 1/2 months out of 5 months. I don’t buy it. I think Wright is more deserving of it than Delgado.

26. Griffin Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am

    Last night was a victory for acquired salary dumps. The Marlins castoff (Delgado) and the Twins castoff (Santana) outplayed the Phillies home grown talent. Congrats to NY and go Brewers in the playoffs!

27. ped Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am

    I’m still confident that the phils will win the division.

    I’m not totally confident in Cole, right now. He seemed tired too early, although I think the whole deal with Cholly in the first inning might have thrown Cole off a little. There was too much waiting.

    I think Brett is our Ace fo sho.

28. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am

    Brewers are def not a lock to win the Wild Card. 4 games vs the Brewers will be very interesting to watch.

29. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:02 am

    that is why Myers has been the opening day starter the past 2 years.

30. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am

    The problem with losing last nite is the Phils now no longer control their own destiny. They can win out the remaining games but if the Mets win also the Phils still finish 2nd. Instead of worrying about winning, the Phils now need to worry about winning and the Mets losing. I would say the odds are not in their favor.

31. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:09 am

    Oh.. how quickly we forget..

    Before we go off on these COLE HAMELS IS NOT AN ACE.. Bullshit rants… can you guys look at his numbers, and then remember how awesome he’s been all year. TOO MANY Phils fans subscribe to the “what have you done for me lately” theory.

    Hamels has an ERA at 3.12.. and has thrown an insane amount of innings.. he should have AT LEAST 15 wins, probably more like 17-18.. but he’s only got 12 due to lack of run support in the majority of his starts. since I know people wont go look it up, before last night in his 5 previous starts:

    7.1 innings, 0 ER vs. Nats;
    7.0 Innings, 1 ER vs. Cubs;
    7.0 Innings, 2 ER vs. Dodgers;
    8.0 Innings, 0 ER vs Padres;
    7.0 Innings, 2 ER vs Dodgers.

    He’s FILTHY and just didn’t have his A-game last night against the Mets.. give him a break

32. Phillies are our bitches Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:17 am

    Looking ahead….who is going to start for you game 1 against the brew crew? The double header coupled with no days off this week forces you to use a sixth starter….does Manuel have the balls to throw Eaton out there?

33. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am

    The Brewers are sliiiiiiiiiiiding down the Wild Card standings, slowly but surely.. we host them for 4 games this coming weekend, and that becomes a must-win series. A split does you zero good against them. Time to take care of business against teams like the Marlins, Braves, and Nationals…

    6 left vs Marlins
    6 left vs Braves
    3 vs Nationals
    4 vs Brewers

    Time to go on a little tear and win 5 in a row or something

34. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:19 am

    Hamels is ‘filthy’? What…he doesn’t take showers? He has dirty fingernails?

    Lets’s look at his last five starts. Dodgers twice, Padres, Nats, and Cubs. Not exactly what you would call Murderers Row.

    This late in the season with this much on the line, your ace brings his A game. The Mets ace brought his.

35. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:20 am

    They’ll throw JA Happ in one of the games, and probably Kendrick in the other.

    Sheets is currently scheduled to pitch on Thursday, im guessing against Moyer

    since Nolasco vs. Brett Myers in on Wednesday night..

36. T Mac Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Here’s the bottom line on this series – the Phillies took care of business. They had to win at least 2 of 3 at Shea, and they did it. I don’t have any problem with them losing to Santana.

    There are many positives to take away from this series:
    Myers is pitching at a career best level right now, and is as dominating as any pitcher in the league.

    Moyer is looking like he will make a very good #3 playoff pitcher.

    Howard is returning to his usual monster September form (especially with his HR off tough lefty Santana).

    Dobbs is a clutch performer and a must start against all righties.

    Look at Pedro Martinez’s 10 game log – his only two bad starts were against the Phils – so that’s another big plus.

    Ruiz is even starting to come alive a little.

    Then there are some real problem areas:

    Burrell is completely lost right now – Stairs should start against all righties for a little while.

    Utley has lost his power stroke and is not getting on base.

    Even though Cole had a bad start I’m not worried about him at all and he doesn’t deserve any flack for one bad start out – he’ll continue to be an ace for the rest of the season.

    As for the lineup, I would go with this for a little while:

    1. Victorino (higher OBP than Rollins)
    2. Rollins (is not striking out at all this year so could move a runner along better from #2)
    3. Howard (he’s hot- get him as many ABs as possible)
    4. Werth (break up lefties)
    5. Utley
    6. Dobbs (vs. RH)/ Felix (vs. LH)
    7. Stairs (vs. RH)/Burrell (vs. lefties)
    8. Ruiz/Coste (Ruiz should play 4-5 week)
    9. Pitcher

37. David, the Mets fan from Queens Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Fred,

    Did you read my earlier post to Justin? You’ve reiterated what I said, which is obvious to situations like the present one our teams are going through; the team down by two or more games needs their rival(s) to lose so that they can gain ground. Logic! Here’s the interesting notch that we forget to consider…

    John Main was setbacked for another week according to the NY Daily News this morning. So with this sad note in mind, the Mets rotation looks like this:

    Santana (Very Good)
    Ollie Perez (Good for the most part)
    Mikey Pelfrey (Good for the most part)
    Pedro (Gives me Ulcers)
    Random Guy

    Your rotation looks like this:

    Hamels (Very good)
    Blanton (Reliable)
    Moyer (Good against those teams that hack)
    Kendrick (Sporadic, but mostly good)
    J.A. Happ (Not sure)

    Santana, Perez and Pelf can OPTIMALLY give me three wins per outing.

    Hamels, Blanton and Moyer can also give you guys three wins if they are on their game.

    Pedo is worse than Kendrick so you have a one game edge there.

    Random guy versus J.A. Happ – well, that’s where the mystery begins.

    It’s not going to be easy for EITHER team down the stretch. Not simple at all!

    Comments?

38. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am

    Dodgers and Cubs don’t have two of the most dangerious lineups in the National League???

    Padres and Nationals ain’t the greatest, but how can you discredit 15.1 Innings Pitched, with NO EARNED RUNS allowed against ANYONE..

    The Mets ACE is also one of the best pitchers in major league baseball over the past decade.. and the Phillies ACE is a young kid who is still learning how to pitch. he got beat by a dude that is better than him.. not really a huge deal.. 2 years from now you’ll be wishing you had Hamels instead of Santana, so enjoy him while he’s still at the top of his game

39. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am

    I could definitely see the Brewers collapsing. They are not really as good as people believe they are. I think the Mets showed they are suspect. Hamels is an ace regardless of what others say. He did not do good last night but that doesn’t take back everything he has done this year. I believe he is second or third in baseball for quality starts and he has only 12 wins to show for it because the Phillies suck when he pitches. Santana actually leads baseball in quality starts but has 13 wins to show for it. It’s terrible that it happens to good pitchers but what are you going to do. Shit happens.

40. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:26 am

    David.. where’s Brett Myers??

41. David, the Mets fan from Queens Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:27 am

    Don M,

    I’m sorry. That gives you FOUR reliable starters. It just might work out for the Phillies then. The rotation suggests that the Phillies have a better chance down the stretch than my Mets on paper. We’ll see if that is the case.

42. mikemike Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:28 am

    what is very scarey is the mets went out and got Santana just for what happen last night. To win the must game,Stop losing streaks to be the stopper. They did what it takes to win. Now we go into another off season and the phillies really have no clutch right handed bat. They will lose burrell which I don’t mind if they add a outfielder who is faster and more clutch. Plus they need a ace . The way free agency is going its hard for me to fault them on the money top pitchers are getting. I think they are cheap bast***. But if Santana got twenty four million a year what is cc going to get. thirty or more its crazy. I wouldn’t mind if it was like the nfl were it wasn’t guaranteed. If you make a mistake on a pitcher or hitter at that prices you are done.The phillies say go out and pay twenty three million for somone that is twenty five percent of there budject.So I wish they would not hire amaro and contentrate on drafting top pitching prospects. You have to go and get them in the draft. Amaro isnt a someone who I would trust to build the farm system it Arbuckle or Hunsicker.The owners must not tie the people in charge hands with money issue if they feel there is a prospect who is going to be good and wants big signing money then do it. If they would have done it two years ago Gibson would be in there farm system he is a sure top five pick in next draft. Same with Joe Saunders . Workman. JoeNathan. Azick Top la prospect. So owners please give us hope you will change your cheap ways.

43. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:28 am

    T Mac.. I agree with your logic, but there is no way in hell you move Utley out of the top-3 in the lineup. He’s the BEST HITTER on the team, so you need to get him as many at-bats as possible.

    I agree that he has lost his power-stroke as of late, and I said as much last week.. but the fact is, that Utley is a line-drive hitter, that doesn’t try to hit HR.. so I’m sure he’ll get hot one of these last 3 weeks, and he’ll have 35 by the end of the regular season

44. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Most Mets fans were ready to kill me last week when I said that I thought our Starting Pitchers were better.. Pelfrey, Santana, and Maine are all very good.. Pedro is done.. Perez is somehow holding together this season, but doesn’t ever scare me.. Random Guy is pretty good, but gets wild at times…

45. Anth Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    I see both of these teams making the playoffs. The Brewers will collapse…

46. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    The fact still remains with the loss last night we are now depending on other teams to fail instead of just our team succeeding. Put on it whatever kind of spin you want but now we are dependent on other teams losing.

47. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am

    Look at their system, all their top prospects are pitchers… Carrasco, Savery, Drabek, Bastardo, Carpernter. . .

48. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:37 am

    Nobody is going to win all of their remaining games.. so we’ll see who can win the most. With a chance to make ourselves even with the Brewers by this time next week. we still have a chance. And since nobody has any idea what will happen… lets all be positive about it instead of talking sh!t on them and saying how other teams are in the drivers seat.. we all remember what happened last year

49. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:42 am

    Don M unfortunately they are not great prospects and Carrasco shows as a decent 3-4 starter.

50. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am

    if those prospects pan out then weve got something. if they can step into the rotation, fine, move off older more expensive guys or trade the prospects for some other valuable asset if they are blocked in the rotation or the bullpen.

51. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am

    Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the Rockies win their final 19 games last year?

52. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:47 am

    I thought Marson and Donald were our top prospects?

53. Justin Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:52 am

    David your putting Happ in our rotation and taking out Brett Myers, the very same pitcher that shut your team down for 8 innings Friday night. The Phillies have the edge when it comes to pitching as the Mets have just lost Billy Wagner probably for the remainder of the season meaning Luis Ayala (who has played for the Nationals will have to be counted on more to close out games) and while he’s done a decent job for your club your going to sit there and tell me that your bullpen will hold up the remainder of the season without the best pitcher in your bullpen? I doubt it. We may have to play Milwaukee for 4 games this weekend but you have to play the Nationals (who have been on a recent hot streak) for 5 of your next 8 games and finish the season against the Cubs and Marlins. Last I checked the Marlins kicked you guys out of the playoffs for us last year.

54. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Fred you are correct. Also when is this last year!, last year! and last year! stuff going to end. You guys can’t sit there and rely on collapses to win divisions every year. It’s kind of sad in a way.

55. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Justin that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, “We may have to play Milwaukee for 4 games this weekend but you have to play the Nationals (who have been on a recent hot streak) for 5 of your next 8 games…” Don’t you think this sounds just a little bit retarded?

56. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am

    its completely pathetic actually, from the start of the season, through the season, through the trade deadlines, the management has built this team WITH A RELIANCE ON the mets collapsing again. thats painfully obvious.

57. Mike D. Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 11:57 am

    I think the Brewers are going to lose the first two games of the series to the Reds and then Sabathia pitches Wednesday. So if the Phils win 2 of 3 from the fish, they are 2 back in the Wild Card entering into a 4 game set at home vs. the Brewers and don’t have to face Sabathia. A win of that series evens them up in the Wild Card standings and the Brewers still have to play the Cubs 6 more times.

58. mikemike Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    There isn’t a
    top of the rotation pitcher in the system. That’ why I posted Saunders we didn’t sign. Gibson is top prospect. Workman was top pitcher we didn’t sign two drafts ago and he was dominated in cape league.the point is the owners must realize if they really want to win we need to get a Ace big time pitcher.We must be able to match up with the mets or cubs.The top prospect in there system is marson followed by donald and carrasco.Geoff none of the prospect mention are that highly though of expect for marson.

59. Anthony Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

    One of the logical Mets fans/non-trolls here. In reality, Hamels has never been good vs. the Mets at Shea, 0-1 in 3 games started, with a 4.50 ERA. He is an ace in the making, no doubt, but no matter what went on with the catcher’s interference and the blown call at third, your ace isn’t supposed to let those things bother him, and it clearly did. And also unfortunately for him, he ran into a buzz saw in Carlos Delgado. There’s still 3 weeks left in the season, and with managers like Gonzalez in FL, Acta in WSH, and Cox in ATL, things will not come easy for either the Mets or Phils down the stretch. The NL East, NL West, and the AL Central, all 3 division races will be awesome from here on out.

60. Anthony Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pm

    Justin, even your homeboy Howard Eskin agrees that the Cubs-Mets series will not matter, as the Cubs will have locked up the division, and will be playing alot of kids. Also, the Cubs stink on the road this year, and the games are at Shea.

61. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    Ok, Ok… everybody stop worrying. The Nats, Cubs and Fish will sweep the Mets. We will sweep the Brew Crew and Fish (twice). The Mets and Brewers will collapse under the pressure of our surging Phils. And I heard Enron is a great stock buy.

62. Justin Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    Rivalez say what you want we’re not the team that’s choked in the past. The mets still have to win those games and hope they don’t overlook a team in your opinion can’t set foot on the same diamond as your beloved choke artists. I hope that bullpen of hasbeens and never will bes can hold up. I think Ricardo Rincon can do the trick. I just heard Bob Wickman is now 300 pounds and wants to join the Mets bullpen now that Wagners done for the year, he wants to be your closer. You should sign him

63. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    The Phillies are on pace to win 88 games still.. and to say that they banked on The Mets collapsing, instead of saying that they banked on their offense being more consistent, is pretty stupid..

    RiValez.. stay normal dude.. everyone was getting along fine last week, having legit conversations about Phillies_mets… lets not start these stupid Cyber-Fights on here.. let have smart discussions instead of all acting tough.

    Somebody said that Carrasco projected as a 3-4 starter… the book on him is that he projects as a “middle-to-top of the rotation starter” with his ceiling looking to be about a #2.. and pretty much every scout in baseball has been impressed by him… so we won’t call him GOD.. but Mets fans shouldn’t knock him either.. he’ll be a Pelfrey or Maine for us.. which would be awesome!

    Drabek is the one to watch.. they said he’s already got Major-League stuff, just needs to work on his command, and LEARN HOW TO PITCH… but for a 19 year old kid or however old he is, to have a MLB Fastball and Curveball is impressive.. lets see how he responds to that TommyJohn Surgery though.. Im not really too sure about Savery, and how he projects.. same with Bastardo who was climbing the ranks quickly but had a setback this year

64. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    Justin talking to you is like talking to a 5 year old. You have no logic or reason. And Fred I just bought Enron right now on your tip! Thanks!

65. Justin Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    Well to talk to an idiot i had to dumb myself down for you to understand, i mean you are a mets fan, what did you think? id talk intelligent? please

66. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    Justin, even Phillies fans agreed with what I had to say. Your comments are silly and not logical.

67. ZeroPlayoffWinsSince1993 Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    Long way to go this season everyone. Mets play 17 consecutive and believe me I do not trust this team against the hot Gnats. It’s simply too early for any accurate predictions. The NL East is going down to the last weekend again IMO. Having Santana, however, is a huge boon vis-a-vis 2007 and Hamels looks spent. Both bullpens are operating equally. It’s Myers who could be the difference.

68. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    Off-topic… I saw Eskin on the Eagles sideline yesterday at the game… shouldn’t reporters by in the press box? AND.. not only was he on the sideline he was right behind Andy Reid… so he was either on the bench, or just behind it.. pretty tough to be an impartial observer when you are up their a$$es..

69. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    A 19 year old who has just had Tommy John surgery in the past couple of months? I wouldn’t think his projection would be very high. The best I’ve heard about Carrasco is a #3 but anything higher would be a nice plus.

70. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    All things considered.. Im VERY glad that we are playing the Nats to end the season, instead of the Marlins.. who HATE the Mets and will do everything in their power to keep them from the postseason again.

    The Marlins hate the Mets more than the Phillies do.

    The Nats and Phillies have a little beanball war kinda thing going on too, but the Gnats aren’t nearly the team that the fish are…

    And I don’t think the Cubs will be sitting players and playing their kids… they might sit a few guys here or there, but its not smart to sit baseball players and have them get out of their comfort zone at the plate right before you head into the playoffs.. I can see a player getting a day off here or there.. but they sure as hell aren’t going to give games away. Especially since they’re been struggling the past week.. they are going to try to win every game they play from here on out

71. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    it will take a few years before drabek cabn be considered a legitimate prospect because of his injury. take it easy there. we should expect to find out about joe savery in a year or so too.

72. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    Don M, It kind of does suck that the 10 Marlins fans hate us. LOL you ever watch a game in Florida vs the Mets. There is more Met fans than Marlin fans at the game.

73. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    Well with Carrasco they think he’ll be a number 3… maybe he’ll be better, maybe he’ll be worse.. but i like those projections better than the normal “back end of the rotation starter” that the Phillies usually have coming up.

    Look how well the Moyer’s and Blanton’s of the world look when your offense can score 5 runs… 5-3 wins are great when you have a starter keep you in the game, and a bullpen to hang on to it.

    If Carrasco can be another guy that keeps us in games, that would be great.. but he has that POTENTIAL to be above-average.. something the Kendrick and Happ, etc.. don’t really have..

    Drabek has all kinds of talent and potential.. my point is … they have been drafting good pitching prospects lately.. so lets wait and see what happens with them

74. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    Im talking about the Marlins PLAYERS.. who cares what team’s fans hate each other.. that is just drama.

    The Marlins and Phillies PLAYERS don’t like the Mets PLAYERS…. that is why they are great games to watch.

75. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    well they just lost a series to the nats, which is pathetic, so theyd better take it seriously this time around. they clearly didnt last time.

76. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    Happ is not considered above average? Isn’t this the guy that has been tearing up the minors?

77. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:55 pm

    yes they have lately, better than the position players theyve got. outside of the top 5 or so young position prospects that we all know already i cant find any that really stand out at all.

    they could have a pretty good roation in a few years. but that wont help them next year. if they do not improve the rotation to start the season next year, they will finish 3rd or 4th in the division. attachments to moyer and kendrick aside. at the very least, you need to push one of those guys out of the rotation with a better acquisition.

78. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    happs been mishandled, he will be moved in the offseason for some kind of young position player. or hell be permanently converted to a relief pitcher.

79. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    The Phillies need to resign Moyer. They would be crazy not to.

80. DAVE Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

    For all the anti-Delgado people out there:

    MVP stands for Most Valuable Player. And there is not one player more valuable to the Mets than Carlos Delgado. Is it a mere coincidence that he was struggling when the Mets were a sub-.500 team, and then the Mets got on a 10 game winning streak and re-took the NL East lead when Delgado got hot? He has single-handedly won more games then any other Met. What does it matter if he’s only had a good 1/2 season or 3/4 season? The fact is the Mets are 17 games over .500 because of Delgado’s resurgence. Silver Sluggers are meant to be given to players with the best stats…but MVP awards go to players that play the biggest role in helping a team make the playoffs. And Delgado is the perfect example. I doubt he’ll win MVP, but he DEFINITELY deserves consideration.

81. RiVLez Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

    I didn’t know that about Happ. I thought he was going to be this good 3-4 starter. I guess not. How did they mishandle him?

82. David, the Mets fan from Queens Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

    Just some random thoughts:

    Wasn’t it interesting that Cody Ross took offense to Pelfrey pitching inside when the Mets were in last in Miami? Ross’s anger was not based on the fact that Pelfrey threw inside but rather because of the frustration due to their inability to remain alive in the fight for the NL East. It’s a sad inferiority complex that is very apparent on television. I could see why many of you on this blog argue that the Marlins “hate” the Mets. I wonder if they’d stoop low enough to lose to Phillies purposely so that the Mets don’t make it to the playoffs. I doubt that they would, but I’ll bet you that they wouldn’t care if they lost to Philly.

    In terms of the upcoming Brewers/Phillies series, I see the Phillies having the edge. The Brewers are breaking down psychologically; especially after those heart-wrenching losses to the San Diego Padres! What worries me is the upcoming series with the Cubbies at Shea! My Mets had some amazing comeback wins against the Cubs then and I’m pretty sure those wins are still fresh in their memories. A 2 game lead on the Phillies is equivalent to having a 1/2 game lead – anything is possible!

    It all comes down to starting pitching and clutch hitting. Who will respond when the team needs it most?

83. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

    they flipped him between bullpen and starting too many times. hes doing fine right now but there isnt going to be room in the rotation for him unless they fail to get another starter in the offseason and he beats out carrasco and kendrick for the 5th slot. in all honesty, jamie moyer should be 5th. you need people with better CONSISTENT stamina than he has to go ahead of him. moyer as a 5 isa s trong rotation actually. anyways, happ will have to go out of the pen or else hell be traded.

84. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Carrasco is 99% sure to be starting the season at AAA.. unless he gives up zero hits throughout spring training. Let see what they do, because you know Sabathia is going to get Fort Knox from the Yankees… Sheets will be out there, and he’ll want to go somewhere that has a chance to contend.. and he’ll want $15+ per season, which would should be able to do

85. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pm

    IF they change their philosophy. their philosophy is to not spend that kind of money on starting pitching, period. they MUST change their ways in order to do that. and rest assured, thats exactly what they need to do. otherwise next year will be similar to this year and those before it.

86. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    carrasco is a 5th starter candidate by the end of next year, i wasnt necessarily saying hell open the year in that slot

87. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Only one Phillie made Baseball America’s all-star team. Not Carrasco. Not Marson. Not Donald. Not Happ. Michael Taylor (22 years old) from Clearwater. He batted .346, .557 SLG, 19 HRs and 88 RBIs. He made the second team.

88. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    That’s minor league all-star team.

89. Richie Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pm

    I truly think a major, major X-factor that no one is really talking about is Joe Blanton. I hate to say it, but if he pitches well we will be ok, but if he blows up like his last outing we are in a world of trouble. We’ll see tonight I guess.

90. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    He’s also 6′6″ 250 lbs.

91. Fred Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Here’s the comparison between Howard and Taylor at age 23:

    Howard (CLE) 130G; 149H; 490 AB; 32 2b; 23 HR; 82 RBI; 50 BB; 151 SO; .304 avg; .374 OBP; .514 SLG; .888 OPS

    Taylor (LAK and CLE): 132G; 170H; 492AB; 39 2b; 19HR; 88 RBI; 50BB; 89 SO; .346 avg; .412 OBP; .557 SLG; .968 OPS

    The Phils could be on to something here.

92. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    I think he steals bags too.. Taylor, I mean..

    Koske Fukudome mad the All-Star team this year…. who cares…

    and honestly, Marson and Donald had VERY good years, I dont know what that means for their futures, but they’ll get recognized for their seasons when everything is finished

93. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

    good oone fred. i forgot about that guy. anyone else LOVE those power numbers for a single A guy?

94. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

    the good version of blanton is actually a very solid pitcher. the problem is the bad version of him is ugly as hell to watch.

95. Bruce Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    As someone here stated, the Phillies are no longer in control of their own destiny. They are dependent on other clubs beating the mets. In the meantime, the Phillies must focus on the marlins and play each game as if it is their last of the world series. For the record, the Marlins currently hold a 7-5 W/L edge in season series. The Phillies lost the last series at home 2 out of 3 on Aug 5-7. The Phillies and Marlins have split their six games played in Philly this season. These next three could be the Marlins’ last chance to get back into the division race. This will be no easy task for the Phillies.

    What can we expect from Blanton tonight (the scheduled starter)? I think marlins have not seen him before. It may be to Blanton’s advantage.

96. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    see, i think if myers stays hot and pitches this well next year. then all you need is:

    ace (sheets, whoever you get in a trade, etc)
    hamels
    myers
    blanton
    moyer (kendrick carrasco happ as the other candidates)

    thats really a decent rotation if you have stability from myers and blanton.

97. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:51 pm

    i think blanton needs 7IP

98. Geoff Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    less than 3 runs

99. Don M Says:
    September 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    So basically, you think Blanton needs to have a quality start tonight… Really EVERY pitchers needs to do that EVERY time out for the rest of the season. time to earn those millions boys

100. Runshouse Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

     Wagners out for next season too… K-rod is up for free agency… hmmm.

101. Richie Allen Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pm

     Im taking the rest of the season one at a time……lets just see what happens every night.
     Nobody knows if the mets may fold like last year.
     Nobody knows if Milwaukee folds.
     Maybe the Phils will lose enough so that it doesnt matter.
     Our rotation is set,we have what we have.Its crunch time.
     Isnt this what we waited for all season?

102. Lou Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

     I think Milwaukee is going down now. It’s tough to give up 10 runs to the Padres. Also, the Brewers made the Mets seem like their bats where on fire and then Myers and Moyer handled them with no problem.

     Its possible that the Phillies and Mets will play again in the playoffs. And what a series that would be!

103. Philly Dude Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pm

     http://www.metsrefugees.com

104. RiVLez Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:51 pm

     Myers doesn’t need to pitch this well, just close to this good and he’s great. Blanton I don’t know about. I really thought this guy was an innings eater but really is not at all.

105. KM Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:54 pm

     Would losing Burrell be the worst thing in the off-season? He looks lost at the plate, and it has been going on for a while now. I don’t think it would be the worst thing if we said goodbye to Burrell’s 14 mil and added a contact bat in the outfield with some speed, until Golson can learn to get on base.

     On another note, 2/3 isin’t bad from the Muts, but I believe a sweep would have crippled them down the stretch.

     Also, I hate to have to say this, but Delgado deserves the MVP, especially if you look at what it stands for, “Most Valuable Player.” He has been the reason the Mets have made their resurgence. I hate the goddamn Mets, but Delgado should be MVP if the Mets finish strong.

106. KM Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

     Blanton could come out and pitch 5 no-hitters in a row, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is not Sabathia. It is just another situation in where the phillies went with the cheap and stable player, instead of going for it all now and having to fork over big money in the off-season.

107. Geoff Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pm

     Just Out: Wagner will have Tommy John Surgery and miss the entire 2009 season.

108. Really Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:13 pm

     i think its ridiculous how philly fans still think they have a better team than the mets when they clearly do not… not only did the mets take the season series from you in much convincing fashion, bounce back from every tough loss you did hand them with not only a win but a win streak, and overcome being down 7.5 games to you, they are on fire the last two and a half months and the phillies are playing bad to mediocre baseball at best.. the mets arent going to win every series, but the reality of the situation is last september the mets do not win that must have game last night, this year they do… id rather control my destiny and not pick up pennants by relying on the implosion of another team rather than a resurgence of my own… i guess getting owned in the playoffs last year proved what kind of team the phillies really are.. oh and jimmy rollins is a cancer not an mvp, being at the game you can just see it in his body language at the plate no heart and no fire.. funny but i hope you get into the playoffs so we can crush you.. myers an ace? thatll last… yeah… thatll last

109. Richie Allen Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

     Dear Really..we are down only 2 games…we just took a series from you over the weekend…its not over till its over.

110. christopher Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

     the situation was actually that they didn’t want to give up their future for a rental solution. the starting rotation has been good all year, it continues to be good, it will be good down the stretch. the thing that this team needs to (and will) do to make the playoffs is hit consistently.

111. Phil Thadelphia Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

     Without counting on a collapse from either team the Phillies are still looking up at, the Phillies STILL control their own destiny. Maybe not against the Mets (they can’t control what the Mets do and, despite the apparent supernatural abilities of some geniuses to predict the future, a collapse is highly unlikely). They can, however, control what the Brewers do and take the Wild Card by playing hard and taking the 4 game series they have against them later this month.

     As a Mets fan, I dunno if I wanna face the Brewers or the Phillies in the post season.. at least from a “who do I think the Mets can beat?” perspective. From the “This is a series I can’t wait to watch!” perspective, you know I’d choose the Phillies. So, with that in mind, I wish the Phillies the SECOND best of luck (the VERY best of luck going to the Mets, of course!). Hope to see the Phillies in October baseball!

     BTW, the above is, in no way, any sort of indication that I’m done trolling for the year…. but I promise to only pick on stupid people who say moronic things… including but not limited to:

     * predicting, with absolute certainty that the Mets will collapse (please predict the winning lottery numbers or peer into the future and tell us what the cure for cancer will be)
     * somehow believing Mets fans are somehow classless (their are classless jerks rooting for both teams and if we’re honest, we’d all admit to being one of them from time to time)
     * dirt-bag insinuations that the performance of members of either team be attributed to banned substances (Is it any less likely that a player re-found his swing and is crushing the ball following the dismissal of an uninspiring manager or that some guy on his way to striking out more times than anyone else ever can apparently only hit homeruns? Sometimes it is just what it is.)
     *ass-hat behavior (a catch all category for any other fit of stupidity that should earn the perpetrator a foot broken off in his ass).

112. MS Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

     it took 70 games for the mets to pick up the 7.5 games. i’d hardly say the phils blew it, not comparable to everyone’s favorite Mets collapse of 2007. this happens every year in some or many divisions.

113. Phil Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

     I wonder when this Taylor guy will be ready to come up. He could be Burrell’s new replacement.

114. Don M Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:39 pm

     11-7 over the season is “much convincing fashion” ?? I thought they played pretty close games all year.. but thats just me.

     No Mets fans should mention anything about games up, or games behind.. You had a much bigger lead last year, and look what happend. and this year’s Phillies team is better than last year… I don’t know that you can say the same about the Mets of ‘08.

     Getting owned in the playoffs last year… by one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball history, the Rockies, is still better than playing golf and watching baseball on TV like your Mets team did.

     Jimmy Rollins will probably win another Gold Glove at SS this year.. but yea, he’s not as good as Jose Reyes at the plate this year, so he’s no good…

     Myers as an ACE… if he’s not an ACE, then that sucks even more for your Mutts that you guys got completely shut down, at home, in one of the biggest games of the year… by a guy that, according to your logic, isn’t really that good of a pitcher.

115. RiVLez Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

     I still think it’s pathetic and sad that some of you guys count on collapses to win divisions. It’s terrible.

116. Phil Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

     Myers proved this weekend that he is more of an ace than Hamels.

117. Phil Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

     2 games up isn’t a collapse. We can overtake that. 7 with 17 to play is a collapse.

118. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

     I believe the Phils GM and the General Partner were unwilling to think out of the box. Rentals situations often benefit both parties. A team that’s close (Phillies) gains a needed part for possibly a short period of time and a chance at a title while a team out of contention (Indians) often gain needed pieces to help rebuild. It’s a question of future vs. the present. I vote for the present as the future is always an unknown when depending on prospects for a possible run at the post season.

119. RiVLez Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

     Phil I agree with you exactly. 2 games is nothing even close to a collapse. Myers has been the opening day starter 2 years straight, so what does that tell you?

120. Don M Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

     pretty good post there, PhilTadelphia…

     I think both of these teams will be in the playoffs… along with the Dodgers and the Cubs…

     I don’t think the Brewers are good enough all-around. They have a TON of young talent, but they need some more experience. Braun, Fielder, Hart, etc are all going to be GREAT players in a few years. Outside of Sheets and CC, they just impress me that much.

     If the Mets can hang on, without Wagner… THAT would be very impressive..

     Right now im routing for the Cubs, they still have 6 vs. the Cards…. 5 vs the Brewers, and 4 vs the Mets… we need those Cubbies to pick it back up and help us out now!! And the Cinn. Reds.. they have 6 against the Brewers..

121. Don M Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

     Honestly, both of these teams have enough talent that they should be around 95+ wins this year… Different things happen though, the Mets shaky bullpen.. the Phillies inconsistent offense… Both teams are getting some production from platoon guys… Dobbs and Easly… and a few guys who really stepped up and made it impossible to sit them, Church and Werth.

     We have an exciting month of baseball left and I can’t wait to see what happens!

122. MS Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

     is a mets fan really giving us a hard time, saying we rely on another team’s collapse to win a division? they’ve only won 1 division title since 1988. now i’ll be the first to admit that we’ve only won 1x since 1993, but i’m not in a mets blog telling them how to win.

123. SJ Mike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

     MS, I agree with you on that point. Here’s some food for thought.

     Since 1975

     NL East Titles:
     Phillies: 7
     Mets: 3

     Wild Card
     Phillies: 0
     Mets: 2

     NL Pennants and World Series appearances:
     Phillies: 3
     Mets: 2

     World Series wins:
     Phillies: 1
     Mets: 1

     The only thing the Mets have over the Phillies is that they have one more total World Series win. But really, when you think about it, they’ve been relatively even when it comes to the post season between the two teams.

124. Richie Allen Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

     I AGREE WITH THE LAST THING DON M SAID…..THIS IS WHAT WE WAIT FOR ,WE ARE IN THE CHASE AND THATS ALL YOU CAN ASK FOR…EVERY GAME IS EXCITING….HEY,YOU COULD BE A PIRATE FAN AND HAVE NO INTEREST IN ANY GAME AFTER MAY.

125. MS Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 4:24 pm

     agree Richie and Don – good point. that is what is important.

126. Bruce Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 4:35 pm

     Phil~ As I started to read the posts, the first one I read is yours and was amazed at your prediction…”I am predicting the Phillies going 14-5 the rest of the season and the Mets going 12-7. ” 14-5!! I appreciate your optimism but how do figure that the team can dramatically make a turnaround after being a model of inconsistency for 149 games? I do hope you’re good at fortune telling and the team (warts and all) indeed fulfills your prophesy. Come on Burrell, Rollins, Felix, Ruiz, Kendricks, etc

127. RiVLez Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

     Hey I am a Pirate fan!!!!!! J/K

128. KM Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

     I cannot believe that people can actually stick up for the Phillies ownership in regards to not going after Sabathia. Although they tell you they were interested and they tried, it was just a lie to make it seem like they were doing whatever it took to win. I would have “mortgaged the future” for a rental of his caliber, because that is the difference between playing meaningful baseball and toting a golf bag in October. People fail to realize that only like 1/5 of these “untouchable” prospects ever pan out, and probably even less for the Phillies historically. We had a chance to get a PROVEN, 27 year old reigning cy young award winning pitcher for UNPROVEN prospects, most of which are years away from any contributions in the majors. With Utley, Howard and Rollins approaching 30, how many chances are the Phillies going to have to take the world series crown? This is clearly just another case of the Phillies ownership not willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

     By the way, yes, the Phillies starting rotation has been GOOD this year, but you add Sabathia in where Blanton is now and you have an OUTSTANDING rotation capable of dominating any team in any series. Blanton is a step up from Eaton, but by no means is Blanton a pitcher that even gets a start in a 7 game series.

129. SJ Mike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

     I’m not supporter of the Phillies ownership. Biggest problem with joint ownerships like ours is that it isn’t one person’s money, it’s multiple people’s money. Just makes things harder to get done and agreed upon.

     When it is a family ownership or single person ownership, when the boss says “I want that,” they get it. That’s why the Mets are in good shape with the Wilpon ownership and why the Yankees have succeeded with the Steinbrenners (as evil as they are).

130. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm

     The mets have two championship in how many years compare to how long the philllies have been around. The ownership has to go after a ace as cheap as they are they must be made to realize that,Pitching wins championship.

131. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

     The Phillies are not controlled by their ownership, they are controlled by Dave Montgomery. He has full and complete control. The owners have no say in what players to sign or whom to trade for. Don’t blame the owners – blame Dave Montgomery.

132. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

     Km Seven out of nine starts blanton didn;t get to the seventh inning.That should answer anybody who said we shouldn’t have went after cc.with cc. we never would have given up our lead. CHEAP BAST***OWNERS

133. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:13 pm

     FRED no moves can be made without a vote by the owners and it must be majority get your facts straight. Montgomery is a one percent owner/

134. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

     mikemike – get your facts straight. There is NO vote by the owners. In the limited partnership that Montgomery put together he has sole say as to the direction and decisions of the club. The only time the owners have a say is when Montgomery approaches them for a cash call or increase in budget. Additionally, he cannot be fired. Removing him from his positions would require dissolution of the limited partnership. His true salary is unknown.

135. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:54 pm

     Fred you answered my question NO MONEY CAN BE SPENT WITHOUT OWNERSHIP APPROVAL. that means if montgomery wants a player he can’t go after that player if it is over budject. OWNERSHIP VOTES ON ALL MONEY MATTERS THAT INCREASE BUDJECT. the point I was making was if the phillies wanted to go after a ace like cc. at the trade deadline they needed ownership approval to increase payroll. do you believe the ownership hasn’t stop gillick from making deals that affected payroll.

136. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

     Fred I hate giles and montgomery so I am not defending them but its a collection of giles putting this group together..

137. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 7:01 pm

     mikemike – I believe ownership gives a budget to Montgomery. Some of the owners complaints are that Montgomery refuses to use the entire budget. Could it be the actual alloted budget is higher than the actual costs in salary and DM refuses to increase salary as that would cut into his yearly bonuses? We’ll probably never know as the owners are prohibited from making any public comments.

138. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

     My point is that there are some in the ownership group who would like to see a CC signed but are stymied by the setup of the limited partnership. You are correct that Giles is Montgomery’s daddy.

139. mikemike Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

     The thing I keep on hearing. And it’ hearsay is that the one owner John middleton I Think that’s his right named. Has tried to get the other owners to increase the spending to try to win a championship. But he has not been able to convince them .

140. Fred Says:
     September 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm

     That’s correct.

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