Jimmy Rollins Bad Batting Slump...

... Appears to be Over with the Sweep of the Mets



We wonder whether we could have lived through what Jimmy’s experienced. But now he’s hitting, and hitting well, including a solo home run early in the third winning home game against the Mets, pitched masterfully by Joe Blanton and the gang. With a lovely little save by Brad Lidge, but of course.

And looking forward to the All-Star Game, whose National League Team will be managed by our Genius-In-Residence Charley Manuel, but of course! Then there’ll be Second Baseman Chase Utley and Left Fielder Raul Ibanez. Utley got all of his votes because he’s so smart and such a good hitter and fielder, and be-cause he’s a home-grown guy. Ibanez got some of his votes, let’s face it, because he’s a Phillie now and exhibited his marvelous skills this year within the wonderful Phillies firmament.

What Did They Forget to Remember? (The Phillies lose 6 Home Games in a Row!)

The essence of what Charlie Manuel must have yelled and lectured them about: don’t forget what playing good baseball means. Execute each play cleanly, sneakily, be aware of what’s going on around you, who’s there, who’s not there, be quick, be aggressive and in all things never ever give up.

Oh we watched them come so close to disproving Charlie’s anger in these games, so many marvelous moments like Ryan Howard’s pinch hit homer out of the hospital bed. Those moments were so short lived, ‘though, not the droppings from the continuous torrents of talent that flow from one player to another and don’t let up that we remember from last year.

Well it may be that Jimmy Rollins’ lousy season is the bell weather of this year. If he doesn’t improve, the gang won’t make it. One does not like to pitch one’s tent on the fate of one batter. Especially when he and Victorino together make a fantastic duo for Utley batting third, driving any pitcher to deepest desperation…I mean that Rollins has to be batting well enough to be leading off. Because he is still, when all is said and done, THE KEY!

Nicknames Die Hard

The Phillies Took on Red Sox Pitcher Josh Beckett – this past Sunday. He might have been surprised by the breadth of their victory. This is because he’s been called a Lousy Teammate and Old Nicknames Die Hard.

Because Beckett makes his opinions known all over the place, with accompanying expressions and gestures, wandering up & down the dugout. And he’s been a good pitcher, it’s not that, it’s that he’s so free with his opinions. He’s certainly beaten the Phillies in the past, beginning when he was a Marlin...

In the 7th inning Jimmy Rollins ended his drought with a lovely line drive lead off home run. The Phillies scored 6 runs in this inning and ended Boston’s 5-game winning streak; this probably made Beckett peckish. The Lord knows he looks puckish for starters. The Phillies won 11-6 and that was very satisfying; as it was to see the attentive way Beckett was watching from the Red Sox dugout after he was taken out in the 7th.

Two World Champions Get Together

There are Tears and Laughter Forever After,
Tomorrow, Just You Wait and See…

The three games the Phillies played against the Yankees in the new Yankee Stadium over Memorial Day Weekend were quite the most wonderful three games in a row I can ever remember since the championships – before and since. And I think there’s an explanation for this. The fact that both the Yankees and the Phillies are Champions conveys “Team-Ness” upon them. A special kind of glory, the knowledge of what it has taken, and a relaxed view of what it will take again. That’s why Jimmy Rollins predicts it will be the Yanks & the Phils down at the Wire. I think so too. Look who the Phils have added in left field: Raul Ibanez. Could you have designed a more wonderful player? A more poetic guy? And the way he speaks and carries himself! Talk about meeting all of my biases!!!

The Phils didn’t lose that second game, Brad Lidge blew a save. He walked the very handsome Johnny Damon and threw a slider A-Rod could not resist – of course not! This was sad, but not life-threatening.

In the third game Carlos Ruiz showed all of his talents, not just catching but throwing, oh so well, blocking the plate, oh so staunchly and heartily and hitting, oh so importantly. He was the hero of that game. As a team the Phillies were mighty. Cheers to new Phillie John Mayberry for hitting a homer on his first at bat! And jeers to Jayson Werth for playing without shaving.

Who Really Wanted to Meet Who?

The Phillies began a 4-game series against the Washington Nationals Friday evening. And prior to that they met with President Obama at the White House. My bet is that Mr. Obama wanted to meet – you guessed it - Chase Utley – the best and smartest baseball player in the Major Leagues. And my guess is also, that Chase Utley wanted to meet the President as well, no slouch in the brains department. Although he has not designed any athletic moves, he’s designed quite a few financial moves, moves we know quite well and call Socialism. They come under the rubric of ‘enlarging government and expanding its control over American citizens’.

Now what Chase designed for himself is this: he stands really really close to the plate, forcing the pitcher to pitch good pitches inside, or else he hits him. 25 times last year, 27 times the year before, and he gets so many good clean balls he hits lots of home runs and doubles - last year - and even manages to play well with a completely bum hip as evidenced by the second part of last season. And the way Chase has overcome having so little space in front of the plate to swing in: How does he do it? He developed the Chase Utley Short Swing. Ask Any Broadcaster, player, manager. Basically when you look at him, instead of extending his arms the way Raul Ibanez does, he takes a chop at the ball and his arms are so powerful this chop suffices to put the ball where he needs it to go – into the stands, let’s say.

You can imagine how much a short swinging baseball player might appeal to a long armed basketball player like President Obama? Duh. But, who would you rather be? The president or Chase Utley? Utley, right? A 7-year contract like Utley recently got from the Phillies? The president only got a 4 year contract and for a heck of a lot less money. I rest my case.

The Harry Kalas Tribute

This afternoon at one p.m. Philadelphia paid tribute to its beloved broadcaster Harry Kalas who had died in the booth before the game this past Monday night. Citizens Bank Park was packed and the tributes were both touching, funny and sincere. Everyone who ever met Harry seems to have loved him and everyone who ever heard him did also. As Harry Anderson said, ‘he had about two million best friends’. His son Kane spoke eloquently and so did pitcher Jamie Moyer. The tribute that touched me most, ‘though, was that of Michael Jack Schmidt, the 3rd baseman whose 500th home run Harry called and who was very present during the 1980 World Series win by the Phillies. He read a Psalm about a bountiful life and said that the outstanding fact about Harry’s life was how bountiful it was and how bountifully he gave of himself. This made me cry quite a bit as I’m sure it did everyone there at the Park. He said that as a son of a minister, Harry made broadcasting his ministry and it had been his calling. And who’s to say it was not? He made the Hall of Fame after all. His partnership with Richie Ashburn was a great blend of friendship, talent and love for the game. Harry’s voice was well known throughout sport for it’s mellifluity and he coined many phrases we’ll not forget, but ‘outta here’ will be the one that will stick longest I think when Phillies hit the long balls.

I can’t imagine that the organization is even thinking of trying to replace Harry Kalas.

Who’s the Real Love of My Life?

One Guess!

When it comes to real love department in the case of the Phillies the decision was very easy once a certain person came to the team. Now you’re gonna think it was Cole Hamels. Sure enough he’s my second favorite guy. He’s got everything going for him: he’s the best pitcher in the major leagues for starters and he’s quite good looking. But he’s very serious. Very modest. Self deprecating. That Chase Utley kind of thing. Never acknowledges that he is the best, while always expecting the next pitch to be a strike, the next game to be a win. While we all know he will win because he is the best. So what’s with that?

The guy I love is 5 ’10. He has thick not too curly hair and the straightest most beautiful white teeth possible. He’s got golden skin with peaches in his cheeks. A short straight nose with slightly flaring nostrils and beautifully shaped full lips. Have you guessed who it is yet?

It’s Carlos Ruiz, but of course. He’s the most romantic and talented guy the Phillies have ever had. He’s the single player who made those Playoff World Series wins possible. Think about it! True, right? Right. He caught for everybody! All of those fantastic pitchers, including Joe Blanton. Omigod! Yes. And yes Cole was very valuable.

But you saw the games, the season, the Post Season – those Playoffs, the Series, that rain. What did Carlos not do? Answer: he did it All. And with aplomb, with smiles. What photographic image do we remember from Brad’s last strikeout? Carlos running to his embrace with that million watt smile, right? I do, and I know you do.

But what we fans do not know is what Carlos does for the team on the road, just a little caper to keep the boys amused. He plays Zorro on his horse and sings a little, too. Just thought you’d love to see him…..There’s the reason, and the real reason.

Baby Come Back Department
As so many people know, Carlos Ruiz is Panamanian, a country that has born the terrible tragedy of then President Jimmy Carter’s decision, which Congress passed, to give the Panama Canal back to Panama in 1978. Carlos was born in 1979, amidst all the hopes that his parents and his country must have sustained only to have them sink into the mire of drugs, money laundering and graft that Panama has endured in all the years since we left.

Heat

Question: What do hot guys do?
Answer: Anything they want.

And one of the things the Phillies want is to take care of the Phillies nation, the people who count, you know - WE WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO HANG AROUND SINCE 1980. And one of the things management did was to send the World Series bling around Pennsylvania; that was very thoughtful and marvelous. Unfortunately, I did not find out when it was coming to Harrisburg (by train I think!) or somewhere else very near Carlisle, wasn’t that lazy of me? Yes. So money hasn’t been everything, right, the fans count for a lot! And let’s face it, we have had the most marvelous winter, sleeping regularly and willing to do chores, all of us, and looking so forward to spring, with Florida training and all of the glory that leads up to the Opening of the Season! That’s because none of us are cranky anymore. Talk about a lot of good dispositions breakin’ out! Phew! I guess. No longer shall we even think of booing Santa Claus or any other great guy! We’ve experienced The Great Win! We can relax because the Phils actually did it. And now we know the real truth. They can do it again and probably will. That’s what greatness is. That and trading Pat Burrell at last: the sum of all our hopes realized.

And what will the Phils be doing in these last few weeks before actual play begins? Workin’ on their nicknames, a precious activity. Akin to getting’ ready for; actually it’s not akin to getting’ ready for anything else because a nickname is bestowed upon you by your peers. Therefore you cannot do anything to get ready for it except to hope that you are good enough, true enough and smart enough so that your peers want to give you a nickname that characterizes the real you is so witty that you and everyone else loves it….

And who are we most curious about? Manager Charlie Manuel, but of course. He didn’t start being a genius this past season, Omigosh! No. He’s been the best for a very long time. And when did his greatness start to develop bigtime? When he went to Japan! And that’s where he got that nickname: Scoshi, pronounced Scoa-shee. It’s a Japanese word that means thin or little. Charlie was tall and not small but he was quite thin then. He batted like Joe DiMaggio and hit 189 homers in six seasons. He then returned to the US to direct the Cleveland Indians Minor League systems and worked his way UP, as Scott Kendrick put it. He also learned how to coach batting as a result of those experiences, and coached Manny Ramirez, who has seemed to retain Charlie’s advice. In the old days Charlie was 6 ft., 04, 200 lbs. Today he probably weighs a bit more, but the ‘scoshi’ – ironic truth about him – big guy small ego - lives.

RF Jayson Werth has realized that his teeth are ugly. He hasn’t seen all of Steve Buscemi’s movies over and over for nothing. That he realized this himself when the Phillies gave him his nickname tells the story. Fish! Fish??? Werth’s teeth are way too little. They do look like fish teeth. Actually the point is that his teeth look like bluefish teeth, and that’s a really bad look. Depending on your point of view. Bluefish swim into a bay, anywhere where there are some fish hanging out. They devour everything. And quickly! Nanosecond city. Ugly but mighty, that’s the watchword. And when you catch a bluefish you have to kill it, a fast blow to its head or it will bite you if it’s anywhere near anything of yours, like your toes.

Now Werth knows that he needs new teeth – the $25,000 veneers – the kind that cover-up whatever one has and give you big white new ones, according to Harold Golightly, Jimmy Rollins oral surgeon. But he also knows that if he does get veneers he will know longer have that great association with what he actually does in right field – you guessed it!– gobble up whatever comes there.

S0 we realize and so does Werth that Blue might be as good a nickname as Fish if we really think about it…..The Phils calling Werth Fish might just think how unpejorative that is and think how wonderfully pejorative Blue might be. That they could change that in a blink, and they’d have it, and that would make Jayson, so very, very happy. Nicknames have to go deep, right?

And in Jimmy Rollins case, you will need an explanation at the very least. His nickname is DEWG. That stands for Delaware Water Gap. And that refers to the gap between his teeth, and since the Delaware River rises at the Water Gap on the border at the eastern central part of the state, the Phillies are kind enough to recognize Pennsylvania in lieu of California where Jimmy’s from in relation to Jimmy’s photogenic space.

And lest you think Jimmy does not view his gap seriously here is what he does: twice a year he flies out and spends half a day with the aforementioned oral surgeon Harold Golightly who measures how far his gap has narrowed – teeth grow together folks – and calibrates –just much he has to shave off each side to keep that gap 1/16” apart at the top and 3/16” at the bottom”. Dr. Golightly is very particular. And since Jimmy does not like to feel that kind of pain, and who does? He gets a nice chunk of local anesthesia and takes the day off. It’s not a cheap procedure, either. I think these little adjustments cost about $5,ooo a year. Phew! Whoever said glamour wasn’t expensive?