Staff Blog
Morning Rounds, October 20th
Over the course of a seven game series, the better baseball team is usually going to prevail, so I know my joy at seeing the Rays improbably
knock off the Red Sox should probably be filed under the “be careful what you
wish for” category. That said, it would
be hard for the Phillies not to pine for the
Not-Devils over the reigning champs.
Why? The first reason may seem glib, but I believe it’s
important: The Red Sox are scary. They beat the Phillies earlier in the season, they have the bling, and they play in an historic park. There
is a scene in Catch Me if You Can where
Leonardo DiCaprio’s character’s father asks his son about baseball:
DiCaprio’s dad: You
know why the Yankees always win, Frank?
DiCaprio: ‘Cause
they have Mickey Mantle?
DicCaprio’s dad: No, it’s ’cause
the other teams can’t stop staring at those damn pinstripes.
Now one should be careful when attempting to analyze intangibles – or forgetting
just how good Mantle was – but no one on the Phillies is going to be staring at
those ever changing Rays unis and forgetting about the prize. On top of
that, I think it’s fair to suggest that the young Rays are going to be a little
happier just to be in the World Series than the battle-tested Sox would have been.
There are baseball reasons to be excited as well — Moyer suddenly
becomes as asset again; the Rays lack a shut down closer; and their deep
starting rotation isn’t as effective as it was over the course of a long season, for example —
but I’ll save that for later. Right
now? For the second series in a row it
looks like the Phillies got the team they wanted. Lets hope that, for the
second series in a row, they can take care of them now that they got em.
 |
| via Boston Globe |
“This might sound funny to everyone, but I don’t want to go home and have to see every single person that I know rub it in my face every single day for the rest of my life. And that would happen [if we lost]. I’m 100 percent serious. To beat those guys and not have to listen to everyone where I live, it’s a nice feeling.”- Rocco Baldelli, talking like he just won the World Series
Three lines on their world:
- Tampa Bay moves on to the World Series
- The first BCS rankings were announced
- And Bernard Hopkins took down Kelly Pavlik in AC
Three lines on ours:
- The Phillies learned their fate and will head to Tampa Bay
- With the Hopkins win, Philly gained a champion
- And Penn St. climbed to third in the BCS rankings
Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and what everybody is talking about, after the jump
PHILLIES
John Smallwood looks at how the young Rays did it. READ
Rich Hofmann checks in with Pat Burrell’s college hitting coach and says Bait has always been able to rake. READ
Bob Ford hates the junior circuit. SKIP
Todd Zolecki asks Brad Lidge why he blew the Phillies’ home field advantage. READ
Frank Seravalli checks in with several Phillies’ old high school managers. READ
Frank Seravalli brings you 15 facts about the Rays. SKIP
Mark Kram talks with Ruly Carpenter, the former Phillies’ owner, about the 1980 championship. SKIP
David Murphy checks in with Frank Coppenbarger, the man in charge of making sure the Phillies get to where they’re going. READ
Joe Juliano writes that the DH hasn’t been set yet. SKIP
Joe Juliano talks with Charlie about June. READ
Phil Sheridan gushes about the Phillies’ personality. He must love boring. SKIP
A couple months ago I remember someone asking John Gonzalez when his first “emotional” column would be, the one where he lets down that rough exterior just a little and opens up to the reader, offering a hug instead of sly witticisms. It’s here. SKIP
Jim Salisbury says that in Jayson Werth’s family, it’s all about that ring. SKIP
Marc Narducci checks in with Chuck LaMar, the current Phillies’ pro scouting director and former Rays’ GM. READ
In looking at who the Phillies will use at their DH, Mike Sielski points out that, in the postseason, minor flaws become magnified. READ
Kevin Cooney looks at the time off. SKIP
Randy Miller talks to the Phillies’ wearing rings. It isn’t a long list. READ
Kevin Cooney looks at why Philly has embraced Mitch Williams. SKIP
EAGLES
Marcus Hayes looks at Sav Rocca’s excellent season. READ
Ted Silary checks in with the Ryan’s as their son Matt gears up to come home. READ
Ray Parrillo takes stock of the Birds’ playoff chances. SKIP
Reuben Frank looks at Jevon Kearse’s greatest addition to the eagles: Juqua Parker. READ
SIXERS
Phil Jasner looks at Willie Green’s new role. SKIP
Phil Jasner talks Phillies with Donyell Marshall. SKIP
Tom Moore breaks down the fight for backup guard minutes. My take: trade Willie Green and thank me later. READ
FLYERS
Ed Moran can’t figure out why the Flyers are awful. READ
Frank Seravelli reports that the Flyers have changed their start time to so it won’t conflict with the World Series. SKIP
Wayne Fish on Mike Knuble’s family origins. SKIP
Wayne Fish on the Flyers’ “good” losses. SKIP
TODAY and MORE
Bernard Fernandez wonders why Bernard Hopkins isn’t better round these parts – he reps Philly through and through and looks ahead to next week’s PSU v. TOSU matchup. Good stuff.
Around here, expect a fairly slow morning followed by plenty of Phillies tidbits in the afternoon. It’s World Series week, so it doesn’t really matter if every angle is being disucussed elsewhere, we’re covering it too (and better!) As always, feel free
to email
with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.
