Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Postseason Predictions

By Amy McCormick

The Wild Card races in both the National League and the American League are down to the wire.  In the NL, St. Louis and Atlanta are tied with an 89-72 record.  In the AL, we have another tie: Boston and Tampa Bay each hold a 90-71 record. 

Here’s where it gets tricky.  The team in each league with the best record is to play the winner of the Wild Card, as long as they are not in the same division.  This would be fine, if it weren’t for the NL East and the AL East.  Things are neck and neck in both Wild Card races, which each includes a team from the winning team’s division.  To make matters more confusing, Milwaukee (NL Central’s winner) and Arizona (NL West’s winner) are each down to tonight’s games, and so are Detroit (AL Central’s winner) and Texas (AL West’s winner).  Does your brain hurt yet? Essentially, we won’t know until the completion of tonight’s games who will be playing whom in Round 1 of the Division Series. 

This makes predictions (which I’m not accustomed to making) a little difficult, exciting, and potentially dead-wrong.  Here goes.

I say that the Phillies beat Atlanta tonight and St. Louis wins over Houston, making St. Louis the NL Wild Card winner.  This would mean that Philadelphia and St. Louis would play in the NLDS, and I’d be a jerk if I said anything other than I forecast a Phillies win.  As far as Milwaukee and Arizona go, I have to go with Milwaukee.  I love that the Diamondbacks knocked the Giants out of contention , but I don’t know that they can get past Ryan Braun.  In the NLCS, that would mean the Phillies would play Milwaukee, and again, not a jerk, so I choose Philadelphia.  I have confidence that our pitching can shut them down.

In the American League, the Yankees are the winners in the East, and they have the best record, so they will play the Wild Card winner.  The trouble is, the Wild Card is down to Tampa Bay and Boston, both in the East.  So, we move to the winner of either the Central or the West – whoever has the worse record of the two.  Well, Detroit and Texas will be battling in their games tonight to see who that will be.  My prediction is that Texas beats the Angels and Detroit beats Cleveland, leading to a tie-breaking game between Detroit and Texas.  In that hypothetical game, my prediction is a victory for Detroit.  This would make the two ALCS look like this: Yankees – Rangers, and Tigers – Wild Card.  I predict that Boston will win the Wild Card but fall apart in their series with the Tigers.  I also say that the Rangers, who do not necessarily have the pitching power to handle the Yankees’ hitting, will actually upset New York.  My NLCS would be Texas vs. Detroit.  Although I chose Detroit to beat Texas in a tie-breaker, I choose Texas to win the ALCS. 

That brings me to the World Series.  In my mind, anyway, I’m looking at Phillies and Rangers.  My vote is for Phillies in six games. Please keep in mind that this is literally the first time I’ve ever made predictions about an entire postseason, so hate mail is not necessary.  Enjoy the games!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

I Should Be Charlie's Sub For a Day

By Amy McCormick

Eight.  Eight games.  Right down the toilet.  It hurts to think about, and it’s painful to see it in black and white on my laptop screen.  I suppose the insult to injury is that 75% of those losses have been to the Nationals and the Mets.

People keep asking me, “Is it ok to start worrying now?” Listen, I’m not worried.  Coming from someone with an anxiety disorder, that speaks volumes.  The reason that I’m not worried is that I know that this team has the talent, ability and skill to pull this off.  They’ve plowed through this season owning MLB.  We should rename the month of June to “Cliff” and August to “Lee.”  We should all be wearing our socks above the knees.  We should have “Good game, let’s go eat” in the dictionary with the definition, “You just got your asses handed to you by the Phils.”  I fully believe and have total faith that this is the best team in baseball.  I would marry this team if I could. 

So, what’s my problem?  I’m pissed off.  I’m frustrated.  I’m dumbfounded.  Sure, these games are “meaningless,” as we all know.  That doesn’t mean we should roll into the postseason with zero momentum.  They’re better than this.  This is not a team that mails in eight consecutive games.  We’ve seen offensive slumps this season, but this is out of hand. 

I love Charlie Manuel, but I don’t know that his style of management is what we need this week.  We need someone with zero tolerance for sloppy, lazy performances.  We need someone who won’t hold back and get in these players faces.  We need someone like me.

I’d let them know that these past eight games have been depressing to watch, and they’re breaking my heart right now.  Why end a stellar season on such a sour note? The jam-packed September schedule? Not an excuse, fellas.  Everybody’s tired, and Mother Nature happens.  What it comes down to is you either play to your potential or you don’t.  Right now, I see a lot of talent being crapped on. 

Phillies, you’re better than this.  Please pull it together.  Doc takes the mound at today, and while I trust that he can stop the bleeding, I want to see aggressive offense, too.  We fans need a win to lift our spirits just as much as you do. 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ten Musical Suggestions

By Amy McCormick

This five game losing streak is a depressing slump for Phillies fans.  Maybe it’s time to change some of the players’ intro songs in order to get their mojo back.  Here are ten of my suggestions. 

  1. Jimmy Rollins.  Jimmy has three at-bat songs, apparently; they are “Bright Lights, Bigger City” by Cee-lo Green, “Play Your Part” by Wale, and “The Show Goes On” by Lupo Fiasco.  They’re all decent choices, but I would love to hear J-Roll come out to “Rollout” by Ludacris.  I think the reasoning behind my choice is obvious.
  2. Placido Polanco.  Polly left the club years ago, and returned as a third baseman.  He came back with outstanding range of motion, instincts, and batting.  For my favorite large-headed infielder, I’d choose “Look at Me Now” by Lil Boosie and Big Head. (His current song is “I Know You Want Me” by Pitbull.)
  3. Shane Victorino.  It bothers me every single time I hear “Buffalo Soldier” played at Citizens Bank Park, and for one reason: Vic is Hawaiin.  “Buffalo Soldier” is performed by Bob Marley … from Jamaica.  It’s not even the same ocean, people.  I’m a sucker for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. I know it’s kind of mellow, but so is “Buffalo Soldier.”
  4. Hunter Pence.  I was so tempted to pick something from New Kids on the Block, but I resisted.  When I think of Pence, I think of three things: “Good game, let’s go eat,” a huge kid-in-a-candy-store grin, and red socks that look as though they’re probably tucked into his underwear.  I love the high socks, so I went with “Taylor Gang” by Wiz Khalifa. 
  5. Ryan Madson.  Can we discuss the Journey song, please? From my understanding, it started as a joke, in reference to the headache-inducing YouTube video that Giants fans made last year.  Joke’s over.  Now you just look like a pansy running from the bullpen to a Journey song.  I’d quickly change it to “Shut ‘Em Down” by Public Enemy.
  6. Carlos Ruiz.  Chooch has a case of Ryan Madsonitis when it comes to song choice.  Phil Collins? Really?  I’d get rid of that in a hurry.  I’d rather hear Ruiz come out to “Panama” by Van Halen … because he’s from Panama.  See what I did there?
  7. Cole Hamels.  I couldn’t think of any songs about having dreamy dimples, so I think he should come out to 45,000 fans singing “Cole and Amy sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g …”.  His AC/DC song, “Thunderstruck,” is fine, too … I guess.
  8. John Mayberry, Jr.  Follow me on this one.  Out of laziness/cuteness, I have always called Mayberry “JMJ.” I started to refer to him as “Jam Master Jay” because that’s what my friend James calls him.  That nickname is the reason I’d choose “My Adidas” by Run DMC for John Mayberry, Jr.
  9. Pete Orr.  I know we rarely see Orr bat, but I’m a big fan of watching him sprint to first.  I’d love to hear the vintage version of the theme to “Speed Racer” when he is up to bat.
  10. Michael Schwimer.  I think it would be appropriate to hear “Creep” by Radiohead when Schwimer runs out to the mound, for one reason: the lyric “I don’t belong here.” Sorry, kid.

I don’t know what it will take to snap this funk that the Phils are in.  Maybe hiring me as Musical Director at Citizens Bank Park would help.  I’m available to start immediately.


Cole Hamels is pictured in this post because, well, I get to choose what goes here.


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Phils Clinch, Lose Four Straight

By Amy McCormick

As expected, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East early this season.  On Saturday night, Roy Oswalt recorded the win against St. Louis.  Oswalt pitched well through seven, and Ibanez tore the game open with a grand slam.  Phils defeated the Cards, 9-2. 

Champagne sprayed from every direction in the clubhouse.  Hunter Pence looked like a five-year-old on Christmas morning.  It was time to celebrate a division five-peat, then regroup and move onto finishing the season.

Well, the celebration happened.  I've yet to see the team move on to finish the season.

The way I see it, our rotation and starting lineup should stay with their routine.  I'd like to see our positinal players put in five innings or so each game.  I know what you're thinking.  "Why risk injury? Why not let them rest? The rest of the season is a waste." I don't see it that way.  I believe in finishing what you start - there are 162 games in the season, and it would be a shame to throw away the last dozen or so games.  Do you really think our opponents want us to call it in?  If we want to get lazy and sloppy at the end, then you might as well  scrap the remainder of the season once we clinch.  Rest is important, but too much will result in rusty post-season performances. 

I've never been an "Oh well, you can't win them all" kind of fan.  There are some games that are sloppy and embarrassing.  There are some teams we should not be handing games to.  This is what frustrates me.  I know that Charlie is very much a laissez-faire manager, but in this instance, I'd like to see him get into some faces and say, "Get your pinstriped ass out there and play ball like you mean it." 

This should not be vacation.  This is prep time for the postseason; the World Series is ours to lose.  I want to see grit and aggressiveness.  These past four games have bored me to tears.  I feel like Curt Schilling with a towel over my face.  Please, Phils, now is not the time for complacency.  Don't run out of steam now.  A great season should end on a high note.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Phils' Offense Battered by Myers

By Amy McCormick

Apparently, the Phils’ offense didn’t get the memo tonight that offense isn’t optional.  Victorino and Howard each went 0-4; Martinez was 0-3.  Philadelphia managed to post six hits, but only scored one run. 

Oswalt didn’t have a great outing, and Houston capitalized on that.  The Astros managed twelve hits and five runs in a game where the Phils looked like they never showed up.

Why do the Phillies struggle against Myers? I don’t really get it.  The righty doesn’t have very good numbers this season, and Houston has lost more games than the Phillies have won (not a typo).  We should not be losing to teams like Houston and Florida.

I fully understand that not every game is going to be a win, but it’s frustrating to watch the Phils get owned by a terrible team.  I guess it’s good news for Mrs. Myers that Brett left the field in a good mood tonight, though.

I want to see some aggressive offense (I’m looking at you, Ryan Howard).  Losses like tonight’s are embarrassing and they make me cranky.  Here’s hoping tomorrow night is better.  Magic number is still 6 ….

Sunday, September 11, 2011

How Baseball Healed Us

By Amy McCormick

I, like any one of you reading this, remember September 11, 2001 vividly.  I was teaching my pre-kindergarten class that Tuesday morning, and when word circulated from teacher to teacher, we all realized that we needed to suck it up, put on a smile, and go about our lessons for the day.  I told my four and five year old students that we had to have indoor recess because we had run out of sunscreen (I never said it was a good lie; it’s what popped into my head at the time).  In the days that followed the terrorists’ attacks, I came to the realization that teaching those children each day was keeping me sane.  They kept my heart full of love, and they kept me too busy to be afraid.  I’ve never taken the time to thank those kids, and I think tonight might be as good a time as any. 

Something else kept a lot of us going.  Baseball was a distraction from reality.  It was three hours of escape.  Major League Baseball paused briefly after the attacks, but was eagerly welcomed back.  New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani stated, “Baseball came along at just the right moment and re-established itself as the American pastime.”  Even rescue workers at Ground Zero listened to games on the radio; it kept their spirits up as much as they could be. 

For me, that Tuesday morning ten years ago made me start to question everything’s importance. (Family? Important.  Designer jeans? Not important.  You get the point.)  When it came to baseball, I’m sure someone could have argued that it seemed silly and inconsequential at the time.  It was far from that, though, and baseball was a way for us to stay connected to a pre-9/11 America.  Having something to cheer for was monumental.

I maintain the belief that if MLB had scrapped the rest of the season, the terrorists would have gotten their way.  There aren’t many things more American than baseball; it would have been a victory to Al Qaeda if we had chosen to abandon it.  The best part, to me, is the outcome of the 2001 World Series: The Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in a Game 7 thriller.  It seemed poignant that the D’backs, in their first ever title, dethroned the three year reigning champions.  The message was clear: this is America, where possibilities are endless, and a bunch of terrorists are not enough to stop us.  I am grateful and proud to live in a country where I am free to watch a sport I love.  I am thankful for those who have fought and continue to fight for my freedom. 

It would be an exaggeration to say that baseball is entirely responsible for healing us.  For me, it was a combination of things, including my students.  Those things helped me to realize that we’d make it through to the other side.

I’d like to dedicate this post to my friend Kenny, lifelong Phillies fan and sergeant in the United States Army, who was killed in Afghanistan eight weeks ago.  Rest in peace, buddy.




Thursday, September 8, 2011

Utley to Miss a Few Games

By Amy McCormick

In the bottom of the sixth inning last night, Braves' relief pitcher Eric O'Flaherty beamed Chase Utley in the back of the head.  What, no brawl? I'm not ranting about how classless and trashy Atlanta is?  Although I appreciate Ricky Bottalico's musings on which Brave will pay for it when revenge strikes, I have to say that it didn't look intentional at all. 

The bright side: 

1. Chase has great instincts and managed to whip his head around and have his helmet take the brunt of the pitch.  He seemed stunned by the incident, and I'm sure it hurt(s) like hell, but his batting helmet did its job last night by keeping Utley's brains on the inside. Plus, no damage to that pretty face we love so much.

2. This incident could have have happened weeks from now.  The implications of that are obvious, I'd say.  Let's hope that this bump in the road will leave Chase feeling rested and healthy for October.

3. Wilson Valdez is no Chase Utley, but he's a pretty damned good sub.  Injuries within our lineup are never fun, but the Phils have a knack for holding down the fort well when someone is out.

4. We have some breathing room.  I'd neve suggest lying down and playing dead - but the truth is, we're 10.5 games ahead of the Braves in the East.  If we didn't have such a cushion, I'm sure there would be a lot more panic in this city right now.

5. Chase has shown us that he can bounce back from an injury and perform extremely well on the field and at the plate.  I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant about getting excited for Utley's return from his DL stint earlier this season.  Clearly, I was wrong.  His speed and range of motion actually look better to me than they did pre-injury.

6. Our favorite second baseman is in good care.  Team doctor Michael Ciccotti and Phils' trainer Scott Sheridan are being cautious and monitoring Utley.  In a couple days, he will perform ImPACT testing, which will compare his reaction and response times to his baseline scores.  The fact that Team Utley isn't taking this lightly is a good sign - it means that everyone is working to ensure his health and safety.

Why I'm worried. Maybe I shouldn't say "worried." I'm concerned about this incident for one reason: it happened to his head.  It's a mild concussion, but a concussion nontheless. I'm generally pretty freaked out by any sort of head injury because so much could go wrong.  After getting hit, Utley turned to the home plate umpire to ask him what had happened.  I don't read lips very well, but I think the umpire replied with something in the neighborhood of  "Ummmm ... you just took a 91 mph sinker to the head.  That's what happened."

I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see (and make homemade glittery get well cards for Chase, of course).  My best advice is to sit tight and see what the doctors tell us.  Ruben Amaro, Jr. thinks that the injury is "very mild," and continues, "He got a 90-mile-an-hour fastball off the melon, so we're going to be cautious about it." Fair enough.  Get well soon, Chase. 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Oswalt in October?

By Amy McCormick

This summer has flown by; all of a sudden, our magic number is twelve and we’re speculating the Phils’ playoff rotation.  Who will join Halladay, Lee and Hamels and be our fourth ace this October?  There are definitely arguments to be made for both Oswalt and Worley.  Luckily, they’re both outstanding pitchers; either way, we’ll have a group of four fantastic starters.

I am somewhat torn, because each of these two pitchers has a lengthy “pro” list.  If it were up to me, and I had to choose tonight, I’d select Roy Oswalt. 

Sure, Vance Worley has been unstoppable this season.  He’s a young, focused winning machine.  Why would anyone ever pass on that?  Well, I don’t see it as dismissing Worley.  I’d like to see him as long relief in the postseason.

Oswalt came back from an extended absence due to back injury and has looked healthy and focused.  As much as it kills me to admit it, I’d say that this might be the last chance that Little Roy has to win a World Series.  Tonight’s game showed us that Roy continues to want to fight for it, though.  I love his intensity, tempo and grit.  Roy Oswalt is a badass.  C’mon - he wears high socks, owns his own tractor, and merely fixes his hat after taking a line drive to the jugular.  He has a southern accent, people. He's what Roosevelt was talking about when he said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He’s my favorite good ol’ boy on the planet. I’d like to think that he calls people “son” and pulls it off.

Oswalt is 5-1 in the postseason, including two NLDS wins and three NLCS wins.  His postseason ERA is 3.39 and his WHIP is 1.357.   I’d put my money on Little Roy for the fourth spot in October’s rotation.  At this point, I feel comfortable sending him out there for every fourth start and having Worley as long relief.  Like I said, though … this is a good problem to have.  It’s like judging a beauty contest … how are you supposed to pick which set of fake boobs looks better than the pair next to it?  Either way, we should be solid.  It will be interesting to see which direction Charlie takes.  Magic number is twelve, kids …





Sunday, September 4, 2011

Do You Mean "Dump Joe West?"

By Amy McCormick

I shouldn’t really be surprised, should I?  Especially considering the fact that Facebook reminded me a few days ago that my status a year before was “[My daughter] could do a better job as an ump, and she’s in diapers.  And nonverbal.  And legally blind.”

A year later, Olivia is a chatterbox, her vision has improved somewhat, and the potty issue is a work in progress.  One thing remains the same, though: she seems to think she can do what she wants and make up rules as she goes along.  Sound familiar?

Today’s game at Sun Life Stadium (“a dump,” according to Ricky Bo, and I concur) wasn’t much to talk about … until the top of the sixth.  Hunter Pence would have been out had it not been for fan interference.  That call should have been made on the spot; Joe West should have been able to say that Petersen would have made the catch easily, send Howard back to first, and move on.

Instead, West chose to gather the ump crew and watch instant replay.  Upon review, West sent Pence back to the dugout and Howard back to first base.  While this was the correct call, West used improper means to come to that conclusion.  Instant replay in baseball is for close homerun balls, which this clearly was not.

Enter Charlie Manuel.

In true Charlie style, he let everyone know something: The Marlins might be 28.5 games behind and will be watching October baseball from their living rooms, but Philadelphia does not tolerate nonsense from umpires.  On his way out (don’t act surprised that Charlie got tossed), he was sure to let West know that the Phils would continue to play under protest.  Essentially, no one is contesting the judgment call – Pence should have been out.  What is unacceptable is the blatant misuse of the instant replay.

I’m eager to hear postgame statements, and it will be interesting to see how things play out.  If Joe West says that he looked at the footage because he thought it could have been a homerun, then he’ll be insulting our intelligence. 

Two side notes … 1) Phils-Marlins games should never go into extras.  Period.  They’re the Marlins. 2) I Googled “ump joe west” and my computer asked me, “Do you mean dump joe west?” Maybe it’s time we started taking Google’s suggestions.



Thursday, September 1, 2011

What Would Hollins Do?

By Amy McCormick

We’ve all seen the 1993 – 2011 comparisons; it’s hard to avoid them, really.  I’d like to explore what the 2011 team should take from that infamous team.

If you read the books (such as More Than Beards, Bellies and Biceps: the Story of the 1993 Phillies by Robert Gordon), they take you back.  If you watch the DVDs, they make you laugh.  The mullets, huge wads of tobacco, and attitude that was written all over their faces all said one thing: We represent Philadelphia, and if you don’t like it, then it’s your own fucking problem.

The ’93 Phils embodied their fanbase.  Fans could relate to those players on different levels; Fregosi’s crew didn’t pretend to be anything but authentic.  They represented the blue collar working class who rushed home from a long day with two things on their mind: Phillies baseball and beer, not necessarily in that order. 

We’re all familiar with the missteps some of the ’93 players saw in their personal lives, and there’s no need to rehash them.  Back then, we surely cared more about what happened on the field. 

What can the current team extract from the rough-around-the-edges team from 1993?  If you ask me, it’s not something that can be quantified.  It’s all about attitude.  Although there were some real characters, I want to look at Dave Hollins (and, more specifically, his attitude).  I’m not saying that Polanco is the only player who should take notes – and it should be noted that Polly is also an All-Star third baseman with a nearly identical batting average in 2011, so save the hate mail, please.

I’m also not criticizing any players, past or present … I’d rather look at how different the game is now.  In 2011, players are trained on media relations, and it shows.  You’ll hear “(Insert opposing team’s name here) is a great team” regularly.  It’s funny to hear Hollins reflect on his feelings about Atlanta eighteen years ago.  “I hated the Braves, never liked them from day one,” he said.  “They acted like they were better than us, like they didn’t belong on the same field as us.  I would purposely try and crowd the plate just to show them I wasn’t gonna back down from them.”

Apparently, Hollins told Greg Maddux off the field, “Listen, if you ever hit me or one of my teammates again, I’m going to kill you.” I wonder how Hollins would have reacted during the Phils-Giants melee from a few weeks ago ….

If we look at our current team, we see finesse.  When I asked him to describe our current team in just one word, my friend Collin said, “Pitching.” That word isn’t just accurate – it also denotes control, and this team has owned MLB all season because of it.  Collin chose the word “dirty” for the 1993 team, and I have to agree, but maybe not for the reason that you think.  That group of guys took nothing for granted, didn’t play complacently, and were never afraid to fight for it.  Obviously, the ’11 team is doing a lot of things right.  They’re not 41 games over .500 by accident.  I’m just saying that I’d like to see that 1993 roughness around the edges once in awhile (cue “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor). 

I’ll leave you with my favorite John Kruk quote of all time.  “I’d rather fight Mike Tyson without his medication than fight Dave Hollins.” Enough said.