2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

If the Phillies hold on to the best record in the majors that would be the first time they have finished a season with the best record. Hard to believe that neither of those 101 win seasons in the 70s was the best record. Of course, as a long time Detroit Red Wings fan, I have come to realize that -- in hockey at least -- regular season record is not all that useful as a predictor of post season success.

But this team seems built for post season success. Other-worldly pitching from the starters of late (hell, Halladay has been the least effective in Sept. and even he's been very good), an effective bullpen, and the major leagues best overall team defense. Throw in a lot of post season experience and you have at least the formula for a great October.

Forgot to ask earlier gounhwildcats, but did you get your photo taken next to Rocky? Did you make the run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art before or after? I did 2 decades ago, but the last time I was in Philly I decided that making it home alive was more important than running up those damm things!

Ya, Vance Worley went 5 scoreless, giving up 1 hit and a couple of walks. The kid has been unreal since joining the big league club. Kendrick is going to have to really impress in ST to keep his fifth starter job in '11. To tell the truth I'm a lot more scared of getting out of the NL then I am of anything the AL can throw at us. However, this team is built for the playoffs and is going to be extremely tough to beat.

With the win today the Phils are guaranteed at least a tie for the best record in baseball.

As for the Art Gallery, I did go. I did take a picture of the Rocky statue, but I didn't want to fight through the hoard of Italian tourists to get my photo taken with it. I walked very deliberately up the steps as running would have caused my heart to explode.

Philly was an amazing city. Absolutely loved it there and can't wait to go back.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Philly was an amazing city. Absolutely loved it there and can't wait to go back.

Preliminary plans are being made for a trip next season to see the Cubs series in June. Family are mostly Cubs fans (ugh) and my first three trips to CBP were all against Chicago with my bro-in-law.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Preliminary plans are being made for a trip next season to see the Cubs series in June. Family are mostly Cubs fans (ugh) and my first three trips to CBP were all against Chicago with my bro-in-law.

I'm thinking of going about the same time next year, with a side trip to Baltimore and Washington DC.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

The Phillies will get the Reds in the first round. This is going to be great pitching vs a pretty decent offense. The Phils offense seems to have awakened in September so hopefully they can keep the Reds bats in check. Gonna be a fun series.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

It was nice for the Phils to get the best record in baseball for this reason and this reason only.

IF they make it to the World Series, it makes the result of the All Star game meaningless.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

kind of an interesting article about some of the old-timers at Great American Ballpark. A little quaint, compared to some of the ushers/characters I've met at Veterans Stadium and CBP and the stories they've told me.

A little less than 24 hours now for game one of the NLDS. Hopefully it's a quick one since I have a hockey game at 8:30.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Phillies roster for the NLDS, not official until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow:

Catchers
Carlos Ruiz
Brian Schneider

Infielders
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Placido Polanco
Jimmy Rollins
Wilson Valdez
Mike Sweeney
Ross Gload
Greg Dobbs

Outfielders
Raul Ibanez
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth
Ben Francisco
Domonic Brown

Pitchers
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt
Cole Hamels
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
Chad Durbin
Jose Contreras
J.C. Romero (L)
Antonio Bastardo (L)
Joe Blanton

This means Kyle Kendrick (among others) will not be on the opening round roster, and rookie Dom Brown is.

Hopefully Brown isn't overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Watching him swing the bat this year though and it looks like he already has been overwhelmed a time or two. Of course he would likely only bat as a pinch hitter against the righties, and he managed to hit .245 of right-handers in his limited time.

Speaking of lefty-righty splits, the Reds will be starting 3 right handers in the series. Should help some of our guys, obviously, but one in particular it will hurt. Victorino, who up to this point in his career hit just about equally from both sides of the plate, had an awful year swinging left-handed. He hit nearly 100 points higher from the right side. It would be a great time for him to somehow find that stroke as a lefty. If he can hit any of the Reds starters, that would be a huge boost.

These rosters can be re-set after the series. They seem to be of the opinion that 10 pitchers are enough, despite routinely rostering 12 on the 25-man squad, and occasionally 13, this season. In a 5 game series (with the extra day off) this should be sufficient.

If they do advance, the question is will they go with the extra bench guys, or will they add a pitcher. If so, would it be Kendrick, or perhaps Danys Baez or Dave Hearndon, who also were up with the club all season. Kendrick has been starting all year and he wouldn't in the playoffs, so he is likely the odd man out. This ruffled his feathers in the past, but you'd like to think he would understand the numbers.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Phillies roster for the NLDS, not official until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow:

Catchers
Carlos Ruiz
Brian Schneider

Infielders
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Placido Polanco
Jimmy Rollins
Wilson Valdez
Mike Sweeney
Ross Gload
Greg Dobbs

Outfielders
Raul Ibanez
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth
Ben Francisco
Domonic Brown

Pitchers
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt
Cole Hamels
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
Chad Durbin
Jose Contreras
J.C. Romero (L)
Antonio Bastardo (L)
Joe Blanton

This means Kyle Kendrick (among others) will not be on the opening round roster, and rookie Dom Brown is.

Hopefully Brown isn't overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Watching him swing the bat this year though and it looks like he already has been overwhelmed a time or two. Of course he would likely only bat as a pinch hitter against the righties, and he managed to hit .245 of right-handers in his limited time.

Speaking of lefty-righty splits, the Reds will be starting 3 right handers in the series. Should help some of our guys, obviously, but one in particular it will hurt. Victorino, who up to this point in his career hit just about equally from both sides of the plate, had an awful year swinging left-handed. He hit nearly 100 points higher from the right side. It would be a great time for him to somehow find that stroke as a lefty. If he can hit any of the Reds starters, that would be a huge boost.

These rosters can be re-set after the series. They seem to be of the opinion that 10 pitchers are enough, despite routinely rostering 12 on the 25-man squad, and occasionally 13, this season. In a 5 game series (with the extra day off) this should be sufficient.

If they do advance, the question is will they go with the extra bench guys, or will they add a pitcher. If so, would it be Kendrick, or perhaps Danys Baez or Dave Hearndon, who also were up with the club all season. Kendrick has been starting all year and he wouldn't in the playoffs, so he is likely the odd man out. This ruffled his feathers in the past, but you'd like to think he would understand the numbers.

As far as Kendrick goes, as you say he's not going to get a start in the playoffs, and with Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels pretty much guaranteed to go at least 7 there's little need for a middle relief guy. As long as Baez is left off too, I'm happy with the pitchers as set.

Victorino and Rollins both will have to start hitting again. They truly are the straw the stirs the Phillies drink as far as offense goes. One thing I've been impressed with watching Ryan Howard this year, is he's been able to lay off breaking pitches out of the zone. This has really been his Achilles heel in the past and if he can keep that up he should see a lot more fast balls. The offense has hardly been consistent this year, but injuries probably had as much to do with that as anything. As long as we can score some runs, the pitching will take care of itself.

Gonna be a fun series any way you slice it. Cincy is no pushover and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Phils come out of the gate tomorrow.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

On the eve of the playoffs I thought I'd post a couple of inspirational videos to get all our collective juices flowing. The first one is alright, the second one is downright cool. Enjoy,

Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHVHFx3mh3w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oBp8rJjI44

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Un-freaking-believable. No hitter for Doc in his playoff debut. It doesn't get any better than that. Oh ya, Oswalt who's 25-3 lifetime against the Reds goes in game 2, followed by Hamels. Yep, it's gonna be fun .

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

I've been a Phillies fan for almost 40 years, most of them miserable ones.

I've cried exactly two times for joy with them.

Once in 1980 when they won the World Series for the first time ever, and the other time tonight, when Doc finished a post-season no-hitter - a first in my lifetime.

Amazing history.

 

[candycanes99]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

I just got back from tonight's game. Seriously, I'm so speechless, what an unbelievable performance. There's a long way to go in this post-season, but Roy couldn't silence any silly questions about lack of playoff experience any better than he did tonight.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

my team won its hockey game tonight. Anything else interesting happen?

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

my team won its hockey game tonight. Anything else interesting happen?

Not really, slow night. Check back in Friday .

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

I've been a Phillies fan for almost 40 years, most of them miserable ones.

I've cried exactly two times for joy with them.

Once in 1980 when they won the World Series for the first time ever, and the other time tonight, when Doc finished a post-season no-hitter - a first in my lifetime.

Amazing history.

Like you I go back a long way with the Phillies. I also remember vividly the 1980 World Series, and can replay almost every pitch of the 2008 Series. This is just beyond though. To be within a pitch of a perfect game in the first game of the playoffs is just something I will never forget. I only wish I could personally meet everyone on this team and thank them for providing me with such great memories.

Anyways, it's one game and there's still a lot of work to do.

 

[gounhwildcats]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Think Roy Oswalt is saying to himself "Great, how do I follow that up?" .

 

[joecct]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

I just got back from tonight's game. Seriously, I'm so speechless, what an unbelievable performance. There's a long way to go in this post-season, but Roy couldn't silence any silly questions about lack of playoff experience any better than he did tonight.

Save the ticket stub and program. They will become a collector's item.

Symmetry in baseball

First World Series 1903.
First post season no-hitter: 1956 <== 53 years
Second post season no-hitter: 2010 <== 54 years

And you can't use the canceled post season in 1994 as it is offset by no post season in 1904.

 

[candycanes99]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Save the ticket stub and program. They will become a collector's item.

Symmetry in baseball

First World Series 1903.
First post season no-hitter: 1956 <== 53 years
Second post season no-hitter: 2010 <== 54 years

And you can't use the canceled post season in 1994 as it is offset by no post season in 1904.

Didn't buy a program. There were huge lines after the game ended to buy them. Of course, they're just generic NLDS programs, so I could go again on Friday and buy one then.

I'm definitely hanging onto that ticket forever, though. And the rally towel. And the piece of gum I was chewing in the 9th.

 

[Hopkinja]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Think Roy Oswalt is saying to himself "Great, how do I follow that up?" .

I like Ryan Howard's comment on this: "He doesn't have big shoes to fill. he just has to be Roy Oswalt. But, hey, if he throws a no-hitter, too, that would be outstanding."

Best part of it for me was when they were interviewing Halladay on the field after the game, you could hear 45,000 people in the stands singing "High Hopes" in the background. Harry's up in heaven smiling.

Go Fightins!

 

[SteveP]

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - Going for the Threepeat...of NL championships that is

I've been a Phillies fan for almost 40 years, most of them miserable ones.

I've cried exactly two times for joy with them.

Once in 1980 when they won the World Series for the first time ever, and the other time tonight, when Doc finished a post-season no-hitter - a first in my lifetime.

Amazing history.

As I said in the MLB thread, I only wish that Doc could have spun a post-season no hitter for the Jays.

Speaking of which, I assume you cried in '94, but not tears of joy.