MLB FanHouse

Brett Myers Wants to Be Traded, Unless You Take Brett Myers's Word for It

Josh Alper — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East

Brett Myers made no secret of his desire to remain in the role of closer for the Phillies but once Brad Lidge came to town it was back to the rotation. His recent demotion to the minor leagues tells you how well that's worked out and Lidge's contract extension means that he won't close in Philadelphia any time in the near future. Naturally, that's given rise to discussion about Myers's future with the team.

According to Ricky Bottalico, television analyst for the Phillies AAA affiliate, Myers told him that he wants to be traded somewhere he can close.

"He's banking on getting outta there. You know it as well as I do that he doesn't want to be with the Phillies anymore. He's made that perfectly clear."

That would be understandable. Beyond the desire to relieve, Myers might also feel a change of scenery would help him recover what's been missing in 2008. Thing is, he denies saying anything of the sort.

"I never asked for a trade. I've got a house and everything in Philly. Why would I want to leave?"

You hear that Bottalico, he's got a house! A man doesn't just walk away from roots like that. Myers could have refused to go to the minors but did it without issue and is even dropping to AA to make another start this weekend while the AAA is on All-Star break. That doesn't sound like someone who is looking to blaze a trail out of Philadelphia.

Brett Myers Wants to Be Traded, Unless You Take Brett Myers's Word for It originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adam Eaton's Latest Mess Makes Phillies Need for a Pitcher Clear

Josh Alper — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Video

All of the turmoil surrounding the Mets in June cost Willie Randolph his job but it didn't cost them a chance at winning the NL East. After beating the Phillies 10-9 yesterday, they are just two and a half games out of first. The Marlins, no one's idea of a contender at the season's start, are a game closer to the Phillies. All that means there's a lot of pressure on Pat Gillick to make a move to shore up the questionable rotation.

He's trying. The Phillies were in the CC Sabathia bidding until the very end but didn't have a hitting prospect to equal Matt LaPorta. There probably won't be another pitcher of that ilk on the market, but that's okay. The Phillies don't need Sabathia, they just need someone better than Adam Eaton. Eaton, via this clip from the 700 Level, says all that needs to be said about yesterday's miserable shelling.

Hindsight is 20/20 but the Phillies look pretty silly for not making more of an effort at signing Kyle Lohse during the offseason. No one may have predicted how well he'd pitch for St. Louis but it didn't take a crystal ball to see him outperform Eaton.

Adam Eaton's Latest Mess Makes Phillies Need for a Pitcher Clear originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bleacher Bums: Fat Philly Fan Fondles Phanatic After Dance Routine

Will Brinson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Video

First of all, hooray to phonetic title semi-puns. Secondly, this video has everything you would expect out of the scene at the CBP for a Phillies game. You have to fast forward a little ways to see the fat man dance (2:20 to be exact), but if you do that, you'll miss Philly fans booing (1:00 and nooooo, you don't say) and a quick camera glance at a ballgirl which gets awkward (1:50-ish).

What a perfectly generic baseball fan: fat, mustached and willing to skin up in about 3/4 of a second.

Fat man chest bump to Enrico for the vid.

Bleacher Bums: Fat Philly Fan Fondles Phanatic After Dance Routine originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brad Lidge Has a New Deal

Tom Fornelli — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Transactions

I'm guessing a lot of you are like me in that as soon as you hear the name Brad Lidge, you immediately think about Albert Pujols hitting a ball about 750 feet off of him in the 2005 NLCS. Of course, I also think about the walk-off that Scott Podsednik hit off of him in game two of the World Series about a week after that as well. The Pujols one sticks out more though because it's not often that we get to see a man's spirit crushed on national television.

After that home run, Brad just wasn't the same for the Astros, he'd been ruined. So when the Astros sent him to Philadelphia this offseason, I thought it would be a nice change for Brad. I had no idea the change in scenery would affect him as much as it has though. A 2-0 record with a 0.77 ERA and 19 saves in 19 chances, yeah, the Phillies will take that. In fact, they'll take three more years of it.

Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge has signed a three-year, 37.5 million-dollar, contract extension.

Lidge is 2-and-0 with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings and set a club record by converting his first 19 save opportunities this season. He didn't allow an earned run through his first 17 appearances (17 innings), which was the second-longest by a Phillies pitcher to start his career with the team.

Lidge would have been a free agent at the end of the year, but considering how things have been working for him in the City of Brotherly Love, you kind of figured a deal would be worked out sooner rather than later.

Brad Lidge Has a New Deal originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: For Those About to Rock

Mullet — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, San Francisco

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (44-43) at Colorado Rockies (37-51) - 3:05 PM ET

As if 18-17 wasn't enough, the Rockies and Marlins played a 12-6 game proving once and for all that ~~the humidor is dead~~ Coors Field can still play host to some Nintendo games ... and that the Marlins pitching staff needs to step it up if they're going to hope to remain in contention for the N.L. East. The Marlins turn to Mark Hendrickson, who started out the season pitching like their ace but has been positively awful his last seven starts (37 earned runs in his last 34 innings). Not the guy you would expect to bounce you back from giving up 30 runs in two games. As for the Rockies, hey ... if they have another run in them, they're only six games back in the N.L. West so that division can still be had. Speaking of which ...

Los Angeles Dodgers (42-45) at San Francisco Giants (39-49) - 4:05 PM ET

Nice of the Arizona Diamondbacks to not make their early season party an exclusive one, as they've pretty much let everybody back in the race, including these two teams. A team like the Giants, at ten games below .500, has no business being in a divisional race. Yet they're four games back of the N.L. West lead making this rivalry game between them and the Dodgers even more important, as Frisco has a great chance to move to within three games of the lead with Matt Cain headed for the hill.

New York Mets (41-46) at Philadelphia Phillies (52-34) - 1:35 PM ET

The question, as always with the New York Mets when Oliver Perez's turn comes up in the rotation is this: which Oliver Perez will rear his head? The one that went seven innings giving up only one run in his last start against the Yankees? Or the one who can't get out of the second inning (13 combined runs in two innings against the Giants and Pirates)? New pitching coach Dan Warthen made some adjustments with Perez;s delivery before his last good start ... let's see if Perez can finally put his immense tools to good use for a few starts in a row.

Everyone else:

Nationals at Reds 1:15 ET
Rangers at Orioles 1:35 ET
Astros at Braves 1:35 ET
Royals at Rays 1:40 ET
Athletics at White Sox 2:05 ET
Pirates at Brewers 2:05 ET
Indians at Twins 2:10 ET
Cubs at Cardinals 3:15 ET
Blue Jays at Angels 3:35 ET
Padres at Diamondbacks 4:10 ET
Tigers at Mariners 4:10 ET
Red Sox at Yankees 8:05 ET

On Deck: For Those About to Rock originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Phillies Send Brett Myers to the Minors

Josh Alper — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East

For Billy Joel, Allentown is a metaphor for the hard-working, patriotic Americans of a bygone era. For a major leaguer with 209 games of experience, like Brett Myers for example, it represents the nadir of a season in which very little has gone right.

Myers got sent to Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs by the Phillies today in an effort to straighten out his pitching. His removal from the rotation isn't that big a surprise. The Phillies were openly contemplating such a move after the shortest start of his major league career on Friday but it was expected that Myers would return to his 2007 home in the bullpen. This is a much longer trip.

Because of his experience, Myers could have refused the assignment to AAA. His acceptance means he'll remain a starter, which isn't something that's always appealed to him, and his attitude received compliments from GM Pat Gillick.

"I can't say enough about Brett's willingness to accept this assignment. He understood and is eager to get back on track again. He is struggling right now, but he is a quality major league pitcher who we are going to need in the second half of the season."

It's not yet known who will replace Myers in the rotation but this is sure to amp up their quest to land a quality starter on the trade market. With three teams within four games of them in the East, they can't afford to stick with their current starters.

The Phillies Send Brett Myers to the Minors originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charles Barkley: Philly Is 'Always Tougher on Black Guys'

Will Brinson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip, MLB Video

Charles Barkley appeared on NBC's Philly affiliate last night to talk with the sporting dudes and waxed Barkley-esque on the Sixers and Phils. He spent the first portion discussing the Sixers need to be frugal this off-season and then turned to talking about the treatment of Ryan Howard v. Chase Utley, to which he pointed out that "they always tougher on black guys here."

Barkley also went on talk about the Phillies' need to acquire a #1 "Josh Beckett" type of pitcher that would put them over the top. Aside from insulting Cole Hamels, who is a number one, I don't think Charles understands how this whole "acquiring-a-team" thing works. The Sox had to give up arguably one of the best players in baseball -- Hanley Ramirez -- in order to pull Beckett. These number one starters just don't fall out of trees (also see: Haren, Dan to the Diamondbacks).

Additionally, as one 700 level commenter pointed out, Pat Burrell has gotten far worse treatment than Howard and he's of the Caucasian persuasion, so maybe he's stretching a bit by calling the entire city of Philadelphia "biased". Or whatever he would inherently be saying with this quote.

Charles Barkley: Philly Is 'Always Tougher on Black Guys' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Myers May Be Relieved of His Role in the Phillie Rotation

Josh Alper — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:50:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East

A case of deja vu is overtaking Philadelphia. Brett Myers is struggling to get the job done in the rotation and a trip to the bullpen looms as the next step in trying to get his season back on track. It worked in 2007 but that was before Brad Lidge was in town. Now Myers would be a very well-paid middle reliever on a team that's already shopping for help in the rotation.

Myers only lasted two innings in Texas on Friday night, the shortest start of his career and the 11th Phillies loss in his last 12 starts. Myers didn't seem thrilled when the Phillies moved him back to the rotation this season and even his pitching coach admits he's at a loss about how to deal with him going forward.

"He's a hard read," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "What do we do with him in the bullpen? I don't know. If it happens, we'll see. We saw a different animal last year in the bullpen."

The problem isn't the short term, Myers is killing the Phillies right now, but the long term for a guy who can't seem to get his head right while making $20.5 million through the end of 2009. The Phillies can't afford to play psychiatrist for Myers while simultaneously trying to win the East. A change of scenery, beyond the view from the bullpen, may be the best thing for all involved.

Brett Myers May Be Relieved of His Role in the Phillie Rotation originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Schmidt and Uroxatral Going Head to Head With Flomax

Will Brinson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, MLB Media Watch

The era of the medication endorsing athlete, while still early, has been pretty good to us. No one will every forget when Rafael Palmeiro came out with the Viagra ads or those fascinating Nolan Ryan Advil collaborations.

Okay, so those are a little clownish (or suspicious in Raffy's case) and certainly, Mike Schmidt's willingness to tackle BPH and the issues that surround an enlarged prostate are much more worthwhile. Granted, the subject is ready available humor for those without any sense of decorum and a heavily juvenilized mind, but there's nothing funny about dudes getting older and having to pee a lot.

"These bathroom breaks got in the way of life's normal moments," explains Schmidt. "When my doctor diagnosed me with BPH, I was relieved to learn that it was a common condition. I was also relieved to know BPH is not cancer. Together, we developed a game plan to manage my symptoms with Uroxatral(R) (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets)."

Best known for leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series victory in 1980, Schmidt began experiencing the frequent and urgent need to use the bathroom nine years ago. At his family's urging, Schmidt made an appointment to see his doctor, who told him the constant bathroom breaks weren't just signs of getting older -- they were caused by an enlarged prostate or BPH.

Schmidt is stepping forward with the help of advertising dollars (I would imagine) from Uroxatral, in an attempt to challenge the growing elderly baby boomer market, but clearly he has a desire to help aging men actually talk to their doctor about these problems, rather than simply hiding out in a bathroom corner.

And while I have trouble seeing Michael JACK Schmidt whisper "alfuzosin HCl 10mg extended relief tablets" quickly under his breath, it's still a good cause, so we'll give him a ... break.

Mike Schmidt and Uroxatral Going Head to Head With Flomax originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Party Like It's 1976

Mullet — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Yankees, Twins, Angels, Phillies, Reds, Diamondbacks, Cincinnati

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Cincinnati Reds (35-41) at New York Yankees (40-35) - 1:05 PM ET

A friend of mine ... a Yankee fan no less ... said to me on Friday afternoon that he fully expected the Reds to win two out of three in this series in the Bronx against his Yankees. A pretty amazing statement from a fan of a team who had just won seven in a row. That's how impressed he was of the young pitching the Reds had. Although I think he expected the two wins to be against Edinson Vólquez on Friday, and Johnny Cueto today, and not against minor league call-up Daryl Thompson on Saturday. Instead, the Reds have a chance to sweep the Yankees in the Bronx (just like the Series in '76), ensuring that the Yankees last win over the Reds at Yankee Stadium will forever be Game 1 of the 1961 World Series, before The House That Ruth Built (and The House That Griffey Hates) comes down for good.

Arizona Diamondbacks (39-36) at Minnesota Twins (39-36) - 2:10 PM ET

Sometime in the last couple of days, Brandon Webb decided to put talks for a contract extension on hold. Although his contract doesn't come up until after 2010, he admitted that the situation "wore on him a little bit". Perhaps it had something to do with his last two starts being not so good, including a stinker of an outing against Oakland on Tuesday (seven runs and five walks in three and 1/3 innings in a 15-1 loss). Certainly not the numbers you would expect a recent Cy Young winner to put up. And now that he is of clear mind, the Twins might be in a pickle today.

L.A. Angels of Anaheim (40-35) at Philadelphia Phillies (42-34) - 1:35 PM ET

Speaking of clear mind, Chase Utley hopes to have a clear mind today after being given his first day off of the season by Charlie Manuel. Utley probably needed it after hitting .158 in his past 15 games and going 0 for his last 23. As Chase has gone, the Phillies have gone ... as they're 1-6 in their last seven games, and have only scored seven runs in their last four games. This from the team who made a regular occurrence of scoring at least seven in one game. They try to get well against Jered Weaver (6-7, 4.73) and avoid an Angels sweep as they send Cole Hamels (7-4, 3.23) to the hill.

Everyone else:

Mariners at Braves 1:35 ET
Rangers at Nationals 1:35 ET
Cardinals at Red Sox 1:35 ET
Blue Jays at Pirates 1:35 ET
Astros at Rays 1:40 ET
Orioles at Brewers 2:05 ET
Giants at Royals 2:05 ET
Mets at Rockies 3:05 ET
Marlins at Athletics 4:05 ET
Tigers at Padres 4:05 ET
Indians at Dodgers 4:10 ET
White Sox at Cubs 8:05 ET

On Deck: Party Like It's 1976 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vai Sikahema Is Ready for Canseco

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:52:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, MLB Video, Fighting

Man, what's it been, like nine days (scratch that, it's been about an hour) since we mentioned Jose Canseco on FanHouse? That's way too long for anybody to go without getting a fix of their favorite chemically enhanced slugger turned chemically enhanced author turned chemically enhance ~~embarrassment~~ boxer.

Thankfully Jose's upcoming opponent, former NFL kick returner Vai Sikahema, works for the local NBC affiliate in Philadelphia and he's allowing us all a glimpse into his preparation.

That is some good graphics work right there, though I have to echo Bugs & Cranks' David Chalk (where I found this video) in saying that they should have Rocky'd it up a little bit. Where's the footage of Sikahema running the stairs or punching slabs of frozen cow in a meat locker? That would have made the whole piece so much better.

Vai Sikahema Is Ready for Canseco originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They Aren't Exactly Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for the Red Sox in Philadelphia

Josh Alper — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Philadelphia, Red Sox, Phillies

Remember when Red Sox fans were lovable die-hards who earned the respect of baseball fans in other cities for their devotion in the face of unyielding failure? Unlike Latin, their unique tongue remains in use, but otherwise they've become like the Mayans. Often talked about but extinct. Although none would give up two titles in four years, they aren't quite as beloved as they used to be.

The Red Sox roll into Philly for a three-game set tonight and they'll be bringing a lot of their fans with them. If they pick up the Philadelphia Inquirer on their way to the park and read Bob Ford's column, they'll find out that they aren't exactly welcomed with open arms.

Yes, it is the seemingly annual invasion of the denizens of Red Sox Nation. (Motto: In Us We Irritate.) It is a nation whose currency is based on being cloying, self-important, pompous, overly loud and, regrettably, ever-present, and the economy is great. Axis of Evil? You make your list of nations that belong and I'll make mine.

It's hard not to see a bit of jealousy in Ford's column. Philly teams have gone a long time without a championship. Until 2004 they could, at least, look at the Red Sox and say that there were people who had it worse but now they've got the market cornered on sports suffering.

That said, he's right on about a couple of other points. One, the Red Sox need to stop playing the underdog card which is neither accurate nor defensible given the current state of affairs in baseball. It's like the kid in high school who would always say they bombed on a test and then end up with the highest grade in the class. You're smart and successful, deal with it.

On the flip side, Ford's also dead-on in taking Hank Steinbrenner to task for his ridiculous "this is a Yankee country" comments earlier this year. Bandwagon jumpers or not, the Red Sox are filling stadiums around the country and, even here in New York City, there's a healthy amount of hats with B's on the streets.

I guess it's really the same thing on both counts. You don't have to like the status quo but you do have to accept that it exists.

They Aren't Exactly Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for the Red Sox in Philadelphia originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Cream of the Crop

Mullet — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Red Sox, Rangers, Mets, Phillies, Reds, Cardinals, Cincinnati, St. Louis

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Philadelphia Phillies (41-29) at St. Louis Cardinals (41-29) - 2:15 PM ET

Sometimes the best matchup of the day is so obvious that it smacks you in the face. The Phils and Cards are that matchup. Sure, it helps when it's at the top of the scoreboard because it's the only N.L. game of the bunch. But with both teams being 41-29 (the Phillies are four games in first place yet the Cardinals are three and a half behind first if you can believe that), and with the series going the way it is (the Phillies winning 20-2 the first game while the Cardinals come back to win a pitcher's duel one day later), this is definitely the game of the day. It's the game of the day even if today's starter Brett Myers has stunk up the joint this season.

Texas Rangers (34-35) at New York Mets (32-34) - 1:10 PM ET Doubleheader

Two games are always better than one, so this twinbill makes the cut. And it will be interesting to see how tired some of the Rangers will be after using the tarp as a slip n' slide during Saturday night's rainout. But the big question continues to be the day-to-day job status of Willie Randolph. If the Mets somehow get swept by the Rangers in today's DH, will Randolph even make the roadtrip to Anaheim and Colorado? As ridiculous as a day to day re-evaluation of someone's job seems, that's life in the big city.

Boston Red Sox (43-28) at Cincinnati Reds (33-37) - 1:15 PM ET

Other than the pitching duel between Josh Beckett and Homer Bailey, I want to see if any players demand that any home run balls that Ken Griffey Jr. may hit today be returned to Griffey for free. Most likely, nobody will care about these baseballs, but some are suggesting the guy who caught Griffey's 600th "do the right thing" and give the ball to Griffey, including Marlins outfielder Luis Gonzalez. Because heaven forbid anybody else besides players and owners make money off baseball. Tell you what: when a player listens to a fan who asks him to fore go extra millions to stay in the city he's been playing in instead of going to a new town as a free agent, then I'll expect fans to give away milestone home run balls to the players who hit them. Until then ...

Everyone else:

Dodgers at Tigers 1:05 ET
Padres at Indians 1:05 ET
Cubs at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Pirates at Orioles 1:35 ET
Marlins at Rays 1:40 ET
Twins at Brewers 2:05 ET
Yankees at Astros 2:05 ET
Rockies at White Sox 2:05 ET
Athletics at Giants 4:05 ET
Royals at Diamondbacks 4:10 ET
Nationals at Mariners 4:10 ET
Braves at Angels 8:05 ET

On Deck: Cream of the Crop originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Angelic

Mullet — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Rays, Angels, Athletics, Rangers, Braves, Phillies, Anaheim, Tampa Bay

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (38-24) at Oakland Athletics (33-28) - 9:05 PM ET

Not that your L.A. Angels of A. were in any real trouble anyway with Vladimir Guerrero and Scot Shields suffering nagging injuries. But even through that, the Angels have won their last six games, and did so with Guerrero back in the lineup last night (Shields seems to be on his way back soon) in their 3-1 win over Oakland, who's now four and a half games back of the Halos in the A.L. West.

Oakland's been just as hot, following up a four game losing streak by winning four in a row before last night's loss. But the way the Angels have been going, the swingin' A's had better do some swinging before the Angels make a mockery of this division.

Tampa Bay Rays (36-25) at Texas Rangers (31-32) - 8:05 PM ET

The Rays dropped a 12 spot on the Rangers last night, meaning they dramatically dropped the amount of swings and misses that they had in the previous night's brawl against the Red Sox. The next few games will tell a bit about their character as they shuffle through some suspensions, but they'll be staggered so the Rays aren't going to lose everybody at once. As for the Rangers, they've only lost Sidney Ponson, who was designated for assignment for being a general pain in the posterior.

Philadelphia Phillies (37-26) at Atlanta Braves (32-30) - 7:10 PM ET

Teams that hope to have successful seasons need wins like the Phillies had last night ... wins where they take advantage of ninth inning errors to tie the game, take the lead in the tenth inning thanks to guys like Shane Victorino, and then come up with defensive plays that may or may not be made by Victorino where the tying run gets thrown out at the plate by mere inches. Yeah, that's what potential champions do. And the Phillies who are proving themselves to be potential champions, get another crack at the Atlanta Braves tonight.

Everyone else:

Royals at Yankees 1:05 ET
Orioles at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Cubs at Dodgers 3:55 ET
Mariners at Red Sox 3:55 ET
Indians at Tigers 3:55 ET
Diamondbacks at Pirates 7:05 ET
Cardinals at Astros 7:05 ET
Twins at White Sox 7:05 ET
Giants at Nationals 7:10 ET
Reds at Marlins 7:10 ET
Brewers at Rockies 8:05 ET
Mets at Padres 10:05 ET

On Deck: Angelic originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Charlie Manuel's Contract Got Jimmy Rollins Benched

Josh Alper — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East

In the third inning of yesterday's Phillies game, Jimmy Rollins hit a pop up to shortstop and loafed his way down the line. Paul Janish dropped the ball, though, and magnified the lack of hustle shown by the NL MVP. Charlie Manuel benched Rollins a couple of innings later.

To Rollins's credit, he took his medicine like a man. A man who knew that he'd made an unforgivable baseball sin.

"It's like breaking the law and getting mad when the police show up. He's been here four years, and we've probably talked about it twice. Three strikes and you're out, I guess. I'm not going to be a distraction. This is the team. I did what I did. When you do something, you get caught, and it is what it is. Problems only occur when they keep reoccurring."

Message received, then, and everyone moves on and this becomes a non-story. There was another message, though, and one that could remain a story. This is officially Manuel's team.

Getting the team into the playoffs last year took him from dead man walking to owner of a shiny two-year extension. I can't see him responding this way a year ago because you need to know that, if the move backfires somehow, it won't come back to bite you in the rear end. Now Manuel has the leverage, even against the reigning MVP, to run the team exactly as he sees fit.

How Charlie Manuel's Contract Got Jimmy Rollins Benched originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the NL East Draft Picks

Mullet — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Nationals

In case you weren't able to watch today's Major League Baseball draft or follow along with Josh Alper and Andrew Johnson at their live blog of the festivities, here's a roundup of the guys who went in the first round to the teams of the National League East.

Florida Marlins (6) Kyle Skipworth, Catcher, Patriot H.S. (CA): When you look at his offensive scouting report, he's got Joe Mauer written all over him with his sweet left-handed power stroke. So it's no surprise that when you read this interview with the 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year, you find out that he patterned his game after Mauer, the former batting champion. Anything close to Joe Mauer and the Marlins will be extremely happy with this pick.

Washington Nationals (9) Aaron Crow, RHP, University of Missouri, Columbia: There weren't a lot of pitchers taken in the first round, which is a bit surprising. Not surprisingly, the Nats took a big power arm at the nine slot in Crow, a guy with good command and great stuff with three plus pitches at his arsenal. The Nationals did well to grab a starter this good out of college who can possibly make his major league debut this season ... and definitely sooner rather than later.

New York Mets (18) Ike Davis, First Base, Arizona State: With Carlos Delgado on his last legs, and only Mike Carp on the horizon in the Mets' minor league system, the Mets were hoping to take advantage of a deep first base class on draft day. They did just that by drafting Davis (pictured above), the son of former major league reliever Ron Davis. Ike is hitting .394 with 16 HR's so far with the Sun Devils, and he also pitches for them (4-1, 2.53 ERA as a reliever). So will he wind up replacing Delgado or Oliver Perez?

New York Mets (22) David Reese Havens, Shortstop, South Carolina: Havens is an interesting pick, and not just because most call him Reese while MLB.com calls him David. Havens has been primarily a shortstop in college, but with Jose Reyes blocking his path he will assuredly switch positions. Scouting reports say he would have to move to third anyway because of a lack of range, but with David Wright over there, the Mets might want to see what he can do as a catcher, where the Mets are lacking in top level prospects. Scouts like his batting eye, which seemed better in his freshman year at USC than it did as a sophomore, but his summer season in the Cape Cod league where he hit .315 solidified him as a legitimate hitting prospect (though some have noticed that Havens struggles with high velocity pitches.)

Philadelphia Phillies (24) Anthony Hewitt, Shortstop, Salisbury School (CT): They call him "toolsy", and the Phillies should know a thing or two about toolsy shortstops. But just like Havens, scouts foresee a change in position in Hewitt's future as they see him as more like a center fielder. This is a risky pick for Philly and not only because the terms "raw" and "upside" are being thrown around. Hewitt has a "solid verbal" commitment to Vanderbilt. And considering the university has recently boasted 2007 No. 1 draft pick David Price and 2008 No. 2 draft pick Pedro Alvarez, maybe Hewitt will decide a stay at Vandy is best for his long term career prospects.

The Atlanta Braves gave up their first round pick to the Mets for signing Tom Glavine as a free agent. Atlanta's first pick was 40, which they used to select lefty pitcher Brett DeVall from Niceville High School in Florida.

Meet the NL East Draft Picks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmy Rollins Opens the Celebrity Political Endorsement Floodgates

Mullet — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Gossip

Now that the Democratic Primaries are pretty much a done deal and Barack Obama is about to seal his party's nomination, various celebrities will publicly take sides in the coming weeks and months leading up to the Presidential election. And Jimmy Rollins is among the first.

Rollins has followed the long battle between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, tracked the primaries and listened to as many of Obama's speeches on the Internet.

"It was history either way you look at it, to have a woman or a black man actually running for president," Rollins said. "That's the good part, but it started before Barack Obama. It started a long time ago, with Martin Luther King. That started bearing some fruit." (...)

"People are tired of the same old, 'We're going to do this and we're going to that,' nothing being done, so people are calling for a change," Rollins said. "Will Barack bring that change? We don't know, but he represents change period, so that means it can happen. People want to believe that it can happen. In the past, we were told it can happen, but nothing changed. In order to make a change, you have to change the top and work its way down. We have chance to do that, as Americans."

It's nice to see an athlete care about the direction of civic affairs in the country ... it's been a rarer breed as time has gone on. One question though (obvious joke alert): Is Rollins trying to say that Obama is the "candidate to beat"?

/ducks flying tomatoes

Jimmy Rollins Opens the Celebrity Political Endorsement Floodgates originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Mullet — Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, Denver, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington, DC, Marlins, Phillies, Nationals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rockies

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (30-23) at Philadelphia Phillies (32-24) - 7:05 PM ET

Last night, the Phillies took over first place in the East over the surprising Marlins by giving them the proverbial thumping of 12-3. It's not that the Marlins have been that bad over this recent stretch ... they did sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks at home, after all. But the Phillies have been scorching hot during an 8-2 run which has seen Chase Utley make President George W. Bush look pretty smart.

Utley has 15 RBI's in his last five games, a stretch where Phillies scored 60 runs. That's the kind of steamrolling that an upstart team like the Marlins can really do nothing about. Starting today, with Ricky Nolasco going to the mound to face Cole Hamels, the Fish are going to have to start to figure out how to stay in this race, and not get discouraged over the fact that they're now out of the lead. With Philly, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Philly again coming up on the schedule, this is a key time for the Marlins.

Colorado Rockies (20-35) at Chicago Cubs (34-21) - 1:05 PM ET

So when I realized that there was an afternoon game on the tube, I flipped on the Rockies and the Cubs, and Colorado was up 9-1. I'm thinking "great, I missed all the action already and now I'm in for three innings of a whole lot of nothing". What I saw instead was the Chicago Cubs officially take their place as the big dogs of the National League. When you come back from eight runs down to win a game, with major contributions from Jim Edmonds, who was not only thought to be done (with ample reason), but was implored upon (begged?) to hit some more by his manager, you know you've got something pretty magical happening. If they keep this up, get ready for a whole summer of Leon Durham, billy goats, and Steve Bartman talk.

Washington Nationals (24-32) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-25) - 8:10 PM ET

Yeah ... so, what's going on with the Diamondbacks? They were America's hot new team with Starting Rotation 2.0(C), and the hot young stars that all the cool kids wanted to be like. But since May 20th, they're 2-9 which includes sweeps in Florida, and at home against the Giants. They lost another one to the Nationals last night and all of a sudden, this team is in a little bit of a funk. Luckily, the Dodgers are similarly struggling, and the bottom half of the division is still miles away, so the D'Backs have picked a good time to go south. Tonight, they depend on Brandon Webb ... who started out 9-0 but since lost to the Marlins and Braves ... to dig them out of the little mini-hole they've created.

Everyone else:

Tigers at Mariners 3:55 ET
Dodgers at Mets 3:55 ET
Braves at Reds 3:55 ET
Padres at Giants 4:05 ET
White Sox at Rays 6:10 ET
Astros at Brewers 7:05 ET
Red Sox at Orioles 7:05 ET
Yankees at Twins 7:10 ET
Indians at Royals 7:10 ET
Pirates at Cardinals 7:15 ET
Athletics at Rangers 8:05 ET
Blue Jays at Angels 9:05 ET

On Deck: The First Day of the Rest of Your Life originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have You Been Missing Kris Benson?

Josh Alper — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East

A starting pitcher is making his way back to the major leagues via the traditional minor league rehab start. Oh, big news we all know that Pedro Martinez is on his way back to Shea, you say. Well, pipe down because that's not who we're talking about.

Kris Benson is set to start for the Phillies Class A team in Clearwater on Sunday after throwing 75 pitches in an extended spring training game earlier this week. Assuming he doesn't have any physical setbacks, and there are safer assumptions, the Phillies would need to make a decision on him pretty soon. Benson can opt out of his deal if he's not with the team by June 1.

Odd as it sounds, if Benson proves himself physically sound he'll get an offer to join someone's rotation. The Phillies probably won't usurp Brett Myers, no matter how much he's struggling, but an alternative to Adam Eaton can't sound too bad. Sure, he won last night (against the Rockies, but still) and has turned in two quality starts in a row but I think I might bet on Benson staying healthy before I'd wager on Eaton keeping that up.

And, of course, no discussion of Benson is complete without a mention of his wife. Who isn't aching to see a picture of her wearing hot pants while devouring a whiz wit' at Pat's?

Have You Been Missing Kris Benson? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 14:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Who is Ryan Ludwick?

Mullet — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Red Sox, Athletics, Phillies, Astros, Cardinals, Dodgers, St. Louis

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

St. Louis Cardinals (29-21) at Los Angeles Dodgers (25-22) - 10:10 PM ET

The consensus this season had the St. Louis Cardinals to stink, and stink mightily. Wrong again, America. You want a reason for the renaissance of the Cardinals? Look no further than Ryan Ludwick. The outfielder has some Pujolsian splits this season (.336/.418/.733 going into Friday night), and has sprinkled in some big hits including a walk-off HR against Tampa Bay, and a two run HR to provide the margin of victory last night against the Dodgers (a game interrupted by rain in Los Angeles, if you can believe that one). Want another reason? Ryan Franklin taking over ably for the injured Jason Isringhausen is another reason St. Louis is near the top of the standings.

Philadelphia Phillies (27-23) at Houston Astros (28-22) - 8:11 PM ET

Speaking of hot and speaking of surprises (that sounds so wrong yet so right), Lance Berkman is hitting .500 in the month of May. Let that statement wash over you for a second. Five oh oh. There's really no intelligent way to describe that except to say that's freakin' insane. Berkman is a huge reason why his Astros are right up there with the Cardinals in the N.L. Central. The first game of this series was entertaining, as 'Stros closer Jose Valverde took a line drive in the cheek from Pedro Feliz, yet still managed to close out the win for Houston after a shaky ninth. Next up, perhaps, Brad Lidge facing his former Astro teammates for the second time in the series after a save on Thursday.

Boston Red Sox (31-20) at Oakland Athletics (26-23) - 9:05 PM ET

Josh Beckett hasn't gotten out of the gate too strong so far, coming in at 5-3 with a 4.67 ERA ... his last two starts saw him give up 11 runs in 13 and 2/3's innings lowlighted by the four home runs he gave up against the Brewers. But with a WHIP of 1.09, success is never too far away for Beckett. He looks to get on the right track for the Red Sox against Oakland tonight. Justin Duchscherer will have his hands full starting for Oakland against that Red Sox lineup, but Duchscherer has been a key in Oakland's surprising season in the starting rotation for the first time in Oakland.

Everyone else:

Mariners at Yankees 1:05 ET
Royals at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Diamondbacks at Braves 3:55 ET
Mets at Rockies 3:55 ET
Angels at White Sox 3:55 ET
Orioles at Rays 6:10 ET
Cubs at Pirates 7:05 ET
Twins at Tigers 7:05 ET
Rangers at Indians 7:05 ET
Brewers at Nationals 7:10 ET
Giants at Marlins 7:10 ET
Reds at Padres 10:05 ET

On Deck: Who is Ryan Ludwick? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 24 May 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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