Unflappable to unfathomable. How else to describe the stunning transformation of Cole Hamels, arguably one of the game’s better young pitchers? After another mind-numbing display of immaturity and stupidity, the Phillies find themselves in a hole for the first time in two post-seasons. Whether the hole is too deep remains to be seen. What is clearly no longer in question is Mr. Hamels needs to grow up.

Sure, the 3-2 pitch to Texiera MIGHT have been strike 3, it was close, but it did not warrant a melt down of epic proportions. Suddenly Hamels forgot everything he’d been doing well to that point. Pound A-Roid inside became leave a fastball out over the plate, a fastball overthrown in the remnants of the growing tantrum. The Republican’s year-long hissy fit over Obama’s election has nothing on a Hamels’ whine fest.

The stupidity came an inning later, when inexplicably Hamels began lobbing lame-assed curve balls at Nick Swisher, a lame-assed hitter buried in a deep slump. Nick the Dick should send Hamels a gift certificate to Baby Gap, a reward for the slop of the hanging curve ball that ended the slump and so much more.

Under “lesson NOT learned” (or maybe: “Thank you, may we have another?”) Hamels followed a great strikeout and a chance to see his way out of the inning by slopping up another curve ball – HIS THIRD BEST PITCH – and turning Andy Pettitte into an imitation of a DH. The end came after a lazy walk to Jeter and a dagger of a line drive double by Damon. A game that began with promise, promise that looked even better with a 3-0 cushion, suddenly smelled of rotting garbage.

The grossest smell, however, is that of the stench of Hamels’ effort, not just last night but all season. More so than any Brad Lidge blown save, the supposed Ace being a Joker is inexcusable. The seemingly unflappable psyche displayed in his first two years has devolved into something seen on Sweet Sixteen, with Cole playing the part of the angry bitch who is crying because she ONLY got a BMW.

But then again, that’s what spoiled brats often give you… much ado about nothing. Cole Hamels gave the Phillies too much ado and a lot of nothing this year, especially last night.

Can you spank a grown man?

With apologies to Peter Gabriel…

RED REIGN is coming down… RED REIGN

RED REIGN is pouring down… Pouring down all over me

I am standing up at the waters edge in my dream

I cannot make a single sound as you scream

It can’t be that cold… the ground is still warm to touch

This place is so quiet, sensing that storm

 

RED REIGN is coming down… RED REIGN

RED REIGN is pouring down… Pouring down all over me

 

Well I’ve seen them buried in a sheltered place in this town

They tell you that this REIGN can sting, and look down

There is no blood around… I see no sign of pain

Seeing no RED at all, see no REIGN

 

RED REIGN is coming down… RED REIGN

RED REIGN is pouring down… Pouring down all over me

 

Putting the pressure on much harder now… To return again and
again

Just let the RED REIGN splash you… Let the REIGN fall on
your skin

I come to you defenses down… With the trust of a child

 

RED REIGN is coming down… RED REIGN

RED REIGN is pouring down…Pouring down all over me

 

And I can’t watch any more… No more denial

It’s so hard to lay down in all of this

RED REIGN is coming down

RED REIGN is pouring down

RED REIGN is coming down all over me

 

I see it

 

RED REIGN is coming down

RED REIGN is pouring down

RED REIGN is coming down all over me

 

I’m bathing in it

 

RED REIGN coming down

RED REIGN is coming down

RED REIGN is coming down all over me

 

I’m begging you

 

RED REIGN coming down

RED REIGN coming down

RED REIGN coming down

RED REIGN coming down

 

Over me in the RED RED sea

Over me… Over me

RED
REIGN…

The Philadelphia Phillies are the National League Champions… AGAIN.

I have had the good fortune to see a few awesome Phillies events live: the first World Series game ever played at Veteran’s Stadium, Terry Mulholland’s no-no, the 1983 and 93 NLCS clinchers, the final game at the Vet, the first at the Vault… but last night was somehow better, despite not actually being there – it won’t take
away from the magic of the moment.

Nothing could.

(I envy my brother-in-law and PhoulBallz
and a lot of other people today!)

Like last year’s version, the WFC’s, the 09 Phillies have a “feel” that is hard to describe. You never get the feeling any game is over, no matter the score or deficit or inning. Against the Rockies, Games 3 & 4 were epic see-saw affairs, decided only at the end. Now against the Dodgers, leads are changing hands as often as Paris Hilton changes outfits.

In last night’s instant classic, an early 2-0 lead, courtesy of the most destructive force ever to play in Phillies pinstripes (I love you, Schmitty, but Ryan Howard is literally THE BOMB), was wiped out in the middle innings when Joe Blanton stumbled. Still, despite the mess, the deficit was never more than 2, at 4-2.

My quote at the time: “Yeah, as if they won’t put something together to push the issue.”

Three batters later it was 4-3 and every trip to the plate was the tying run. The bullpen did an imitation of its 2008 self and shut the door – or maybe the Dodgers lost interest in the deepening cold – and you had to think something might happen in the 9th, Jonathan “Nuke LaLoosh” Broxton notwithstanding.

A calm came over me. I sat with a smile and watched. Rauuuul grounded out, the smile held. Here comes Matt Stairs. You could almost see Broxton’s sphincter pucker shut. Four “I don’t want anything to do with you” balls later, the tying run moved 90 feet closer. The next pitch subtracted another 90 feet when Chooch got whooched with a fastball off the elbow.

(Aside: he won’t get MVP, but Carlos Ruiz is clearly a big reason this team wins.)

Greg Dobbs enters. My usual “ugh” moment that came with most of Dobbs 09 appearances was noticeably missing. The thought of a DP never entered my mind. Bloop, nope, not going to get to left. OK, two outs. Jimmy is up.

Laser, foul back, 0-1.
Laser, off the plate, 1-1

Something odd came over me, a feeling of complete and absolute certainty as to what would come next. The “how” wasn’t part of it, but the “why” was obvious: this is what they do, you can’t explain it, it just happens.

Me to self (aloud, yes, I talk to myself on occasion): “OK, Jimmy, you got this guy.” It wasn’t an angry thought, but something more positive. Like I said, a feeling that all was in hand.

Laser, reverse and more intense laser in the opposite direction, to the emptiness between Kemp and Ethier, at an angle that will prevent either from getting the carom they need to make a play on Chooch, running like his pants are on fire from first. I jump up, screaming with joy, THE GAME IS OVER, YES, YES, YES…

It would be over an hour before enough of the euphoria faded to allow me to sleep. That’s OK, sleep is over-rated in October. This is the Playoffs and it feels like VICTORY.

Goddamn, I love this game.

It’s Friday, it’s wet (at least in my tiny spec of the world), and I have a few things on my mind… in no particular order of importance, here are things I think I think…

• Phillies and Rockies head west tied 1-1 in NLDS…

I think this is a good series so far. OK, yes, it’s supposed to be tundra cold this weekend in Colorado. Big stinkin’ whoop. Both teams have to endure the EXACT SAME WEATHER… just like the Hurricane Pretzel winds from Game 1. It favors neither side.

• President Obama gets a Nobel Peace Prize…

I think this might be the tipping point that puts Glenn Beck and the rest of the thought-challenged Right over the edge. Jimmie Carter, Al Gore, and now the devil himself, Prez O, ALL have NPP’s? What’s the world coming to? Oh, yeah, that’s right, all three – and the Nobel committee – GET IT!

• They call them RULES for a reason…

I think the statement “let the players decide” spoken in a derogatory fashion towards a sports official is the STUPIDEST THING EVER. A Mr. J. Everett Prewitt of Cleveland (I could just stop there, but I’ll go on) opined the following in the latest S.I. re: Serena “Roid Rage” Williams: “… in the final moments, games should be won or lost by the players and not the officials.” Uh, yeah, no kidding, but at NO POINT do the rules of ANY SPORT have a “here are the rules for the final/big/key moment…” section. Suggesting we (and I can say we because I’m a long-time baseball umpire) ignore the rules based on situations is an insult.

• Here comes the Sun…

I think reading “solar activity may cause temporary interruption in the broadcast” – the scrolling message during Game 1 of the Phillies/Rockies series on TBS – was kind of funny. Maybe THAT’S why Chris Wheeler is and was so awful all season.

• Play smart, it usually works out better…

I think the Flyers need to ignore who is in the other sweaters, especially when said sweaters have a skating penguin on them. Seriously, three mostly solid games were tossed out the window in last night’s stink fest 5-4 loss to the SCC’s from western PA. Too much trying to make a statement instead of just making the statement with good play.

• Number of trophies does NOT mean ‘good sports town’…

I think the results of the recent poll putting Pittsburgh at the top of the list of sports towns was flawed in more ways than I have space remaining. In short, it’s NOT about only the trophies. This area is NOT A GOOD SPORTS TOWN. Period.

Nuff said. Catch you guys later.

The Phillies are the 2009 National League East Champions!

For the first time in more than a week, the sky is a perfect blue and the sun is shining. That is not a metaphor – it really is clear, cool, and seriously sunny here in western PA. I’ve lived on this side of the state for the past 14 years or so, but I’ve never stopped “living” in Philadelphia… and I’ll never stop loving baseball and the team I grew up with, the Phillies.

That kind of love is not easy – is ANY love easy? – and I’ve taken a lot of bumps and bruises over the years…

…the 1977 & 78 playoff series against the Dodgers that can be described as nothing more than “bizarre” [Really, Danny? Bull still in left in the 9th? Really?... Uh, Mr. Kuhn, it's RAINING, are you sure we have to play?]…

…the Saturday night special maroon pajama uniforms of 1979 [yeah, I spent $200 I didn't have to get one, Ramon Aviles - remember him?]…

…the magic of 1980 [the Astros series - yes, they were a pain in the *** back then too... the WS Gm. 1 comeback - Bowa steals second down 4-0... Del Unser delivers (again) in Gm. 5... Boone drops it, but Rose snags it out of the air... McGraw K's Wilson (again; poor guy K'd 12 times in 6 games)]…

…the strike mangled 81 season [losing a Game 5 at home to the Expos? With Lefty going? Ugh]… the geriatric theatrics of the 83 Wheeze Kids NL Pennant [Beat LA! Beat LA! Get in the Cadillac, Sarge]… the emptiness of most of the 80′s and 90′s [Felske, Elia, Leyva, Francona? Really, Dave Montgomery?]…

…the Animal House chaos of the 93 NL Championship [you youngin's ain't seen a blown save like a Mitch Williams Wild Thing blown save... Hey, Braves, we got your Tomahawk Chop right here!]… the 2002 thru 2006 teases [it's right there, guys, just take it already]…

…running down the Mets, twice [hey, New York, ya got something stuck in your throat over there]… and the perfection and joy that was 2008 ["World F'g Champions" - thanks, Chase, nuff said]…

…but at the end of the day, it’s been worth it. It led to today, and today looks pretty good from where I’m sitting. The hangover lasted longer than expected (yeah, everyone knows you’re WFC’s already, lose the damn patch), the perfection slipped away (10 losses when leading after 8 inning, ouch), and the injuries and questions nagged more than your mother (Moyer’s hurt? can ANYONE close a game?), but this bunch of guys pushed through it and we wake up this morning looking at another flag over Ashburn Alley.

Part 2 begins Wednesday. I can’t wait to see what’s next. But, hey, isn’t that what makes love worth it? It might hurt like hell at times, but goddamn, the make-up sex is awesome.

“He/She/They need to look in the mirror!” is an oft used sports cliche, generally when things aren’t going well (for discussion purposes, I’ll use ‘he’ – no offense to the ladies). It means said person needs to take a self-inventory and obtain a proper perspective of the situation. It’s a two-fold exercise, a chance to look at the little things, i.e., the “self” – did I miss a spot shaving? is some of lunch still stuck in my teeth? – and the big things, i.e., the “other stuff” – is someone sneaking up behind me? where did that truck come from?

We all go through this process (well, most of us anyway). After last night’s Phillies stink-fest, it seemed like a good time to look into the team’s mirror through their eyes using my eyes. It is an interesting view…

The little things, the “self”…

I see bloodshot eyes (a lead-off hitter who will end the year under .250), a few nicks and cuts (no regular will hit over .300), a couple zits on the forehead (team ERA 4+, middle-of-the-pack), and a missing tooth and some oregano stuck in there (back-end of bullpen is a train wreck), but I’m heading for a 90+ win season for only the 13th time in 127 years. I’ll take that.

The big picture, the “other stuff”…

I see a mostly clear road with little traffic. It’s been a smooth trip (in first place for 138 days) and I’m rolling along in cruise control (15-13 in Sept), but why waste the gas? The only traffic is a semi with a Georgia license plate barreling along behind me. He’s coming like a madman (Braves 17-8 in Sept), but he overslept and got in a big hole (just 69-62 prior). He can keep chugging, but the left lane ends pretty soon, and the right-of-way is mine.

So what’s it all mean, what’s the perspective tell us?

In 07 the Phillies were 7 back with 17 to play, went 13-4 and won the Division on the final day. In 08, they were 3.5 back with 16 to play, went 13-3 and won the Division on the penultimate day. The Mets helped, but the Phillies were a lot closer in the rearview mirror than the Braves are. They were 9 back with 23 to play, 8.5 back with 13 to play, and are still 4 back with 6 left. Sure, they’re flying, but like I said, the left lane ends shortly… I’d rather be the team with the Magic Number of *3* instead of their *11*.

The mirror doesn’t lie – except the ones at the carnival; this is fun, but it ain’t no funhouse – so get your Rally Towel a wavin’ and make some noise! And put away the damn mirror already, you look just fine.

(Oh, and one other tidbit… the 1964 Phillies went 14-19 post 8/31. It
took a 22-10 finish by the Cardinals to track them down and win the NL
by 1 game.)

I’m not going to rail on Charlie or Brad today. What could I say? Charlie is stubborn and Brad is stumbling. I’ll leave them to figure out that mess. I’m going to vent about those who speak to us during our viewing time… those who speak before they think.

I’m old enough to remember By Saam and Bill Campbell, but my impressionable years were filled by Harry Kalas and Richie ‘Whitey’ Ashburn. They were seamless, two friends in a bar, chatting about the game. Harry was the tee for Whitey’s drives. It was magical and made the long and often fruitless summers of Phillies baseball more than tolerable.

Harry’s passing left more than an empty seat on the charter flights or the hotel bars. It left a gaping hole of professionalism and decorum during the telecasts. Our ears will never be the same. As much as the Phillies need to shore up the back end of the bullpen for the playoffs, they need to shore up the front, middle, and back of the TV coverage. It’s painful.

For me, the worst thing is the seeming lack of knowledge. I swear, if I hear one more person say “He didn’t even try to get out of the way of the pitch” I’m going to hurt someone. You guys have plenty of time on your hands, READ the frickin’ rule book already… but I digress.

Here’s how I see (and hear) the Phillies TV team…

Tom McCarthy – decent as a “sideline” guy and middle innings play-by-play man. He has the right persona to be out and about with folks in the stands and gave a nice change of pace to Harry the K during the game. In calling the entire 9 innings, however, he has morphed into something of a doofus. It sounds – way too often – as if he has no idea how the game is played as he attempts to seemingly cater to the least informed of the audience.

Chris Wheeler – tolerable during the Harry/Whitey years, mostly because he was kept to a minimum, his presence for 6 innings is akin to having someone clip their nails in the cubicle next to yours at work. It’s really really annoying. He possesses historical knowledge for sure – if you throw tons of stuff at the wall, some of it will stick – but his inane and too often idiotic commentary about situations and players is intolerable. Those who can’t, teach… those who can’t teach, well, they simply annoy.

Sarge Matthews – loved as a player, not so much as a commentator. Yeah, yeah, Sarge, you wear a lot of different and oft colorful hats. Yeah, yeah, your son is playing in the league now. Yeah, yeah, you enjoy the Cadillac. But you’re not giving us anything of substance and teamed with T Mac, your tendency to fall into sophomoric banter is eerily close to Wheels’ nail clipping… i.e., painful to our ears.

This three-headed monster has also taken to being seriously whiny ******* lately. Wheels falls into a “woe is us” mentality as soon as the late innings start and the opponents get a baserunner. T Mac feeds into it, being excited when not called for, nervous when not necessary, clueless the rest of the time. It’s not good… in fact, it’s bad, really really bad.

I know we can’t have Harry and Whitey back, but we can have something that doesn’t make our ears bleed. Scott Pranske and Larry Anderson are said to be doing bang up work on radio – as long as they keep LA from doing play-by-play – and Jim Jackson is chomping at the bit to get more involved with the Phillies. He’s pretty solid on Flyers games, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to think otherwise on baseball.

The point is, the announcers need to be a compliment to the pictures – don’t take away from them, but don’t add too much unnecessary stuff – just work with it and make it a whole. Unfortunately, for too many nights, all we’re getting is a hole. And it’s deep. And dark. And sounds like ****.

(PS: Magic Number is 5… get your tickets for the Astros series, that’s when the clincher comes.)

During my nightly Twitter activity (done to pass the time as I watch games online via MLB.TV; it’s a nice way to compensate for not living in Philly area) I picked up a lot of overly “panicked” chatter last night. Sure, there was little of anything to shout about for most of the game, but it never really felt like it was out of control. It wasn’t really deserving of the angst.

A few games have been angst worthy this year. We all know about the 9 losses when leading after 8 innings and a few clunkers in the past few weeks (Houston, we have a problem… yeah, getting swept), but overall the season has not been chaotic, something that got me thinking: When was the last time that happened?

Well, I’m glad I asked…

The Phillies are about to do what they have done only once: win 3 consecutive Division crowns. We know they’ve had a few soirees into the promised land since, but let’s take a look back and see what we see in those historic achievements:

> 1976: 101 wins, first place for 153 days (all inclusive), biggest lead 15.5 games (on Aug. 24), and won division by 9. Scariest moments: losing 17 of 23 between Aug. 24 and Sept. 18 to see lead drop to 3. 1964 references were running wild…

> 1977: 101 wins again, but first place a mere 60 days. Biggest lead was 9 on Sept. 17, won division by 5. Scariest moments: being 8.5 back on June 29, and a 5-game losing streak in late August. 1964 got a rest… mostly…

> 1978: 90 wins, but managed to hold first 131 days. Biggest lead 5.5 (Aug. 12), won division by 1.5. Scariest moments: losing ground almost every day they lost a game in September. A couple 6-game winning streaks in the month saved the day.

> 1980: 91 wins, first place a scant 25 days, biggest lead of 2 on the day they clinched, Oct. 4, won division by 1. Scariest moments: the entire month of September. They couldn’t shake the Expos until that next-to-last day (thank you, Schmitty) despite winning 14 of 19 before the clincher.

> 1993: 97 wins, first place virtually every day, a total of 181. Biggest lead was 11.5 (June 14), won division by 3 (lost 4 of 5 after clinching). Scariest moments: stumbling through early summer and seeing lead drop to 3 (July 19), then again in early Sept. before sealing the deal. Oh, and Mitch Williams, he was very scary.

> 2007: 89 wins, first place 4 days, biggest lead 1, the final day of the year. Not so much a scary year, but frustratingly similar to most of the 2000′s when they just couldn’t get over the hump and finish. The 17 win Sept. made it all go away. The Mets gag-fest helped.

> 2008: 92 wins, first place for 95 days (bet you didn’t think it was so many), biggest lead 4 (which would be why you didn’t think so), won division by 3. Scariest moments: being 3.5 back of Mets and 4 back of Brewers for Wild Card on Sept. 10. Another “almost” frustration was building until 10 wins in next 11 and another Mets bumble-stumble won it.

So that brings us to 2009. In an arguably weak division (hey, it really isn’t when you look at the numbers), the Phillies are currently at 84 wins, have been in first for 123 days, have led by as many as 8.5, and hold a 7 game lead today (8 in loss column). The starting pitching is solid, the 1 & 2 hitters are getting on and scoring runs, Raul is getting back to being Raul, Werth is proving to everyone what he knew all along, and Chase and Ryan are, well, Chase and Ryan.

Scariest moments: Aforementioned 9 losses after the 8th inning, but even that could be a lot worse given the 16 blown saves of Lidge and Madson combined. The nicks and dents in the bullpen are a little nerve-rattling, not too much, but enough to get your attention. Stairs is struggling off the bench and Dobbs is a little gimpy, so that’s a concern. And of course, Eric Bruntlett is still on the team.

Outside of that, however, when you really really think about it, this has been a relatively smooth ride compared to some of the previous division runs.

So like Frankie says many years ago: Relax…

Besides, the Eagles will give us plenty to worry about soon enough.

Last time out I said I’d “get back” to the Brad Lidge situation. After last night’s near disaster, it seemed like a good time to do that.

First, let me go on record with this: Brad Lidge is a “forever” hero
for the Phillies and their fans. That 48-48 perfect season will live on
in our hearts, the capper being the final strike (same holds true for Matt Stairs,
but that’s another story for another day).

But back to Lidge and 2009… As I watched the game last night, a song by Aerosmith came to mind…

There’s somethin’ wrong with the world today
I don’t know what it is
Something’s wrong with our eyes…

Could that be what I’m seeing? Charlie is sending Lidge out there AGAIN? No, no way, not after blown save #10. Maybe it’s my eyes… nope, here he comes.

The painful process of a major league pitcher self-destructing continued. It wasn’t pretty. If you saw the game (5-3 Win over Nationals), you understand. If you didn’t see it, consider yourself lucky. Lidge was clearly not comfortable at any point. His facial expressions seemed to be saying: “I have no idea what the hell I’m doing out here.” The bases-loaded mess proved the theory.

Charlie, Dubee, and Brad all say it’s not his “stuff” (the worst generic term in baseball). His radar readings seem OK. So what is it? The revelation that he’s “fighting a blister” wasn’t too surprising. I’d have a blister too if I was squeezing the poo out of the ball. In any event, there’s definitely something wrong in Lidge’s world today.

We’re seein’ things in a different way
And God knows it ain’t his
It sure ain’t no surprise…

Charlie came and got him before it went to blown save #11. For many it was a welcome relief (made more so by Ryan Madson’s skillful escape), but it sure wasn’t a surprise. 10 blown saves and an ERA in Adam Eaton territory this season and a history of something very similar.

In Lidge’s first full year as a closer in 2005 with the Astros, he was great: 42 saves in 46 opportunities. But it didn’t last: 2006 he was 32/38 (6 blown); 2007, 19/27 (8 blown and he lost the closer job). Included in there was the infamous 9th inning meltdown in the playoffs against the Cardinals.

It’s quite possible last year (2008) was simply an anomaly, a moment of greatness in an otherwise decent but not overly remarkable career. It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing happened in baseball.

There’s somethin’ wrong with the world today
The light bulb’s gettin dim
There’s meltdown in the sky…

Brad Lidge’s light(s out) bulb is very dim… in fact, it’s almost invisible. He was greeted by a chorus of boos from the large contingent of Phillies fans in D.C. for the game (and no doubt by a few hundred thousand more in living rooms and bars everywhere in the Delaware Valley and beyond). I can’t blame anyone. There’s only so much we can take (right, Scott Rolen? right, Bobby Abreu?).

Tell me what you think about your sit-u-a-tion
Complication – aggravation
Is getting to you

If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin’
Even if it wasn’t would you still come crawlin’
Back again
I bet you would my friend
Again & again & again & again & again…

And now maybe the aggravation has extended to Charlie. It sure sounded like it
after the game. “… I just had a bad feeling…” (hey, Charlie, as Bruce Willis’s
‘John Maclane’ said: “Welcome to the party, pal!” – we’ve been there for months!). Charlie’s loyalty is admirable – to a point – but there comes a time when even rose-colored glasses can’t hide the obvious.

Was last night the end of the Lidge era for the Phillies? Only time will tell, but things are most definitely no longer as they were. We’ll see starting tonight who is next up to leave us Livin’ on the edge…

More than a few Phillies fans are becoming uneasy with the recent play of the team. The Twitterverse was rampant with Chicken Little tweets in the past few days. Some were funny. A few not so much.

I’ll get it out of the way and say: NOT ME.

The defense remains at the top of majors… OK, tied at the top with – wait for it – the Pittsburgh Pirates at .988 fielding %, but first in fewest errors at 60. And the pitching has come on – now 7th in majors for the entire season-to-date and 4th in last 30 days (I’m leaving Lidge for another discussion). Pitching and defense wins in the playoffs.

But wait, Allen, they have to GET THERE first, right?

Of course they do, but given there is no Phillies team of 07 or 08 chasing the 09 Phillies I don’t see how that can’t happen, recent stumbles aside. The Marlins and Braves don’t have the personnel to make the same kind of run the Phillies did. And the Phillies aren’t the Mets of those years… this crew has been there, done that (won)… twice.

All that said, I do have some concerns… NOT worries, but concerns (again, Lidge gets a rest for now). The biggest is the offense. It seems to be in another of its Jeff Spicoli “huh, what?” phases… you know, wasted. In the past 30 days the hitters are close to the bottom (24th in team batting at .249) despite being 4th in HR with 40. That (a slump) is going to happen, but embedded in there is the seeming lack of understanding for the concept of a quality out.

It has failed to register with these guys. Yeah, yeah, I saw the story too about how the stats say the team is OK hitting with RISP. Stats don’t lie… but the AVERAGES would not change based on what I’m talking about. They’d have EXACTLY the same numbers, but a helluva lot more runs. Hits are a bonus w/RISP. It’s the lack of “making the right kind of OUT” I’ve seen that is most troubling… and not just this season.

It has been an epidemically bad trend for far too many years with this bunch. Leaving the “gimme” runs out there so often is the biggest frustration I have. As far as I’m concerned, those “Runner on third less than two out” situations should be converted no less than 90% of the time. Maybe I’m being overly critical or have unreasonable expectations, but it falls under “Do Your Job” for me (I used to wear that phrase out as a coach) (and as I write this, they just failed again… instead of 2-0, stays 1-0 and Moyer’s margin for error is nil).

It also falls under “The Little Things” that make baseball such a great game. Do the little things – your job – and your team can win a big pile of games. The Phillies have been winning a pile of games the last couple years, but the job would be a LOT easier if they would do their jobs more consistently.

Anyway… like I said I’m not worried. The Phillies are headed for the playoffs. Once there, I hope the trend mentioned above disappears. That would be good.