Return of the Golden Girls

So I’m doing a fantasy football draft yesterday and while I’m waiting my turn to draft a player nobody would take until at least three rounds later, I caught a Subway commercial featuring Ryan Howard that I never saw before. But it wasn’t just any old Subway commercial. It was Golden! View for yourself.


It turns out that the video was posted to YouTube by TheFightins.com and they did a post about it on the 26th, so I’m not breaking any news here, but did you catch the song? None other than the theme song by the Golden Girls, “Thank You For Being A Friend” by Andrew Gold. The same Golden Girls whose presence on this blog months ago resulted in a prolonged winning streak by the Phils.

Has anybody noticed what has happened to Ryan Howard since this commercial started airing? The guy is a monster now and he even hit a homer off of a lefty last week.

Bea Arthur may be dead, but she and all of the other wrinkled old G-Girls are still working their magic on the ’09 Phils. I say we take advantage of this phenomenon. So, GTFO Betty White, Brad Lidge needs some mojo.



Corey

Trip to the Minors

Last night I finally made my way to Baseball Town, USA. There was a double header scheduled between the Reading Phillies and Bowie Baysox. Brett Myers started game 1, going 2 innings, giving up an inside-the-park homerun, and only topping out at 88-89 mph on his fastball. Then the rains came and canceled the games. Not all was lost though, as I got to meet some of the players and talk baseball with manager Steve Roadcap.

Manager Steve Roadcap & Me

Freddy Galvis & Ozzie Chavez


Scott Mathieson & Vance Worley


Big Leagues:
Cliff Lee pitched poorly, but it didn't matter because the Phillies offense continues to putter around. Situational hitting is a lost art with this team, as they're built upon the long ball. Without homeruns, comes little run support. Look at last night, 11 hits, only 1 run. The lone run coming on a Chase Utley bomb. I'm not going to get too worked up about it right now, because they still hold a 7 game lead, with the chance of increasing that tonight with a win on the ESPN Sunday Night Game of the Week. Yeah Joe Morgan!!!

~Carson

The Rain Taketh, Then Giveth Away

Rain Taketh:
The two rain delays in Philly took the opportunity away from Pedro Martinez to build his arm strength up by going 6+ innings, and also deprived him of a chance at a win. He looked sharp through 2 innings, but it was only two innings. The rain also took last night's game away from the Reading Phillies, in which they are fighting for a Double-A Eastern League playoff slot.

Rain Giveth:
That crafty old goat Jamie Moyer swooped in on the opportunity for a win and got it, with 4 terrific innings of long relief following the double delay. It was Grand Pappy's team leading 12th win this season and 258th of his career. The rain also forced a double header in Reading tonight, in which I have tickets and get two games for the price of one. Brett Myers will be pitching in one of the games too, so I've got that going for me which is nice.

Beast:
Since August 13th (15 games), Ryan Howard is: 20-60 (.333), 16 r, 3 dbl, 11 hr, and 29 rbi. WOW!!!

Help:
The bench isn't crippling the Phillies right now, but when it comes to the playoffs that will likely be a different story. One can look at last October to see the significance of having a quality pinch hitting option (EX- Stairs, Jenkins). Currently with Greg Dobbs DL'd, the only decent PH the Phils have is Ben Francisco. Miguel Cairo, Eric Bruntlett, Paul Bako, and Matt Stairs (no hits in last 26 ab) are all batting below .200. You've got 3 days to make a deal Ruben- do it, do it.

~Carson

Dave Hollins

Dave Hollins. Dave "Head" Hollins. Dave "I played 3rd base for the '93 Phils" Hollins. Yep, that's me and that same Dave Hollins in the photo above. My buddy was a bit amped up meeting him after the game at PNC Park, so he was shaking a bit, hence the blur. It was my first time at PNC, and it's a beautiful stadium. However, watching the Phillies lose, thus lose the series as well kinda stunk. But getting to talk with a Macho Row legend made the night and the 450 mile round trip worth it. He's a scout for the Baltimore Orioles now. Here's our Phlashback Phriday of Mr. Hollins from March of 2008. By the way I ate one of those Primanti Brothers sandwiches with the french fries on it, "the Pittsburgher", and it was damn good...Wheels is a pussy for saying it's "too heavy".

Huge 3 game set with the Braves in Philly starting tonight. I'm not even bothering with the pitching match-ups. It's time to sack-up and take care of business.

~Carson

WSBGM's Power Rankings

The Power Rankings are back for round two. Remember, the rankings are based on who we have the most confidence in at the time of the rankings. Overall talent and past performances will bias the rankings slightly, but the goal is to provide a snapshot of who's excelling currently and who is playing like Eric Bruntlett.

Position Players:
1. Ryan Howard - He sucks.
2. Jimmy Rollins - Continues second half, Howard-like resurgence.
3. Jayson Werth - Homer binge gets him in the top three.
4. Chase Utley - Steady. Waiting for a surge.
5. Shane Victorino - Top five? No questions asked.
6. Ben Francisco - Ninth inning double moves him above Pedro.
7. Pedro Feliz - Why not?
8. Raul Ibanez - Has yet to recover from injury. Or is he just old?
9. Paul Bako - Two homers almost not believable.
10. Miguel Cairo - Hasn't played enough to gain or lose confidence.
12. Matt Stairs - Moon shots not getting past the second baseman.
13. Ted Kennedy - more likely to get on base than...
14. Eric Bruntlett - I don't care if he had three hits in one game.
Injured - Greg Dobbs.


Starters:
1. Cliff Lee - Two unearned runs almost cost him the top spot.
2. JA Happ - New nickname: JA Rule.
3. Joe Blanton - Heavy B coming up big.
4. Cole Hamels - Eight scoreless not enough to bump Heavy B.
5. Pedro Martinez - Barely holding off Moyer.


Relievers:
1. Ryan Madson - Solid...when he's not closing.
2. Chan Ho Park - Next in line for the closers chance?
3. Scott Eyre - LOOGY.
4. Jamie Moyer - Long relief master.
5. Tyler Walker - Good work in place of the injured regulars.
6. Jim Abbott...throwing from the right.
7. Brad Lidge - Maybe he was just tired working for the fourth day in a row?
8. Rodrigo Lopez - Whoopdi.
9. Kyle Kendrick - Doo.
DL'd - Romero, Durbin, Condrey, Myers.

Corey

Saves the Day

Despair began to set in, then a 3-run blast by Ryan Howard saved the day. Since August 13th (13 games) Howard has gone 17-54 (.315), 14 r, 2 dbl, 9 hr, 25 rbi.


~Carson

Regroup

Did last night totally suck? Abso-f’n-lutely! Should we be scared of 9th inning save situations for the remainder of the season? Yep. However, yesterday’s loss was only 1 loss, even if it felt like a centuries worth of losses all balled up into one big shit sandwich. That’s right, only 1 loss, the 51st loss of the season; meaning the Phillies still have 72 wins and a 7 game lead in the NL East over both the Marlins and the Braves. It’s time to regroup, take care of business in Pittsburgh, and get back to winning ways and securing a NL East division championship for a third straight season.

Speaking of "regrouping” (I'm like T-Mac with annoying segues up in here), the same needs to be done by struggling southpaw Cole Hamels. The kid was very good last season and phenomenal in the postseason. He has the ability to be a top of the rotation pitcher. The Phillies need him to straighten himself out by the time the playoffs come around, or defending the World Series trophy may not be an option. A quality start tonight, coupled with a win will be a step in the right direction.

On a more exciting note, the Keystone Cup remains up for grabs with the Phillies leading the Pirates in the season series 3-1.

Can we sign this kid to be our closer...

...at least he knows when to throw in the towel.

~Carson

Worst Ever

Brad Lidge is having the worst season ever by a closer. That's not opinion, that's fact. Lidge 2009: 0-6, 9 blown saves, 7.33 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 11 HR allowed. That's the worst ERA and 4th worst WHIP by a closer with 20+ saves in any season ever. I am appalled, I am livid, I am absolutely pissed!

Why the hell did Charlie Manuel use him for a 4th straight game anyway? That's a double stupid move. First time stupid for using him that many days in a row. Second time stupid for refusing to look at other options for closing games. This was the perfect opportunity to do so, because the excuse for "needs rest" was there.

~Carson

Keystone Cup

The Keystone Cup could be clinched tonight with a Phillies victory. Having swept the Pirates earlier this season back in July, the Phils need only one more win to tip the season series scale in their favor. The Keystone Cup was a WSBGM's creation back in our inaugural season of 2006, and it is awarded to the best MLB team in Pennsylvania according to head-to-head record.

Pitching Match-Ups:
Tonight- Joe Blanton (8-6, 3.86) vs. Ross Ohlendorf (11-8, 4.15), both pitchers have been on a roll.
Wednesday- Cole Hamels (7-8, 4.78) vs. Paul Maholm (7-7, 4.74), both lefties started the season with lofty expectations, but have greatly disappointed.
Thursday- JA Happ (10-2, 2.59) vs. Charlie Morton (3-6, 5.21), Happ looks to further his NL ROY credentials, while Morton looks to not embarrass himself. I am making my first trek to PNC park for this game, and can't wait to take in the stadium's beauty while basking in a Phils win, which is hopefully for the series sweep.

~Carson

Bruntlett To The Hall

Eric Bruntlett caught a liner that was hit right at him, stepped on second and tagged a guy who was standing still. Nice play. His reward? The Hall of Fame called and requested a little bit o' Bruntlett in Cooperstown.

Reports say that the Hall asked Bruntlett for some "memorabilia" and the pinch-hitting ace of the bench obliged by donating his game jersey. But that isn't where this story ends. WSBGM's has learned the hall will be giving Bruntlett his own plaque, too.

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Fries: Way Too Heavy For Wheels
In the ninth inning yesterday Wheels and T-Mac start talking about the upcoming series in Pittsburg. During their inane verbal Ambien witty banter T-Mac asked Wheels if he's ever had one of those sandwiches with the french fries on it. Wheels' reply?

"No way. That's too heavy for me."

Chris Wheeler has been broadcasting games for the Phillies since 1977. That makes over thirty trips to Pittsburgh for at least three days at a time and zero Primanti sandwiches. Disgraceful. And the fact that the weight of the sandwich contributes to this tragedy is even more disgraceful.

Wheels. Please. Go get a sandwich. Have Sarge or Frantzke feed it to you if you're worried about being able to lift it.
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Phantasy Phootball
Yahoo! league ID 666979, password is "phillies".

Corey

Bruntlett Becomes Historical

Eric Bruntlett had an historically amazing day. Not only did he see his batting average climb from .128 to .154 with a 3-5 day at the plate, he also committed an error in the 9th inning that put our shaky closer on thin ice, but redeemed himself with the 15th unassisted triple play in MLB history to end the game. Let's be honest, he's still a horrible baseball player, but he certainly etched his place in Phillies lore with that play. Phillies won an ugly game 9-7, and that's good enough for me.

*Video courtesy of The Fightins.

Today's starter, Cliff Lee, is aiming for the series win, to stay perfect in the NL, and some hits to get back in the Chasing Bruntlett race (Updated: Lee- 5, Bruntlett- 14).

And don't forget to sign up for the WSBGM's Phantasy Phootball league. Yahoo! league ID is 666979 and the password is phillies. Eight spots remain for this head-to-head league.

~Carson

Pedro Wins, Mahow Dances !!

Corey

Myers Rehabs, Talks...Mentors?

Brett Myers made his firs rehab appearance on Thursday night. Nineteen pitches, three strikeouts, yada, yada, who gives a crap. What he said was way more interesting.

On delaying his rehab start:
"It was a freak accident, that is all I can really say about it. It’s something you don’t expect to happen and now you just try and be more cautious. Make sure your feet are under you before you take that next step. I wish it kind of hadn’t happened because it stirred up more stuff than it should have. Next time I will tell it straight because I just felt embarrassed about a grown man falling out of a car.”

Well color me confused. Didn't Randy Miller report on Wednesday that Myers was punched in the face during a bar fight? Called it the Adventure's of Pinocchio or something like that. I know a baseball player wouldn't lie. And I know a newspaper writer wouldn't just print rumors without fact or evidence to get people to read, that's what bloggers are for. So what the dealio?


On mentoring a young pitcher:
“He is one of our own, so why not help him."

The "him" Myers referred to was young righty Julian Sampson. Myers and Sampson apparently "worked on and talked pitching" prior to the game, according to a Yahoo! report.

Great, Brett Myers thinks he's Rich Dubee now. And Julian Sampson just dropped three places on the prospect rankings. Look out Phillies farmhands, no one is safe until Brett is back in the Big Show.
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Today's Game


Corey

Hamels Pictorium

Not too long ago, Cole Hamels was the toast of the town. He was coming off a remarkable postseason and was inked to a nice 3 year deal in the offseason. Everything seemed to be going as planed...

...but then the 2009 season began and things fell apart...



...and now he's just a tool who wears these types of shirts...

...at least he has his hot wife and dog to cheer him up.

~Carson

Phlashback Phriday- August 21, 2001

The 2000's have been good to Phillies fans. The year 2001 was the start of the turnaround from dismal organization to perennial contenders. Larry Bowa took the throne of manager that year, and won NL Manager of the Year by guiding the Phils to a 86-76 record. On this day the Astros were in Philly and took the game 8-2 from the Phightins.

Lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins/SS
2. Marlon Anderson/2B
3. Scott Rolen/3B
4. Bobby Abreu/RF
5. Travis Lee/1B
6. Pat Burrell/LF
7. Doug Glanville/CF
8. Johnny Estrada/C
Pitchers- Nelson Figueroa (starter), Jose Santiago, Cliff Politte, and Eddie Oropesa.

Game Notes:
*Bobby Abreu collected his 35th double, 32nd stolen base, and 89th rbi on the way to his first 30/30 season (also did it in 2004).

*Look at 2nd and 1st base and you'll be damn glad those duds no longer man the right side of the infield.

*The attendance was only 20,647 at the Vet. Don't know if Citizens Bank Park has ever had a crowd that sparse.
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Heading to NY:
Taking anything less than 3 out of 4 from this depleted Mets club would be a disgrace. They won't have Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, or David Wright in the lineup. Johan Santana pitched last night, so they'll dodge that bullet. Instead they get Mike Pelfrey, Tim Redding, Oliver Perez, and recently turned starter Bobby Parnell. The Phils are one of the hottest teams in baseball, and are 20 games above .500 (69-49) for the first time all year. With the Braves and Marlins beating up on each other this weekend, it's time to pad the 6.5 game NL East cushion. (T-Shirt courtesy of Philly Phaithful)

~Carson

Chasing Bruntlett

Carson noted in the comment section today that since joining the Phillies a few days ago, Cliff Lee has almost half as many hits as supersub Eric Bruntlett. Just like Howard chasing the strikeout record or Jamie Moyer trying to match the futility of Adam Eaton, this competition needs it's own randomly updated post. So, introducing...



Corey

We're Not WerthLee

We're not WerthLee, we're not worthy!

Jayson Werth with 2 homeruns. 27 homers, 74 rbi, and 77 runs this season.

Cliff Lee with the complete game win. As a Phillie- 4 starts, 4 wins, 33 innings pitched, 34 strikeouts, 2 complete games, 0.82 ERA, 0.73 WHIP. At the plate he's 5-13 (.385 avg).

Awesome!

~Carson

Moyer to the Rescue

Career win #257 was a special one for Jamie Moyer. Grand Pappy came on in relief of Pedro Martinez (the man who took his place in the rotation) after a 1 hour rain delay in the 4th inning. Nobody knew what to expect from the grizzled 46 year year old veteran, not even himself, but the results were astounding. He gave up a single to the first batter, but that was pretty much the extent of what Arizona got off of him. Moyer went 6 innings, allowing 2 hits, 0 runs, with 5 k's. Oh, he picked up 2 hits at the plate too. The remaining crowd gave him a well deserved standing ovation.

Update:
Apparently Moyer wasn't in a good mood last night after the win. The New York Times called him "despondent", Todd Zolecki "dour", and Scott Lauber "sour". Jamie needs to cheer up. He said he didn't want to be a distraction, but acting like that he'll soon become one. I truly hope he doesn't tarnish his hero tag he's earned in Philly. The fans love and respect him, as do I, but if he continues to sulk he'll see how fans in this town can turn on him. Quit being an Eeyore.
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Coming Up Aces:
Last year's AL Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, has been almost perfect since coming to the NL. He looks for his 4th win in his 4th start tonight for the Phillies. It won't be an easy task with 2009 NL Cy Young hopeful Dan Haren on the mound for the Diamondbacks. Haren rarely walks batters (25 bb in 169 ip) and is stingy with hits as well (126 h in 169 ip, .203 avg against).
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Tidbits:
The Phillies went 5-1 on their road trip through Chicago and Atlanta, despite hitting just .225. They still averaged 5.3 runs per game and hit 12 home runs during the trip. The Phillies had a 1.92 ERA on the trip, including a 1.08 bullpen ERA. The Phils were 13-22 at home in April, May and June. They enter Wednesday night's game against Arizona with a 17-7 record at home in July and August. Philadelphia pitchers had a 2.87 ERA in their previous 30 games. The Phillies were 73-54 (.575) in August since 2005. Only the Mets (.578) have a better winning percentage in August. (From Phillies.com)

~Carson

Pedro Martinez & Sexual Chocolate

No matter what happens tonight, they can't take away his dignityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by Prince Akeem and McDowell's will be selling $1 hamburgers...with no seeds on the bun, of course.

Corey

D-Backs in Town

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-65) @ Philadelphia Phillies (66-49)


Offense:
D'backs- .255/.755, 4.52 runs per game
Phils- .257/.781, 5.23 runs per game

Pitching Match-Ups:
Tue- John Garland (6-10, 4.28) vs. Pedro Martinez (1-0, 5.40)
Wed- Dan Haren (12-7, 2.50) vs. Cliff Lee (3-0, 1.13 w/Phils)
Thur- Doug Davis (7-10, 3.59) vs. Joe Blanton (7-6, 3.88)

Atlanta heads to New York with a 3 game set with the Mets, while the Marlins are in Houston for 3.
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Draft Signings:
By now you probably heard that the devil Scott Boras struck a deal for Steven Strasburg with the Nationals right before the midnight deadline last night. What didn't get nearly as much hype, if any at all, was the fact that the Phillies signed 7th round pick Brody Colvin, meaning they agreed to terms with their first 10 picks.

~Carson

Odds Trading

Learn the Basics of Odds Trading
You may be somewhat familiar with the new form of online betting known as odds trading, but if you are not, you need to get the basics down so that you can make odds trading bets of your own. As long as you can find an online odds trading site, odds trading is easy to do and if done well, the experience can be very profitable.

Odds Trading 101
Odds trading occurs when you want to make a bet that is not offered online by bookmakers. Perhaps you like a particular underdog to win, but you don’t think you are getting good enough odds. Maybe you already have a team with a certain point spread but want to take the other team with a more favorable spread to hedge your bets. Whatever it is, there is probably a some place out there that will book your bet, all you have to do is find the place.


Finding Your Odds Trader
Odds trading websites facilitate this process for you. Instead of having to go out to your local bar or pool hall and propose your bet to everyone you meet, you can simply post it on the site. Other players looking for interesting propositions will see your bet, and if they meet your conditions, can select your bet and you’ll have a wager. While those who bet directly with a sportsbook pay an extra percentage on their loss to the House when they lose, odds trading sites profit by taking a small percentage from the winner’s earnings.

Odds Trading - Advantages for the Player
While players can get an edge through betting with a regular sportsbook, the edge is usually minimal, since sportsbooks generally have teams of experts figuring out the most equitable line, or at least derive their lines from a group that has such a team of experts. With odds trading, you set your own lines, and it is only a matter of finding someone who thinks those lines are acceptable. A skilled trader can give themselves a much larger edge when betting outcomes, and finding a bigger edge is what successful gambling is all about.

Try to Create Good Odds Bets
A bet that gives you a great edge is useless if you can’t get anyone to take the other side. Craft your bets carefully. Look at the odds and lines that the online sites are offering and generate your bet accordingly. Look for situations where someone is more likely to take the worst of it. Consider, for example, a team that is a fan favorite but is too highly favored, or a team playing in conditions where they traditionally perform poorly, although this fact is not heavily publicized.

Be Aware of the Juice
Remember that with odds trading, the online odds trading site takes a percentage from the winner as its fee for setting up the bet. Be sure that you know exactly how much the site takes and that you have calculated this into your projected edge when crafting the bet.

Get Some Experience
If you’ve never done any sports betting before, it might be a good idea to practice betting in the conventional way before getting too heavily into odds trading. This will give you some experience understanding which odds bets tend to be good and which ones tend to be not so good, and if you sign up with the site offering the best bonus, you’ll decrease the bookie’s advantage a bit. You’ll also come to understand what circumstances can give the player an edge or put the player at a disadvantage. You should also make sure that your bets are appropriate for your bankroll. You don’t want to blow your entire bankroll on one bad weekend. Be sure to have enough money to overcome the variance that occurs with any situation that does not have a fixed outcome.

Howard Begins Late Season Surge

JA Happ went 7.2 innings, allowing only 1 run, and picked up the win, while Ryan Howard supplied the offense with 2 blasts and 4 rbi. Happ continues to make a push for the NL ROY, and it certainly appears Ryan Howard has begun his late season surge (Aug/Sept/Oct). In the last 4 games he's 7-13 with 5 r, 4 hr, and 9 rbi. For his career, Ryan has gone .300/.405/.637, 166 r, 50 dbl, 5 trpl, 81 hr, and 224 rbi from August-October.
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Phillies on Products:



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Philly Phaithful:
Head over to Philly Phaithful for a solid collection of Philadelphia sports themed t-shirts. Corey digs the "Thanks Cleveland" and I'm partial to the "Broad & Pattison".

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WSBGM's Phantasy League 3:
Rank/Team/Record/Win%/Games Back
1. Hoochie Cooches 138-76-14 .636 -
2. Stairs' Ass Hammers 122-86-20 .579 13
3. Grand Pappies 122-92-14 .566 16
4. bumpin' utleys 117-98-13 .542 21.5
5. World F'in Champs 107-102-19 .511 28.5
6. Prystline 108-103-17 .511 28.5
7. Dickie's Thongs 104-101-23 .507 29.5
8. Burrell Priapism 108-106-14 .504 30
9. The Mulholland 45s 105-105-18 .500 31
10. ScottyBaseball 99-110-19 .476 36.5
11. Dick Allen Thumpers 98-112-18 .469 38
12. David Wrong 100-115-13 .467 38.5
13. Yuengling Lagers 98-116-14 .461 40
14. Chase Utley's Hip 97-125-6 .439 45
15. Asheboro Assholes 93-123-12 .434 46
16. jimmysrollers09 82-128-18 .399 54

Yep, that's me in 1st place, dominating after winning all categories to post a shutout 12-0 last week. Corey fell to 8th, but still hopes to rebound in time to make the playoffs (top 4 teams).

~Carson