Phightins

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Biggest disgrace I have seen in sports in a long time. Unbelievable.

Ken Griffey Jr. retires. Farewell to a legend.

Love it...Kyle Kendrick goes 7 innings, 1 earned, and this team finds a way to [expletive] a brick. I was stuck with GameDay today, did not see any of the video. Don't want to either. Unreal.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/369464/cup6_medium.jpg Tonight's shirts. I like it.

My only hope is that he is 100% healthy when he gets back this time. Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I felt as if they rushed along his recovery the first time, and sure enough in his 4th game back he re-injured it. It seems like it's his goal to be back as soon as he's allowed off the DL this time. If he needs an extra week, I hope he takes it. But, assuming he does come back this weekend and assuming he is completely healthy, we will be getting he and Placido Polanco both back, so we will have a real top of the order for a change. That will certainly help things, I'd imagine.

The 2-month thing was for TruTrojan. And no, why would I choose now to "hop on your balls", since the Phillies are in the midst of one of their worst stretches of baseball in the past 10 years, yet they are still on the cusp of first place (and are 2 games ahead of the Mets). So if I wanted to "hop on your balls" just for the hell of it, I don't need to reach THAT far.

So weird that it's June and tonight there will be a non-baseball pro sporting event of importance in South Philadelphia. Anyway, looks like it will be the same lineup tonight as game 2. Not really a surprise, Oskars Bartulis was solid.

I am not sure what is more ridiculous, making final judgements of pitchers based on ignoring their bad starts, or making final judgements of pitchers based on a sample size of 2 months.

Strasburg is the top prospect in baseball right now bar-none IMO (yes I am still considering Heyward a prospect). And, this game will be broadcasted on MLB Network. Very cool.

Lol, [expletive]ty pitching? Despite missing their 3 and 4 starters for most of the season thus far (one of them still out) and having a makeshift bullpen, they have the 6th best ERA in Major League Baseball (3.73). They are not winning because they are not hitting and they are playing horrendous defense (as I said, the poor defense has been the most disappointing part for me). But yeah, when you are getting shut out 5 times in a week, you could have a rotation of Lincecum, Jimenez, Halladay, Santana, and Wainwright and you are not going to win many games. And Jimmy Rollins should be back this weekend. Early next week at the latest. You were close! Also, J-Werth is leading off today. Interesting.

I don't really buy the whole "they need Jimmy Rollins back, that's why they're playing so poorly" thing to be honest. I hear that A LOT from Phillies fans. Yes, he is a hell of a shortstop and I can't wait for him to get back healthy, but his absence is not why this team is sucking (although it is kind of convenient that this slump began when he got hurt for the 2nd time). There is way too much talent in this lineup for the loss of one guy to hurt them this much. As far as the offensive slump, this lineup has a bunch of guys who don't always make a lot of contact and strike out a lot (Howard and Werth in particular, Utley somewhat), so they do go into prolonged slumps. In the past, they have been spread out, so it's not like the whole team goes down with them. But this year it seems like they are all slumping at exactly the same time. Also, with Placido Polanco out now as well, a left side of the infield of Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro (career OPS's of .577 and .601 respectively) just does not cut it for a Major League team. Here's to hoping that both of those guys (Rollins and Polanco) get back this weekend. Also, here's to hoping that since Utley, Howard and Werth all slumped at the same time, they all break out of it at the same time. Also, on another side note, the Phillies have a better record at this point of the season than they did when they won the World Series in 2008. So all is not lost I suppose.

I think it is time for Charlie to throw some [expletive] around in the clubhouse. Offensive slumps I can live with, poor fundamentals and a seeming lack of caring I cannot. Also, I'd like to know who the idiot was that decided to start the game in a downpour was. Thanks for a wasted Cole Hamels start!

Dontrelle Willis traded to the Diamondbacks.

Yeah I think it may have caught on with a few radio stations.

I had not heard that song until ECN sent me the link a couple weeks ago. I heard it mentioned once by one of our beat writers, but otherwise it isn't really a huge deal around here. This is our real fight song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZtBe_o5xf0

And the day prior to that, they will welcome Bryce Harper to their organization. Not a bad 2-day span for Nationals fans. The National League East suddenly projects to be a pretty damn good division in a couple years.

EKSellent.

Other good news... The 3rd pair (Bartulis/Krajicek) was actually useable. Also, Braydon Coburn was nasty. Very physical, smart. Had a mean streak. Where the hell has this been all year, Braydon?

Honest to God, deal. Get Cashman on the phone.

The Phillies could use '09 Ho in their bullpen right about now...

Whatever. We'll be alright. Repeat that third period 6 more times and we won't lose in our building.

Contreras has been fabulous this year, it was not just a one night thing. Arguably the best "minor" signing of the winter. I don't want to see the Phillies trade for Bobby Jenks or someone of that ilk just for the sake of having a "proven closer". I'd take Contreras as my closer over anybody who could possibly be traded this deadline. If Heath Bell is available I'd reconsider, but it looks like the Padres will be in contention. And even if he was available, the Padres would ask for way way too much.

Middle relief is basically it, unless there is a significant injury elsewhere between now and then. The hitters will come around and the rotation has been fine (and showing a surprising amount of depth). Even if Brad Lidge is bad, I don't think they will trade for a closer since I really don't see any better "option B"s out there than Jose Contreras. But if they can find a sucker to take Ibanez's contract, I'd be shocked if they don't go for it. That will not happen, though.

There is certainly no doubting who the better pitcher has been thus far this year.