PhillyArena

I do think the Phillies/Yankees series is between the best two teams in baseball. I think the Phillies are the only one that can play the Yankees at their game, and the only one that can withstand a huge Yankee attack and have the offense to never be out of the game.

If Cole Hamels was the Cole Hamels of 2008 (or even 2007), I think the Phillies would have the clear edge in starting pitching. A Lee/Hamels combination with this offense would be a huge hurdle to overcome. Unfortunately (probably due to the amount of innings Hamels threw last year) you'll probably have to wait until next year to see that potential.

As it stands, I give starting pitching a tie. I think the Phillies clearly have the better outfield, and I give the Yankees a slight edge in terms of infield (if Utley had displayed much in terms of power, this might be a push).

Obviously, the Yankees have the better bullpen.

My heart says Phillies. If Cole Hamels was on top form, I would pick the Phillies in 6 games. As it stands, I think this is going 7, and at Yankee stadium I think it's going to be hard to overcome.

Yankees in 7. Hope I'm wrong.

The Sixers season begins today, an event almost unnoticed in the Philadelphia sports landscape. Taking a back seat to the Phillies repeat-bid and the Eagles upcoming face-off against the Giants, the Sixers begin their season in anonymity. While there may not be a high level of excitement in the city overall, there is from this fan (even if I will be watching tonights game delayed on DVR).

Expectations? Not much. I think expecting a significant deviation from the norm for this team is a little unrealistic, in either direction. Barring a miraculous improvement from some of their young players I don't expect anythign more than 45 wins, and barring a string of serious injuries I don't expect them to win less than 35.

The world of mediocrity in todays NBA.

The life of a Sixers fan. Little chance to truly contend, but just good enough to hold your attention.

The best chance the Sixers have of changing that? Thaddeus Young. We can talk all we want about the continued development of Andre Iguodala, about Elton Brand returning to form, and about Louis Williams playing efficient basketball, but without a player that opposing teams gameplan against defensively, this team isn't going to realistically challenge for a title, even if all what-if's turn out in the Sixers favor.

Thaddeus Young is the only one currently on the roster with that capability. For all of Elton Brand's virtues, he was never that true #1 option. That guy who opposing teams would gameplan against, who could get his shot when the offense breaks down, who could pick up a team when they begin to lag.

Many will make the argument that isolation basketball doesn't win, but this is not what's being argued. Having a player capable of getting his shot when the offense breaks down, or in late-game situations, is far different than saying Thaddeus Young should be isolated on the wing 20 times per game.

That doesn't mean I expect Young to be a legitimate number one option this year. Even moreso, I don't expect Young to be able to capitalize on the defensive attention he would receive if he did establish himself as a capable #1 scorer. As great of a scorer as Kevin Durant is, he's not going to truly be able to lead a team to contention until his ballhandling and playmaking improve to the point of being able to use that ability to get others good shots. Young is in a similar situation. Even if he could average 20-22 ppg, the Sixers may not be ready to conted.

Still, it's hard not to be optimistic about Young. This was a kid who, at 20 years old last year, averaged 18.6 ppg on 52.2% shooting in 24 games after the all-star break, hardly a small sample size. It's not a stretch to assume that 20 ppg is not out of the question this year. If that happens, and Iguodala retains his effectiveness at the 2, the Sixers could be a solid 45 win team and be a legitimate playoff team this year even if Brand only comes back as a 15 ppg third option playing good defense and rebounding the basketball.

Long gone are the days when Young was strictly a fast-break weapon.

Even with tempered expectations, there's still plenty to watch for. Iguodala is steadily progressing towards being one of the more well-rounded players in the league. I mentioned before that I don't think Igudoala has it in him to be a legitimate top option, and I think that mainly because I don't see the first step or body control in him to score that consistently in the half court. However, if he could improve his three point proficiency, he could firmly entrench himself into the 20+ ppg range, and more importantly would open things up in the half court for the team tremendously.

I like the drafting if Jrue Holiday, although I don't expect him to get serious time this year. Still, he could contend to take Royal Ivey's spot in the rotation in short order, and in the second half could see regular, albeit limited, playing time with his defense and ability ot lead the break. The half court offense is going to take some time, but his ability to extend the range on his jumper that he showed in the preseason is a step forward.

Louis Williams is a tough read. His jumpshot is incredibly inconsistent, and his set-shot very disappointing. Perhaps more relevant than his shoot-first mentality is his overall poor defensive play. The Princeton Offense, and more specifically one with as good of a playmaker as Iguodala on the wing, doesn't need a true point guard. But having a poor defensive point guard with bad catch-and-shoot ability is a bad combination. If both of those attributes don't improve, Louis Williams might not be a good long term fit.

The improvement of Marreese Speights was the story of the summer league, and he appears at times to be our most well rounded big man offensively. He's become a black hole (something that was feared coming out of college), but his skillset is undeniable. Perhaps most impressive was the effort (and production) he was giving on the glass in preseason. His improvement could limit the minutes of the other bad fit on this team offensively, Samuel Dalembert.

Finally, there's Elton Brand. His days as a 20/10 guy may be over, both because of his lack of explosion and fit. Brand was never a high jumper, but he was quick off his feet. I don't see that anymore. Furthermore, when he was at his best with the Clippers it was in pick and roll situations, and the Sixers don't have a good pick and roll player on the roster.

If Jrue Holiday can develop into a legitimate starting point guard, with three point range, the Sixers could have one of the best defensive teams in the league in coming years. Similarly crucial in the Sixers elevating into contender status is the development of Thaddeus Young into a legitimate #1 option, and his ability to make plays for his teammates from the attention he receives. Unfortunately, the odds of both of these happening this year are slim, so the year remains another one of looking for key development over true contention. Exciting but, ultimately, unfulfilling at the end.

Pedro Martinez has been officially listed as the Game 2 starter, scheduled to pitch Thursday night in New York.

I have very mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, I previously wrote about Cole Hamels splits, and putting him in a familiar atmosphere might help. With the way he's been of late, I think I have more confidence in Pedro overcoming obstacles than Hamels.

That being said, New York is going to be a BIG obstacle to overcome, and not the place you want to throw a guy with a 5.66 road ERA on the road (in an admittedly small sample size of 4 games and just over 20 innings). Of course, that didn't seem to hurt him when he shut down the Dodgers last week.

At the very least, it should be great theater.

According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are adding Eric Hinske to their World Series roster in place of Freddy Guzman. Significance? I'm feeling a potentially insane symmetry to the endings of the last two world series:



(Hinske would be the one not celebrating in this picture).

Per Todd Zolecki, Brett Myers has been placed on the roster, replacing Cairo.

Games are rumored to start at 7:57 pm (eastern) for each game, except for Game 4 (Sunday in Philadelphia), which is rumored to be an 8:20 pm start time.

Can't wait.

In a not very surprising move (although I thought there was a chance they kept one of the two), the Sixers have release backup guard Dionte Christmas (Temple) and forward Brandon Bowman (Georgetown). The moves leave the Sixers roster at 13 players.

Back in the Rockies series a big deal was made out of Cole Hamels day/night splits. Now, with the lefty finally pitching at home in the playoffs, it's time to take a similar look at his home/road splits:



This is a much more substantive sample size to work from, and is definitely interesting. While his HR rate goes up pitching at home (before jumping to conclusions, look at the Park Factor rating for Citizens Bank Park the last two years), he's much more effective overall pitching at home. Opponents are hitting less, striking out more, and scoring significantly less runs at home.

The day/night splits (unfortunately) held true in the last series, hopefully being in the "friendly" confines of Citizens Bank Park should help Cole out.

The title of this post probably makes it sound as if I'm talking about not taking the Dodgers lightly, and in a sense that's true. It's not inconceivable for a team, particularly a team good enough to win 95 games during the regular season, to win 3 consecutive games. From what I've seen so far this series I would think it is improbable, but certainly stranger things have happened in this wild world of sports.

But no, I'm talking a little bigger picture than that.

The Phillies are on the brink of returning to the Fall Classic to defend their title. They have a first basemen setting all-time marks, both of the Phillies team and MLB history variety. They have two legitimate aces (albeit only one currently pitching up to his potential), the best first baseman in franchise history, the best second baseman in franchise history, the best shortstop in franchise history.

And they are making history, again and again.

Snapping victory from the jaws of defeat, twice in the same playoff run coming down to their last out and pulling out the win. This isn't the stuff that makes great stories. This is the stuff that makes legends.

5 more wins and the Phillies aren't merely a good team. They're not even a great team. 5 more wins and they do something no NL team has done in over 30 years. They become immortal. They become legends.

Take a minute, savor it, let it sink it. Realize what it is you're witnessing. This is actually happening to us. After 25 years of frustration after frustration, Philly fans are finally getting rewarded.

Saw this posted over at the 700 level, apparently MLB.com was a little overzealous in getting their stories out last night. Somebody caught the error before it was fixed.

As the Phillies defied odds and finished off their come from behind win in the 9th, Manny Ramirez was taking a shower.

Seriously, regardless of how talented he is, would he not drive this town nuts? Much is made of the Phillies character and clubhouse chemistry, and at times I think it is overstated, but Manny shows the opposite end of the spectrum. It's not that you can't win with Manny (his time with the Red Sox proves that, with the right supporting cast and the right situation, you can win with him), but he certainly makes losing all that more painful (albeit entertaining).

Source: foxsports.com.

The Sixers were kind enough to provide me with some comp tickets this evening, so I made my way down to the Wachovia Center to take in the final home preseason game for the Sixers before they begin the regular season next week at Orlando. For as little excitement as there is for the Sixers right now (not that it's entirely undeserved), the Sixers treat their fans well.

I don't believe I've given my thoughts on the Sixers logo, uniform and court changes for this year. Having now seen if first hand, I have to say I really like the fact that they've gone back to the old logo, and think the court looks amazing. The uniforms? Eh, not so much.

Click below for some photos from tonight's huge series clinching comeback win.

It's just after 2:15 am here, so I'm going to make this brief. Obviously, a huge win. Now up 2-1, with two close-out games, one with Lidge on the Hill and the other one at home.

• Good thing Rollins got that winning run. He was absolutely pathetic at the plate leading up to that. Just a horrible approach overall. So bad it could only be rivaled by...
  
• Pete Happy. Pedro Feliz absolutely drives me mad. How can you hit a weak check swing double play back to the pitcher when you only have one strike on you? That's a 2-strike swing, where you're just trying to make contact. The goal of hitting isn't to make contact with every strike thrown.
  
• Even Werth was getting into the act, falling prey to the high fastball in bad spots.
  
• On the flip side, Ibanez was very good at the plate today (for a game in which he didn't get a hit, at least).
  
• Charlie's decision to go with Madson in the 7th will probably get killed but I agree with it. Go with your best reliever in the most important part of the game. With a man on 1st and 3rd with no outs that spot was the biggest of the game. Being the 9th inning doesn't automatically qualify as being the most important inning. If Madson doesn't control the damage in the 7th the bottom of the 9th wasn't going to be played.
  
• That being said, if Lidge is going to be the closer for the remainder of the playoffs (however long that may be), I'm going to have a heart attack.
  
• Am I the only one who saw that last out and thought "boy am I glad our left fielder isn't Matt Holliday" ?
  
  
  
  That's all folks. See you in just over 15 hours. Let's wrap this up in Colorado.

Obviously, a very disappointing game. One of those games that change momentum, good or bad. Had the Phillies pulled out that 9th inning rally it would have been a huge letdown for the Rockies, pinning them in a 2-0 hole, requiring that they win 3 in a row, and putting all the momentum on the Phillies side. Instead, having lost game 2, the Phillies now have to go to Colorado, where the Rockies were 51-30 during the regular season, in below freezing temperatures, already having used 4 starters in two games.