Broad Street Heroes

It has been reported that the Flyers are making moves. Talks with defenseman Dan Hamhuis have gone sour and apparently the Flyers have traded his rights to the Penguins for a 2011 3rd round pick. This basically means that we traded Ryan Parent for a 3rd round pick next year. Also, Tim Panaccio told the media that the Flyers are interested in obtaining the rights to negotiate with goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Things are starting to heat up on the ice this offseason. More to come tomorrow.

The Phillies offense finally decided to give Roy Halladay some run support, but tonight he didn’t need it. Halladay threw seven shutout innings and the Phillies’ bats came alive en route to a 9-0 victory over the Blue Jays. This game was special for a few reasons. First, it was unique because of the fact that the Phillies were officially the road team in tonight’s game. The G-20 Conference is being held in Toronto this week so the series was moved to Philadelphia while still keeping it a home series for the American League Blue Jays. The Phillies looked great at the plate today and showed the patience and power we have been accustomed to seeing from them over the last few seasons. Jimmy Rollins had four walks and Ross Gload had a career high four RBI to lead the Phillies stellar offense. Shane Victorino capped off the scoring in the 8th inning with a solo shot.

Meanwhile, Roy Halladay sparkled against his former club. He pitched 7 innings almost effortlessly, walking one batter and striking out four. It was good for his psyche and that of the Phillies in general that they were able to finally give Doc some run support. His 9-6 record doesn’t accurately represent how good he has really been, and tonight was just a continuation of a great season for the best pitcher in baseball! The Phillies are playing good baseball again with four straight wins, and hopefully they keep on rolling along tomorrow.

In other news, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Edwin Jackson did something that no pitcher had done since Roy Halladay on May 29th, throw a no-hitter. Halladay’s perfect game was the 3rd no hitter of the season, and tonight Edwin Jackson added the league’s 4th of the season. I think it is safe to say that pitching is back in baseball. Jackson was a workhorse tonight, throwing 149 pitches and walking eight batters en route to his 1-0 no hitter. So far we are just about halfway through the season and five pitchers have thrown no hitters: Ubaldo Jimenez (no hitter), Dallas Braden (perfect game), Roy Halladay (perfect game), Armando Gallaraga (perfect game, I don’t care if Jim Joyce missed the call), and most recently, Edwin Jackson (no hitter). Considering I can’t remember the last five no hitters in baseball before this season it is truly remarkable what is going on in the league this year in regards to pitching. People might find it more boring than home runs, but I’m a big fan.

I’m sorry folks, I think I jinxed this one.  With former Phillie Jim Thome at the plate in the 9th inning with the Phillies up by 5 runs I said to my dad and brother, “I wouldn’t mind if he hit a home run right here.  We would still be up by three and I don’t see us losing this game.  Plus, I kinda want Thome to have more homers than that lying steroid user Rafael Palmeiro.”  That was the first time I have ever rooted for a non-Philadelphia sports player when playing a Philly sports team, and I will NEVER do that again.  Why?  Well, after Thome launched his two-run bomb that I predicted, the Phillies bullpen decided to make me look like a fool.

With a 9-6 lead the Phillies were still in a comfortable save situation, but some more poor pitching by Jose Contreras led to another run and with the score now at 9-7, Brad Lidge was called upon.  This season Brad hasn’t been used too much, but he had appeared to be over his season long slump this season, going 4/4 in save opportunities with an ERA under 2.00.  Unfortunately, 2009 Lidge showed up today.  With 2 outs and a man on, Joe Mauer came to the plate.  Lidge, who was relying on his slider, left one up over the plate and Mauer completed a dreadful top of the 9th by tying the game with a blast to right center field.  It’s safe to say that myself and the 45,000+ fans in Citizen’s Bank Park were stunned.

In the 10th more trouble ensued.  Chad Durbin came into the game and allowed a home run to Drew Butera, an unlikely hero considering he was the one who caught Thome’s home run ball while sitting in the Twins’ bullpen.  In the bottom of the inning the Phillies looked like all hope was lost when their first two batters got out very quickly, leaving the game in the hands of pinch hitter Ross Gload.  Gload, a signing that I didn’t really like, has had an unremarkable season so far off the bench.  I felt good about him coming to the plate though, because, weirdly enough, the last two times I have actually watched him bat he has hit home runs (the last time was in person when Roy Halladay got roughed up against the Red Sox).  Anyway, Gload took a low pitch and hit a scorching line drive just fair and just above the wall along the right field line to tie the game at 10.

When Danys Baez toed the mound to start the 11th inning I turned off the television because I didn’t want to watch.  Don’t ask me how the Twins scored the three runs to take a 13-10 lead because I didn’t have to watch to know what would happen.  As I have been saying since the offseason, I can’t believe we signed Baez and it is unbelievable to me that he hasn’t been designated for assignment yet.  It’s only been about 30 min since the 11th inning he should be released by now.  In four of Baez’s last five outings he has let up at least one run.  My friends and I have gotten used to seeing Baez come into a game and we would take bets on how many runs he would allow.  Amazingly enough, last time we did this was during another Cole Hamels start when Cole went seven strong innings and left with the Phillies down 2-0.  Let’s just say when Baez came in the score wasn’t 2-0 anymore.  Anyway, enough with the Baez bashing, but seriously, the guy needs to go.

Even though the Phillies blew a chance to gain a game on the Mets, who lost today, there were many positives today.  Chase Utley definitely looks like he is out of his slump, going 3/5 with 3 RBI today and 2/5 with 4 RBI yesterday.  In his last 24 games before these two he was batting .174 with 3 total RBI so it’s good to see him back.

The Phillies as a whole have been hitting great in their last four games and seem to have gotten out of their offensive funk that they’ve been in all month.  Taking two of three from the Yankees and the first game in this series while scoring in bunches shows that the Phillies have that swagger back, at least on offense.  Ryan Howard had one of the best games that I’ve ever seen him play yesterday, going 4/4 with 2 HR and was a single short of the cycle (he also added a home run today).  Jayson Werth has been batting over .300 in the last week and seems to have found his swing, hitting a home run today.  Raul Ibanez even is hitting well, crushing a ball to deep right-center field today.

All in all, it seems like the 2010 Phillies have reverted back to the 2009 Phillies, but with better starting pitching.  The offense is back to their run scoring ways, and even though it’s only been four games, you can tell that they are taking better swings and look more in control at the plate.  The bullpen seems to be back to it’s unpredictable self, so we have to hope that Ryan Madson can come back soon and pray Danys Baez is on a plane to somewhere far from the Phillies pitcher’s mound.  The one difference with both seasons, the Braves and Mets are much improved, as is our starting pitching.  Roy Halladay has been what Cliff Lee was, but even more so.  Cole Hamels looked great today after the 1st and he was solid in his last start so he looks like he has confidence back.  Hopefully J.A. Happ can come back and contribute but if not, Kyle Kendrick has been excellent.  Moyer and Blanton have been Jekyll and Hyde on the mound, but you’re bound to see that with a 47 year old pitcher.  Unfortunately, the ending of today’s game flat out sucked, but the team has its swagger back, let’s hope the 9th inning didn’t put out the spark that the Phillies just lit.

We're going to miss you Cliff

Update: After endless hours of changing stories the picture is starting to become clearer.  Essentially, the Phillies are making two trades:

- Trade #1: Phillies receive Roy Halladay and $6 million from the Blue Jays in exchange for Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud

- Trade #2: Phillies trade Cliff Lee to the Mariners in exchange for Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and a prospect to be named

What baffles me in this scenario is Trade #2.  It doesn’t make any sense!  The Phillies are making two completely separate trades which is much different than the earlier scenario of them using the Mariners to receive prospects that they could pawn off to the Blue Jays for Halladay.  In this scenario the Phillies are trading Cliff Lee and three prospects (essentially 7 prospects if you count the four that we gave the Indians for Lee in July) for Roy Halladay, two prospects, and $6 million.  That is an awefully steep price to pay even though Halladay is perhaps the best pitcher in the game.

My main concern is the Phillies reasoning for depleting their farm system for a slight upgrade.  I’m aware that Cliff Lee wants to test free agency after the 2010 season and he will cost an arm and a leg if that happens so it’s best to lock up the best starting pitcher for a few years over taking the chance that Lee wouldn’t resign.  I understood the trade and why everything was happening the way it was until a few of the remaining pieces were divulged: the $6 million, Kyle Drabek, and the fact that they were two SEPARATE trades!

The Phillies are concerned about their payroll, which they should be since it would approach $160 million with Halladay and Lee, but hear me out here.  The Blue Jays are giving us $6 million.  Joe Blanton has one year left on his deal and his contract is at $7 million for the 2010 season.  Cliff Lee is set to make $9 million in 2010.  Why wouldn’t the Phillies just deal Blanton and keep Lee?  They would be $4 million better off and would have the most dominant pitching staff in the major leagues with Lee, Halladay, Hamels, Happ, and a 5th starter that is still TBD.

It just doesn’t make sense to me that the Phillies wouldn’t go all out for 2010 and work to keep Lee in the mix for this season!  The World Series showed us that the Phillies need two dominant starters to beat a team like the Yankees and keeping Lee in the fold would do give us that.  If Halladay is ready to sign a 3-4 year extension then why should he care if we keep Lee for 2010?  I doubt he would want the team to be worse considering he has never been to the playoffs in his career and would love to get a World Series ring before hanging up his cleats.

If you were Ruben Amaro, Jr. and you had to make this decision would you put together the best team you possibly could, or would you settle for 2nd best?  I know what I would do, but hey, I’m not the GM.