Phillies Nation

The Dip: A Broadcasting Plan For The Future

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Fri, July 03, 2009 01:30 PM

This is The Dip, a weekly column penned by our own commenter, The Dipsy. Agree or disagree with what he says? Tell us by visiting our contact page.

What should have been a joyous beginning to a World Series defense was instead replaced by a blow to the solar plexus of every Phillies fan with the death of Harry Kalas. As the dust continues to settle and we go about trying to put it all behind us, there are still games to be played, and those games are called by men on TV and radio. And I wanted to take this this opportunity to pick through the rubble (and the rabble) of what is left behind the microphones.

The players

Tom McCarthy. Phillie-turned-Met-turned-Phillie was groomed to be Kalas’ replacement and now that time is here. T-Mac finally got called in from the bleachers and has proven himself to be a capable play-by-play man. While many don’t care for him much, his voice is smooth enough and his delivery is glitch-free. I get the feeling that other teams would take him if offered. Just don’t put the camera on him too often.

Chris Wheeler. Company man turned color analyst has been a fixture on the broadcasts since forever. He has a strong command of baseball fundamentals and in-game strategy (just ask him). Equally famous for his toupee and run-ins with fellow broadcasters as for his phrase-making, which has become legend among fans (”They’re in a no
doubles defense” … “He’s looking for something middle-in”).

Gary Matthews. Nicknamed “The Sarge” from his playing days, Matthews displays a folksy manner while lending a firm grasp of the obvious to the broadcast. He can be a bit eccentric at times. While somewhat enigmatic, there are those who insist he adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the telecast.

Scott Franzke. Our play-by-play man on radio is a solid broadcaster. He delivers the action in an heartier manner than McCarthy. A Franzke-Anderson broadcast has an earthy feel that the television broadcast does not. In his 30s, Scott may be a little young yet to push for the top job. He also wears weird eyeglasses.

Larry Anderson. Like the Sarge, our color analyst on radio is a former Phil. Those who can get past L.A.’s lazy delivery, will find a quality analyst with a dry wit. He can be a bit esoteric and is an acquired taste for some. Nevertheless, the banter between he and Franzke makes it clear the two enjoy working together and the camaraderie between the two creates an enjoyable broadcast.

Analysis

On TV, there is no chemistry between McCarthy and Wheeler whatsoever. While McCarthy is technically fine, his impersonal delivery fosters a teflon-like personality on air. While by all accounts a nice man, if you had a beer with the guy you’d be bored stiff inside of 10 minutes. Wheeler sits in the booth like a haughty gargoyle pontificating on baseball’s finest nuances to the point where everything has been analyzed into dust. It’s obvious that years of riding in the back of airplanes with players has taught him the game of baseball. My problem lies with the fact that he never played.

For this reason I can’t take him seriously as a baseball man. A McCarthy-Wheeler broadcast tends to be cold and antiseptic. It also doesn’t help that the pitch of their voices occupy the same range, leaving the telecast short of any “auditory contrast” (this is a long way of saying that they sound the same).

The Sarge. Ah, the Sarge. Yes, he belabors the obvious sometimes. Yes, he references domestic luxury cars too often after a Phillies homer. Yes, he wears funny hats. But he knows the game and I find his eccentricities charming. He has revealed to his audience that no matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot get drunk when there’s a full moon. On one occasion he referred to a young pitcher in a tight spot as being “puckered up in the rear-end area.” Sometimes he just says stuff that makes me laugh like hell. I like him. Do I wish he were Mitch Williams or perhaps Ricky Botallico? Perhaps. But I think he’s fine.

The call

Yes, Wheeler is that bad, but the Phillies are known to be intensely loyal, so he’s not going anywhere. Since “Wheels” has to stay, put him on during the middle innings with McCarthy. If feathers get ruffled you can tell one or both to take it or leave it. On TV, I’d recommend a move to a three-man booth with Franzke, Sarge and Anderson. Franzke calls a better game than McCarthy, plain and simple. I think the interplay between the two genuine oddballs, Matthews and Andersen, would provide good analysis and make for a few belly laughs as Franzke mans the rudder.

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Posted in Posts, The Dip

Farewell, And Thank You

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Fri, June 26, 2009 07:00 AM

Hello Nation,

As some of you may have seen, I’ve been away from the site for a week. And during the week absence I came to some conclusions about my future; in prioritizing my life, I have realized writing at Phillies Nation can no longer be a priority.

So this is my farewell.

My very first post at Phillies Nation came Dec. 17, 2007. In the post, I wrote about how the Phillies needed to take charge in the 2008 season:

The Phils are rumored to be close to signing Geoff Jenkins. That’s a start. There are still pitching holes to solve. They must grab another starter and a back-end reliever. If it takes Carlos Carrasco and Josh Outman, so be it. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins are in their absolute primes. Cole Hamels is a stud. Brett Myers will likely put up good numbers. There’s enough of a supporting cast to carry these guys to 85 wins again, but they need the three pieces left to get them to 95.

Ownership frugality aside, there’s potential for the Phillies to run away with the city’s heart. Now is the time. Front office — you’re the best team in the city. You won. Now go for the jugular.

Who knew my fist-out proclamation would show true less than a year later? I had written at a previous blog that the 2008 Phillies had the opportunity to accomplish special goals, but did I really believe it then? Did any of us really believe that team’s capabilities? Heck, I didn’t completely believe it in September 2008. Deep inside, we’re all skeptics.

After that initial post I struggled to find a voice. I bashed the team’s signing of So Taguchi (in retrospect, kudos to me) and wrote a horrible breakdown of the Durbin signing. It took some time, but I found a groove that I rode for quite a while. I visited Clearwater for the first time, really immersing myself in my love of the Phillies.

Then tragedy struck.

I’ll never forget the outpouring of well wishes and thoughts I received after losing my home to an apartment fire in April 2008. During that trying time, the Phillies were my crutch, and you all were my eyes and ears. That’s when I learned the true value of Phillies Nation — that no matter what, people were behind you, looking out for you. That feeling rose as the Phillies made their annual late-season run, accentuated by our bus trip during Labor Day 2008. The Nation was growing, both literally and figuratively. And in a whirl, the Phils were division champions, then league champions. Then world champions.

Often I scroll back at the posts I wrote during that cherished run of October 2008. I poured a lot into my writing then, trying desperately to summarize my feelings — and the feelings of the Nation — in small swatches of text. I’d like to believe I had some success bridging words to emotions, and I hope you readers felt what I was attempting to convey.

I remember my nerves during the two parts of game five: Telling everyone “This is the night” on Oct. 29, 2008 was difficult — even when the Phillies were 3.5 innings from a championship, I struggled to be certain. As always, I felt skeptical. But I knew, for the Nation, I had to put on my game face. There were many times I put on my game face, just for the Nation.

I remember the victory itself, leaping and shrieking, calling my father and crying loudly. There was no feeling quite like that in my life. And I bet that if I didn’t follow the team urgently throughout the 2008 season, I wouldn’t have felt that incredible. Sure I would’ve leaped and shrieked, but I wouldn’t have felt a part of something bigger, of a cause that meant more than just sheer fandom.

I remember the parade — the culmination of our work as fans. I most remember the perfectly beautiful weather — 73 degrees, sunshine without a cloud in the sky. People as far as the eye could see clad in red. Smiles on everyone’s faces. Bells, applause, whistles, screams. I trekked on foot from 30th Street Station to the sports complex, absorbing every smiling face and wide eye. Some of these people had been fans for five minutes. Some had been fans for 50 years. And I felt like a part of each one — truly, it was a Phillies Nation.

Since that parade we’ve gone through the same annual emotions: Hope, determination, pride, anger, resentment, disappointment. We question a team that has already proven its mettle, merely because we can, merely because we are fans. As long as they make millions, we can say whatever we will. And that’s the freedom of the fan; it’s what makes Philadelphians a cut aside the rest. We’re brash, we’re direct, we’re furiously passionate.

Since Dec. 17, 2007 I’ve played the role of passionate fan very seriously. In a way, I’ve represented the fan. That came to fruition with a television appearance on a Mets pregame show. But since that moment, my thoughts have led me to this script.

Is there a future in sports blogging? Sure, and hundreds of scribes have cashed their independent blogging efforts into full glory. But that’s not my future. And I have come to grips with that reality.

But I will always be a Phillies fan. I will always root loudly for the team that has gripped my hand since I was a very small child. I will attend games and opine about the state of the team, and I will lurk and possibly comment once in a while. I will always be a Phillies fan.

So thank you. Thank you for giving — your eyes, your time and your fandom to my words. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. Keep reading Phillies Nation, keep rooting for the Phils and keep being the best fans in baseball.

Best,
Tim Malcolm

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Posted in Blog, Posts

Commentary: All The Cracks Are There To See

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Fri, June 19, 2009 09:00 AM

Watch how Marco Scutaro legs out his bloops and bunts. Watch how Scott Rolen digs a single into a double against a rookie outfielder. Watch how Jon Lester studies his opponents and schools them with the same pitch, over and over.

This is how baseball should be played.

Now watch Jimmy Rollins swing up and pop the ball into the shallow outfield. Watch Shane Victorino get caught stealing yet again in a tight spot. Watch Ryan Madson throw an 0-2 high fastball to a man who can only hit the high fastball.

This is how baseball should not be played.

It’s baffling, downright stupifying that the Phillies are playing 13-19 at Citizens Bank Park. Then again, is it?

Forget statistics. Just watch the Phillies in action.

They’re a bunch of uppercut-swinging, impatient, often lost and unaware, overly aggressive, fence-seeking, pitch-waving hitters. How many times must I watch Jayson Werth fall to a knee when fishing for an unhittable pitch? Or Ryan Howard completely miss a low-and-outside slider? Or Rollins pop up a first pitch?

Of course, these offensive offense is just a piece of the rhubarb.

Mangerial mishaps. Like taking Carlos Ruiz out for Chris Coste, a lesser offensive player and much lesser receiver. Fault Madson for making that pitch to Rod Barajas, but someone had to call the 0-2 fastball.

Baserunning blunders. Like Victorino trying to steal a base with two outs in the eighth after roping BJ Ryan for two runs.

Fielding follies. Like Rollins and Chase Utley forgetting a play never ends, as the intelligent Scutaro took two bases on a walk.

Then there’s pitching, which goes far beyond the performance on the field. As of this writing, the Phillies have two inexperienced starting pitchers, one over-the-hill starting pitcher and one inconsistent starting pitcher, not to mention a fifth who is having a shaky season despite his “ace” status. Can the Phillies rely on their current rotation? Absolutely not.

This rotation’s performance has made it laborious for the relievers, who are dropping like flies and being overexposed to the point of complete breakdown. Chad Durbin? A middle reliever being pushed far beyond his boundaries. Clay Condrey? Ditto. JC Romero? Facing too many right-handed hitters. Jack Taschner? Tyler Walker? They should never pitch in important spots.

The Phillies need more than reinforcements. They need new relievers, strong outings and, most of all, a rotation that can ensure quality starts. When your “ace” has just two starts of seven innings or better, you’re in complete trouble.

Oh, and why the heck is Paul Bako taking up a roster spot?

This is a confusing pie — a confusing one to write and understand, but that’s because so much is wrong with the Phillies. It doesn’t show via wins and losses, but watch six games against superior teams, and you’ll notice all the many cracks. They’re only getting worse, and it’s because there’s no urgency to change.

At some point things might completely fall apart, but that’s if the front office doesn’t act. They need better bench players. They need smarter hitters. They need more dominating starting pitchers. They need organized and stable relievers. And they need leadership that’s not only loose and friendly, but geared toward winning every situation.

The 2008 Phillies won because they had a superior bench, smart hitters when necessary, strong starting pitching, an outstanding bullpen and decisions that paid off more than not. These 2009 Phillies?

They’re playing the way baseball shouldn’t be played.

It’s time to change that.

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Posted in Commentary, Posts

Jays Sweep Pathetic Phillies, 8-7

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 05:25 PM

Last season the Phillies met the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a three-game home series. When the dust settled, the Angels pitched circles around the Phillies, leaving them snakebit amid a three-game sweep. It came in the middle of a harrowing Interleague schedule, and not long after the Phils had reached their previous high-watermark of the season.

Fast forward a calendar year: The Blue Jays walked into Citizens Bank Park and played hard, smart and patient baseball. Their pitching – while not dominant – benefited from advanced scouting. Toronto was geared up for a set against the defending world champions, and made absolutely sure they’d leave victorious. They certainly did, sweeping the Phillies with an 8-7 win.

The series played the encyclopedia of all the negative aspects of the 2009 Phillies. In game three, starting pitching allowed too many quick runs, the uncertain and labored arms of the bullpen imploded and the offense showed their inability to strike against breaking ball slingers.

Joe Blanton lasted 5.1 innings, allowing four runs and nine hits, two of them home runs. Behind him was a sterling effort by Chan Ho Park (three strikeouts) that still led to trouble, punctuated by JC Romero’s wildness. The Phillies at least scored to back this pitching, as Jimmy Rollins struck a two-run home run to seize the lead, 5-3, into the sixth. Jimmy Rollins nailed a home run, one of his three hits in a good day for the shortstop. John Mayberry Jr., called to the big league’s as an emergency replacement for the injured Raul Ibanez, hit his second home run of the season, one of two hits. Jayson Werth also homered.

After the Jays tied the game, thanks to some outstanding baserunning by Scott Rolen, Clay Condrey allowed two quick runs. The Phils still bounced back, scoring via a Greg Dobbs home run and Shane Victorino RBI single, in the eighth. But the sweep seemed inevitable, and Ryan Madson gave up a leadoff home run to Rod Barajas to seal the deal. Barajas has gone 8-for-16 against his former team since leaving Philadelphia.

Even on a day when the offense made noise, it seemed to be shallow. A few home runs – great, but where are the rallies? They aren’t coming when Ryan Howard strikes out three times in his now predictable fashion. They aren’t coming when the team continues to try swatting balls out of the park via flies. It’s getting old.

Then again, this whole thing happened a year ago, and we can’t complain about that result.

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Posted in 2009 Recaps, Posts

Gameday: Blue Jays (36-31) At Phillies (36-27)

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 11:49 AM

Toronto Blue Jays (36-31) at Philadelphia Phillies (36-27)
Brad Mills vs. Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.17 ERA)
Time: 1:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Weather: Cloudy, 67
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

Joe Blanton and the Phillies will face off with Brad Mills and the Blue Jays for a Business Person’s Special today at the Bank.

Mills is making his major league debut against the Phillies. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, ascending the Jays’ system quickly thanks to some high strikeout numbers. Mills went 3-2 with a 1.10 ERA for triple-A New Hampshire this season, getting the call to Toronto because Casey Janssen hit the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. The lefty has a weird delivery, throwing a lot of curveballs and changeups with his fastball to get his strikeouts.

The Phils will be without its best lefty hitter, as Raul Ibanez hit the disabled list today. In his place comes John Mayberry Jr., who will start in right field today. Jayson Werth goes to left field; meanwhile, Jimmy Rollins will lead off and Mayberry will hit seventh.

Your gameday beer: We’re feeling pretty crummy lately, so we need something hard and strong. I suggest Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada. This Barleywine is loaded with flavor and alcohol content, coming in at more than 9 percent. It’ll hit you like a ton of bricks. Get ready for the Gs. We sure need them today.

Go Phillies!

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Posted in Gameday 2009, Posts

Ibanez Injury Means Time For Others To Step Up

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 11:18 AM

It all seemed bound to happen. It started with the Brad Lidge injury, then the starting pitching began to crumble again. Then the bullpen got overworked and taxed, leading to scabs and bruises for Clay Condrey and Chan Ho Park. Now, in maybe the biggest physical bump of the season, Raul Ibanez has hit the shelf with a strained groin. The Phillies are now down their best offensive player.

But don’t fret, Phillie fans. For it is June, and these are the exact things that happen in June.

Last season the Phillies were blessed with few injuries, but they had them: Jimmy Rollins saw the disabled list in April and May; Pedro Feliz and Geoff Jenkins both had stints on the shelf; Shane Victorino was out for a spell; Tom Gordon went bye-bye early. Oh, and Chase Utley was playing on 1.5 legs for more than 100 games. Yes, injuries happen to every team.

And, as we should know by now, it’s better these injuries occur in June and not later, when all parts – large and small – are necessary to a team’s overall success. Ibanez needs to fix the groin (and Achilles) problem, rehabilitate and prepare for the second half. Just like Brad Lidge needs to do the same with his knee. Together, those two are capable of riding the Phillies through a month of baseball. And lucky for the Phils, they have a few other healthy players capable of the same thing.

I’m looking at Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard; the former the forever slumping “leadoff” hitter, the latter the close-your-eyes-and-swing beast who needs to start making solid contact and stop making mental mistakes. The Phillies needed a push in September, and look what they accomplished together. This season? With a three-game lead and a few holes in June, the Phils don’t look so bad. But they’ll need help from the struggling pitching staff, and yes, they’ll need help from the other big bats. It’s time others start stepping up for good.

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Posted in Opinion, Posts

BREAKING NEWS: Ibanez On 15-Day DL With Groin Strain

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 10:34 AM

Raul Ibanez has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain. John Mayberry Jr. has been sent up from Lehigh Valley to take his roster spot. He will start in today’s series-closing game.

***

UPDATE (11:18 a.m.): The groin has been bothering Ibanez since April, and is unrelated to the Achilles injury. He will have an MRI today, and Ruben Amaro Jr. said Ibanez could be out longer than 15 days.

Opinion: Fine. Let him rest until the All Star game. I don’t care if he plays or not. Get him healthy for the second half. Something tells me the Achilles contributed to the groin, or vice versa. Either way, get him healthy.

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Posted in News, Posts

Scouting Your Poor, Pressing Phillie Offense

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 09:00 AM

If you can throw your breaking ball a lot, you too can beat the Phillies.

It’s pretty simple. Let’s look at the five worst starting pitching assignments against the Phillies this season:

Chris Young, April 17
Game score: 15
Young allowed nine hits in 3.2 innings, among them three doubles, a triple and a home run. He threw only six sliders — everything else was a fastball or changeup. The fastballs scored in the high-80s with very little horizontal movement. He was up and down, easy to strike, and very easy to guess. In a June 3 start he allowed three runs on five hits, throwing twice as many sliders and even more changeups, plotting them around the zone. He even mixed in a curveball.

Shairon Martis, April 27
Game score: 22
After a successful first start against the Phils, Martis allowed seven runs on eight hits, walking four in five innings. In the first start Martis threw 23 percent of his pitches as sliders. In the second start he threw just 16 percent sliders. The fastball tracked in around 88 with a changeup at near 80. And the slider, ranging from 75 to 85, had very little movement horizontally and vertically. In the first start his slider hit different spots throughout the zone, and he used a curveball. He didn’t use the curve when he got lit up.

Daniel Cabrera, May 16
Game score: 22
Cabrera has never been a great pitcher, so there’s one red flag. He had one excusable start against the Phils in April (one earned in five innings), then came back with this stinker: Seven runs on eight hits (two home runs, three doubles, a triple) in five innings. Of the 107 pitches Cabrera threw in this game, 27 were curveballs (25 percent). That’s not a bad ratio, but the curves never went too low, always remaining in the strike zone. He threw fewer changeups, but they came in close to the same height as the fastball. To be short, Cabrera his hittable any time.

Ross Detwiler, May 29
Game score: 23
This is odd. Detwiler allowed five runs on 10 hits (four doubles) in four innings. He threw just 68 pitches, and 18 were sliders (26 percent). Here’s the rub: He only threw two changeups. And because his slider and fastball hit such different spots at such different speeds and paths, it’s pretty easy to pick him up. In his best starts he threw many more fastballs and changeups.

Shairon Martis, May 30
Game score: 19
Martis again. Sense a real bad trend here? In this start he threw even fewer sliders — four of the 71 pitches he threw, or 5 percent. Here he had a fastball that remained high and at about 88. His changeup barely dipped below the heart of the plate. The result? Seven runs on seven hits (two homers, two doubles) in four innings.

Compare these five starts to the best starts against the Phillies — Johan Santana, Derek Lowe, Aaron Harang, Hiroki Kuroda and last night by Scott Richmond — and you’ll see a large amount of sliders or sinkers — breaking pitches that either break wildly horizontally or vertically. In short, you’ll see performances that keep the Phillies completely off balance.

Yes, it takes good pitching to beat the Phillies, but sometimes it simply takes the right ratio of fastballs to breaking pitches, plus the ability to attack the plate early. Most Phillie hitters are guessing hitters; they automatically like swinging at 3-1 counts. Look close at each game — Jayson Werth has two patterned swings, one very low, one reaching out; Ryan Howard seems to have two, as well; Raul Ibanez is easy to beat with high cheese.

The point is it’s very easy to scout against the Phillies. Maybe there’s a reason why the worst pitching performances against the Phillies have almost exclusively come from the Nationals. Just as there’s certainly a reason pitchers who aren’t afraid to change pitch types are likely to succeed against the Phillies. It’s becoming criminally elementary.

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Posted in Analysis, Posts

Almost Blue: Phillies Embarrassing In 7-1 Loss

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, June 17, 2009 10:15 PM

The sparse pockets of fans at Citizens Bank Park resembled a late 1997 game at Veterans Stadium. The rain even looked angry.

There was not one redeeming moment in the Phillies’ 7-1 loss to the Blue Jays. No, not the four solid middle innings Jamie Moyer threw — they were cruel jokes jammed from either way by horrendous innings of pinball. Sorry Jamie, but four of seven won’t cut it, not against a strong-armed team like the Blue Jays, a team that shows patience, duty and a businessman’s approach at the plate.

And no, not even the Jayson Werth solo home run could redeem the bleak evening. That homer was straight out of the Citizens Bank Park guidebook: The last ball in the range bucket smacked as hard as possible and landing just on the edge of the green. Werth attmpted to duplicate that sad feat twice more but found himself kneeling at the altar of Scott Richmond after all-too-predictable curveballs. Richmond struck out 11 in eight innings of five-hit ball. Roy Halladay couldn’t have done it better.

The saddest mark on this game is the now-struggling Raul Ibanez, a guesser’s 0-for-3 now showing a .312 average. A far cry from those “he can do anything” days of one week ago. It’s silly to even mention that Jimmy Rollins again went hitless in the leadoff spot. Oh wait, it was mentioned.

No, this was pure embarrassment by a team that, right now, seems more poised and skilled than the phlailin’ Phils. The home record is now a truly head-scratching 13-18. Only Colorado and Washington have fewer home wins.

Oh, wait, there was one positive: Tyler Walker struck out two in his inning of work. Congratulations, Tyler. Get this kid a smiley-face sticker.

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Posted in 2009 Recaps, Posts

Gamenight: Blue Jays (35-31) At Phillies (36-26)

Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, June 17, 2009 05:48 PM

Toronto Blue Jays (35-31) at Philadelphia Phillies (36-26)
Scott Richmond (4-3, 3.90 ERA) vs. Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.11 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Weather: Rain, 64
TV: Comcast SportsNet, ESPN
Twitter: Phillies Nation

Probably should’ve been a win last night, but you know …

It’s okay, because tonight Jamie Moyer will take on a bunch of guys he hasn’t faced much. Oh wait, he has. The following batting averages against Jamie Moyer since 2004: Marco Scutaro (.379), Lyle Overbay (.462), Aaron Hill (.375), Vernon Wells (.350), Alex Rios (.474), John McDonald (.444), Scott Rolen (.333).

Meanwhile the Phillies have never seen Toronto starter Scott Richmond. There are literally two kinds of results you see when the Phils face a new pitcher: Either he completely dominates them or they thrash him up and down. Richmond is a fastball-slider pitcher who gets killed by lefties (1.055 OPS), so if the meat of the order can do work tonight, it should be an easy victory. Of course, Raul Ibanez is hitting just .220 in his last nine games, and Ryan Howard is hitting .216 with 17 strikeouts in his last 11. Both span back to the series in San Diego.

Clay Condrey’s back still ails, so consider him unavailable tonight. The same might be said for Tyler Walker, who allowed a two-run double in the 10th last night.

Your gamenight beer: Budweiser Budvar. Wait, a good Budweiser? This one is a Czech pilsner, so good luck finding it. But hey, it’s a cool summer lager you can enjoy with any summer fare. I’d go with pizza tonight.

Go Phillies!

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Posted in Gameday 2009, Posts