Chapter Five: Such, Such are the Joys. A Same Old and Some Spin

A Same Old: There’s Paul Lo Duca and another girlfriend smiling broadly once again because he made the trip to Sambo’s in Leipsic here in Delaware to sample their fabulous steamed crabs with coleslaw and French fries. They’re drinking some fresh Dogfish Head locally brewed beer also, “just the best with those swell crabs”! he said, agreeably. “I need to pack in all the good times I can get coming back into the game against the Phillies on Monday night”.



Some Spin: Manager of the Year? Watching Charlie Manuel taking credit – when it should be the blame - for making an excellent starting pitcher - a guy with four great pitches - that’s right Brett Myers, into a closer!





And for continuing to use and to defend using rhp Tom Gordon (ERA 6.00) as an 8th inning reliever when he continues to give up home runs. The Phillies are 6 behind the Mets and 3 behind the Padres and guess who’s comin’ to dinner tonight at seven??



The Joys: Blessings be upon the Major Leagues for eschewing Tommy Lasorda, the old, cranky insider who was somewhat funny in last year’s spots. In choosing Dane Cook this year they’re goin’ for young and hip. Mr. Cook is good looking without Paul Lo Duca’s dangerous ethnicity. In fact he’s actually not in Mr. Lo Duca’s league at all, because he looks about eighteen. He also has tee-shirts goin’ for him, which as my readers know, are not my preferred form of dress except for, but of course, ball games! But he does have an alluring and lustrous voice especially when he says “There ‘s only one..! – “Oc-toe-ber!” Right, Dane, honey

The Joys – in Yesterday’s matinee against the Padres all of the Phillies’ best hitters, especially those who had not been hitting the way they know how, like 1st baseman and mvp, Ryan Howard, came across bigtime. He, Rollins, Iguchi, Burrell, Rowand, Coste and Werth who hit a career 5 for 5 high, unleashed a mighty tsunami that drowned the Padres 14-2 while lifting their own and the fans’ spirits like thousands of tiny boats to the top of that wave.

Obvious Conclusion: The Phillies must take most of this series against the Mets. On Tuesday Adam Eaton will pitch. Didn’t I tell you his shoulder wasn’t very sore?

Chapter Four: Give Credit Where It’s Due Department

Right about now folks get to thinkin’ about who the Manager of the Year might be. Well I know who it oughtta be: Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel. The Phillies are either in third or second place a few games behind the Mets in the National League Eastern Division despite the fact that 2nd baseman Chase Utley, right fielder Shane Victorino, pitcher Jon Lieber, reliever Ryan Madsen, and speedy fielder Michael Bourn are on the DL. Also:

• Right fielder Pat Burrell is 6-for-32 in nine games since being moved into Utley’s no. 3 spot.

• First baseman Ryan Howard is 2 for the last 17 at bats and in 18 games without Utley he’s 13-for-65 with 29 strikeouts. As our television commentator Gary, “Sarge” Matthews keeps on saying,”he’s gotta stand closer to the plate”.

• Utley 2nd base replacement Tadahito Iguchi has hit once in his last 20 at bats.

• Over the past two games the Phillies have struck out 24 times. And yet they are in second or third place a few games behind the Mets and the Braves. Why? Because they give all that they have for Charlie Manuel.

There have been continuing problems with the Phillies bullpen. But it has finally kicked in bigtime, just behind the Nats’with Jose Mesa, J.C. Romero, Antonio Alfonseca, Tom Gordon, and most importantly, Brett Myers filling their appointed roles beautifully. It was Manuel who turned Myers into a closer iin the first place and insisted on keeping him on the DL for nine weeks with a strained shoulder.

Meanwhile expensive starter Adam Eaton just hasn’t been able to handle the early innings of his games, with a 7.96 ERA for his last 10 starts.

“Yes, we’re putting Adam Eaton on the DL for two weeks, he said last night. “He’s had problems with his shoulder in at least his last three starts, lots of stiffness. He’ll get a chance to relax, rest, rethink everything and come back to us refreshed”. Heaven forefend that Manuel would give the real reason. Oh? No. But he has revealed himself to be the diplomat many did not know he was:



Eaton has been suffering from a bad case of first and second inning pitching nerves in his last ten games. I believe that such nerves cannot be unheard of. He is only 26 years old. This past Sunday night during the Phillies/Braves Game of the Week I saw Braves pitcher John Smoltz speak about the stress of pitching in the major leagues. “You can not compare that stress with what you experience pitching a rehab game in the minor leagues”! he said.

Now Eaton can be activated on August 27th when the Mets start a 4-game series with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He is 5-0 against them with a 1.89 ERA, a fantastic record. But will Charlie Manuel let Eaton pitch?? Meaning, will Manuel have the guts to let Eaton pitch? To the first place Mets, the guys the Phillies have to beat, and in fact the guys the Phillies usually do beat!

Both Eaton and Manuel will have had about two weeks to think it over.