Phillies Nation

Listen Up

Posted by Brian Michael, Tue, February 19, 2008 11:51 AM

On Sunday I sat down with the guys from Gorrilla News Radio for a lively and lengthy discussion on several interesting topics including Chase Utley’s chance at MVP, the starting rotation, the Santana trade, Clemens on Capitol Hill, and why Mets fans are clueless. Have a listen, I come on around the 15-minute mark and stick around for the rest of the hour and a half long show.

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MLB.com Article

Posted by Brian Michael, Tue, January 22, 2008 09:00 PM

Cherished mementos part of the game
Every baseball fan has a favorite collectible keepsake
By Mark Newman / MLB.com

Brian Michael is a Phillies fan in Washington whose prized possessions include a few personalized Mike Schmidt-signed baseballs, a rare Steve Carlton ball signed “Lefty,” and one autographed by Willie Mays. But Michael’s keeper of all keepers is a Phillies Phanatic growth chart signed by the inimitable mascot itself.

“Fortunately, since the green guy is so tall,” he said, “I’ve been able to measure up against it for my entire life and thus still cherish it even in my late 20s.”

Ask any baseball fan to tell you about an all-time favorite collectible, and the answer will come to him or her faster than the emphatic nod of a bobblehead on your desk. It may have been a trinket from a first professional game you ever attended, it may have been a ticket stub from a game that meant everything, or it may have been any of a thousand reasons that made a certain collectible so valuable to you.

Continue reading at mlb.com…   (Thanks to We’ve Got Heart for the referral)

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BBC Interview

Posted by Brian Michael, Sun, January 06, 2008 06:32 PM

BBC Interview

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Phils to unveil additional home jersey

Posted by Brian Michael, Tue, November 27, 2007 11:50 AM

From the Philadelphia Inquirer

The Phillies are set to show off some new new duds for the dudes. In a news conference expected to take place at noon Thursday, the team will unveil its home alternate jersey and cap for 2008.

What will they look like? That depends on what blog or Internet site you visit. One suggests “Philadelphia” across the jersey; if that’s accurate it would be the first time the name of the city has appeared on the jersey since 1900. Another says it will be an all-white jersey and a cap that’s blue with a red beak. The Phils aren’t confirming anything except the announcement.

You might remember the Eagles in September rolled out their yellow-and-blue anniversary alternates for the Lions game. The Birds scored 56 in their lone romp of the season, and the colors seemingly were just as offensive to those used to the green, white and silver.

The Phillies have had their apparel duds, too. A uniform that was all-burgundy with white trimmings, for Saturdays only, made a one-game appearance during the 1979 season before criticism made them disappear. Then came the infamous introduction of the blue caps for home day games in 1994. Those saw the light of day for only as long as it took for the Phils to lose their first two games wearing them.

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Down But Not Out

Posted by Brian Michael, Fri, October 05, 2007 01:25 PM

The Phillies head to Colorado on the brink of elimination after a 10-5 loss to the Rockies. Game 2 coupled with Game 1 have showcased the inconsistency that Phillies fans have come to expect in the team. Some players are performing, some are not. Jimmy Rollins continues to make a case for the NL MVP award as he opposes fellow-front runner Matt Holliday, even though the playoffs technically do not count for voting. J.C. Romero pitched another solid inning, but that is pretty much where the story ends. Kyle Kendrick was rocked for five earned runs early, Chase Utley, although he had two hits yesterday, has been ineffective at the bat. Then there’s Jose Mesa, who must be sleeping with David Montgomery because there is no logical reason why he should be in a Phillies uniform.

But it’s far from over, this is why they play a five-game series. Since the inception of the divisional series only the 2001 New York Yankees have won a series after losing the first two at home. I believe one of those comeback games involved the Derek Jeter grab-and-toss relay throw to nail Jason Giambi at home. And that’s what needs to happen in Colorado. Someone has to put this team on their shoulders and finish the job. With the Rockies offensive JRoll can’t do it alone and in this case the job seemingly falls on Jamie Moyer. After his outing on Sunday, we all have supreme confidence in the guy but at the same time we know our Phillies. Yesterday I had the chance to talk with the guys over at Bleacher Bloggers about the keys to the Phillies must-win Game 3. You should really click on the link and watch the video - I sent them a ridiculous picture of myself which I hope will inspire fans and the team (I come on with 2:10 remaining).

If I come across as overly confident, it’s because we taped the show before Game 2. But still, the Phillies are not going to roll over and play dead. Even though they made it to the playoffs thanks to a Mets collapse, they’re not showing up with video cameras like it’s the All-Star game. They’re there to take care of business and reclaim their authority over Coors Field. Go Phils!

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Phils Spot Colorado 1 Game Lead

Posted by Brian Michael, Thu, October 04, 2007 01:50 AM

Everyone take a step back from the edge of the Walt Whitman, we got a whole series to play. Although the Phillies looked as the flat weekend Daily News, there is still plenty of time to rally. Cole Hamels got tagged for a few runs and the offensive was anemic yesterday while the Rockies continued to play like the hottest team in baseball. The bats were just not connecting as Rollins, Utley and Howard were silent with an 0-11 performance, including a golden somberero by Chase. In many ways though, I see parallels to this past weekend series against the Nationals. On Saturday, with the first chance to clinch the division, the Phils came out nervous and unproductive. Once they got that game out of their system, Sunday was a different story. And although the majority of Phillies have no playoff experience, it would virtually impossible for them to repeat their offensive struggles on Thursday. Kyle Kendrick will be opposed by fellow rookie Franklin Morales, which I think may put the youngster at ease and allow him to settle in against the Rockies lineup despite his poor outing against Colorado on September 12. Let’s hope so.

In between the nail-biting of yesterday’s game, I had the opportunity to talk Phillies with Brandon Rosage of MVN Outside Radio. We discussed JRoll’s MVP chances, the loss of Adam Eaton, and prospects for the remainder of the series.

Don’t forget more Phillies radio coverage on WNJC 1360am this Sunday at 11am and 6:30pm.

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Phillies - Rockies NLDS

Posted by Brian Michael, Tue, October 02, 2007 01:53 AM

The Phillies will be playing the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 National League Division Series. The youthful franchise, which was founded in 1993, is making its second trip to the post season and is coming in red hot. The trouble with hot teams is that they win games they’re not supposed to…take for instance Tuesday night. In an intensely fought 13-inning game, the Rockies slid into the playoffs on a questionable call at home plate. No matter. The Phillies are pretty toasty themselves.

Down the stretch, the Rockies won 14 of 15, while the Phillies won 13 of 17. Just before the respective winning streaks began, the two teams split a four-game slugfest in Philly. There is little doubt the upcoming series will any different; both teams have MVP-candidates, top ranking sluggers, and ballparks that love the long ball. Speaking of which, Ryan Howard was officially awarded for his heroics in the final week with NL Player of the Week honors.

Looking forward to the series, you have to wonder how the Rockies will handle the momentum from last night. I’m sure they will be exhausted after playing nearly five hours of baseball and hopping on a flight to PHL. Matt Holliday looked a little banged up, but I’m sure will be in the lineup on Wednesday. He, Todd Helton and the rest of the Rockies will be up against Cole Hamels who will once again be pitching in the biggest game of his life, this Wednesday at 3pm. He will be opposed by the lefty Jeff Francis. Francis finished the season 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA, and went 0-1 in two starts against the Fightins. He lasted a mere three-and-a-third innings in his September 13 outing, ultimately being chased by an Utley homer.

The upcoming games will be surrounded by an incredible atmosphere. I think we’ve finally had time to allow this to sink in and enjoy the prospect of a World Series. Many of us - although terrified to have our hearts broken again - still believed and a well-deserved playoff series has come to the city. Although I was stranded in DC Sunday evening, technology afforded me the opportunity to share my joy with Mike and the crowd on the radio at WNJC. For fans in similar situations around the country and the world, I recommend leaving a comment on where you will be watching the game, in hope of rallying some crowds. For the Washington, DC contingent, Rhino Bar & Pumphouse in Georgetown is where Phillies fans will congregate. I unfortunately will be in the wrong playoff city, and plan on watching the game at America’s Original Sports Bar in Phoenix. No matter where you are though, you can feel it. This is the playoffs.

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Welcome to Phillies Nation 3.0

Posted by Brian Michael, Mon, September 10, 2007 09:22 AM

First off let me apologize for the week of inactivity last week. While we were preparing the redesigned site, the old site began to malfunction due to a database full of spam comments. We fast-tracked the new site and so allow me to introduce you to the new Phillies Nation.

Designed by the staff at Cambigue Design, the new site should read easier with black text that is larger by comparison to the old site. Besides the new and improved look of the site, there are many new functions as well. The the blog roll on the left side are now neatly organized in drop down menus (or they will be soon). A new video section now serves up homemade Phillies videos recordings. Also, all posts now feature a ‘Share This’ link to post an article to over a dozen social bookmarking sites or email it to your friend. Plus there are plenty of more additions that will rollout soon, including an Ashburn Award to complement the Jeltzie.

The new site comes at a critical time in the season. The Phils are still treading water in the National League Wild Card race. The trouble is that they are in a logjam of NL West division contenders. With this being September, division play is in full gear. I see two likely outcomes for the 3 teams chasing the Diamondbacks, either one will get hot and the other two will fall off or they will all split series the rest of the way. Scenario 1 would not bode well for the Phils if the Diamondbacks held off the hot team but they still took the Wild Card. Scenario 2 would at least give the Phillies a chance if they get hot. Included in that second option would have be a dismantling of the Rockies in this four game series. Speaking of which, listen our playoff predictions on another installment of Phillies Nation on WNJC.

Brian talks about Phillies Nation and the Phillies chances this season on WNJC.

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What a Difference a Week Makes

Posted by Brian Michael, Fri, August 24, 2007 11:35 AM

Last week I on the radio interview, I was proclaiming how the Phillies were going to win the Wild Card after a successful series in DC. Now things aren’t looking so hot. After dropping 2 of 3 to the Pirates and the Dodgers, the Phillies are now scrambling for starting pitching as they begin a series with Wild Card leaders, the San Diego Padres. So on this week’s interview, I was singing a different tone.

Listen to Brian explain the Cole Hamels situation and flip-flop on the Phillies chances.

The Phillies distressing week started off poorly in Pittsburgh. The club gave up four-run leads in two consecutive games and lost a series to a team they should have beat. As the Wild Card picture became more opaqaue, I got to thinking, maybe it would be better to focus on the Mets in this playoff race. Of course New York has won seven of ten, but at least the Phils would only be chasing a single team. Also, not to look past the Padres, but the Phils open up a four game series with New York on Monday to close out this home stand. Padres and Mets back-to-back, without Chase Utley and without Cole Hamels…is it even possible?

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WNJC Radio Interview

Posted by Brian Michael, Fri, August 17, 2007 11:24 AM

As Cole Hamels and his newly trimmed hair took care of the Nationals last night in the blazing heat of DC, I discussed the Phillies chances this season over on WNJC radio.

To listen to the interview click on the play button below. If no bar appears, use the text link to download or stream it.

Brian talks about Phillies Nation and the Phillies chances this season on WNJC.

The Phils continue their road to the playoffs by traveling to Pittsburgh this weekend. J.D Durbin gets the nod tonight in favor of the much-maligned and now injured Adam Eaton. He faces off against lefty Tom Gorzelanny who has been on fire this month, winning two games (including a complete game) while keeping a 1.13 ERA. Jamie Moyer (4-0 in his last 5 starts) and Kyle Loshe (undefeated as a Phillie) also take to the hill for the Phillies. The Pirates lineup scored 22 runs in three games against the Mets this past week, but the team was only able to manage a single win in the series. Also look for Shane Victorino to make his return to the Phillies bench. He won’t play however, he had a minor setback in his rehab assignment earlier this week.

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