Go Phils...
Philadelphia Phillies Baseball
Increasingly, day in and day out, I feel bad for Chris Coste more and more. First, he spends 46 years in the minors and finally makes his big league debut, at 33 (I know that math doesn't make sense). He hit exceptionally well and worked exceptionally well with the pitchers. He basically won a late crucial game for us against florida with his 3-run bomb in September. Then practically caught the last week of the season, including that 14 inning debacle against the Nationals. He truly was a feel good story..Something Philadelphia loves. He had movie deals thrown at him and was becoming a fan favorite. Oh...and he bat .328 for us.
So all is good in the hood right? You would think so, however, this is the Phillies and they do make you scratch your head. We sign a veteran catcher with great leadership who is a proven winner to help MENTOR Carlos Ruiz. Coste is now the third man out. Ok...this is not TOO bad for Chris...he can still be a bench player to catch late if needed and pinch hit in crucial situations since he seemed to excel at that. That makes sense, right?
No...straight from phils.com
Gillick wouldn't commit a spot to Coste, last season's feel-good story.
"We need a left-hand hitter, so consequently the fact that Werth can catch some creates some flexibility there. So if we did acquire a left-hitter, someone could be in jeopardy," Gillick said.
Not to make light of suicide...but if my name was Christopher Coste...I'd be hanging off the Walt
Whitman right now with a baseball bat shoved in my heart. How can you not commit a spot to Coste? I realize winning is the first priority and that player's emotions should be left at the door. But this guy not only spent his whole life in the minors trying to make it the show...he excelled in big situations for us. Granted, the odds of him hitting over .320 next year aren't likely, but the man deserves the chance. And I realize this is all premature and that spring training is still months away. But if Chris Coste is playing for the Ironpiglets come next April because Gillick thinks Ruiz needs MENTORING, I am going to join Coste with his weaping.
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Also, Conine is in Cincinnati. Thats doesn't kill me, but the fact that Gillick couldn't really get any bullpen help is frustrating. He apparently isn't as optimistic as he was 3 weeks ago about being able to acquire quality arms in the 'pen. Hmm...well...I hope he is just bluffing like he was with not trading Floyd, because if our bullpen isn't upgraded our 2007 season my turn out like Chris Coste: Gone
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And since this post was negative and depressing, here is a video that will positively make you laugh. SNL basically sucks now and so does Justin Timberlake. This video, however, proves both stereotypes wrong.

about 2832 runs... I stopped keeping score. Bottom of the 8th. Two outs. Jimmy Rollins steps up to the plate 0 for 4 with a 36 game hit streak on the line. The count is 3 balls and no strikes. I, being one of the few fans who stuck around to see this, was hoarse from all the booing I was throwing at the Cardinals pitcher. Everyone knows that no matter what pitch is coming next, Rollins is hacking at it. The Pitch.... swing... contact... double. Besides the first two strike outs lieber had in the first inning, it was basically the only thing to cheer about. It made the loss to the eventual World Series champs less heartbreaking and gave me a reason not to crash my car off the Walt Whitman on the way back to Jersey.
the baby fish in the bottom of the 2nd. Some people didn't realize the inning started as Howard stepped up to the plate. I was just returning to my seat after going to the bathroom and then it happened...Howard smashed the absolute shit out of a baseball. And I am not just talking a normal homerun shot. No...Howard made this ball his eternal bitch. If baseball was prison, that ball would be Howard's prag. I jumped out of my seat the second he swung because it was one of those balls you just knew was gone. At first, I never saw it land and honestly said to my buddies I was with "Did that leave the stadium!?!?" Of course it didn't, but it did land a RIDICULOUS 496 feet awat from homeplate. He then hit a second homer later in the game only about 5 rows away from my seats, but watching that first ball leave the park (and I am going to be graphic here so if you are sensitive continue on to number 3)...it sort of got me aroused. I have no shame in admitting that.
brains of die-hard phans around the world. Lieber sucked in his start, Myers only lasted 5 innnings before Gordon (in his first appearance) gave up the lead, Lidle also only lasted his usual 5 on the same day Rollins' streak came to a depressing halt, and Floyd just flat out sucked. It was now Madson's day to continue the suckiness. But, to our suprise, he did not. He pitched 6 effective innings only giving up one earned run. And after being tied in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs and 2 men on, up steps one of the best outfielders the Phillies have ever had. Abreu lifts one to left field finally giving the Phillies their first win. Of course they lost again just 4 hours later. Still...it was comforting to know that they would win at least one game by May.



Another member of that 1980's team who I never got to see play. In fact, he retired the year before I was born...that son of a bitch. Tugger is basically in the best Philadelphia sports picture ever (see right) and with his beautiful left arm, won the only championship this team has ever seen. And once again, from what I hear, we need help in the bullpen? Well, the most fun-loving pimp reliever we have ever seen could help fill that role. McGraw is just too cool to NOT mention.


Why didn't the Phillies make the postseason in 2006? Well, the obvious (and smartass) answer would be the Dodgers won more games. But why did the Phillies only get to 85 wins, when it seemed at the end of the year that they were a team capable of over 90? You could argue clutch hitting was our problem, a shot bullpen in August, or an incompetent manager. And all of these did inhibit our team's winning potential, however, we must not forget the 40 games started by: Scott Mathieson, Gavin Floyd, Ryan Madson, Adam Bernero, Aaron Fultz and Eude Brito. Did you ever once say "OH YES, [insert one of those dillweeds here] is pitching today! We gotta win." If you did then I am envious of your optimism...but still think you are probably mentally challenged.
offseason is to fill the holes of the previous season. Our biggest hole: an incomplete rotation. That hole has been filled up like Paris Hilton. Our offense is practically the same...except we are upraded at 3rd base and I guess right field...if Shane is there. Our bullpen hasn't improved but like I said..."Merry Christmas" hasn't even been said yet.
Gillick made a move and regardless of what you may think, he upgraded our 2007 team. You cannot possibly make a good argument that Lieber is better than Garcia. And we all know that adding Freddy allows us to improve in our pen with another trade. We got rid of Floyd and got something positive in return. We did, however, also lose a highly regarded lefty prospect. Gio had the potential to be great...but that is all we traded: potential. I was thrilled that Gillick pulled the strings and is trying to compete now. Howard and Utley are hitting their primes and it would be a shame to waste that talent by waiting for prospects to grow. And while I thought the general consensus would be a positive one...I was proven wrong.
It was one kid who was forecasted to be a number 2 or 3...in about two years from now. And as I switched on Eskin (during Jody Mac's commercial break), I knew he was gonna bitch about something. His complaint? 'We got Garcia for too cheap...so something must be wrong with him.' TOO CHEAP!! That was his complaint. We didn't give up enough! And then I have come to realize something...a revelation if you will. No matter what any GM in this city does he will be called an idiot. Most of the time it is called for...any Ed Wade decision, for instance, is an example. But give credit when it is due. Be skeptical and cautious, sure, that's what these pages are for: venting and giving opinions on some of the idiots who run our sports...but for christ's sake don't say trading a AA player ruined this franchise. Trading Hamels, Utley and Howard for Jose Mesa...then you can bitch.
It all started on the "We Should Be GMs" comments section. The conversation began with trade and free agency rumors, then a little Burrell convo was thrown in, then Geary being a nerd was mentioned and how much Gavin Floyd isn't worth our headaches, then the best gum in the world was brought up...Big League Chew. The shredded bubblegum that fills your mouth with such juicy goodness that it is impossible to not feel like a pimp when stuffing your face with it. I believe furiousball summed it up the best: "If grape big league chew was served at fine restaurants, I would order it with a tenacity unforeseen by mankind." A truer statement could not have been stated. And while reminiscing of the euphoria that Big League Chew brought me while sitting in the dugout during little league, I began to ponder the other things that brought me bliss. My kickass dog, playing xbox, cartoons, watching my hamster run in his stupid ball, and Carmen Electra are just a few things that came to mind. The one name, however, that did not come anywhere near my thoughts was a man named Gillick.
I have been lied to and made a fool of. I was told for my entire life, through various media outlets, that college is all about 3 things: Beer, Girls and Parties. For my first 3 years of college (with the exception of the 6 months I spent partying with bloodstripes in Australia), I realize this was just a fabrication, but I held out hope that maybe it was senior year when all the boobies come out to play. Well...I was wrong to assume this and stupid to believe that movies like Van Wilder and Animal House were displaying reality. So to your comment Corey and Carson (whichever joker called me a college pussy today), yes...finals have ruined the past week of my life and have thus restricted me from talking about the one thing I love in this world: baseball. So before I talk about the Phillies, I would like to blame the movies for tricking me my entire life. Because while I have met girls as dumb as tara reid, not many were as hot.
Well, besides Padilla getting overpaid and Pujols backing off his words about our boy, the focus is on Gillick and his trading potential. Today, the talk was on Turnbow, Mench and Garcia. First thing, I was shocked to see that Mench isn't even 30 years old. Maybe it is just because he is fat and looks like Shrek that I assumed he was 60. Also, the fact that he finished the year with only 13 dingers is ridiculous considering he almost broke the consecutive homerun streak in April. He didn't even hit any homers after July 30. But I doubt we will land him anyways so there is no reason to talk about his stats unless he is wearing Phillies red. But there is someone who needs mentioning...Patrick Brian Burrell. You know him, right? The worst outfielder that ever played in Philadelphia. The most overpaid athelete in sports history. The player who has never hit a homerun after the 7th inning and doesn't leave the park unless the Phillies are winning by 6 runs. The player who cost the Phillies the playoffs in 2006. The player who had the worst '06 season out of every athlete in the MLB.
improve his baseball game. This is just absurd. Burrell not getting laid is like Wonder Woman without her magic lasso. They just go together. Green, however, was right on target when saying that it all rests on Burrell. "Guys like him are tough to come by. This kid, if he gets his priorities and focus straight, can recoup. It's his decision. He has to look in the mirror and recognize where his career is headed. It's either headed north or south. This is a crossroad for him." I believe, and I am being very optimistic here, that Burrell is very capable of being the 2005 hitter that carried us for most of that season. How can he get back to that? It's on him...but I know NOT getting laid won't help him.