Weeks 1-2-3

Been doing some research, reading pre-season previews today -- real busy stuff.
Here's the skinny on the Tide's three non-league opponents.

Eastern
2007 record: 1-9 (lone win over Kennard-Dale)
Other non-league games: Donegal next week and Fairfield, Sept. 12.
Coach: Jeff Shutter, 11th season, second time around as Eastern coach. Third year of second stint.
Offense: Multiple, will run a lot out of the shotgun.
Defense: 3-3 stack, based on linebacker and defensive back play.
Who they scrimmaged: Daniel Boone and Big Spring.
Offensive players to watch: QBs Corey Hershner or Mark Halloway; RBs Aaron Mackley and Jared Smeltzer; WRs Alex Seitz and Jake Dunlap.
Defensive notes: The Knights gave up 30 or more points in seven of their 10 games.

York Suburban
2007 record: 4-6. Beat D-3 qualifier York Catholic.
Other non-league games: Dallastown and York Catholic, Sept. 12. Columbia game is the first of three straight road games.
Coach: Bill Kerr.
Offense: Spread.
Defense: 4-4.
Players to watch: WRs Cole Wagner and Nathianiel Cross; Lineman Ben Woody and Chris Smith and RB Cody Waltimyer; QB Jordan Knaub.

Daniel Boone
2007 record: 9-4. Class AAA school, who made it deep into D-3 playoffs.
Coach: Dave Bodulous.
Opener: Donegal.
Opening scrimmage: With Eastern
What to watch for: Boone, who hasn't played Columbia in several years boasts al all-state DB, returning QB and a running back that has had three straight 1,000 yard seasons.
Note: Probably will be second or third best team Colmbia will face this season.

Charlie blows another one

The Phillies came away with a split of a two-game series with the Mets over the last two nights.

Tuesday night was that dramatic come-from-behind win over the Mets, in a game no one with Comcast Lancaster saw.

Last night, the Phillies held a 3-1 lead going into the eighth inning.

Let's go back two innings to the fifth or sixth. The Phillies had two men on base, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell and Shane Victorino at the dish. They also had New York ace Johan Santana on the ropes.

I know Victorino has been one of the Phils' hottest hitters of late, but with no outs and the team's best bunter, with a lot of speed up, why not lay one down and see what happens. Does Charlie? No. The Phils got nothing, as they did an inning later.
Poor move number one.

Now let's go to the eighth. Heard one of the talking heads, I think it was
Wheels or later LA say that the bullpen was pretty spent from the night
before. I knew that would be the built in excuse.

But why put Rudy Seanez into the game? If you have 12 or 13 pitchers, he's the next to last pitcher I would put into the game. The other would be Clay Condrey.

Sure, he got two easy outs, but, J.C. Romero should have been on the hill. He only needed to get one out. Plos Carlos Delgado is a low ball hitter. Where was the pitch, down and in.

The Phillies
are in a pennant race. It's not May when mistakes like this can be made.
Charlie needs to use his top pitchers in tight games. There are 29 or
30 games left and these pitchers have the entire winter to recover.
Mistake number two last night.

Mistake three, was bringing Brad Lidge in for a four out save. He hasn't done it all year, plus his earned run average in non-save and save situation is the difference between night and day.

Mistake four, forget about taking Pat Burrell out for defense. He can play and hit. Guess 30 homers doesn't mean much to Charlie.

Mistake five, pinch hitting Gregg Dobbs too early. When he batted in I think it was the sixth, the situation again called for a bunt. That's not Dobbs, so we got nothing out of that move.

I could go on and on about the blunders of Charlie Manuel, but I will stop here.

Only if the Phillies had someone who actually knew baseball, running the team, like Larry Bowa or Lou Piniella, or....the divsion race would be over.

Sorry Charlie, whoops, I mean no disrepect for the tuna character, if he's still around.