2010 MLB Season

[BERIGAN]

Wahoo! Got to see Roy Halladay win his 20th tonight. I think that pretty much seals the deal for the NL Cy Young award. Not to mention the NL East. The Fightin's are 5 games up w/ 10 to play. Their magic number is 6. Oh and Oswalt is pitching tomorrow.

That's great! I'm envious- it was rocking! I haven't been to CBP since April the first year it opened. I'm enjoying everthing from afar. I signed up in a drawing to win the right to buy playoff tickets.....we'll see. I was a season ticket holder from 1988-1992 (16 game plan) and the year I move down here they go to the WS. They are a scary-good team right now. Halliday will win the CY.

Hey- a free agent is finally doing well in Philly! I still have nightmares about Lance Parrish and Danny Tartabull.

JH, glad you got to see that game, must have been something in person! I think I heard Halladay was the first Phil pitcher to get to 20 since Carlton, and the first right hander since Robin Roberts!

vajerzy good luck on those playoff tickets!

[Aggie87]

Yeah, Oswalt has totally outperformed all of my expectations/fears. I'm totally on his bandwagon now.

Roy's always been a solid pitcher. The problem in Houston was he never got any run support, not that he pitched poorly.

I think the Phillies were lucky to get him, myself!

[Chalupa]

Berigan- I'm a Phillies fan and I remember all those years when the Braves trotted out Smoltz, Maddox and Glavine and they killed us every year/ It's payback time!!

My whole family are Braves fans- this will be a fun series to watch!

Yep, payback time indeed!!!!

I am not looking forward to this big series with the Phils, Phil Phans...

You guys have 3 #1's going against us and we have....JJ. Jurrjens , who has sucked the last 2 starts, who also has a bad knee(Brandon Beachy may make his ML debut if JJ can't pitch! ) Then Mike Minor, who has something like 10 starts in the majors, then Tommy Hanson, a guy with little more than a year's experience in the big leagues...oh yeah, gotta love it...

How come your manager is smart enough to figure out how to have his best, most experienced starters lined up, while our HOF manager(Statistically one of the top 5 all time I hear stoopid stat heads say on tv) had Derrek Lowe and Tim Hudson pitch against the Mets??? Perhaps said HOF manager is really a maroon???

You know everyone in Philly has been talking about the pitching match ups and how seemingly lopsided they are in favor of the Fightin's. I don't understand why the Braves didn't look at the schedule a few weeks ago and move Hudson and Lowe. Maybe it will work out for them and they will take the next two vs. the Roys but I wouldn't put my money on that happening. Halladay has owned the Braves so far this season and even though he's pitched pretty poorly of late you have to expect him to have a bounce back game tonight throwing on an extra day of rest. As an extra incentive he'll be going for win #20 tonight. Wednesday is Oswalt, who has been lights out in August/September. And then you have to play against the big 3 again for the final 3 games of the season. Additionally, Lidge is starting to look more like 2008 again. He was throwing some nasty, filthy stuff last night. So the Braves have their work cut out for them.

Bobby Cox is just like Wile E. Coyote, he's a supppper genius, do not question him!

I did see one argument, a weak one, but perhaps Cox thought it was a better idea to sweep the Mets than run the best pitchers with the Phils knowing the Phils still have a better offense, but that's giving Bobby way too much credit, IMO.

There was one really questionable move by Cox last night. Top of the 2nd, Phils up 3-0 and the Braves first batter gets on base. Next spot is the pitcher, followed by Omar Infante who is batting .338 and who will probably win the NL battling title. Now 99 out of 100 times when you have a man on first w/ no outs and the pitcher is batting you're going have the pitcher, unless his name is Chris Carpenter, try to lay down a bunt. So what happens? The pitcher tries to hit his way on base and GIDP. WTF??

[Quincy]

The Giants staff would be a fine match up vs. the Phils. Cain has been excellent all year and Lincecum has been top notch in September. Sanchez is probably their 3 now, though he'd be higher in the rotation for most clubs. He too is having a great September. Zito is pitching better too, and if he's the 4 he's better than most.

[Tim McG]

The Giants staff would be a fine match up vs. the Phils. Cain has been excellent all year and Lincecum has been top notch in September. Sanchez is probably their 3 now, though he'd be higher in the rotation for most clubs. He too is having a great September. Zito is pitching better too, and if he's the 4 he's better than most.

I dunno.

The Phillies have some pretty loud bats in the line-up. I mean, that team is stacked.

As to the Giants pitching staff: Bumgarner is looking pretty sharp, as well. It's the bullpen I worry about. They have a "maybe he will, maybe he won't" closer in Wilson and they've had some some pretty scary meltdowns via the middle relief this season, too.

So we wait and see.

Edited September 23, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Chalupa]

The Giants staff would be a fine match up vs. the Phils. Cain has been excellent all year and Lincecum has been top notch in September. Sanchez is probably their 3 now, though he'd be higher in the rotation for most clubs. He too is having a great September. Zito is pitching better too, and if he's the 4 he's better than most.

I dunno.

The Phillies have some pretty loud bats in the line-up. I mean, that team is stacked.

As to the Giants pitching staff: Bumgarner is looking pretty sharp, as well. It's the bullpen I worry about. They have a "maybe he will, maybe he won't" closer in Wilson and they've had some some pretty scary meltdowns via the middle relief this season, too.

So we wait and see.

Yeah, the Giants are the only team right now that I'm worried about in the NL. 3 of their top 4 starting pitchers are lefties and vs. the lefty heavy lineup of the Phillies that ain't good. Of the 4, Sanchez scares me the most. Hopefully if they do meet up it will be in a 7 game series not 5 because those could be some great, nay, EPIC pitching match ups.

How about them Fightin's??? Oswalt, w/ a little help from Madson & Lidge, tosses a 1 hit shut out to complete a sweep of the Braves. Oswalt's ERA w/ the Phillies is now 1.76. 6 up w/ 9 to play. Magic number is 4. I'm taking my 6yr old son to the game on Saturday night. It will be his first game.

[Tim McG]

The Giants staff would be a fine match up vs. the Phils. Cain has been excellent all year and Lincecum has been top notch in September. Sanchez is probably their 3 now, though he'd be higher in the rotation for most clubs. He too is having a great September. Zito is pitching better too, and if he's the 4 he's better than most.

I dunno.

The Phillies have some pretty loud bats in the line-up. I mean, that team is stacked.

As to the Giants pitching staff: Bumgarner is looking pretty sharp, as well. It's the bullpen I worry about. They have a "maybe he will, maybe he won't" closer in Wilson and they've had some some pretty scary meltdowns via the middle relief this season, too.

So we wait and see.

Yeah, the Giants are the only team right now that I'm worried about in the NL. 3 of their top 4 starting pitchers are lefties and vs. the lefty heavy lineup of the Phillies that ain't good. Of the 4, Sanchez scares me the most. Hopefully if they do meet up it will be in a 7 game series not 5 because those could be some great, nay, EPIC pitching match ups.

How about them Fightin's??? Oswalt, w/ a little help from Madson & Lidge, tosses a 1 hit shut out to complete a sweep of the Braves. Oswalt's ERA w/ the Phillies is now 1.76. 6 up w/ 9 to play. Magic number is 4. I'm taking my 6yr old son to the game on Saturday night. It will be his first game.

How cool, Dad! I took my son to his first game when he was five and the Giants were still in Candlestick Park. Hope it's a great game for you two.

I agree. A seven game series between these two teams would be fun to watch....a nail biter, but still has potential. What scares me is the lack of run production on the Giants squad. They've been running hot and cold all season while the Phillies have been fairly consitant at the plate.

But first things first: Win the NL West.

Edited September 23, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[ghost of miles]

Wow...

Kinescope of complete 1960 World Series Game 7 found in Bing Crosby's wine cellar

[Matthew]

I wonder if they'll play this when the Phillies clinch....

[Noj]

Wow...

Kinescope of complete 1960 World Series Game 7 found in Bing Crosby's wine cellar

That's really cool! Wonder if it will make it to the Classic Sports channel.

[Chalupa]

I wonder if they'll play this when the Phillies clinch....

They still play it after every game now.

The other night when I went to the Braves game Roy Halladay had "Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin as his batting music. Utley had them play "Kashmir".

[Quincy]

Wow...

Kinescope of complete 1960 World Series Game 7 found in Bing Crosby's wine cellar

That's really cool! Wonder if it will make it to the Classic Sports channel.

It's all there in the article.

[Chalupa]

Dan must be loving the way the Sox knocked Pettitte around tonight.

IP H R ER BB SO HR

3.1 10 7 6 0 1 1

Edited September 25, 2010 by J.H. Deeley

[Chalupa]

Phils beat the Mets tonight and the Braves are losing 6-1 in the bottom of the 7th in Washington. Magic # is 3 and if the Braves lose it will be 2. Speaking of the Mets.... They are 0-67 this season when trailing after the 8th inning. 0-67. That's brutal.

Berigan - what's up w/ the Braves?? I'm thinking they are going to miss the playoffs altogether.

[BERIGAN]

Phils beat the Mets tonight and the Braves are losing 6-1 in the bottom of the 7th in Washington. Magic # is 3 and if the Braves lose it will be 2. Speaking of the Mets.... They are 0-67 this season when trailing after the 8th inning. 0-67. That's brutal.

Berigan - what's up w/ the Braves?? I'm thinking they are going to miss the playoffs altogether.

J.H. I don't know...the easy answer in the petrified Bobby Cox. No change in batting order. Martin Prado desperately needs a few days off. Troy Glaus, who hasn't really played in a month(some time playing 3rd at AAA) and is still 3rd in RBI's could play 3rd. Nah, lose with what you are losing with.

But, to be fair, the pitching , especially starting, is really gone south in a hurry. Tim Hudson sucked tonight, but people(People like the dunce in the dugout, man I just can't help myself!)forget he pitched only 42 innings last year, and it really would have made sense to skip him a start or two back when they had a 7 game lead. J.J. Jurrjens has some tear in his knee, which probably explains why he hasn't been good of late. Scratched again for Sunday I read today. Mike Minor has pitched more innings this year between the minors and majors than he has ever before, and has admitted to being fatigued. Beachy was supposed to start in place of him, now it will be J.J.J. I assume. Bobby has far too much pride to ever have Kawakami pitch for him again. He'll show him who is boss.

And you know when things really seemed to head south??? Right around the time Kris Medlen went down and needed T.J. surgery in early August, think they have been a .500 team since then....

Clearly, starting pitching is not a strength right now, and it's really a bad time to have this happen.

Did I mention Bobby Cox is slightly dumber than a bag of rocks?

[Bill Nelson]

What's up with the Braves?

Their biggest problem during Aug-Sept has been the starting pitching.

Two of 'em are down for the count: Medlen is out for the season, Jurrjens has got a gimpy knee.

Hudson and Lowe show occasional flashes of brilliance but have pitch location pitfalls.

As Bobby Cox says after nearly every game,"He left one hanging and they got it."

Minor of the Minors, the fifth starter, has got an ERA above 9.00 in his last five games.

And don't get me started on their anemic hitting.

As for the remaining Braves' true believers?

They're true masochists.

[Matthew]

Bud Selig is open to expanding the playoffs. Why can't this guy just retire, he's ruining the game of baseball with his stupidity...

Article here

[Quincy]

Bud Selig is open to expanding the playoffs. Why can't this guy just retire, he's ruining the game of baseball with his stupidity...

Article here

Let's see, if they went with 6 teams it could look something like this, though I don't know if they'd avoid having teams within a division face each other in this round or not.

Wild Card round (3 WC plus worst division winner):

White Sox

Rangers

Red Sox

Yankees

Switch the Soxes if you think the above is wrong. Winners go on to play Twins & Rays

Rockies

Reds

Braves

Padres

Winners go on to play Phillies & Giants

Too much dreck. Not much of a race in the AL as the ChiSox have a 3 g lead over the Tigers & Blue Jays. Colorado has a 3 game lead over the Cards. Yawn. It would put more pressure on teams to get a bye, but with unbalanced schedules (especially with inter-league rivals) it would expand upon unfairness.

Guess we can have the World Series be played at the old Hawaii Pro Bowl site, finishing up a week or so before Thanksgiving. Brilliant, I can't wait!

Edited September 25, 2010 by Quincy

[Tim McG]

If only the Padres would just die and go away.

What the hell is going on with the Reds all of a sudden?

[Matthew]

I love how the Mariners are killing the Yankees, and they aren't even playing them.

[GA Russell]

The Reds have a Cuban relief pitcher named Chapman who threw 25 straight pitches over 100 mph against the Padres, including one at a record 105 mph against Tony Gwynn.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-redspadres092410

Edited September 26, 2010 by GA Russell

[BERIGAN]

The Reds have a Cuban relief pitcher named Chapman who threw 25 straight pitches over 100 mph against the Padres, including one at a record 105 mph against Tony Gwynn.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-redspadres092410

Ha, I was just going to post this! Amazing, 105 from a lefty....hopefully he holds up, his mechanics look much better than Strasburg's

[Tim McG]

Bud Selig is open to expanding the playoffs. Why can't this guy just retire, he's ruining the game of baseball with his stupidity...

Article here

I lost all faith in the guy right after that tie in the All-Star game a few seasons back. He sucked as an owner, too.

[ghost of miles]

I love how the Mariners are killing the Yankees, and they aren't even playing them.

Well, they decided to try to help today for a change , though I think it'll take a miracle for NY to somehow pull out the division at this point (especially since our fold in the last two games against Tampa Bay gave them the season head-to-head edge at 10-8, meaning that a W-L tie will go to them). Hell, at this point NY is just trying to make the playoffs, after getting knocked around by the Bosox Friday and Saturday. They've even switched starters for tonight and put Hughes on the mound (though Hughes at home is generally worse than Hughes on the road). The Yankees look like they're far from being in fighting trim for the postseason at this point...only advantage of the wild-card would be that the Rays, instead of us, would have to face Cliff Lee and Texas in a 5-game series. Again, the 2009 mojo seems to be missing from this year's edition. Pinstripe Alley posters console themselves with thoughts of 2000 (when NY dropped 15 of its final 18 but still went on to win the World Series), but to me it's looking more like 2005 or 2007.

[Chalupa]

Phillies win and wrap up the NL East. Not to mention home field advantage for all of October and, assuming they get that far, November.

Doc Halladay has to be the NL CY Young. 21 wins, 9 complete games, 4 shutouts, and oh yeah a perfect game. Led the NL in innings pitched, and as of right now 2nd in strike outs, 2nd in WHIP, and 3rd in ERA.

Factoid - The Phillies are only the third team in National League history to appear in the postseason in four consecutive seasons. The Atlanta Braves made 14 straight appearances from 1991-2005 (there were no playoffs in 1994), and the New York Giants made four straight from 1921-24.