Stuff to Read

Not much Phillies news this weekend; that is, unless you’re a fan of Bobby Abreu’s feelings.  Below are a few Phillies-related stories to help you spend your MLK Day off.

Last week, Nick Fierro from Jersey’s Express-Times provided an interesting assessment of Pat Gillick at the halfway point of this off-season.  He compares the potential decrease in Phillies attendance with the poor showing of Sixers fans recently.  Meanwhile the Flyers are averaging over 19,500 at home this season.  In 2005, the average attendance at CBP was 33,000 – 600,000 less than in its inaugural year.  The Phils will most likely still out draw the Flyers next season but it might be close.

On Sunday, the Dodges and Devil Rays completed a trade

that sent relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter to LA.  The Phils had expressed interest in Baez earlier this winter but have since backed off after signing Tom Gordon.  If you remember, Baez beat out Gordon in a PhilliesNation poll by a slim 1% margin.  Danys has $4 million coming to him in the last season of his contract so might be available next year if things don’t pan out with Flash.

The NY Daily News presents a tear-jerking mini-biography of Billy Wagner, complete with a poverty stricken nomadic childhood, his struggle to get noticed, and the murder of his wife’s father and stepmother.

Tommy Lasorda shares his experiences with Shane Victorino while on a WBC tour in Hawaii.  “I spent a lot of time with Shane,’’ Lasorda said. “Shane and I had many, many confrontations on his ability. I told him he could be better than he was doing, he could be better than he was believing. I spent hours and hours with him.’’

And finally, it seems Cory Lidle’s poker tournament was a huge success.