Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
I say yes for two reasons.
1) It's not like that one-off wildcard came they used to do which basically a glorified game 163. At least it's a series, even if it'll be all on the road and they'll more than likely lose.
2) Hey beggars can't be choosers. It's been 11 years since they've been in the postseason. I remember enjoying the living hell out of them playing Colorado in 2007, even though they got smoked, because it had been so long.
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
Listen, birdman, there's plenty of juice around the playoffs. BUT going on to shit the bed the past week ain't helping!
Is it the playoffs if the Mets end up dropping into the wildcard and pray to god we end up playing them in the WC round? You betchyourass. I will certainly be going to Citi Field for one of those games.
Also part of the reason there's no juice is because this is just not a likeable team. The least they can do is win.
Baseball is so completely different in the playoffs, especially now with this format. Literally any team has a legitimate shot at winning. Any advantages are so incredibly small.
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
I say yes for two reasons.
1) It's not like that one-off wildcard came they used to do which basically a glorified game 163. At least it's a series, even if it'll be all on the road and they'll more than likely lose.
2) Hey beggars can't be choosers. It's been 11 years since they've been in the postseason. I remember enjoying the living hell out of them playing Colorado in 2007, even though they got smoked, because it had been so long.
Yeah I hear you....but, say, they make it to game 3. That would be a Sunday afternoon and they'd likely be playing the same time as the Eagles. If they lose, it'll be forgotten by most people before the SNF game kicks off.
I just don't have any sort semblance of the enthusiasm I had back in '07. Not even remotely close. Couple of differences for me: 1-That team won the division. 2-That team was also a whole hell of a lot more likeable than this one is.
It's like, you have the 2017 13-3 Eagles going into the playoffs with home field and a bye, and you had the 2021 9-8 Eagles going to Tampa in the Wild Card Round. Potentially either could win the Super Bowl, but you of course are more excited about the 13-3 team.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
Listen, birdman, there's plenty of juice around the playoffs. BUT going on to shit the bed the past week ain't helping!
Is it the playoffs if the Mets end up dropping into the wildcard and pray to god we end up playing them in the WC round? You betchyourass. I will certainly be going to Citi Field for one of those games.
Also part of the reason there's no juice is because this is just not a likeable team. The least they can do is win.
Baseball is so completely different in the playoffs, especially now with this format. Literally any team has a legitimate shot at winning. Any advantages are so incredibly small.
Yeah playing the Mets would completely change the landscape.
www.myspace.com
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F Me In The Brain
this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,384
I didn't realize the wild card series was completely at the higher ranked teams' stadium. Interesting.... Hope the Phillies draw the Cardinals. Fuck the Cardinals, youse guys can best their asses!
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
I say yes for two reasons.
1) It's not like that one-off wildcard came they used to do which basically a glorified game 163. At least it's a series, even if it'll be all on the road and they'll more than likely lose.
2) Hey beggars can't be choosers. It's been 11 years since they've been in the postseason. I remember enjoying the living hell out of them playing Colorado in 2007, even though they got smoked, because it had been so long.
Yeah I hear you....but, say, they make it to game 3. That would be a Sunday afternoon and they'd likely be playing the same time as the Eagles. If they lose, it'll be forgotten by most people before the SNF game kicks off.
I just don't have any sort semblance of the enthusiasm I had back in '07. Not even remotely close. Couple of differences for me: 1-That team won the division. 2-That team was also a whole hell of a lot more likeable than this one is.
Oh me neither. That span of 2005-2011 is the mecca of Phillies baseball for me and I can't see anything beating it. Partially for the run of success, but also, as you said, for the actual guys on the team. I was cheering on Utley during his heel-turn with the Dodgers like he was still a Phillie, but I doubt I'll care about any of these current guys when they move on to new teams.
Still, it'd be nice to see them back in the postseason.
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
I say yes for two reasons.
1) It's not like that one-off wildcard came they used to do which basically a glorified game 163. At least it's a series, even if it'll be all on the road and they'll more than likely lose.
2) Hey beggars can't be choosers. It's been 11 years since they've been in the postseason. I remember enjoying the living hell out of them playing Colorado in 2007, even though they got smoked, because it had been so long.
Yeah I hear you....but, say, they make it to game 3. That would be a Sunday afternoon and they'd likely be playing the same time as the Eagles. If they lose, it'll be forgotten by most people before the SNF game kicks off.
I just don't have any sort semblance of the enthusiasm I had back in '07. Not even remotely close. Couple of differences for me: 1-That team won the division. 2-That team was also a whole hell of a lot more likeable than this one is.
Oh me neither. That span of 2005-2011 is the mecca of Phillies baseball for me and I can't see anything beating it. Partially for the run of success, but also, as you said, for the actual guys on the team. I was cheering on Utley during his heel-turn with the Dodgers like he was still a Phillie, but I doubt I'll care about any of these current guys when they move on to new teams.
Still, it'd be nice to see them back in the postseason.
I would start that run all the way back to 2001, to be honest. I know they were frustrating as hell for years but they were always decent and that is when the nucleus of the WFC began to be put in place.
This is currently a "playoff" team that is essentially unwatchable aside from when maybe 3 pitchers are on the mound. Remember the real old days when you had to finish in 1st place in a 6 or 7 team division just to make the playoffs? What was so bad about that?
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
This is currently a "playoff" team that is essentially unwatchable aside from when maybe 3 pitchers are on the mound. Remember the real old days when you had to finish in 1st place in a 6 or 7 team division just to make the playoffs? What was so bad about that?
If we're gonna get all BACK IN MY DAY about baseball I hold my time to bitch for when this bullshit ban on the shift starts.
Well that is a change I am looking forward to. lol
Stark had a column that talked about the upcoming changes the other day. Minor league games are coming in close to two and a half hours now compared to 3 since they implemented a lot of the same rule changes we're getting next year.
Bigger bases have also meant a whole hell of a lot more stolen bases....which is fun!
....wut? You like bastardizing one of the things that makes baseball baseball? That being that anyone can play it based on one's own approach and adapting to the circumstances presented to them? You like putting dumb arbitrary rules into place?
I can get down with the pitch clock.
I don't think the size of the bases will make as much as a difference as the pitch clock will, in combination with the incoming limit on pickoff attempts. Then baserunners absolutely have an advantage.
But all this shit also means a robo ump is coming. Which is also stupid.
I'm gonna go outside and shake my fist at the cloud outside...
....AND ANOTHER THING. There's a completely hypocritical aspect of this argument anytime I hear it, too - whether it's from the commissioner or a fan. You can't speed up a game (pitch clock) and increase offense (banning the shift). More offense means longer games which negates any benefit of the pitch clock.
Definitely looking fwd to the pitch clock. It's torture watching these dudes fuss on the mound with 10 minute negotiations with their catcher over every pitch. Throw the damn ball already.
I can't imagine bigger bases will make a noticeable difference, but maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am.
For some reason the 2 following things I read are randomly funny: "Pattison Station will be renamed AT&T Station, but Pattison Ave. will remain Pattison Ave." "Based will be enlarged, but home plate will remain the same size."
It really sucked to watch the R6 era be torpedoed by a 4th outfielder, so I get it, but maybe it should be up to the batters to adjust? Is the Tampa Bay Rays World Series Game 3 5-man infield (the "blitz") going to be illegal?
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
Welcome fans of the AFC East who dislike Brady. Twenty years of almost no shot of a home playoff game most seasons. NFL playoffs are far worse than the new MLB system
At least if the Phillies win the wildcard, their fans would get the joy of going to a home game, something unlikely for Tom Brady haters in the AFC East since almost Clinton was president
0
F Me In The Brain
this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,384
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
Welcome fans of the AFC East who dislike Brady. Twenty years of almost no shot of a home playoff game most seasons. NFL playoffs are far worse than the new MLB system
At least if the Phillies win the wildcard, their fans would get the joy of going to a home game, something unlikely for Tom Brady haters in the AFC East since almost Clinton was president
Win the wildcard round, you mean? The lower wildcard seed teams (of which ot looks like Philly will be one) will not get a home game unless they go to the divisional series round.
Welp just paid for really good Phils playoff tickets. This is good juju for me - the pit in my stomach due to the cash out the door will be worth it if they win, and if they don't make it I'll be relieved to have that cash back in my account.
If we make the playoffs but don't get even one home playoff game...did we really make the playoffs?
I think that's part of the reason there is no juice surrounding this team, despite possibly winning 90ish games
Welcome fans of the AFC East who dislike Brady. Twenty years of almost no shot of a home playoff game most seasons. NFL playoffs are far worse than the new MLB system
At least if the Phillies win the wildcard, their fans would get the joy of going to a home game, something unlikely for Tom Brady haters in the AFC East since almost Clinton was president
Win the wildcard round, you mean? The lower wildcard seed teams (of which ot looks like Philly will be one) will not get a home game unless they go to the divisional series round.
(Based on what I learned/read yesterday)
Yes this is correct, but keep in mind this used to be a "round" where it was a one-game playoff. So it didn't give both teams a home game regardless.
And if the 6th seed beats the 3rd seed - which could very well happen more than on occasion since a) baseball playoffs are so much a matter of who's "hot" and b) the 3rd seed could really be a mediocre team (see the AL Central) - then the #2 seed plays them and not the #1 seed. Also dumb.
Baseball has just fired its most accurate shot — aka., the 15-second pitch clock — in the War on Dead Time. And before it even lands, you should know this: That war is won.
“This thing is going to knock at least 20 minutes, I believe, off the time of a game in the big leagues.” — Morgan Ensberg, former Astros third baseman, who now manages the Rays’ Double-A team, the Montgomery Biscuits
Guess what? There is zero reason to think he’s wrong. The average time of a minor-league game is down 26 minutes this year, compared with the olden days of the pre-pitch-clock era (by which we mean last year).
2021 — 3:04 (hours, minutes) 2022 — 2:38
Or you could just compare a typical day of baseball in Triple A (home to a 14-second pitch clock) versus the big leagues. This was from last Wednesday.
TRIPLE A
BIG LEAGUES
9-inning games
13
14
Average time
2:44
3:00
Games over 3 hours
2
7
Games under 2:40
7
1
Yes, I’m aware the commercials mean the between-inning breaks aren’t the same in both leagues. Yes, next year’s big-league clock will be a second longer than this year’s Triple-A clock. Still …
• An 8-7 big-league game in Texas, featuring 20 hits, took 3 hours, 40 minutes.
• A 12-4 minor-league game in Nashville, featuring 24 hits, took 2 hours, 38 minutes.
I could give you 500 examples like this, but you get the idea. Watch any minor-league game on MiLB.com. You can’t miss the difference. The clock, Ensberg said, is “absolutely incredible. It’s given more time to the game versus just the fluff in between pitches. … What it does, it takes all the fluff out.”
Any fluff fans out there? Thought so! Now let’s move on.
No question that the pitch clock is far and away is going to have the biggest influence on shorter games. If anything the difference the ban on the shift has been basically negligible - batting averages were essentially up or down by one point. It's a completely arbitrary rule change.
PHILADELPHIA — There is symbolism, and then there is shortstop Bryson Stott pegging an innocent cameraman in the head with an errant throw two minutes into this crucial Phillies homestand. The Phillies do not act in subtle ways. Never. If they are to conquer the second-longest postseason drought in Major League Baseball, they must make it as difficult as possible.
It’s all this franchise knows.
By the eighth inning of Tuesday’s outrageous 18-11 loss to Toronto, the feeling was unmistakable. The Phillies were missing two-thirds of their starting outfield once Brandon Marsh jammed his left knee into the left-center-field wall. Their starting pitcher, Kyle Gibson, extinguished whatever energy a half-empty ballpark could generate. Reliever Sam Coonrod, who soon could be demoted to Triple A, numbed everyone with 34 pitches in a four-run eighth inning.
“Have you had enough?” one fan seated in Section 219 said to another.
“E-A-G-L-E-S!” people down the left-field line chanted as they departed.
“Let’s go, Blue Jays!” dozens of Toronto supporters chanted from behind the visitors dugout.
The whole thing felt irrelevant, and these Phillies were supposed to end those tedious days. The Phillies, right now, are a postseason team by default. The National League must send six teams to the tournament. The sixth-best team was always going to be a good — not great — team. But the Phillies have lost five straight games. They have lost 16 of their last 20 games against teams with winning records, since July 10. They are neither good nor great in their current form.
After the latest loss, Kyle Schwarber had a message for some of his teammates. “We have to stay in the fight,” he told them. “Show up tomorrow and go win a ballgame.” It is easier said than done.
And, still, the math is in their favor. The most significant win of the season was on a Thursday afternoon in June. That game took 4 hours, 1 minute. Zach Eflin started it. Didi Gregorius doubled and tripled. Odúbel Herrera homered. James Norwood recorded the final out. The Phillies beat the Brewers 8-3 to capture the season series. That is the tiebreaker under MLB’s new postseason rules.
“We still are in the driver’s seat,” Gibson said. “It depends on how we do. It doesn’t depend on how anybody else does. We have a pretty veteran team in here that has been in these situations. We still have a lot of confidence.”
So, if the Phillies go 7-8 in the season’s final 15 games, Milwaukee must go 10-4 because a tie is not good enough for the Brewers. The Phillies’ magic number is 12, and it would take an epic collapse to prevent the franchise from making its first postseason appearance since 2011.
But the Phillies like a good challenge, and other math is more daunting: The Phillies need to cover 135 innings in the next two weeks and the list of trusted pitchers is shrinking by the day. There are leaks everywhere.
Zack Wheeler will start Wednesday’s game. He last pitched on Aug. 20. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)
Zack Wheeler will return Wednesday, but he might be limited to two innings. Noah Syndergaard, who has been hit hard and has not faced a team with a winning record since joining the Phillies, will be expected to pitch at least three or four innings after Wheeler.
Gibson, who carries a 4.71 ERA, has allowed 19 runs in 17 2/3 innings this month. He was the first Phillies starter to surrender 12 hits in a game since Aaron Harang in 2015. The dark years.
“We didn’t miss many bats,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “There weren’t many swings-and-misses.”
Gibson will make his next start because there isn’t anyone else. The Phillies have already swapped Syndergaard for Bailey Falter, one of the few pitchers who hasn’t wilted in September. Aaron Nola has been decent. José Alvarado has been one of the best relievers in baseball for months. Who else? Eflin, who was unavailable to pitch in the last two games because of back spasms, was solid again Tuesday as a middle reliever. He allowed one unearned run and recorded two strikeouts in the sixth inning. Eflin could see more important spots. But he cannot be used as a traditional reliever who pitches on back-to-back days because he’s never done it and there are health concerns with him.
Thomson said he did not remove Gibson (seven runs allowed in five innings) sooner because he did not want to burn through his bullpen. It was a conservative decision at a time when the Phillies are clawing for whatever positives they can find. Maybe it would not have mattered because many of their middle relievers are bleeding runs.
Gibson, actually, threw harder Tuesday than he has all season. He said he felt better during his warmup pitches than he has in a long time. Then, Toronto smoked him.
“I was just trying to get as many pitches out of him as we possibly could,” Thomson said.
Garrett Stubbs, pitching in relief, recorded the final two outs. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)
The game ended with backup catcher Garrett Stubbs on the mound. The Phillies were just trying to survive another day. Marsh, at least, was diagnosed with only a bruised knee. The math might favor the Phillies, but there is value in sealing a postseason bid sooner rather than later. Nola, as it stands, is scheduled to pitch the penultimate game of the season. If the Phillies need him that night in Houston, he would not be available to pitch on regular rest until Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. This whole thing works only if Wheeler and Nola are aligned for Games 1 and 2.
The Phillies keep insisting they are not worried. There is urgency, but not panic.
“I don’t think so,” Thomson said. “Not with this group. I really don’t. We have good character people in the clubhouse. They’re always upbeat. Even today when we were down, there was a lot of energy in the dugout. Everybody had each other’s back. They fought. I’m not too worried about that. I think we’re just going through a little bit of a dry spell. That’s all.”
Bryce Harper singled twice in the Phillies’ 11-run outburst that fell a touchdown short. He has seven extra-base hits in 21 games since returning from the broken thumb that cost him two months. He made a bad base-running mistake in the fifth inning when the game was still undecided.
He has seen some bad Septembers here. Why will this be different?
“It’s just the group of guys that we have,” Harper said. “You go through some lulls in the season. This isn’t the greatest spot to go in, right? But at the same time we know who we are. We know the type of team we are. We know we’re capable to go out there and play against good teams.”
That’s the problem: The Phillies haven’t proven it for weeks. They captured the season series against the Dodgers, Cardinals and Padres. The Mets thrashed them. They played the Braves tough earlier in the season, but Atlanta just swept them. The four games at Citizens Bank Park later this week will offer chances for redemption.
The request is modest: Look — don’t just talk — like a postseason team.
(Top photo of Kyle Gibson: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
0
F Me In The Brain
this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,384
You lost me at Stott pegging a cameraman. This is a family site, man!
They can do it...just need to snap out of this. I'm calling for Little Nicky to come off the IL and be on fire to help them overcome the pitching woes.
I didn't realize the wild card series was completely at the higher ranked teams' stadium. Interesting.... Hope the Phillies draw the Cardinals. Fuck the Cardinals, youse guys can best their asses!
yeah that team i think we can beat. We have trouble playing the Braves and Mets this year.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
So wait. If they are tied with the Brewers they use head to head rather than play a 163rd game? What bullshit!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Comments
1) It's not like that one-off wildcard came they used to do which basically a glorified game 163. At least it's a series, even if it'll be all on the road and they'll more than likely lose.
2) Hey beggars can't be choosers. It's been 11 years since they've been in the postseason. I remember enjoying the living hell out of them playing Colorado in 2007, even though they got smoked, because it had been so long.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Is it the playoffs if the Mets end up dropping into the wildcard and pray to god we end up playing them in the WC round? You betchyourass. I will certainly be going to Citi Field for one of those games.
Also part of the reason there's no juice is because this is just not a likeable team. The least they can do is win.
Baseball is so completely different in the playoffs, especially now with this format. Literally any team has a legitimate shot at winning. Any advantages are so incredibly small.
I just don't have any sort semblance of the enthusiasm I had back in '07. Not even remotely close.
Couple of differences for me: 1-That team won the division. 2-That team was also a whole hell of a lot more likeable than this one is.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Interesting....
Hope the Phillies draw the Cardinals. Fuck the Cardinals, youse guys can best their asses!
Still, it'd be nice to see them back in the postseason.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Wonder how many wildcards those teams would've made with this new format
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Stark had a column that talked about the upcoming changes the other day. Minor league games are coming in close to two and a half hours now compared to 3 since they implemented a lot of the same rule changes we're getting next year.
Bigger bases have also meant a whole hell of a lot more stolen bases....which is fun!
I can get down with the pitch clock.
I don't think the size of the bases will make as much as a difference as the pitch clock will, in combination with the incoming limit on pickoff attempts. Then baserunners absolutely have an advantage.
But all this shit also means a robo ump is coming. Which is also stupid.
I'm gonna go outside and shake my fist at the cloud outside...
I can't imagine bigger bases will make a noticeable difference, but maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am.
For some reason the 2 following things I read are randomly funny:
"Pattison Station will be renamed AT&T Station, but Pattison Ave. will remain Pattison Ave."
"Based will be enlarged, but home plate will remain the same size."
It really sucked to watch the R6 era be torpedoed by a 4th outfielder, so I get it, but maybe it should be up to the batters to adjust? Is the Tampa Bay Rays World Series Game 3 5-man infield (the "blitz") going to be illegal?
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
At least if the Phillies win the wildcard, their fans would get the joy of going to a home game, something unlikely for Tom Brady haters in the AFC East since almost Clinton was president
The lower wildcard seed teams (of which ot looks like Philly will be one) will not get a home game unless they go to the divisional series round.
(Based on what I learned/read yesterday)
And if the 6th seed beats the 3rd seed - which could very well happen more than on occasion since a) baseball playoffs are so much a matter of who's "hot" and b) the 3rd seed could really be a mediocre team (see the AL Central) - then the #2 seed plays them and not the #1 seed. Also dumb.
https://theathletic.com/3604919/2022/09/19/mlb-rule-changes-pitch-clock-shift-ban/
1. The 2 1/2-hour game is back
Baseball has just fired its most accurate shot — aka., the 15-second pitch clock — in the War on Dead Time. And before it even lands, you should know this: That war is won.
“This thing is going to knock at least 20 minutes, I believe, off the time of a game in the big leagues.” — Morgan Ensberg, former Astros third baseman, who now manages the Rays’ Double-A team, the Montgomery Biscuits
Guess what? There is zero reason to think he’s wrong. The average time of a minor-league game is down 26 minutes this year, compared with the olden days of the pre-pitch-clock era (by which we mean last year).
2021 — 3:04 (hours, minutes)
2022 — 2:38
Or you could just compare a typical day of baseball in Triple A (home to a 14-second pitch clock) versus the big leagues. This was from last Wednesday.
Yes, I’m aware the commercials mean the between-inning breaks aren’t the same in both leagues. Yes, next year’s big-league clock will be a second longer than this year’s Triple-A clock. Still …
• An 8-7 big-league game in Texas, featuring 20 hits, took 3 hours, 40 minutes.
• A 12-4 minor-league game in Nashville, featuring 24 hits, took 2 hours, 38 minutes.
I could give you 500 examples like this, but you get the idea. Watch any minor-league game on MiLB.com. You can’t miss the difference. The clock, Ensberg said, is “absolutely incredible. It’s given more time to the game versus just the fluff in between pitches. … What it does, it takes all the fluff out.”
Any fluff fans out there? Thought so! Now let’s move on.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/what-the-minor-league-data-says-about-new-mlb-rules-changes/
If Ryan Howard wanted to be a hall of famer he would've gone the other way with the ball.
https://theathletic.com/3614149/2022/09/21/phillies-national-league-postseason-scenarios/
Phillies keep making postseason berth more difficult, but the math is still on their side
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PHILADELPHIA — There is symbolism, and then there is shortstop Bryson Stott pegging an innocent cameraman in the head with an errant throw two minutes into this crucial Phillies homestand. The Phillies do not act in subtle ways. Never. If they are to conquer the second-longest postseason drought in Major League Baseball, they must make it as difficult as possible.
It’s all this franchise knows.
By the eighth inning of Tuesday’s outrageous 18-11 loss to Toronto, the feeling was unmistakable. The Phillies were missing two-thirds of their starting outfield once Brandon Marsh jammed his left knee into the left-center-field wall. Their starting pitcher, Kyle Gibson, extinguished whatever energy a half-empty ballpark could generate. Reliever Sam Coonrod, who soon could be demoted to Triple A, numbed everyone with 34 pitches in a four-run eighth inning.
“Have you had enough?” one fan seated in Section 219 said to another.
“E-A-G-L-E-S!” people down the left-field line chanted as they departed.
“Let’s go, Blue Jays!” dozens of Toronto supporters chanted from behind the visitors dugout.
The whole thing felt irrelevant, and these Phillies were supposed to end those tedious days. The Phillies, right now, are a postseason team by default. The National League must send six teams to the tournament. The sixth-best team was always going to be a good — not great — team. But the Phillies have lost five straight games. They have lost 16 of their last 20 games against teams with winning records, since July 10. They are neither good nor great in their current form.
After the latest loss, Kyle Schwarber had a message for some of his teammates. “We have to stay in the fight,” he told them. “Show up tomorrow and go win a ballgame.” It is easier said than done.
And, still, the math is in their favor. The most significant win of the season was on a Thursday afternoon in June. That game took 4 hours, 1 minute. Zach Eflin started it. Didi Gregorius doubled and tripled. Odúbel Herrera homered. James Norwood recorded the final out. The Phillies beat the Brewers 8-3 to capture the season series. That is the tiebreaker under MLB’s new postseason rules.
“We still are in the driver’s seat,” Gibson said. “It depends on how we do. It doesn’t depend on how anybody else does. We have a pretty veteran team in here that has been in these situations. We still have a lot of confidence.”
So, if the Phillies go 7-8 in the season’s final 15 games, Milwaukee must go 10-4 because a tie is not good enough for the Brewers. The Phillies’ magic number is 12, and it would take an epic collapse to prevent the franchise from making its first postseason appearance since 2011.
But the Phillies like a good challenge, and other math is more daunting: The Phillies need to cover 135 innings in the next two weeks and the list of trusted pitchers is shrinking by the day. There are leaks everywhere.
Zack Wheeler will return Wednesday, but he might be limited to two innings. Noah Syndergaard, who has been hit hard and has not faced a team with a winning record since joining the Phillies, will be expected to pitch at least three or four innings after Wheeler.
Gibson, who carries a 4.71 ERA, has allowed 19 runs in 17 2/3 innings this month. He was the first Phillies starter to surrender 12 hits in a game since Aaron Harang in 2015. The dark years.
“We didn’t miss many bats,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “There weren’t many swings-and-misses.”
Gibson will make his next start because there isn’t anyone else. The Phillies have already swapped Syndergaard for Bailey Falter, one of the few pitchers who hasn’t wilted in September. Aaron Nola has been decent. José Alvarado has been one of the best relievers in baseball for months. Who else? Eflin, who was unavailable to pitch in the last two games because of back spasms, was solid again Tuesday as a middle reliever. He allowed one unearned run and recorded two strikeouts in the sixth inning. Eflin could see more important spots. But he cannot be used as a traditional reliever who pitches on back-to-back days because he’s never done it and there are health concerns with him.
Thomson said he did not remove Gibson (seven runs allowed in five innings) sooner because he did not want to burn through his bullpen. It was a conservative decision at a time when the Phillies are clawing for whatever positives they can find. Maybe it would not have mattered because many of their middle relievers are bleeding runs.
Gibson, actually, threw harder Tuesday than he has all season. He said he felt better during his warmup pitches than he has in a long time. Then, Toronto smoked him.
“I was just trying to get as many pitches out of him as we possibly could,” Thomson said.
The game ended with backup catcher Garrett Stubbs on the mound. The Phillies were just trying to survive another day. Marsh, at least, was diagnosed with only a bruised knee. The math might favor the Phillies, but there is value in sealing a postseason bid sooner rather than later. Nola, as it stands, is scheduled to pitch the penultimate game of the season. If the Phillies need him that night in Houston, he would not be available to pitch on regular rest until Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. This whole thing works only if Wheeler and Nola are aligned for Games 1 and 2.
The Phillies keep insisting they are not worried. There is urgency, but not panic.
“I don’t think so,” Thomson said. “Not with this group. I really don’t. We have good character people in the clubhouse. They’re always upbeat. Even today when we were down, there was a lot of energy in the dugout. Everybody had each other’s back. They fought. I’m not too worried about that. I think we’re just going through a little bit of a dry spell. That’s all.”
Bryce Harper singled twice in the Phillies’ 11-run outburst that fell a touchdown short. He has seven extra-base hits in 21 games since returning from the broken thumb that cost him two months. He made a bad base-running mistake in the fifth inning when the game was still undecided.
He has seen some bad Septembers here. Why will this be different?
“It’s just the group of guys that we have,” Harper said. “You go through some lulls in the season. This isn’t the greatest spot to go in, right? But at the same time we know who we are. We know the type of team we are. We know we’re capable to go out there and play against good teams.”
That’s the problem: The Phillies haven’t proven it for weeks. They captured the season series against the Dodgers, Cardinals and Padres. The Mets thrashed them. They played the Braves tough earlier in the season, but Atlanta just swept them. The four games at Citizens Bank Park later this week will offer chances for redemption.
The request is modest: Look — don’t just talk — like a postseason team.
(Top photo of Kyle Gibson: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
They can do it...just need to snap out of this. I'm calling for Little Nicky to come off the IL and be on fire to help them overcome the pitching woes.
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16