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.