As we dig out from under another 20 inches of snow brought on by Wednesday's blizzard, here's a happy thought: The first workout for Phillies pitchers and catchers is next Thursday in Clearwater, Fla.

Just 7 days away!!!

Let the countdown begin. It's only 28 days until Phillies pitcher and catchers report to Clearwater, Fla., for spring training.

Woo hoo!

Just five weeks until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Phillies closer Brad Lidge, above, had surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his right knee. Lidge spent time on the disabled list last year with a sprained right knee.

The surgery was Lidge's second of the off-season. In November, the right-hander had surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm.

The Phillies say Lidge could miss the start of the season, which is April 5 in Washington.

Well, here goes. I've spent the last few days wondering about my pick to win the World Series, with the hometown Phillies battling the Evil Empire, otherwise known as the New York Yankees.


To be honest, I've been surprised by the Phillies so far this postseason. Yes, I picked them to beat the Colorado Rockies in 4 games in the National League Division Series, but the series didn't play out the way I had in mind, with the Phils winning two games in Colorado in the 9th inning.



Against the Dodgers, I had the Phillies winning the NL Championship Series in 6 games, and they did it in 5. They had few problems with the Dodgers vaunted bullpen, while the Phils' pen shut the door.



So, what about the Series? One minute I think the Yankees are going to win it, the next I lean toward the Phillies.

The Phillies are underdogs in this series. Few so-called "experts" expect them to win. Heck, the defending World Champions were the third choice by bookmakers in Las Vegas to win the NL crown.



This team continues to amaze me. They don't feel the pressure. And it's not like they haven't been here before. After all, they won the thing last year.

So with a split in New York and 2 of 3 wins at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies will repeat with a Game 6 victory at the new Yankee Stadium.

GO PHILLIES!!!!

I waited long enough, almost 2 hours before first pitch, to make my pick on the NLCS.

The key to this series is simple. The defending World Champion Phillies need to score early and often against the L.A. Dodgers -- something they did not do against Colorado in the division series, and really something they didn't do a lot of in the regular season. It seems the Phillies score most of their runs after the fifth inning.

But the Phillies can't afford to do that in this series. The Dodgers have the best bullpen in the National League, if not all of baseball. So if the Phillies don't have a lead in the sixth inning, that game's outcome isn't going to look too good.

I think the Phils' pitching will be pretty good throughout the series, so it's the bats that will need to come through.

I was right with my pick of the Phillies winning its NL Division Series over Colorado in 4 games. It didn't happen exactly how I had pictured it, but winning is the only thing.

Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but here it is: Phillies in 6.

Go Phillies!

I have mixed feelings about how the Phillies will fare in their NL Division Series against the Colorado Rockies.

On the one hand, the defending World Champions struggled down the stretch, winning just 5 of their final 13 games. The starting pitching was mediocre at best, the hitting was practically non-existent, and the bullpen at times was in shambles.

The only regular player who had good numbers in the season's final month was Ryan Howard. Chase Utley saw his batting average fall 20 points from Sept. 1, and Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino had trouble getting on base.

But on the other hand, the team did what it needed to get into the post-season. And their 11-3 record in the playoffs last year shows they know how to play when the pressure's on.

Plus, the Phils owe the Rockies from 2007, when in a similar situation, the Rockies one the first two games at Citizens Bank Park en route to a three-game sweep of the NL East champs.

So here goes: I like the Phillies to win the series in 4 games. I expect Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels to pitch well the first 2 games in Philly and give the team a 2-0 edge.

But if that doesn't happen, it could be a short visit to the playoffs for the defending champions.

As the Phillies prepare to open the National League playoffs Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park against the Colorado Rockies, I went back in the blog archives to see what I predicted for the season. Boy was I surprised.

Not so much that I correctly prognosticated that the Phillies would win the NL Eastern Division (though I thought it would be in a dogfight with the Mets), but that my analysis of a 93-win season was correct as the defending World Champions finished with a 93-69 record, 6 games ahead of the second-place Marlins and 23 games against the hated, injury-plauged Mets.

I'll have my playoff outlook before Wednesday's first pitch at 2:37 p.m.

I haven't blogged much about the Phillies this year. Perhaps its because as the World Series Champions, I was cutting them some slack.

But through an up-and-down season, I'm finally fed up. Sure they're in first place, 4 games ahead with 6 games to play, but I feel incredibly uncomfortable over their prospects.


Just last week, the Phils were ahead by 8 1/2 games with just 13 to play, and 7 up with 10 to play. Do you see a pattern? They should be wrapping up the division and preparing for the playoffs; instead, the lead keeps dwindling.


There have been few positives for this team down the stretch. Brad Lidge's struggles have been season long. The rest of the bullpen, save for Ryan Madson, has been overcome with injuries. The offense has turned mediocre veterans and rookie starters into Cy Young winners.

The Phils only need to win 3 of the 6 games to clinch the division title. But since they are 0-5 this season against the awful Houston Astros, who the Phils host the next 3 nights, and then a visit from the always tough Florida Marlins ends the season, winning those 3 games will be tough.

The Atlanta Braves, who trail the Phillies by 4 games, have 2 more at home with the Marlins, then host the NL-worst Washington Nationals for 4 games to end the season. So it's unlikely the Braves will lose 3 times.

So if the Phillies end up losing the division title, they will make history by blowing the largest lead (7 games) in the shortest amount of time (10 games). Until now, that mark has been held by the infamous 1964 Phillies, who had a 6 1/2-game lead with 12 games to play, but lost 10 games and lost the National League pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals.

I think the baseball Gods are getting back at Phillies fans for last year. We had the ecstasy of a World Series title; now, will we get the agony of a blown division title?

The Phillies reportedly picked up a Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday, but not the one most fans were hoping for.

Both Foxsports.com and Mlb.com were reporting that the Phillies had reached a deal with the Cleveland Indians for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, above. The Phillies will also get right-hand hitting outfielder Ben Francisco.

The Phillies will give up three of their top Class AAA prospects -- pitcher Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson -- and Class A pitcher Jason Knapp.

The deal means the Phillies will have 4 left-handed hurlers -- Lee, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ -- in their starting rotation.

The deal means the Phillies did not have to give up either their top minor-league pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, currently pitching for the Reading Phillies, or their top minor-league player Dominic Brown, who is an outfielder with Class A Clearwater.

I was hoping the Phillies would acquire Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who would have balanced out the rotation. But Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. did not want to part with Happ, Drabek and Brown.

To read more, click here.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was mired in an 0-for-19 slump last week when manager Charlie Manuel rested the 2007 NL Most Valuable Player for 4 games.


Rollins, at right, was restored to the leadoff spot for Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves and picked up where he left off when he last played in Tampa on June 24. He was hitless in 5 at bats, including two strikeouts. In 2 of the plate appearances, Rollins, now hitting .207, swung at the first pitch.

Much of the struggles for the defending World Champions this season are because of the pitching staff. But Rollins' problems are high on the list.

The Phillies need a lot more from their leadoff hitter. Rollins is 30th in the league with 41 runs scored. When he scores runs, they win. But it's hard to score runs when you can't get on base. Rollins' on-base percentage of .250 is the worst in the league for any regular.

Coming off a title, I expected more from this team than they've showed the first 3 months of the season. They should be running away with the National League East. But until Rollins begins to produce offensively, the Phillies will continue to struggle.

Coming off of a 7-3 road trip, including winning the last 2 games from the hated New York Mets, I thought the Phillies were prime to put a hold on the National League East. I should have known better.

The Phillies have continued their season long road woes throught the first 5 games of a 9-game homestand. They lost 2 of 3 to the Boston Red Sox and lost the first two games of their series with the Toronto Blue Jays, who last weekend were routed in 3 straight games at home to the Florida Marlins.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Phillies placed left fielder Raul Ibanez on the 15-day disabled list this morning with a pulled groin muscle. Ibanez was hitting .312 with 22 home runs and 59 RBI. He is second in the league in homers and RBI.

Fortunately, for the Phillies, the rest of the teams in the division aren't taking advantage of their ineptness.

Anyone Phillies fans out there still want Pat Burrell?

Raul Ibanez continued his assault on National League pitching Thursday night with a 3-run home run in the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 6-3 win over the hated New York Mets. The victory pushed the World Champions four games ahead of the second-place Mets in the National League East.

The home run was the 21st of the season for Ibanez, shown above hitting the blast. He's also hitting .322 and leads the league in runs scored (49) and runs batted in (58). Not only has Ibanez been a more consistent offensive force than Burrell ever was, he's also a much better fielder and a better baserunner.

Last month, the Phillies lost a 1-0 game to Johan Santana and the hated New York Mets. So if you had told me before Tuesday's game the world champions would bomb 4 homers off Santana, I would have expected the Phillies to win rather easily

Wrong.

Despite the blasts, the Phils lost, 6-5, to the Mets and saw their lead over their rivals from the north dwindle to 2 games.

With ace Cole Hamels on the mound for the Phillies, tonight's game is an imporant one. Yes, it's only early June, but the Phils can't let a depleted Mets team get any momentum. The Phillies are the best team in the division, but for some reason they haven't shown it against the Mets this year.

This blog originally appeared in a column in The Mercury on May 17.

In March 1977, my family took a two-week trip to Florida. Among our stops was Clearwater, Fla., where we took a day to watch the Phillies in a spring training game.

Sitting in the back row of the grandstand behind home plate at Jack Russell Stadium, we heard familiar voices behind us as the game time approached. We stood up from our seats, turned around and there chatting in the press box behind us were Phillies broadcasters and future Hall of Famers Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn.

I don’t remember what was said, other than we told them how much we enjoyed listening to them.

***

It’s been more than a month since Harry Kalas passed away after collapsing in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., about to do what he loved: broadcast a Phillies game. That was a difficult week for me — and for many other Phillies fans I’ve spoken with — as I recalled the 38 summers I spent listening to Harry’s voice as he chronicled the ups — and mostly downs — of my favorite baseball team.

I watched and listened to as many tributes to Harry as I could. I shed more than a few tears as I watched his memorial service on a sun-splattered Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. It was as if I had lost a longtime friend.

***

My love affair with the Phillies began in 1971, the same year Kalas joined the Phillies after a stint as a broadcaster with the Houston Astros. In that year, he called the first of six no-hitters when Phils pitcher Rick Wise blanked the Cincinnati Reds, 6-0, on June 23. Harry’s call of the final out — a line drive by Pete Rose caught by Phillies third baseman John Vukovich — was one of several highlights shown during many tributes to him.

Wise also hit two home runs that day, becoming the only pitcher to hit two homers while pitching a no-hitter. That day also happened to be my 8th birthday. It was one of the best presents an 8-year-old boy could receive.

***

Poetically, the afternoon of Harry’s passing, cable service was being worked on in my area, so I couldn’t watch the first few innings of the game. Instead, I listened on the radio. I couldn’t remember the last time I tuned in to a game on the radio while I was at home. You could hear the emotion in the voices of broadcasters Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen as they talked about Harry and what he meant to them — and the fans.

I listened to the game in my bedroom, where the reception was clear. As I lay on my bed, I thought about all the nights as a kid I fell asleep listening to Phillies games on the West Coast with Harry Kalas at the microphone.

***

We had a Sunday game season-ticket plan for 30 years, all but 28 of them at Veterans Stadium. From our seats along the first-base line, we could watch Kalas in the broadcast booth. He would interact with fans in the lower deck behind home plate between innings, and sometimes would toss bags of peanuts down to them.

When the game ended, we went as fast as we could to the car for two reasons: one, to beat the traffic; and two, if a key play happened during the innings Harry was on the radio, we wanted to hear how he called it.

Harry was honored a few times with collectible item giveaways to all fans. One was a bobblehead featuring Kalas and Ashburn to celebrate Kalas’ induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The other was a “Talking Harry” doll, which played a few of Harry’s catch phrases.

The batteries in mine wore out long ago.

***

Without Harry describing the action, the broadcasts just aren’t the same.
Twice since Kalas’ death, left fielder Raul Ibanez has won games with late-inning home runs. I couldn’t tell you how broadcaster Tom McCarthy described the action. In my mind, I keep hearing Harry’s signature “That ball’s outta here!”

However, I’ll continue to hear Harry’s call of the Phillies World Series victory last year over and over again. I have it as the ring tone on my cell phone.

Mike Spohn is The Mercury’s news editor and a lifelong Phillies fan. E-mail him at mspohn@pottsmerc.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has told the Philadelphia Phillies that their 2008 World Series run was similar to his winning presidential campaign — both were underdogs.

Obama welcomed the baseball team to the White House on Friday and said, "Nobody thought I would win, either."

He singled out star shortstop Jimmy Rollins for making calls on Obama's behalf during last year's campaign. Rollins presented Obama with a jersey and baseball, but the president wanted more. Obama jokingly asked for Rollins World Series' ring.

The Phillies were scheduled to meet the president on April 14. But that visit was postponed after the death of Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas the day before.

A month after the death of Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, the Phillies family has suffered another death.

Danny Ozark, at right, who managed the squad to three straight National League Eastern Division titles in 1976-1978, died this morning at his home in Vero Beach, Fla., team officials said. He was 85.

Despite his success, Ozark never led the team into the World Series. Fans will always remember his decision in Game 3 of the 1977 playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he kept left fielder Greg Luzinski in the game in the ninth inning despite the Phillies holding a 5-3 lead. Sure enough, Luzinski failed to catch a two-out flyball against the wall and the Dodgers went on to score 3 runs and win the game 6-5. The game is known as "Black Friday" in Phillies' lore. I know because I was at that game.

Ozark was manager of the year in 1976 after leading the Phillies to a 101-76 record. He is one of only a handful of Phillies' managers to have a winning record. Beginning in 1973, Ozark compiled a 594-510 record in seven seasons in Philadelphia. A year after his departure, the Phillies won their first World Series under manager Dallas Green.

Ozark was third-base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers before joining the Phillies.

After a shorter-than-usual offseason, the World Champion Phillies -- I never get tired of saying that -- open the 2009 season tonight against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Last year, I picked the Phillies to finish third behind the Mets and Braves and finish with only 86 wins. I guess I was wrong.

This season, I expect this team to exude the confidence of a World Champion. Remember that last year, Jimmy Rollins had a subpar offensive year, Chase Utley was hurt for the last half of the season and Ryan Howard didn't get into an offensive groove until September.

Closer Brad Lidge won't go another whole season without blowing a save, but I wouldn't expect Brett Myers to get sent to the minors for 5 weeks, either. The Phillies pitching staff is a strength, and there's some depth in the farm system, too. The only thing that would keep this team out of the playoffs is Cole Hamels' bad elbow.

So here we go: I see 93 wins, and another dogfight with the Mets, with the Phils prevailing again for the NL East flag.

What happens in the postseason? Who knows? Who would have thought the Phillies would go 11-3 last year?

Here is what FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal sees the MLB season. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Phillies received good news Tuesday on ace lefthander Cole Hamels' ailing elbow. This from an Associated Press story:

Phillies ace Cole Hamels will return to camp after a team physician found no damage in his sore left elbow.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says team doctor Michael Ciccotti reported no structural damage to the joint after looking at the left-hander's pitching elbow Tuesday morning in Philadelphia.
Last season's World Series MVP received an injection to relieve inflammation but should be cleared to throw by Thursday.
But Hamels' status for Opening Day is unclear. The team will continue to monitor his recovery when he returns to camp.
The Phillies host the Atlanta Braves in the first major league game of the season on Sunday, April 5.
Hamels went 14-10 last season with a 3.09 ERA. He was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five postseason starts.

Phillies ace lefthander Cole Hamels, at right, the NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player, is back in Philadelphia today to get the sore elbow on his pitching arm examined. That's not good news in mid-March.

The Phillies don't believe it's serious, but any time your ace pitcher has to get his throwing arm looked at, it's a cause for concern.

Just 3 days until Phillies pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, Fla., for the start of spring training.

Only 9 days to go until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, Fla., for spring training as the WORLD CHAMPION Phillies begin defense of their title.

Only 3 weeks to go until the pitchers and catchers for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies report to Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training.

Has the cold, bitter January air got you in the dumps? Well, here's a warming thought:

Five weeks from today, the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies open spring training in Clearwater, Fla.

The Pat Burrell Era with the Phillies looks like it has ended.

According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, the Phillies have signed free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez to a 3-year contract worth $30 million. Ibanez will play left field. To read more, click here.

Burrell, a free agent, finishes his Phillies' career as the team's third-leading all-time home run hitter with 251 and was seventh in RBI with 827. He also was second by striking out 1,273 times. The leader in all three categories is Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

It's still 2 months until spring training, but the war of the words between the Phillies and Mets has begun.

Phillies ace lefthander Cole Hamels, the World Series MVP, went on New York radio station WFAN, said he believes the Mets have been "choke artists" the past two seasons, according to ESPN.com

For more, click here.

It looks like the Mets are going to add former Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez to their bullpen.

Rodriguez, who saved a record 62 games for the Angels last year, and the Mets apparently have agreed to a three-year, $37 million contract.

The Mets bullpen was awful last season and led to their second straight season-ending collapse which left them out of the playoffs.

As a Phillies' fan, I hate to see the Mets get better. But this off-season it doesn't matter, because the Phillies are World Series champions!

The World Champion Phillies (wow, it's great to write that!) have barely recovered from their World Series parade when they were dealt a blow Thursday.

All-Star second baseman Chase Utley will have surgery on an injured hip and will be unable to participate in baseball activities for 3 to 4 months. Spring training starts in 3 months, on Feb. 14, and Utley may not be fully recovered until May.

Third baseman Pedro Feliz will have surgery on his back and will go through an 8-to-12 week rehabilitation.

Just wondering....

• If the Red Sox or Yankees had gone 11-3 in the postseason like the Phillies did, would they be considered among the greatest teams of all-time?
• Why catcher Carlos Ruiz wasn't the MVP? He drove in the winning run in Games 1 and 3, homered in Game 3, and did a great job handling the pitching staff and defensively. Was he not picked because he's Hispanic?
• If the Phillies can repeat?

In the words of Phillies Hall of Fame announcer Harry Kalas: "THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES ARE THE 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS OF BASEBALL"

Monday night I was confident the Phillies, with ace Cole Hamels on the mound, would bring home the World Series title. That's unusual, since I usually have negative thoughts running through me head in regards to my sports teams.

But I was ready to celebrate when the game ended, with my champagne chilled and ready to be drank. And I was set for a parade, whether I'd be there in person, or relegated to watching it on TV.

Then the rain and wind came, and the game was suspended. Now? Well, let's just say I'm one of those who feel there is a conspiracy between Major League Baseball and the baseball gods to keep the Phillies from winning.

Right now I can see a nightmare scenario unfolding that leaves the Phillies without a title. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark knows the emotions of Philadelphia sports fans and hits it on the head in his most recent column.

I have a lot of nervous energy right now, and the resumption of Game 5 is more than 4 hours away. But I am trying to think positive about tonight: how the Phils have 12 outs to the Rays 9; how the Rays haven't touched the Phillies bullpen; and how resilient this Phillies have been this season.

So let's hope the Phillies can end the World Series tonight and start the celebration after a 25-year drought.

GO PHILLIES!!!

Anyone interested in going to what remains of Game 5 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park but don't have tickets?

Well, ticket holders who saw the first 5 1/2 innings are selling them, so you still have the chance to see the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980 and relish in the region's first major crown in 25 years.

On stubhub.com, tickets for the rest of tonight's game are available in prices ranging from $700 to $3,500.

After 25 years of pain and suffering, Philly sports fans are ready to celebrate a Phillies win in the World Series. Just one more win and the Phillies will end 25 years of the region's champsionship frustrations and their own 28-year drought.

Four hours until the first pitch and I have my bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. Hopefully, Cole Hamels, at right, can pitch like he has throughout the postseason (4-0 with a 1.55 earned run average) and the Phillies bats will stay hot after Sunday night's 4-home run effort. Then around 11:30 tonight (weather permitting), the Delaware Valley can party like, well, like it's like 1983......the last time the area celebrated a major sports championship!!

GO PHILLIES!!!!

Yes, it was great that the Phillies rode Cole Hamels' arm to a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday night. But there were a couple of negatives that need to be fixed for the team to win the series.


First, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, the 2007 and 2006 NL MVPs, need to get out of their slumps. The pair batted 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in Game 1. Rollins hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the second inning when Shane Victorino was thrown out at home on Rollins' short fly ball to center field. Howard struck out 3 times with a runner on third and less than 2 outs.

And then hitting with runners in scoring position. The Phillies were 0-for-13 in those situations, the worst in World Series history. This has been a problem all year. If it's not fixed, this team won't win

I don't know what to make of the Phillies chances to win the World Series.

One minute, I think that they're a determined group of 25 players and won't be satisfied until they win it all. I think of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels at the top of their games and pushing the team to the title.

The next minute, I think of the Phillies' offensive inconsistency all season and some struggles by the starting rotation. And I look at the young, talented Tampa Bay Rays who won 97 games in the regular season and represent the much-tougher American League.

Will the Phillies feel on their shoulders the collective weight of 25 years of failures by Philadelphia major sports teams and the hopes of a few million people? Will the weeklong layoff help, or hurt?

When the Phillies were Cinderella in 1993, their bubble burst on Joe Carter's series-winning home run. When, or will, the Rays' bubble burst?

Check out who simulators feel will win. And here's what ESPN's analysts think.

I was right about the Phillies beating the Brewers in the National League Division Series, and right about them defeating the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Will I be right about the World Series? I hope not. I think the layoff will hurt the Phillies. That, and their 4-11 record in interleague play doesn't instill confidence.

I pick with my head instead of my heart: Rays in 6.

If you've got Phillies Phever, send us your photos at http://allaroundphilly.mycapture.com/mycapture/photos/Album.aspx?EventID=615675&CategoryID=43192

Note to anyone watching the World Series who is unfamiliar with the Tampa Bay Rays: the Rays third baseman is rookie Evan Longoria, shown above, not to be confused with "Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria Parker, at right.

Evan Longoria will also likely be named American League Rookie of the Year. Eva Longoria likely will NOT be named Mother of the Year on Wisteria Lane.

They are not related.

This time I'm happy I was wrong.

Yes, I picked the Phillies to beat the Dodgers in 6 games in the National League Championship Series. But winning in five games is a lot sweeter.

Cole Hamels was brilliant Wednesday night, and the offense did just enough to win to let manager Charlie Manuel hoist the Warren Giles Trophy as National League champion (shown in the Associated Press photo) and send the Phillies into the World Series for the sixth time.

The only thing wrong is that the Phils have to wait until next Wednesday, Oct. 22, for the World Series to start. Hopefully whatever momentum they've built won't be lost by then. Though momentum in baseball is usually gauged by that day's starting pitching.

If you've got Phillies Phever, send us your photos at http://allaroundphilly.mycapture.com/mycapture/photos/Album.aspx?EventID=615675&CategoryID=43192

It's painfully obvious while watching the Phillies-Dodgers National League Championship Series that FOX and its lead announcing team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are blatantly rooting for the Dodgers.

FOX will also broadcast the World Series and I'm sure the corporate suits were pulling for a Dodgers-Red Sox clash so they could beat the Manny Ramirez returns to Boston angle to death. I'm surprised FOX hasn't shown Manny taking a bathroom break in the clubhouse.

My friends and I have been particularly upset about it, especially when the announcers said Monday night that the home runs by Phillies Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs were "a devastating turn of events." Devastating for whom? Not Phillies fans.

And while we may see this through Phillies-colored glasses, one member of the media has noticed it, too. Check out this column by Espn.com Page 2 writer Tim Keown called "Pray for Philly, Tampa Bay and all of us."

Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels was upset with the team in spring training after they renewed his contract for $500,000 instead of signing him to a long-term deal. He felt disrespected.

Hamels had just 51 starts and only 315 inning pitched in his major-league career entering the season, so it's hard to understand why he was so upset.

So this year the 24-year-old went out and proved he's worth a lot more money. His 227 innings were second in the National League. He was sixth in the league with 196 strikeouts and his 3.09 earned run average tied him for fifth. Hamels only won 14 games, but that's because of a lack of run support from his teammates.

And he's been stellar in this postseason, too, winning both of his starts and striking out 17 in 15 innings while allowing just 2 runs.

But if Hamels wants to command a big contract, tonight is his night to show it.

Hamels, in an Associated Press photo above, will take the mound in Los Angeles when the Phillies meet the Dodgers in the fifth game of the National League Championship Series. A win sends the Phillies to the World Series for the first time in 15 years; a loss, and Game 6 is at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.

So if Hamels wants to establish himself as a money pitcher and deserving of a big new contract from the Phillies, he needs to win tonight.

GO PHILLIES!!!

By the time the eighth inning rolled around in Monday night's Phillies-Dodgers NLCS Game 4, I had pretty much convinced myself that the series would be tied.

It was a mood-altering game until that point: Phils score 2 runs in the first, and the Dodgers get 1 back. Then the Dodgers take the lead, and the Phillies tie it, but leave the go-ahead run at third base. Then the Dodgers get two more runs for a 5-3 lead after seven innings.

So I was just laying in bed, biding my time until the final out when I could go to sleep. And then it happened.

First, Shane Victorino -- the man Dodgers fans love to hate -- tied the game with a two-run homer. Then an out and a base-hit later, Matt Stairs launched another homer into the right-field bleachers, shown in the photo above, to give the Phillies an improbable 7-5 win, a 3-1 series lead and one victory away from the World Series.

Of course, I was then too excited to sleep, so I watched "Post-Game Live" on Comcast SportsNet, then "Baseball Tonight" on ESPN for their expert analyiss, finally able to turn in at 1:30 this morning.

But it was worth it, capping off a nice two-day stretch of fandom. Why? The Eagles won a game they needed to on Sunday, but it wasn't just the 40-26 comeback win over the 49ers, but everything that came along with it: division rivals Redskins and Cowboys losing Sunday and the Giants losing Monday, all to teams they shouldn't be losing.

Those outcomes kept the Eagles trailing the Giants by 2 games and the Cowboys and Redskins by 1 in the NFC East Division.

The Eagles have a bye this week, and it will probably benefit them since all the talk will be about the Phillies as they look to wrap up a spot in the World Series, then go for the city's first championship in more than 25 years.

GO PHILLIES!!

I finally got one right when I picked the Phillies to beat the Brewers in 4 games in their National League Division Series. So I might as well try it again as they meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the league Championship Series.

The Dodgers had the fewest wins among the playoff teams, but since Sept. 1, they've been among the hottest squads. The acquisition of Manny Ramirez on July 31 stabilized a young lineup and the Dodgers had the National League's best pitching with a 3.68 earned run average.

The Phillies pitching isn't too shabby, either, as the staff posted a 3.88 ERA, good for fourth best in the league; the bullpen was the best in the league, led by closer Brad Lidge, who saved 41 games in 41 chances.

Obviously, both teams have very good pitching. For the Phillies to win, they need Chase Utley, shown above during batting practice, and Ryan Howard to hit. Against Milwaukee, Utley hit just .133, including a two-run double in Game 1, and Howard just .182 with 1 RBI.

It's very simple: if Utley and Howard hit, the Phillies win. I think they will. It won't be easy, but I see the Phillies winning in 6 games in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd. Or in Game 7 in front of a very nervous home crowd.

GO PHILLIES!!!

A poll on Foxsports.com asks readers who will win the National League Championship Series between the Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers

Of more than 55,800 votes, 67% think the Dodgers will win the series.

And yes, I was one of the 33% who think the Phillies will win. (Though that could just be wishful thinking.)

ESPN.com is asking its readers which World Series matchup would they rather see. Of more than 6,000 respondents, a Red S0x-Dodgers matchup is sought by 47%.

A Phillies-Rays matchup and a Phillies-Red Sox clash have each garnered just 14% of the votes.

Followers of this blog know that my predictions this season regarding the Phillies have, well, been wrong. And for that I am happy.

So now it's time for my prediction on the first-round playoff series against the Brewers.

I believe manager Charlie Manuel this time when he says they will get past the first round. Last year, the team was just happy to get in; this year they want to win.

The Phillies are the better team. The Brewers pitching, save for ace CC Sabathia, is in shambles. The Phillies have a better bullpen.

In this case, I like the Phillies to win the best-of-five series in 4 games. Let's hope this is one prediction I don't get wrong.

As October dawns, it's a great time to be a sports fan:

• The National League Eastern Division champion Phillies, above in an AP photo shown celebrating their division title, open the Division Series Wednesday at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.


• The 76ers, with new power forward Elton Brand, at righ in an AP photo, began training camp on Tuesday. The team expects to contend for the NBA Eastern Conference title this season.


• The Eagles, despite their awful loss Sunday night in Chicago, are still among the top teams in the NFC. Unfortunately, they play in the best division in football.

• Undefeated Penn State has risen to No. 6 in the country in college football. The Nittany Lions' chances to play for a national championship may come down to an Oct. 25 game at Ohio State.

Let's hope that when Halloween comes, I'll feel the same excitement.

It could be my pessimism shining through, but I keep getting more bad vibes about this weekend's Phillies games and their chances for the postseason.

Perhaps it has to do with both the Mets and Brewers winning games Thursday night on walk-off hits, with the Mets rallying from a 6-3, 7th-inning deficit to nip the Cubs.

Then there's also the fact the Washington Nationals, the Phils' opponent to close out the season, plays them as tough as anyone in the league. And then there's the pressure the Phillies will face as they hold their post-season fate in their hands.

All 3 teams play at home this weekend and, of course, the Phillies have the easiest opponent as the Nationals sit on 99 losses -- which strengthens those bad vibes.

I hope I'm wrong and on Monday the Phillies are ready to play the Cubs or Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Ask anyone I know and they'll say that I rarely show confidence in the success of my favorite sports teams. They say I'm a pessimist; I tell them I'm a realist.

Which is what makes a blog post I made earlier this week regarding the Phillies' magic number and a trip to the post-season so surprising. I actually showed confidence that one of my teams would succeed.

After all, the Phillies were ahead by 2 1/2 games with just 5 games to play all at home. I thought nothing could go wrong.
Can I take it all back?

One night after Cole Hamels got his usual run support in a 3-2 loss to the Braves, manager Charlie Manuel, above, saw Brett Myers and the bullpen stink it up in a 10-4 loss Wednesday. Fortunately, the Mets blew a game Wednesday in a 9-6, 10-inning loss to the Cubs. The magic number to clinch the division or the wild card spot is 3.

So now I'm anxious, and once again fearing the worst, that the Phillies will end the year on a five-game losing streak and miss the playoffs.

In an ideal situation, the Phils will win the division and Milwaukee will take the wild card, leaving the hated Mets out in the cold. But now, as long as the Philies get in, I don't care which team joins them.

Thanks to their recent streak of 10 wins in 11 games and a 3-game losing streak by the hated New York Mets, the Phillies enter tonight's game against Atlanta with a 2 1/2-game lead in the National League East with just 5 games to play. (The Mets have 6 games remaining.)

The Phillies' magic number (a combination of Phils' wins and Mets' losses) to win the division is 4.

But the magic number to clinch a playoff spot is just 3, as the Phillies are 3 1/2 games better than Milwaukee, who trail the Mets in the hunt for the National League Wild Card. (Got all that?)

Thanks to contributions from nearly everyone on the now 33-man roster, the Phils find themselves on the verge of a playoff spot. So if things go their way, a post-season berth could be sewn up Wednesday night.

The two hottest teams in major league baseball square off tonight in Miami, when the NL East leading Phillies visit the red-hot Marlins for the first of three games.

The Phillies have won 7 straight games, their longest streak of the season. The host Marlins, meanwhile, have won 8 straight. So something has to give.

The Marlins trail the Phillies by 5 1/2 games, with 10 games left. (The Phils have just 9). So the Marlins know they need to sweep the Phils to have any realistic shot at the post-season.

The Phillies lead the Mets by 1/2 game, and are two games ahead of Milwaukee in the Wild Card chase. They need to take care of business and not let the Marlins get into the playoff race. Having to deal with the Mets and Brewers is enough.

The Mets are in Atlanta this weekend to meet the Braves, who were just swept by the Phillies. The Brewers visit Cincinnati.

Barring a 3-game sweep of the New York Mets this weekend, the Phillies shot at the post-season is over.

Losing 2 of 3 games to the Washington Nationals, the worst team in the league, while the Mets were sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee, left the Phillies 3 games behind the Mets with just 22 games to play.

The Phillies can't expect the Mets to collapse like they did last year, when they blew a 7 1/2 game lead with 17 games to play.

The bullpen, the Phillies strength for most of the season, has blown several games over the last month. Chad Durbin, above in an Associated Press photo, has been the culprit in many of those losses. Meanwhile, the Mets' bullpen, much maligned and without All-Star closer Billy Wagner, seems to have righted itself.

And every Phillies fan knows how woeful the offense has been since the All-Star Break.

I hope I'm wrong, but unless the Phillies can muster up a sweep this weekend, another baseball season will end in disappointment.

Oh well. At least the Eagles open Sunday. E-A-G-L-E-S!!!!

A poll on ESPN.com asks who will win the National League East.

It could be just the carry over from the Phillies' dramatic 8-7, 13-inning win over the Mets Tuesday night, but of 5,705 votes cast as of 12:15 Wednesday afternoon, 69% think the Phillies will win the division.

The next 10 days will tell a great deal about the fate of the 2008 Phillies.

Four home games against the Dodgers, two more against the division-leading Mets and then four games in Chicago against the Cubs are what lies ahead for the under-achieving squad.

Just last week, the Dodgers swept four games from the Phillies in Los Angeles, so you'd think the hometown team would like to extract a little revenge from the West Coasters.

As I write this, the Phillies trail the Mets by 2 1/2 games, so depending on the outcomes of this weekend's games, the Phils may need to win both games from the Mets just to stay alive in the pennant race.

And the Cubs only have the best record in the league as they vie for their first World Series title since 1908.

So the outlook for the next 10 games isn't promising, especially with the impotent bats of leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins, shown above in an Associated Press photo, and cleanup hitter Ryan Howard. Rollins is just 3-for-33 since calling fans "frontrunners" on the recent West Coast trip. Howard has three hits in his last 35 at bats, with 18 strikeouts in that span.

Come Labor Day, either the Phillies are still in the race for a playoff spot, or fans can start chanting "E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!"

So, who knew that Phillies reserve outfielder So Toguchi would wait until the end of July to finally make a contribution to the first-place team?

Toguchi, an off-season acquisition expected to add a veteran presence to the bench, has been a bust. He botched a few plays earlier in the season as a defensive replacement in left field and has lost that role to backup infielder Eric Bruntlett.

At the plate, Toguchi's woes were even worse. He was the top pinch-hitter in the National League last year, yet was 0-for-16 in that role with the Phillies. Until Tuesday night.

I had little confidence when Toguchi was brought in to pinch-hit with the bases loaded, no outs and the Phillies trailing the Mets, 5-3, in the top of the ninth. A loss in this game, and the Phils would fall a game behind the Mets in the division standings.

I don't know who was shocked more -- Phillies' fans, or Mets' right fielder Endy Chavez -- when Toguchi, above in an Associated Press photo, sent a ball over Chavez' head for a game-tying double. Jimmy Rollins followed with a two-run double and the Phillies went on to an 8-6 victory.

Toguchi's hit must have felt oh So good to him -- and his teammates.

As the Phillies get ready to open the second half, they sit tied for first place in the National League East with the New York Mets, who just weeks ago were 7 games behind the Phillies, but a current 10-game winning streak has brought them to the top of the division.

The Phillies sit in their current position despite the following negatives:

* Reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins missed a month of the season with an ankle injury, and has been inconsistent at best since his return;

* Cleanup hitter Ryan Hitter spent most of the season at or below the .200 mark and is on pace for more than 200 strikeouts. However, a hot last 30 days has him leading the league in home runs and RBI;

* Opening Day starter Brett Myers struggled for most of the first half, and has spent July in the minor leagues;

* Starting catcher Carlos Ruiz would hit just above .200 with only 20 RBI at the break.

But thanks to a stellar bullpen, good starting pitching from Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick and the offensive heroics of Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, above in an Associated Press photo, the Phillies have put themselves in line for the postseason.

In mid-June, the team was 13 games above .500 and seemingly poised to take control of the division. Instead, it went into a tailspin and is in a fight with the Mets and Marlins at the top of the division.

The past few Phillies have shown they are a second-half team, and the players expect the same over the next 2 1/2 months.

But I don't know about this team. Just when you think they're playing good and will go on a roll, they lose 6 out of 7 games. They don't seem to have a long winning streak -- like the Mets are on now -- in them.

At the start of the season, I predicted 86 wins. I'll change that to 90 wins, but I don't think it will be enough to get to the postseason. The Mets will win the division, and the wild card will come out of the National League Central.

I hope I'm wrong.

The following is a list of things that have gone wrong for the Phillies in the first 30-plus games of the year:

* Reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins has missed a month with a sprained ankle;

* Starting center fielder Shane Victorino would miss 2 weeks with a calf injury;

* 2006 MVP Ryan Howard would be hitting .165 with just 6 home runs;

* Opening day starter Brett Myers has just two wins and an earned run average over 5.

Yet on May 9, the Phillies are 20-16 and just 1 game out of first. The hated New York Mets are 17-15.

So with all these problems, better things must lie ahead. When the weather heats up, so will the Phillies.

If Billy Crystal can do it, why can't I? Where's my chance for a spring training appearance with my favorite team.

In case you missed it last week, actor/comedian Billy Crystal, on the eve of his 60th birthday, got to play with the New York Yankees in a spring training game.

Crystal has been a lifelong Yankees' fan and directed and produced "61," an HBO movie about Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and the 1961 Yankees. So as a present for his 60th birthday, the Bronx Bombers let Crystal lead off in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The comedian's dream ended there, as he struck out in his lone plate appearance. His reaction is shown above in an Associated Press photo.

So what do I have to do to get an at bat with the Phillies? Maybe I can produce and direct a movie called "1980," the story about Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton and the only Phillies team to win a World Series.

Or if I don't get an at bat, how about pitching to one or two batters. And who knows? The Phillies are always looking for pitching. On top of that I'm lefthanded, a few months younger than their current No. 3 starter, Jamie Moyer, and I throw just as hard as he does.

Maybe it won't happen for my 45th birthday, since that's in 3 months and Spring Training ends in 10 days. But my Big 5-0 isn't that far away (UGH!). If I put the bug in their ear now, maybe in 5 years the Phillies will grant me my wish.

And by then, they'll need a replacement for Ryan Howard.

New Phillies' closer Brad Lidge had arthroscopic surgery Monday on his right knee. Lidge, who had off-season surgery on the knee, re-injured it Saturday during batting practice on his first pitch of spring training.

Lidge, shown at right in an Associated Press photo, is expected to miss 3 to 6 weeks, which means he could be back for the season opener on March 31 against the Washington Nationals.

Last year, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers both missed significant time in their role as closer. Lidge was brought in to help stabilize the bullpen and improve the starting pitching with Myers returning to the rotation.

A stable bullpen is essential if the Phillies hope to repeat as National League East champions and advance to the World Series. Hopefully Lidge's injury is not a sign of things to come for the 2008 season.

Yes, the calendar says it's only Feb. 14. Yes, we just saw a storm drop a few inches of snow, ice and rain on the area. But today is the first day of spring.

Phillies' pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater, Fla., this morning for the start of spring training -- the unofficial start of spring.

Watching the television reports from Phillies' camp in sunny Florida and seeing photos of the team working out -- like the one from the Associated Press, above -- gets me thinking about spring and the excitement of the upcoming baseball season.

So while we may get a few more snowstorms and several cold and cloudy days in dreary southeastern Pennsylvania, it's already spring in my mind.

For the second straight year, the Phillies and Ryan Howard are locked in a contract dispute with an arbitration hearing scheduled for 2 weeks from today.

Last year, the 2006 Most Valuable Player, at right in an Associated Press photo, avoided arbitration when he agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract.

This time, Howard, who blasted 47 home runs last year, is asking for $10 million. The Phillies are offering Howard "only" $7 million.

The Phillies need to step up and make up the difference. Thanks to their division title last year and high hopes for this season, season ticket sales have increased. Citizens Bank Park will be full from May to September, putting more revenue into the owners' pockets, and Howard is one of the reasons why the fans turn out.

He may not be the face of the franchise as Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are, but Howard's an integral part of any success this team hopes to have.

Management can't continue to have salary disputes with their slugger. Either give him what he's asking for before the arbitration hearing, or come to an agreement on a long-term deal to avoid this scenario every February.