High Hopes

                                                                I want to see these again.

Unless you live in a hole, you know that the Phillies are suddenly in the hunt for playoff baseball. When the Phitins were 6 games back of the Wild Card, I began to get excited. But I tried my hardest to not think of a playoff possibility because I figured the Phillies would "Hype Us Up, Then Throw Us Down." Now... things have changed. A lot. The Philadelphia Phillies are 3 games out of the Wild Card lead. And yes, you all know this already. But I can't stop thinking...3 games back. 3. I am officially starting to feel the effects of Phillies Phever.

Here is the Cardinals remaining schedule. Here is the Dodgers remaining schedule.

While the Cardinals and Dodgers have a HUGE 4 game series this weekend in L.A., the Phillies will be playing the AAA Astros. Or maybe even the AA Astros. Root for L.A. tonight, so that those two teams can be tied and we can be 2 out.

Picture CBP rockin', rally towels waving, cold October night, national television, playoff baseball.

Phillies Phever at it's finest.
Godbless.

Should the Phillies Shut Down Halladay and Worley?

Let's start with the Vanimal.

Vance Worley this season is 6-7 with an ERA slightly under 4.00 (3.97). Since coming off the DL in late May, the Vanimal has been battling loose bone chips in his right elbow. Although that sounds extremely painful, many pitchers have dealt with the same injury throughout a season.

"Man up...That's the only thing I can do. I'll just grit and grind out there." - Vanimal

Well, I have news for the Phillies. When you are sitting 18.5 games out of 1st place, it is completely unnecessary for Vance Worley to "grit and grind" every single start. It's common sense to shut him down for the remainder of the season. To repair his injured elbow, surgery is needed. We witnessed, with Ryan Howard, that set-backs in surgery are common. Why not shut Worley down right now, have the surgery completed a month early, and allow more recovery time? WHY NOT?

Now, let's talk about Roy Halladay.

Doc is 6-6 this year with an ERA of 3.80-- not a typical Roy Halladay year. He, too, has been battling pain the whole year. However, his injury does not require surgery. I think the Phillies are right, Doc should not and will not be shut down this year. When Doc is pitching, rather than "grit and grind," it is more of a rehab session. The only way to rehab muscle strains is to rest, then regain all strength. Doc went on DL (rested), and now he is back on the mound (regaining his strength).

I would really like to see Vance shut down, but not Doc. Go Phils! High Hopes

I Don't Want Victorino, Pence to Win

I really do not want to see Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence hoist the trophy at the end of the season. Something about picturing them celebrating a World Series victory makes me sick. It may even be a jealousy thing. Part of the reason, is that they play for the Dodgers and Giants, two of my least favorite teams in the majors. Sports talk radio was saying the same thing today, how they will be bitter if Shane and Pence win. Alot of callers buzzed in, saying they will root for Shane and Pence. What is happening to you Philly? Don't get soft after 5 straight division crowns. Remember in the postseason last year, after we were knocked out, Shane was Tweeting "Go Brewers Go." Yeah, I will never forget how mad I was after reading those Tweets. I probably sound ridiculous righht now, but I will never root for Victorino to win. And as long as Pence is a SF Giant, I won't root for him either.

I'm bitter. Why, 2012 Phillies, do you have to be like this?

SALE: Get Your Phillies Here!

With the most important series of the season this weekend in Atlanta, the Phillies needed to win a MINIMUM of 2 out of 3 vs. the Braves. Of course that didn't happen. Of course they underachieved. And of course they'll go on another 4-game win streak and everyone will get excited again. No, it's over. Wether you agree or not, there will be a sale today and tomorrow. Victorino, Pence, Blanton, Wigginton, Pierre all have good potential to be putting on different uniforms after the deadline. Monday and Tuesday will certainly be interesting.

What a joke this team is. Unbelievable.

Last 3 Games: New Life

Life is Good

                               

Ahhh, do you smell that? That's the Phillies winning. Everything is better when the Phillies win: food tastes better, Tom McCarthy isn't annoying, your girlfriend is hotter, the list goes on. The awful performances by our aces, Doc and Cliff, get brushed under the carpet. The last 3 games (2 walkoffs, and a 6-run 8th inning) really remind me of the 2008 Phillies. It doesn't matter how many runs we are down, we will comeback and win. I realize our record (44-54) still reflects the disappointing season thus far, but I can't help to be excited right now. If the 2012 Phillies are going to make a run, the players need to have passion. Two weeks ago, I thought this team had completely shut down. It was like beating a dead horse, night after night. But tonight I am tipping the cap to the guys. I guess it's true, Philly never stops phighting. Phightin' Phils.

Making a Case for Mayberry Jr.

                             *sorry for the song in this video, i hate that crap

John Mayberry Jr. has been having a down year: hitting .237 with only 25 RBIs. Recently, I wrote about what would happen if Victorino was traded before the July 31 deadline. I made a strong case for JMJ and his potential. Yesterday, in the Phillies 4-3 extra inning win over SanFran, he did not dissapoint. The 6'6" left fielder rang the Liberty Bell with two solo dingers. Many PhilsPhans have given up on JMJ because of his lackluster performance thus far. JMJ was never surrounded with excitement as much as other prospects were, mostly because of his age. He debuted in 2009, as a 25 year old, and still hasn't "bloomed" yet. His slow prgression is due to always sharing LF with another player (Raul Ibanez and Juan Pierre). With a Victorino trade looming, JMJ will have a perfect opportunity to showcase his ablility on an everyday basis. Alot of hitting experts have commented on JMJ's struggles, saying "His stance always changes. Sometimes he's straight up and sometimes he's bent over. He needs to find his comfort zone." Well, the only way to be consistently comfortable is to play everyday. Assuming Victorino is traded, look at August and Septemeber as an audition for JMJ. If he shows his 5-tool ability, he may have a starting spot next year. If his struggles continue, he'll go down the path of a career backup outfielder. Don't give up on JMJ too quickly. Wether you like it or not, he may be our starting center fielder for August, Septemeber, and October.

Cliff Lee Trade Rumors?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/rosenthal-on-victorino-lee-padres-ramirez.html
In the last couple of days, I have heard a few rumors about a possible Cliff Lee trade. The only fathomable (is that a word?) reason for trading Cliff is to clear his salary and sign Cole long-term. And if that is necessary for our future, I'm all for it. Cliff, 33 years old, has a 3.72 ERA this season and 10 wins only 1 win. But, if signing Cole does not require a Lee trade, it doesn't make sense. The whole "The Phillies need a 2012 firesale" is ridiculous. I understand it's out of frustration, but it truly would be a mistake to have a firesale at the deadline this year. Looking to the 2013 season, we will still have our core players (minus Victorino). Keeping all 3 Aces is a necessity in winning a 2013 ring. If at this time next year we are out of the race, then a firesale makes sense. The core group of players would have shown us for 2 years that they are no longer capable of producing. But as of now, I think the 2013 Phillies have a chance to make a run, assuming Cliff Cole and Doc are our aces. Sign Cole and don't trade Cliff.
*Remeber: Cliff Lee could have signed with the Yankees for more money. "I never wanted to leave in the first place," Lee said.
Quote from ESPN.com