Curtains

by Bill Baer on November 2nd, 2009
Posted in 2009 Playoffs, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies | Print | 53 Comments »

Game Four was a microcosm of the Phillies’ 2009 season. Starter not named Cliff Lee gives up too many runs in too few innings, middle relief does a decent job of keeping the game close, the Phillies catch up, Brad Lidge wraps the game up with a nice bow tie for the opposition.

Eleven blown saves. At least one run allowed in 30 of his 67 appearances during the regular season.

The fear that came along with Charlie Manuel’s continuing to rely on Lidge was that their 2008 untouchable superstar would come in in a critical spot in the playoffs and — well, you know the rest. That fear came to fruition tonight, even after Lidge rather handily retired the first two Yankees in the top of the ninth inning.

Johnny Damon had what is known as a “professional at-bat” when he fouled off five Brad Lidge offerings to work the count to 3-2 after eight pitches. On the ninth, he hit a line drive that dropped in front of left fielder Raul Ibanez for the single. What would unfold next is atypical, but given Lidge’s season, perhaps not surprising.

With the right-hander on the mound, Mark Teixeira came up to the plate in the left-handed batter’s box. Due to that, the Phillies shifted their infield towards the right side, leaving Pedro Feliz at shortstop and covering second base on a stolen base attempt. Damon attempted and succeeded to steal the base, and because Lidge failed to cover third base with the shifted infield, Damon dashed past Feliz for the free extra base.

Still, a runner on third base with two outs is not terrible news — it just means that Carlos Ruiz has to be sharp on Lidge’s slider in the dirt. And that is perhaps why Lidge was victimized, as he hit Teixeira to put runners on the corners for Alex Rodriguez. He then threw a first-pitch low-and-inside fastball to get ahead of A-Rod.

Perhaps Rodriguez was looking for another fastball because he knew that the slider was less of an option with the runner on third base. Nonetheless, Lidge threw another fastball and it was laced past Ibanez in left field for a go-ahead RBI double.

The Yankees would tack on two more runs when Lidge threw four fastballs out of five pitches to Jorge Posada. The fourth fastball was lined into the left-center field gap, scoring Teixeira and Rodriguez to up the score to 7-4. Posada was thrown out trying to advance to second base.

It is a devastating loss for the Phillies as they once again showed their resilience when Pedro Feliz hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the eighth off of Joba Chamberlain. That hit would have been added to Ryan Howard’s go-ahead double in Colorado and Jimmy Rollins’ walk off against the Dodgers’ Jonathan Broxton, but it went for naught. Chase Utley’s dominance against C.C. Sabathia is also lost as a result of Lidge’s ninth inning collapse.

The Phillies now find themselves down three games to one with three games left to play, all of which they must win if they want to repeat as World Series champions.

Game graph above courtesy FanGraphs.

  1. 53 Responses to “Curtains”

  2. By Evan on Nov 2, 2009

    Tough to bear, this one hurts. Still a successful season and this will only make them stronger next year. And in case you’re wondering if there is a save situation in Game 5, I expect to see Lidge in there. We are gonna live by him and die by him.

  3. By Jeff on Nov 2, 2009

    If you look at the Phillies opponents in the NL Playoffs they had a easy team in Colorado. Then the Dodgers who virtually put up NO fight at all. Phillies cruised because they played two bad teams. Now the Phillies play a real team and find themselves down 3-1. I don’t see them coming back to win. Even if Lee dominates tomorrow they go back to Yankee Stadium and face Mr. Postseason Andy Pettitte. Things don’t look well for the Phillies and they will be kissing their championship goodbye as the Yankees take it from them.

  4. By Brotha Ali on Nov 2, 2009

    Looks like you’re gonna die then.

  5. By Patrick on Nov 2, 2009

    This one really hurts. It wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if Lidge hadn’t looked so awesome against Jeter. He seemed to have his stuff and lost it with that long at bat against Damon. It’s not surprising that it had to end like that. But, you are exactly right that is what the entire season looked like.

    I hope Lee wins to atleast force the Yankees win it there. Honestly, I don’t feel good about the Phils chances to win 3 in a row. But, I do think they have the ability to light up Burnett. We’ll see!

    Ugh. Heartbroken. Made worse by the fact that a buddy (Yankees fan) who I hadn’t talked to before the series called me to trash talk after the first inning. I am not really big on trash talking even when my team is winning – I didn’t have much to say.

    As usual. Awesome insights and I love your write ups.

  6. By java4loop on Nov 2, 2009

    Take ‘em away Frank!….Start spreading the news…Im leaving today….

  7. By Spencer on Nov 2, 2009

    This was as disappointing a weekend of Phillies baseball as there could have been. As much as I believe the Phillies are good enough to win the series, I do also realize they have some major flaws to be exposed if their opponent can take advantage. As you noted – starting pitching beyond Lee and Brad Lidge. Another one to note is left-handed batters against left-handed pitchers. Not sure what you can do to address this – but we had some big at bats with RISP last night and weren’t able to capitalize with what’s supposed to be the heart of our lineup.

    It’s time for that tried and true baseball cliche: one game at a time. Hopefully Cliff Lee starts that off tomorrow.

  8. By Faiaz on Nov 2, 2009

    All Phillies fans that have posted on this page seem decent so I am not going to be an ass. All I have to say is… I wonder how Rollins feels about his prediction.

  9. By Lou on Nov 2, 2009

    Yanks will lose tomorrow through indifference to win the game in the new stadium and add revenue

  10. By Joel Banner on Nov 2, 2009

    As Yogi would say “it ain’t over until it’s over”. Yankee fans have seen this before (3-0/3-1 with the Red Sox.

    I’m not sure I like the idea of Burnett on 3 days rest follow by Pettite on 3 days.

    Yankees can afford to be gracious and give the Phillie fans a home win!

  11. By Sean on Nov 2, 2009

    Yanks fans would like Rollins if he was on their team. Much like we would like A-Rod. Rollins is annoying to other fans and an easy target when we lose….but I would be annoyed if he didn’t think we would win.

    I love the entire trashing of the phillies opponents in one post. Not enough to be up 3-1 and on the verge of a title. We have to be trashed because we have not yet beat a “real” team…just like we didn’t beat a “real” team last year because it was TB.

    Basically, if a team does not beat NYY to win the title, they didn’t beat a “real” time. So, the only valid titles in the past decade are NYY, ARZ, FLA, Sox #1. Sorry fans of any other team; you never beat a “real” team.

  12. By Yanoff on Nov 2, 2009

    Is there any blame for Manual for putting the shift on for Tex? He hasn’t been hitting well in the Series and Damon really took advantage of the shift. Why shift like that when someone as wily as Damon is on? That was the game-changer.

  13. By Bill Baer on Nov 2, 2009

    I agree, I think the shift was unnecessary.

    I have read that Damon’s being on third didn’t cost the Phillies runs because he would have scored on the A-Rod double anyway. That is true. However, his being on third actually put Lidge in a situation where Rodriguez could sit on the fastball confidently, since Lidge doesn’t want to risk throwing a slider in the dirt that Carlos Ruiz can’t corral, thus allowing Damon to score from third.

  14. By Dave Miller on Nov 2, 2009

    As a Yankee fan, I cannot feel easy until we completely banish the ghost of 2004 (the Year of Great Evil).

    Being up 3-1 means nothing without a fourth win. I hope we get it tomorrow. Andy Pettitte has not been great on short rest and CC was not exactly his dominant self today.

    I’m ready for this to be over!

  15. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    Actually TB was a paper tiger..so I am unsure of your point. The NL as a whole is weaker than the AL as proven by the insane amount of All Star game losses in a row. If the Phillies had beat the Angels, or Red Sox or a team like that, that would be a good team to beat.
    The Phillies are good, but not as good as the top 3 or 4 teams in the AL.

    Go Yanks.

  16. By Bill Baer on Nov 2, 2009

    as proven by the insane amount of All Star game losses in a row.

    That doesn’t prove anything, especially considering the “each team must have a representative” rule.

  17. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    Bill and Yanoff

    Lidge put himself in that situation by not covering 3rd. Once Johnny was stealing second, Lidge should have went to third to cover, so he screwed himself.

  18. By Scott on Nov 2, 2009

    The Phils are headed to the basement next year. Only 1 frontline starter, no closer, and underperforming power hitters that can’t touch lefthanded pitching. Not only will we not be back, we’re going to finish just ahead of the Nats with these terminal weaknesses.

  19. By Paulie on Nov 2, 2009

    Basically what this series boils down to is, the Yankees have the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, and the other team doesn’t. So far the Yanks have slapped around Joe Nathan, Brian Fuentes, and now Brad Lidge.

    It looks like the only closer on earth that would be able to stop the Yanks in the 9th inning, happens to be playing FOR the Yankees. Enter Sandman, indeed.

  20. By Bill Baer on Nov 2, 2009

    Lidge put himself in that situation by not covering 3rd.

    Because that play comes up so often they practice it, right?

    Only 1 frontline starter

    Hamels?

    no closer

    As bad as his 2009 was, Lidge’s true talent level is somewhere in between his 2008 and ’09.

    underperforming power hitters that can’t touch lefthanded pitching

    Chase Utley vs. C.C. Sabathia?

    Or Utley vs. LHP in regular season: .962 OPS (.877 vs. RHP)

    Ibanez vs. LHP in regular season: .998 OPS (.859 vs. RHP)

  21. By Vish on Nov 2, 2009

    I have grown up in a Yankee household so all I’ve ever known is life as a Yankees fan. I don’t remember much about the ’96, ’98, ’99, or ’00 World Series because I didn’t know much about baseball at the time.

    I decided to learn about baseball and got heavily into baseball 2001. We all remember what happened then, and I was heartbroken. We got thrashed by Anaheim in 2002, and after the amazing 2003 ALCS we got beat in the Series. 2004…and 2005/2006/2007 were all horrible first round exits and 2008 was just pathetic.

    It’s great to see my team finally putting it together and I hope we can do it one more time and win the World Series.

    It would also finally shut up the Yankee haters all around me.

  22. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    Bill, it seems you argue no matter what anyone posts, but covering the open base is Baseball 101. These are professional players and should know to cover an open base on the shift. (If you practice a shift you practice covering the open base).

  23. By Bill Baer on Nov 2, 2009

    Bill, it seems you argue no matter what anyone posts, but covering the open base is Baseball 101. These are professional players and should know to cover an open base on the shift.

    From Andy Martino’s blog:

    Here are quotes from the relevant people. “It’s the catcher or pitcher,” said Charlie Manuel “Evidently, there was some miscommunication there….Usually it’s the catcher tries to get down there.”

    Said Lidge: “To be honest, that’s not really something you go over a lot. I don’t know who is supposed to cover on that.”

    Neither did Feliz. “That’s a play, we never got anybody to say, OK, you got to go out there, you got to go here.”

  24. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    All those quotes show is how unintelligent Lidge and Feliz is. Thank you for proving my point :)

  25. By Toomdoom on Nov 2, 2009

    Disagree with those who don’t think the Phillies are the 2nd best team in baseball. I’m a Yankees fan, but watching this team as compared to those we faced in ALDS and ALCS, Phillies are best. They have the best starter in baseball (Lee), the best lineup besides the yanks, and they’re the world champs. No other team has issued the yanks a loss like game 1 and no other team has seemed a threat in the late innings (even when our middle relief gave up late hits). I definitely think this is the first time since 2001 (or perhaps 1999) that the best two teams in the league are playing in the World Series.

  26. By kees on Nov 2, 2009

    why is Mitch Williams coming to mind…?

  27. By Andy on Nov 2, 2009

    I’m not a fan of either team…strictly objective here.

    On that shift, Lidge should have covered. You can blame Manuel for not having them prepared for that particular play. You can blame Lidge for not running over to cover. Whoever you blame, that play epitomizes the difference between the Yankees and Phillies.

  28. By jcm on Nov 2, 2009

    Yanks are the team of destiny this year…sure,they could still blow it but-They deserve to be Champs and you have to admire their resilence and grit…GO YANKS

  29. By Nero on Nov 2, 2009

    Wow, it is great to see a comment section with people making sensible remarks about the game rather than typing in all caps and insulting one another at a level befitting for a 1st grade student. I have been a Yankee fan since I was 6 years old watching the Yankees win the 1996 World Series. Growing up watching my team win 4 championships in such a short span made me lose appreciation for how special each one really is. It may be selfish to say this, (especially thinking of the Cubs fans) but the past 10 years of watching the Yankees have great teams but not win championships makes this one all the sweeter. Btw, Idk what Jimmy Rollins was thinking when he made a prediction that the Yankees would lose in 5 on the Leno Show. Im sure that was only extra motivation for the Yanks. He even boasted of knowing how to beat Mariano but when it came time to face him, he couldn’t even make Mo work for the outs in two straight games. Anyway, the Phillies are a great team but right now the Yankees are doing enough to win games and that is what it takes in the postseason.

  30. By Mariano on Nov 2, 2009

    it’s over losers – you’re a bunch of fake fans anyway – stick to football…

  31. By Jose B on Nov 2, 2009

    Can’t blame Manual for using the shift. Part of the reason Tex has struggled was because of the shift.

    In game one alone, two hits up the middle by Tex were gobbled up because of the shift, that would have normally been hits.

    Lidge not covering the bag is to blame. But its a funky play. Just happens.

  32. By Isa on Nov 2, 2009

    I am a big yankees fan livin in Australia, & just want to say that if they do take the title it will be very sweet because of 1. the failures of the last ten years 2. the off field dramas with A.Rod, Torre etc. .. and 3. the phillies are defending world champs (and are a bloody good team!) …Ohh! ps.I’m always nervous when R. Howard bats (even though he’s not doing well!) cause it takes just 1 hit to change a series! (& a players luck). But I hope he stays cool for a few more at bats!
    GO THE YANKS!!!

  33. By Justin on Nov 2, 2009

    The Phils aren’t one of the two best teams in baseball. As was said by everybody during the ALCS, “the two best teams in the MLB are playing each other”, which was true. The Yanks and Halos are the best 2 teams, followed by Phila, Boston and (if I had to pick) LAD and St. Louis. The Phils cruised through the playoffs against two weaker, less intimidating teams (minus Pujols and Chris Carpenter), then met a team that was capable of handling them.

    That said, don’t get me wrong, the Phillies are a great team. Honestly, being fan of NY teams has never made me dislike any other (except the BoSox). If I had to pick a team to win the WS this year besides the Yanks, it would’ve been the Phillies. I like the Rangers as well as the Flyers, and the Eagles as well as the Giants. Anyway, Cliff Lee is fantastic, Cole Hamels v.1 is great, Pedro’s still got it. Madson’s good, Lidge (also v.1) is great (he obviously still has good stuff, just had a real bad season). Rollins, Werth, Utley, Howard, Victorino, etc. This is a very deep and talented roster, they just didn’t have to play anybody as good as them most of the season (as everybody says, they’re an AL team playing in the NL), so I don’t think they were prepared to play the Yankees 7 (possibly) times in a row.

  34. By Bob on Nov 2, 2009

    It’s surprising that nobody has cared to write about what has really been the most disturbing part of this series,…the multiple beanings of ARod.

    For those that want to try and shrug it off as “that’s baseball”, it should be said that the Phillies deserve to lose after doing it three times in their 1st two home games to the same player? This is the World Series and not some bush league.

    Fox commentators did the corporate rollover by trying to cover it up and say it wasn’t intentional when everyone there and watching knew different. It was embarasing for the game and awful for every young boy watching and having to ask his father why they do that so often as mine asked me.

    Had they been successful and broken his wrist, hand, rib or given him a concussion and sent him to the dugout to watch the remainder of the series (as I believe was their intent) would that have been seen as appropriate tactics and the way to win a World Series?

    To his credit, ARod remained calm and used his bat and provided the ultimate nail in the coffin to the organization that has openly used shameful tactics to try and win. As the defending champions on their home field, in my opinion they lost credibility as a franchise and should have to answer directly to all the young players wanting to know what my son asked.

    The answer was, “Son, it has no place in baseball period and it certainly has no place in the World Series”.

  35. By Taylor on Nov 2, 2009

    Sean, Yankee fans would not love Rollins if he was on our team? Why? Because he had a freaking .297 OBP this year. He was horrendous.

  36. By Pete on Nov 2, 2009

    “It’s surprising that nobody has cared to write about what has really been the most disturbing part of this series,…the multiple beanings of ARod.”

    Bob…are you really ARod posting? Either way, can I ask why the Phillies would decide to start hitting ARod with pitches after he was 0 for whatever, and at the point he was hit the third time still only had one hit?

    Come on. Smarten up.

  37. By Mike on Nov 2, 2009

    As a 3rd generation, lifelong Yankees fan I love this team. Tough, professional ballplayers are all over this roster. I agree that the Ntional league is inferior, but these Phillies are good, really good, they’re just not as good as these Yankees. Lee will pitch well in game 5 and I expect the series will go back to NY and end in game 6.

  38. By Jussayin... on Nov 2, 2009

    Why would the Phillies pitchers intentionally hit ARod when he is down in the count? Simple, it give deniability to them and keeps him to a single. One big swing he made last night showed why.

    When a player gets nailed once, you can dismiss it. When one player gets nailed three times by the losing team it isn’t easy to dismiss it as a pitch that got away.

    Alex hit a 2 run shot that made Hamels into a basket case.

    Pete, it really is pretty tough to hit a baseball when its coming at your ribs, no wonder they kept hitting him.

  39. By Pete on Nov 2, 2009

    “When a player gets nailed once, you can dismiss it. When one player gets nailed three times by the losing team it isn’t easy to dismiss it as a pitch that got away.”

    I still don’t get it. Saying the losing team hit him three times seems a little revisionist. Remember, when he was hit the first time it’s a 1-1 series with the score 0-0 in Game 3. Tough to call the Phillies the losing team at that point. Even the second time in Game 3, it’s still a 1-1 series, and the Phillies are down two runs trying to get back into the game. Again, marginally losing at that point, but definitely not wanting extra base runners.

    I definitely don’t understand what “deniability” you are talking about. I’ll leave that alone.

    As for holding him to a single, again, when a guy is 0-8 with six strikeouts, it is hard to say that you are holding him to a single when he hasn’t been able to get on base on his own yet. It seems like you are giving him a single. And besides, I still don’t understand why the Phillies would want to start plunking a guy who is cold and run the risk of igniting him?

  40. By Kevin McCall on Nov 2, 2009

    Lidge should be done. How can you be a closer when you simply can’t hold a runner on first and you’re afraid to throw your best pitch when there’s a runner on 3rd? Manuel should have taken out Lidge when Damon reached…you need to know the weaknesses of your team to beat a team like the Yankees.

  41. By Gabriel M Bodosca on Nov 2, 2009

    Did anybody in the entire world saw in the Sunday’s Yankee- Phillies game that the HOME plate Umpire missed to call the 3rd. strike on Johnny Damon after Johnny hit one on the right stand , one on the left stand and he swung and missed another one , yet the Umpire called strike 2 ??? How is that possible , how come nobody saw it ? THE MLB SHOULD INVESTIGATE . PHILLIES SHOULD FILE A COPMLAINT AND HAVE THE GAME CANCELLED OR GIVING THE VICTORY AND SUSPEND THE UMPIRES FOR LIFE ! IT’S NOT ONLY UNFAIR IT’S CRIMINAL TOO.

  42. By Wittanzy on Nov 2, 2009

    If you want to know “why would they hit ARod intentionally?” on Sunday night consider this. He shied away from a number of inside pitches after that. They send the message “we’re coming inside”. They come inside next AB. Then they pitch him outside one AB, making him look kinda foolish because he’s ready to bail on every pitch. The whole thing stands to erode his confidence, which is a good thing for Philly.

    I’m not sticking up for ARod – I’m really taking the easy road and saying that Tim McCarver is an idiot for insisting through the whole of Game 4 that there’s absolutely NO REASON to hit him intentionally. Blanton wasn’t wild. ARod looked like a goofball until the 9th inning. McCarver – if he just said it once “hmm, I can’t think of a reason for that…” I could stomach him. (Until he said the next stupid thing, 30 seconds later…)

    But there ARE reasons, valid ones, and whether one believes it or not, it is possible. It could be a tactical error on the part of the Phillies, or it could have worked out just fine. BTW the ump thought it was possibly intentional – but he has sucked all series anyhow, so I wouldn’t pin any credibility on him.

  43. By DC on Nov 2, 2009

    “By Gabriel M Bodosca on Nov 2, 2009

    Did anybody in the entire world saw in the Sunday’s Yankee- Phillies game that the HOME plate Umpire missed to call the 3rd. strike on Johnny Damon after Johnny hit one on the right stand , one on the left stand and he swung and missed another one , yet the Umpire called strike 2 ???”

    Gabriel, if you are the only one that saw it maybe it isn’t the entire world that is mistaken…just a thought.

  44. By Bob on Nov 2, 2009

    Yes, one has to accept that one time can be assumed that the pitcher “missed”. I am merely stating what should be the obvious, as he said himself to the umpire, “isn’t three times a little obvious?”

    Whether revisionist or deniability misses the basic point that it has no place in the World Series beyond one that might have “missed”. These are the best of the best, supposedly. These pitchers might miss once but, three of the best pitchers in baseball to the same player (the one with 6 home runs and despite the cold streak has had one of the hottest bats around as he proved later)on the opposing team? Come on, there aren’t enough odds in Vegas to run if it were “random” misses to the roster.

    I’m not wanting to argue. Each of you has more in-depth analysis of the pitch counts, rotations, line-ups than I follow. I’m only saying that I’m a guy that’s loved and played the game most of my 56 years and that this type of play at the highest level the game has to offer brings it down to the lowest. And it really does affect the children who watch and learn from it, just as ARod has to live with his steroids scandal for the rest of his life.

    I just wish the baseball community made more of this rather than less to make the point that it is unacceptable, just as Serena Williams’ behavior at the U.S.Open was unacceptable (and the USTA did nothing) and Michael Phelps’ personal issue (which swimming to their credit, did) and so on. Yes, they are all human but, without the attention to role modeling it’s all for naught.

    I’ve said enough. Sorry to drone on about it but, it was a big disappointment given the level of play by the two best teams in the sport.

  45. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    From Jason Stark’s article:

    The normal way this works, actually, is that it’s the pitcher’s job to scramble over there. But Lidge was so locked in on pitching to Teixeira, he admitted later he forgot all about that shift. So when Damon took off for third, it “really surprised me,” Lidge said. “I thought we had him. I didn’t realize there was nobody at third base.”

    So again just want to reiterate…these are professional players, Lidge should have known to cover the empty base. You can quote all the people you want, the fact is, Lidge messed up.

  46. By Mike on Nov 2, 2009

    By Scott on Nov 2, 2009

    The Phils are headed to the basement next year. Only 1 frontline starter, no closer, and underperforming power hitters that can’t touch lefthanded pitching. Not only will we not be back, we’re going to finish just ahead of the Nats with these terminal weaknesses.

    To be fair, 99% of teams don’t have more than 1 frontline/ace starter. So, sure the Yankees become the team of destiny when they put together a staff with 3 aces. I’d honestly love to see baseball with a salary cap. Maybe even the Pirates could compete, and we’d get a real season instead of September not mattering for 95% of the league.

  47. By Tim on Nov 2, 2009

    Mike my man there are 30 teams in baseball, and 8 teams make the playoffs. That means that at the very least September does not matter for 73% (not 95%). Throw in another 2 teams or so who had a chance at the wildcard in September, and that number drops to 66%. I definitly think that’s a real season.
    Talk to MLB and the player’s union about the salary cap, the Yankees just play on the rules they were given.

  48. By Daniel on Nov 2, 2009

    Wittanzy… they are not throwing intentially to Arod in my opinion. But they are trying to jam him inside. When you are trying to jam a guy with 583 career home runs inside, you darn well make sure that if you miss, you miss off the plate, not over the plate. Lidge showed us what can happen if you miss over the plate with Arod. So that’s why they plunk him so often.

    If you must know, I am a lifelong Yankee fan. I don’t like our cleanup hitter getting plunked, but that’s baseball. Yanks are employing a similar strategy with Ryan Howard, except that Sabbathia / Burnett / Pettite have had better control than Hamels and Blanton.

    Let’s also give Manuel & the Philies the benefit of the doubt. No one is trying to deliberately injure another player… at least I hope not. If anyone could have been accused of that, it would have been our own Roger Clemens back when he was using Mike Piazza for target practice.

  49. By Chucky P on Nov 2, 2009

    Why does everyone keep saying “short rest”? The last time I checked the schedule if the series was to go back to N.Y. it would be on Wednesday, not tomorrow. Hence, Andy would be on “regular rest”.

  50. By Chucky P on Nov 2, 2009

    Salary Cap? How well is that working for the NFL and NBA? Same teams are good all the time regardless. There are owners in MLB with much more money then the Steinbrenners, they just pocket it instead of spending it on players. Whose fault is that? Whose fault is it that when the Marlins make millions off of revenue sharing they don’t spend it on improving the team. I respect the spending of money on players that the fans pay to see and expect to contend every year. Pitt could easily become a contender if they would stop trading their best players for a couple of bats and a steak dinner.

  51. By E on Nov 2, 2009

    It’s time for the phillies to sell high on Howard.

  52. By J on Nov 2, 2009

    Chucky P – “Regular rest” is 4 days off in between starts. Pettite started on Saturday night, so with his next start on Wednesday, that would only be 3 days of rest (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday).

  53. By Chinner on Nov 2, 2009

    By J on Nov 2, 2009

    If the game is at night (which it is, 7:57pm EST) you can pretty much count wednesday as a day of rest. I think that is what Chucky P was referring to.

    Two great teams, already better than last years series.

  54. By Pete on Nov 2, 2009

    Thank you Daniel. I appreciate your analysis of ARod being hit by pitches.

    And I certainly agree Bob that intentionally trying to injure a player should not be a part of baseball. But pitching inside and even hitting players IS a part of baseball and ALWAYS has been. Admittedly, it is declining in recent years, so maybe a softer sensibility is winning out. But it also seems it would be much more difficult to explain steroid use and the other things you mentioned than hitting a batter with pitches. Just check out Daniel’s explanation above for how easy it is to explain correctly.

    And finally, I hope seeing ARod hit on the arm, leg and ribs does not scar or influence children too much. Otherwise, what do we do and how do we explain a take-out slide at second or a collision at home plate? Actually, maybe getting hit by a pitch or standing in against a runner is a good lesson for kids; certainly could make the argument that it is a good way to break kids in for the much rougher treatment life often has in store for us.

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