Game 107: Phillies at Nationals (2/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 57-49
Washington Nationals: 38-68

Jamie Moyer (9-6 3.76 ERA, 9-4 2.90 ERA)
Tim Redding (7-5 3.98 ERA, 4-2 2.34 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 4/24, 3 RBI, .167/.321/.167
Victorino CF 3/9, 333/.333/.333
Utley 2B 5/11, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .455/.500/.818
Howard 1B 1/13, .077/.200/.077
Burrell LF 4/21, 2 RBI, .190/.250/.333
Dobbs 3B 1/6, .167/.167/.167
Jenkins LF 11/19, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .579/.652/1.000
Ruiz C 1/6, .167/.286/.167
Moyer P

Harris LF 1/10, .100/.100/.100
Lopez SS 4/23, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .174/.174/.328
Zimmerman 3B 2/14, .143/.250/.214
Kearns RF 4/9, 2 RBI, .444/.545/.778
Flores C 4/9, 1 RBI, .444/.500/.778
Belliard 2B 7/25, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .280/.308/.560
Milledge CF 5/11, .455/.500/.545
Lo Duca 1B 5/14, 4 RBI, .357/.438/.357
Redding P

I don't know what it is about Redding that mystifies this lineup, but it has to end tonight. I don't know if I can write another sarcastic entry about how good he is. You would've liked to see the Phillies score more than two runs last night, but it was enough to win. I hope they can at least get two tonight with a guy who dominates them on the mound. Jamie Moyer has success against the Nationals himself, so the Phillies have one thing going for them.

Roster Shuffling

I haven't posted much besides game previews, so I'll catch up on a little news.

In terms of pitching, Adam Eaton has accepted a demotion to the minor leagues. He'll be pitching for Lakewood on Thursday, and hopefully he won't damage their playoff chances. To take his place, J.A. Happ was called up again. I think he'll stick this time around. He's going to pitch out of the pen, probably as a lefty specialist, until Myers falters or someone in the rotation gets hurt. Speaking of Myers, I don't want to take too much away from this game. He was in control and he looked like vintage Brett, but Washington does have the worst offense in baseball. However, it was still a nice start and something to build on.

On the offensive side, Pedro Feliz has been placed on the DL with back issues. It was previously believed that he would be able to play on this road trip, but that's obviously not the case. In his place, Greg Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett will likely platoon. That's a pretty sizable downgrade defensively, and even at the plate, Feliz was having one of his better years. Mike Cervenak was recalled from AAA to take the roster spot.

Game 106: Phillies at Nationals (1/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 56-49
Washington Nationals: 38-67

Brett Myers (3-9 5.82 ERA, 8-4 4.89 ERA)
Collin Balester (1-2 5.75 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS N/A
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B N/A
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF N/A
Jenkins RF N/A
Feliz 3B N/A
Coste C N/A
Myers P

Harris LF 0/6, 1 RBI, .000/.333/.000
Guzman SS 8/22, 1 RBI, .364/.364/.364
Zimmerman 3B 10/24, 1 HR, 12 RBI, .417/.464/.792
Kearns RF 7/18, 4 RBI, .389/.478/.500
Flores C 1/5, .200/.200/.400
Belliard 2B 2/12, .167/.167/.167
Milledge CF 3/8, 3 RBI, .375/.444/.625
Lo Duca 1B 11/36, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .306/.359/.500
Balester P

The Nationals are currently the worst team in baseball, but with the way they play against the Phillies, you would never know it. The Phillies lineup and pitching staff need to show they're out of their recent struggles by putting their feet down on Washington. For some reason, these guys just cannot hit Nats pitching, but this series, they need to prove scoring 21 runs the last two games against Atlanta wasn't a fluke. Compounding the problem will be facing a guy they've never seen before in Collin Balester. He's a good prospect, but he's yet to find much success at the ML level.

The Washington offense is either in a season-long slump or is just not good. Missing Elijah Dukes hurts, but if Myers can't have success against these guys, he's in trouble. They're last in the majors in runs, tied for 27th in home runs, last in batting average, 29th in OBP, last in SLG and last in OPS. Ouch. The Phillies will have to play strong defense behind Myers tonight, but they're really not a threat to take him deep.

Training Camp Preview

It's time to start looking forward to another season of Eagles football, and there's no shortage of storylines already. Brian Westbrook and Lito Sheppard are in town, but they're not happy. The one no-show is a big surprise, literally; Shawn Andrews is missing, and no one seems to know why. Out of respect for what he's dealing with, I'm not going to get into it or speculate what's going on. I just hope he can figure out what's wrong and come to camp when he's ready.

Quarterback (3)

Donovan McNabb
Kevin Kolb
A.J. Feeley

They keep saying McNabb's little shoulder injury in offseason workouts is nothing to worry about, and I trust them on that. He's had the tendonitis before, and it wasn't a problem then. Obviously his health is always something to be concerned about, since he's the man on offense and has had some trouble in the past, but I don't think we'll be hearing about shoulder soreness again. He should be fully healed from his ACL injury from the 2006 season, and the mobility he regained from rehab will be a huge plus to the O. After McNabb, the Eagles will be conducting a battle for the #2 job. A.J. Feeley has the experience, but his poor showing last year lets us know that experience isn't everything. Kolb should feel comfortable enough in the system at this point to be able to handle the team if McNabb goes down. He's the more talented player, and it'll be disappointing if Feeley gets the nod again.

Running Back (5)

Brian Westbrook
Correll Buckhalter
Lorenzo Booker
Tony Hunt
Ryan Moats

The big question here is whether or not Brian Westbrook is happy and motivated. I know he's unhappy with his contract, but he's also a professional that knows the Eagles are working with whoever his agent is to figure out an agreement. This isn't a T.O. situation. Andy Reid and the front office know how much Westbrook means to the team, and I'm confident they'll arrive at a solution. It's a good thing that Westbrook showed up, because the depth behind him couldn't handle a full load. Buckhalter is a nice backup, but at this point, saying there are serious doubts about whether he can shoulder the load as a starter would be an understatement. Tony Hunt needs to improve his blocking to become a factor, and it remains to be seen what Booker can bring to the team. He's supposed to be a small, quick player, but something's up when a high draft pick gets traded after his rookie year.

Fullback (3)

Jason Davis
Luke Lawton
Jed Collins

After the failed Dan Klecko experiment, these three are the last guys standing to try and earn this job. Personally, I didn't think Thomas Tapeh did a bad job, and I would've made an effort to bring him back. He clearly wasn't that skilled, but he could block. His lack of ability with the football was covered up by the fact that the Eagles don't use the position much in their offense. I don't think any of these guys will provide any upgrade there, or at the position in general. They have about a dozen games of NFL experience between them, and those all came from a guy who played for the team that utilizes the FB less than we do.

Wide Receiver (11)

Kevin Curtis
Reggie Brown
DeSean Jackson
Jason Avant
Hank Baskett
Greg Lewis
Michael Gasperson
Bam Childress
Frantz Hardy
Jamal Jones
Shaheer McBride

The Eagles always tend to take a lot of receivers into camp, even though it's very unlikely that any of those last five guys have a shot at the roster. Honestly, the top three are probably the only guys that are guaranteed a roster spot. I think the team might've been a bit disappointed with the progress Avant and Baskett showed last year. They're both entering their third year, and this is the team that receivers traditionally develop into the players they'll be for the remainder of their careers. Neither of them will be starters, but they have to prove they have a place on an NFL roster. If I had my way, it would be Curtis, Brown, Jackson, Avant and Baskett on the roster, but Greg Lewis is the kind of guy that'll never go away. He's definitely reliable as a 5th receiver, but I'd rather a spot like that go to a player with a special talent than a guy who's just alright.

Tight End (4.5)

L.J. Smith
Brent Celek
Kris Wilson
Matt Schobel
Jon Dorenbos

This is the one position on offense that has to wildly improve over 2007. If everyone from last year does the exact same thing as last season except the Tight Ends giving the team an ounce of production, you'll be seeing this team in the playoffs. Smith being healthy will be a big part of that. As much as people love complaining about him for some reason, McNabb trusts him, and he helps open up the offense. It's not a coincidence that the offense struggled in the red zone for the first time in McNabb's career when L.J. was in and out of the lineup and there wasn't a reliable target who lines up with his hand down. Celek showed some promise last season, and the Eagles hope he can continue to mature and become another athletic target. Wilson will upgrade the depth, and Schobel is going to have to work hard to regain a spot on this team.

Offensive Line (15)

Shawn Andrews
Jon Runyan
Tra Thomas
Jamaal Jackson
Todd Herremans
Max Jean-Gilles
Winston Justice
Nick Cole
Mike McGlynn
Mike Gibson
Scott Young
Stefan Rodgers
King Dunlap
Franklin Dunbar
Cameron Stephenson

I should probably split all of these guys into their actual positions, but one quality the Eagles like in their linemen is the ability to play multiple positions. If you look down that list, about half of those guys can play a combination of any spot on the line, and for some of the young guys, that'll help them make an NFL squad. I'd say that four of the positions on the line are set, barring injury. The two tackles will always be there, and Jackson and Andrews secure C and RG. The one battle will be the LG spot, between Todd Herremans, MJG and perhaps a surprise candidate with a good camp. Herremans struggled on and off the field last year, and the organization's patience could be running thin with him. He took penalties and had some discipline problems, and he's going to have to work hard to get himself and the line overall back to where they were a couple years ago. MJG has some definite positives that make him a good candidate for a future starter in the NFL. He's nasty and has a pretty good motor, which is the toughest thing to teach to linemen, especially guys as big as he is. If he's doing a good job learning the offense and is holding up in pass protection, he could win that job. Winston Justice will be back, and hopefully during camp, he can work on his technique and become a better player. Cole's ability to play across the line will help him earn a backup job, but McGlynn and Gibson share that quality.

Defensive End (6)

Trent Cole
Juqua "Thomas" Parker
Chris Clemons
Victor Abiamiri
Bryan Smith
Jerome McDougle

It's almost automatic to pencil in Trent Cole for 10 sacks, and things would be a lot easier for him if he had a threat lining up on the opposite side of the line. Jevon Kearse became a serious bust, and Juqua was not up to par as a regular player. Unfortunately, no proven every-down ends were on the market, so the Eagles settled for Clemons. Perhaps settled for isn't the right thing to say, because he did lead all free agent D-End's in sacks. However, it's still widely accepted that he doesn't have the ability to be an every down player. It'll be up to Jim Johnson to find the right mix of personnel, formations and schemes to get more productivity out of that end position. Jerome McDougle will either get injured or cut, so his unfortunate reign of bust will be over in a matter of weeks. Smith is interesting. I think they'd like to get him into the rotation, but there may be too many people on the roster to hold onto a 5th DE. They may have to turn his hamstring inconvenience into a season ending problem.

Defensive Tackle (7)

Brodrick Bunkley
Mike Patterson
Trevor Laws
Darren Howard
Dan Klecko
Kimo von Olehoffen
Montae Reagor

Andy Reid loves to have depth in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that's exactly what he has there. Bunkley and Patterson are as good as any DT pair in the league. Patterson had a rough sophomore season, but Bunkley emerging as a great player helped him out a lot. Backing them up include four veterans, although it's unlikely that all seven of these guys make the team. I list Darren Howard at DT because he's proven he's not effective on the outside anymore, and he did a great job lining up at tackle in goal line situations last year. The leverage he was able to get was a big reason why the Eagles were so successful in those situations. Klecko was signed to be a FB, but that experiment failed before he even really got a shot. He'll transition back to his regular position, where he could have a tough time earning a spot for a couple of reasons. First, the Eagles have more depth at the position, and he may have also slimmed down just a little bit to play FB. Trevor Laws is interesting. They invested a second round pick in him, so the Eagles expect him to contribute in a big way. However, there's depth at tackle, rookies don't always get the most snaps here, and the foot injury could be a wild card this camp.

Linebacker (9)

Omar Gaither
Chris Gocong
Stewart Bradley
Rocky Boiman
Akeem Jordan
Pago Togafau
Joe Mays
Andy Studebaker
Justin Roland

These nine players average just over two years of NFL experience each, and seven of them come from one guy. The starters have a combined eight between them, and they're the youngest LB corp in the NFL. This is kind of like the situation a few years ago when Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard were getting their first starts. These players are going to have to prove themselves and learn quickly for the defense to be successful. Although Omar Gaither has about a season and a half of starts under his belt, only a handful are at WILL, where he'll be starting. Chris Gocong is entering his second year in the lineup, but this will also only be his second season playing Linebacker. Stewart Bradley showed enough promise in two games last year to cause the Eagles to cut Takeo Spikes and pencil him in. That's a pretty small sample size to expect great success from him, but the Eagles have made gambles like this pay off before. After Boiman, who provides decent depth as a special teamer and 4th LB, the experience and depth really drops off. At least one of those guys is going to have to make the squad, and I'm hoping they don't see much action.

Cornerback (8)

Asante Samuel
Lito Sheppard
Sheldon Brown
Joselio Hanson
Nick Graham
Therrian Fontenot
Kyle Arrington
Jack Ikegwuonu

I'm glad Lito Sheppard showed up. Although I wouldn't mind if he got traded at some point next offseason, we need him this year. With the three top corners the Eagles have, they have tremendous depth, and they could help form one of the best secondaries in the league. If you take one of those guys out, suddenly, I don't like the depth. Hanson wasn't bad last year, but I feel a lot better about him if he's in a dimeback role. With three very good players, Jim Johnson is free to mix up schemes and use players creatively and feel good that the opponent's receivers will be blanketed. The team feels good with Graham and his decent potential as a 5th guy, so I think he'll win that spot. There's a great chance that Ikegwuonu lands on IR for this season.

Safety (6)

Brian Dawkins
Quintin Mikell
J.R. Reed
Quintin Demps
Sean Considine
Marcus Paschal

Brian Dawkins is still a very good player, and the only question with him is whether or not he stays healthy. If he does, the Eagles can be confident that one safety spot is secure. If he isn't, then it's another huge question mark on the defense. I don't know who will start at SS, and honestly, I'm not sure if it'll matter. Each name is more mediocre than the last. All five of the non-Dawkins options will be able to contribute on special teams, but unfortunately, one of them has to start, and we can't carry all of them. Mikell did a good job in the starting role last year, and he's always played a minor part in some defensive packages. J.R. Reed and Quintin Demps each have the ability to return kicks, and I think that could get them a leg up on Considine, who doesn't have those abilities.

Kickers (1) and Punters (2)

David Akers

Sav Rocca
Richmond McGee

For the first time in a while, Akers doesn't have competition. Competition is probably an overstatement since the players they brought in were never any good, but he still got a break in the end of most preseason games. He has to get better this year. Unfortunately, I think his age is catching up to him a bit, and his kicking ability is declining. He's starting to miss more, and he's not as reliable from long distance as he used to be. His kickoffs aren't going as deep, and that's hurting us a little in the field position game. It might be time to start looking for a replacement, but those aren't easy to come by.

Rocca has a powerful leg, but consistency was his worst enemy last year. It would be a lot better if he could hit 45 yards over and over again, instead of going 60 on one punt and 30 on the next. Coverage teams appreciate that because it helps them get an idea of where the ball will be when they're running down the field. Improving hangtime should also be a goal for Rocca. Now that he has one year in the books, he's got some experience in the NFL, and he can start refining parts of his game now that he understands the basic ideas. I don't know much about McGee, but I don't see him making the team. His punt averages at Texas weren't very good, but he did pretty well on kickoffs. I don't see this team carrying an extra leg just for kickoffs, but I'd imagine the Eagles want to see how he handles those duties.

The Eagles have plenty of depth in the return game this year, and I don't anticipate seeing Reno Mahe in an Eagles uniform ever again. By my count, they have about eight players capable of returning kicks and punts, and hopefully one or two of them can provide the spark that's been missing from the return game for the past few years.

There it is. 2008 Eagles training camp in several large paragraphs.

Game 105: Braves at Phillies (3/3)

Atlanta Braves: 49-54
Philadelphia Phillies: 55-49

Jorge Campillo (5-4 2.83 ERA, 0-1 5.27 ERA)
Joe Blanton (0-0 7.50 ERA, 0-0 --- ERA)

Lineups

Blanco LF
Escobar SS
Teixeira 1B
McCann C
Kotsay CF
Francoeur RF
Johnson 2B
Infante 3B
Campillo P

Rollins SS
Victorino CF
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Werth RF
Bruntlett 3B
Coste C
Blanton P

Shortened today.

Game 103: Braves at Phillies (1/3)

Atlanta Braves: 48-53
Philadelphia Phillies: 54-48

Jair Jurrjens (9-5 3.22 ERA, 0-1 5.14 ERA)
Kyle Kendrick (8-4 4.87 ERA, 3-0 4.13 ERA)

Projected lineups

Blanco LF 1/4, .250/.625/.250
Escobar SS 1/8, .125/.125/.125
Jones 3B 6/12, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .500/.600/1.167
Teixeira 1B 1/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .111/.273/.444
McCann C 3/13, .231/.286/.308
Johnson 2B 4/13, .308/.357/.385
Francoeur RF 5/14, 2 RBI, .357/.357/.357
Kotsay CF 0/5, .000/.167/.000
Jurrjens P

Rollins SS 1/3, .333/.500/1.000
Victorino CF 0/4
Utley 2B 1/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.333/1.333
Howard 1B 1/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.333/1.333
Burrell LF 2/3, .667/.667/1.000
Jenkins RF 0/3
Feliz 3B 3/3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1.000/1.000/2.000
Ruiz C 0/3
Kendrick P

Losing first place is kind of lame, but first place only matters on one day of the year. The Phillies have plenty of time to get hot and play their best baseball. This prolonged slump is very disappointing. What's even more disappointing is Jimmy Rollins, the guy who's supposed to be the team leader, showing up an hour late and saying he doesn't think it was fair to remove him from the lineup. I think that Rollins is a fine player and one of the leaders on this team, but this is inexcusable. Every other player had no problem getting to Shea on time, and this is the second run-in Rollins has had with Manuel's two rules: show up on time and hustle.

The Phillies need to take advantage of this home series to get the offense going again. The walls are a bit closer to home plate than the last couple places they've played in, so if some guys find their stroke, runs could be put up in bunches. Team wide slumps are tough, but this is a resilient team that should be able to fight through it.

Game 102: Phillies at Mets (3/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 54-47
New York Mets: 54-47

Jamie Moyer (9-6 3.90 ERA, 7-4 2.95 ERA)
Oliver Perez (6-6 4.36 ERA, 2-3 3.39 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 7/25, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .280/.357/.560
Utley 2B 3/12, 1 RBI, .250/471/.333
Burrell LF 7/25, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .280/.387/.800
Howard 1B 2/19, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .105/.182/.263
Werth RF 3/12, 2 RBI, .250/.474/.250
Feliz 3B 1/14, .071/.188/.071
Victorino CF 2/10, 1 RBI, .200/.273/.200
Ruiz C 3/8, .375/.500/.375
Moyer P

Reyes SS 10/30, 2 RBI, .333/.355/.467
Chavez RF 2/6, .333/.333/.333
Wright 3B 12/27, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .444/.464/.815
Beltran CF 10/46, 2 RBI, .217/.345/.283
Easley 2B 13/47, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .277/.404/.340
Delgado 1B 30/74, 8 HR, 17 RBI, .405/.476/.824
Tatis LF 1/2, .500/.667/1.000
Schneider C 2/5, 1 RBI, .400/.571/.400
Perez P

Last time the Phillies played Perez, the good one showed up. However, I still don't think the Phillies were patient enough. He's going to throw a lot of pitches out of the strike zone, whether he's on or not. His slider can be unhittable, so they need to let that go and hit his fastballs. Work the count, make him throw pitches and get him out of the game early.

I guess I have to give credit to Myers for settling in a little bit, but it still wasn't a very good outing. He didn't get taken deep at all, which was a huge plus. The most surprising thing about his demotion? Despite almost four weeks of not making an ML appearance, he still leads the league in home runs. He has to get back in command, and he still has to work lower in the strike zone. The problem is, the Phillies don't have all season to see if he can figure this out. He should only get one, maybe two more starts before Happ is called up again.

Game 101: Phillies at Mets (2/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 54-46
New York Mets: 53-47

Brett Myers (3-9 5.84 ERA, 8-6 5.18 ERA)
John Maine (8-7 4.22 ERA, 4-0 2.36 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 3/21, 1 RBI, .143/.182/.238
Victorino CF 5/16, .313/.389/.313
Utley 2B 7/20, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .350/.375/.600
Howard 1B 4/20, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .200/.304/.500
Burrell LF 3/21, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .143/.217/.286
Jenkins RF 1/5, .200/.200/.400
Feliz 3B 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI,
Coste C 2/7, .286/.375/.571
Myers P

Reyes SS 12/36, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333/.351/.583
Chavez RF 2/15, .133/.235/.333
Wright 3B 5/24, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .208/.321/.625
Beltran CF 8/27, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .296/.345/.519
Delgado 1B 7/16, 2 RBI, .438/.571/.688
Easley 2B 4/9, 1 RBI, .444/.444/.556
Tatis LF N/A
Schneider C 8/35, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .229/.325/.343
Maine P

This is it. Brett Myers cannot suck the life out of the team as he did for so long this season. After last night's unlikely comeback win, this team could carry over some momentum. It's important to win as many series as possible, and the Phillies haven't put together a solid string for a while. At the very least, he has to get out of the first inning without doing serious damage to the team.

John Maine has completely dominated the Phillies. Just look at those numbers; Rollins and Burrell, two huge keys to the offense, absolutely struggle against Maine. They have to hit him sometime, right? Is it possible for a guy to just go an entire career dominating a team like he has? He has walked 10 batters in his last two starts, so the Phillies need to stay patient, get baserunners and come up with timely hits.

Game 100: Phillies at Mets (1/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 53-46
New York Mets: 53-46

Joe Blanton (0-0 --- ERA, 1-0 0.00 ERA)
Johan Santana (8-7 3.10 ERA, 1-0 2.75 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 0/7
Werth RF 2/7, .286/.286/.286
Utley 2B 2/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .286/.286/.714
Howard 1B 2/6, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.333
Burrell LF 2/7, 1 RBI, .286/.375/.286
Feliz 3B 1/10, 1 RBI, .100/.100/.100
Victorino CF 0/3
Coste C 0/3
Blanton P

Reyes SS 0/6, .000/.143/.000
Chavez RF N/A
Wright 3B 1/5, .200/.200/.200
Beltran CF 2/6, .333/.333/.333
Easley 2B N/A
Delgado 1B 0/3
Tatis LF N/A
Schneider C 1/1, 1.000/1.000/1.000
Santana P

First of all, it's not the end of the season if the Phillies lose this series. It's July, and there's a lot of baseball left to be played. The division is not won with 60 games left to play. With that being said, it would still be nice for the Phillies to win a series against these guys for once. Their success against the Mets was a huge key to last season, and they haven't replicated that yet.

For the sake of the fanbase, I hope Blanton has a good debut tonight. There were a lot of people complaining about the trade, and too many didn't even want to give him a chance before blasting him. His numbers in Oakland were bad this year, but he's shown in the past he can at least be a league average pitcher.

Lupul inks Four Year Contract Extension

The Flyers have signed Joffrey Lupul to a four year contract, that'll probably be worth about 4.25 million a year. The article says financial terms were undisclosed, but 4.25 was the rumor several days beforehand.

Websites like TSN were reporting this as early as Friday, and I guess the Flyers just wanted to wait until the weekend was out to make an official announcement. Lupul is a very good sniper when healthy, and a lot of fans are breathing a sigh of relief as that potential cap number is a lot lower than it could've been. However, I still have to question how we plan on building a team with so many high-priced forwards.

Game 99: Phillies at Marlins (3/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 53-45
Florida Marlins: 51-46

Cole Hamels (9-6 3.15 ERA, 2-3 4.78 ERA)
Josh Johnson (0-0 5.40 ERA, 1-1 5.52 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 2/8, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.375
Victorino CF 0/3, .000/.250/.000
Utley 2B 2/7, .286/.375/.286
Howard 1B 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.500/.857
Burrell LF 0/5
Jenkins RF 1/3, .333/.333/.333
Dobbs 3B N/A
Ruiz C N/A
Hamels P

Ramirez SS 8/18, .444/.500/.722
Hermida RF 2/12, .167/.167/.167
Cantu 1B 3/8, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .375/.375/1.500
Willingham LF 2/10, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .200/.333/.600
Uggla 2B 3/18, 1 RBI, .167/.200/.222
Helms 3B 4/12, 3 RBI, .333/.357/.500
Ross CF 1/13, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .077/.144/.308
Baker C N/A
Johnson P

The key for Cole Hamels today will be fastball location. The Marlins hit a lot of home runs and can put up some crooked numbers, but most of them have trouble with secondary pitches. He needs to use his fastball to keep them honest, but it has to be in the right place. Getting ahead of hitters will be huge, so he can bury them with his changeup.

The Phillies have hit Josh Johnson pretty well in the past, so it would be nice if they remember how to do it since they haven't seen him for a while. He's probably not all the way back from his injury quite yet, and it would really benefit the Phillies to get to him early and chase him out of the game. It's going to be hot out there.

Game 98: Phillies at Marlins (2/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 53-44
Florida Marlins: 50-46

Kyle Kendrick (8-3 4.47 ERA, 1-0 2.57 ERA)
Scott Olsen (5-4 3.77 ERA, 3-5 5.33 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 5/26, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .192/.222/.462
Werth RF 5/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500/.545/1.300
Utley 2B 3/21, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .143/.250/.429
Howard 1B 10/21, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .426/.522/.905
Burrell LF 4/21, .190/.346/.238
Feliz 3B 3/9, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.556
Victorino CF 2/13, .154/.154/.231
Coste C 1/5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .200/.333/.800
Kendrick P

Ramirez SS 2/6, .333/.333/.500
Hermida RF 2/6, .333/.333/.333
Cantu 3B N/A
Jacobs 1B 0/5, .000/.167/.000
Uggla 2B 2/5, .400/.500/.600
Willingham LF 2/4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500/.500/1.250
Ross CF 0/2
Hoover C N/A
Olsen P

Olsen is a pitcher Phillies fans love to hate, and with the way the players hit against him, they probably feel the same way. Olsen has been good this year, but he has struggled mightily in his career against the Phillies. Surprisingly, it's Ryan Howard that does most of the damage. He struggles to hit most lefties, but Olsen has been like batting practice to him.

Jamie Moyer did a nice job of not being too taxing on the bullpen last night. Durbin probably shouldn't pitch today, and hopefully they won't need him at all. Kendrick has pitched seven innings against Florida in his two prior career starts, and it would be great if he could make it three.

Game 97: Phillies at Marlins (1/3)

Philadelphia Phillies: 52-44
Florida Marlins: 50-45

Jamie Moyer (8-6 3.95, 9-0 3.03 ERA)
Ricky Nolasco (10-4 3.70 ERA, 3-2 4.23 ERA)

Projected lineups

Rollins SS 4/11, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .364/.417/1.000
Victorino CF 3/9, .333/.333/.556
Utley 2B 3/11, 1 RBI, .273/.429/.273
Howard 1B 1/8, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .125/.462/.500
Burrell LF 3/9, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333/.455/.778
Feliz 3B 0/3
Jenkins RF 0/5, .000/.167/.000
Ruiz C 1/4, .250/.400/.250
Moyer P

Ramirez SS 9/27, 4 HR, 5 RBI, .333/.357/.852
Hermida RF 2/9, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .222/.417/.556
Cantu 1B 3/11, 2 RBI, .273/.333/.273
Willingham LF 1/15, .067/.067/.200
Uggla 2B 2/21, .095/.136/.143
Helms 3B 4/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .667/.750/1.333
Ross CF 3/22, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .136/.174/.273
Baker C N/A
Nolasco P

After the Reds failed to hold approximately a dozen leads against the Mets last night, the Phillies have some company atop the NL East. Anyone who counted out the Mets a few weeks ago was just ridiculous. They had some rough times, but those are now long gone. It's going to be a fight for the finish, and they aren't going to roll over and die.

It's important for the Phillies to establish momentum right now. They're traditionally a second half team, and what better way to prove it again than going on a nice run immediately after the break? Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell were hot entering the break, and the Phillies hope the week off didn't get them out of their rhythm.

Phillies Add Blanton

Here's a link to Ken Rosenthal's story, because I like Ken.

The Phillies had to deal 2B Adrian Cardenas, RP Josh Outman and OF Matt Spencer to get him. Cardenas is the team's #1 hitting prospect, and he could be missed down the road. He has a very good chance of becoming a good contact hitter in the majors, but he's going to have to bulk up a bit and hit for some more power.

Like I said, I think he's going to become a good ML player. However, would he have that same opportunity with the Phillies? He was playing 2B because he couldn't handle SS, and scouts found it pretty unlikely that he would be able to play third. With Chase Utley holding down the fort at second, the only option was LF. The question then became whether or not he'll have the power to be considered a good corner OF. My guess is that'll be no. 2B is his position.

People look at Outman's status as BA's Phillies' 3rd ranked prospect, but I think he was overrated then, and he's even more overrated now if you're still only looking at that. Here's a 23 year old who's still figuring things out in AA. I know he's a bit raw for a 23 year old because he had to completely change his delivery, but I doubt he'll ever be a good starter, and his destiny is the bullpen. You can find good relievers in a lot of places.

The third prospect given up was OF Matt Spencer. He was taken in last year's draft, and after a hot start in Clearwater, Spencer has cooled off dramatically. His performance over the season as a whole is largely unacceptable, and he has to get a lot better to prove he was more than just a throw in.

Overall, I'm not losing sleep over trading these guys. Yes, Cardenas could be a fine hitter in a couple years. Yes, Outman throws pretty hard. However, you have to give something to get something, and the Phillies did so and got that.

I can definitely see why people are concerned about about Blanton's numbers this season. He has gotten roughed up in a few starts, but most of the time, he'll give you a solid outing. He pitches a lot of innings, and that's the kind of player the Phillies need. He's had a solid career, and that suggests his numbers are a bit flukey. He gets ground balls, doesn't get taken deep much, and for at least this season, the hitter friendly confines of Citizen's Bank Park have been exaggerated.

I like the deal. I'm definitely not going to complain about it before the dude even suits up in a uniform.

First Half Review And Second Half Preview

Like last year, during this All-Star Break, I'm going to grade the Phillies' first halves and also make projections for the rest of the season. Unlike last year, the Phillies have stayed mostly injury free and are in first place instead of chasing it. However, that lead is only by half a game, so there's some work to be done. At the break last year, which was after 88 games for the Phillies, the team was 44-44. After 88 this year, they were four games better at 48-40. They sit at 52-44 overall.

I'll assign players grades based on not only their performance this season, but I'll also weigh expectations. For example, Shane Victorino earned a high grade last year, even though he didn't have the best stats. Less was expected out of him than say a Ryan Howard.

2B Chase Utley

B+

.291/.372/.582 68 R 25 HR 68 RBI 10/10 stealing

Projection: .310/.380/.570 130 R 40 HR 130 RBI 18/20 stealing

Although he's not keeping up his torrid pace to start the season, Utley will still likely finish with career highs in SLG, HR and RBI. His OPS may go down a tick or two from last year, but his rates would almost be impossible to reproduce. In the second half, look for him to raise his average a little bit and get out of the mini-funk he's been in. He's fucking Chase Utley, you know he'll do it.

1B Ryan Howard

D+

.234/.324/.508 62 R 28 HR 84 RBI 1/1 stealing

Projection: .260/.370/.560 110 R 47 HR 140 RBI 1/1 stealing

Because he leads the league in HR and RBI, people thought he was an All-Star snub. I disagree. I'm one of Howard's biggest defenders, and I hardly ever criticize the guy, but he's having a tough year. He's hitting well with RISP, but he needs to put the ball in play more. His average is bordering on unacceptable, but he's been heating up as of late. He has time to rightsize his ship.

LF Pat Burrell

A+

.275/.404/.575 49 R 23 HR 57 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: .270/.400/.550 85 R 35 HR 110 RBI 0/0 stealing

What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, Burrell was struggling in the worst way, and the Phillies were doing everything possible to get him out of the lineup and maybe even trade him. This season, he was a huge All-Star snub and is having the best season of his career. It couldn't happen to a better person with Burrell being one of the hardest working players in the league and a good fit in the clubhouse. I hope he keeps it up, but I think he'll tail off just a little bit.

CF Shane Victorino

B-

.279/.350/.408 59 R 5 HR 29 RBI 22/28 stealing

Project: .280/.355/.415 109 R 8 HR 60 RBI 40/49 stealing

Injuries shut down Shane's effectiveness late last year, and it looked like he could be headed down a similar road this season with a DL stint in April. However, he has bounced back nicely and been a decent contributor at times. Victorino has been very streaky, but one positive this season has been his plate discipline. His OBP has hit the magic .350 benchmark, and he's not a bad fit in the #2 hole if he can keep that up.

3B Pedro Feliz

B

.270/.320/.442 35 R 12 HR 45 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: .260/.315/.430 67 R 23 HR 85 RBI 1/1 stealing

Feliz' bat has been a big surprise to me. This is one of the best years at the plate in his career, and he's done it pretty quietly with steady improvement over the course of the season. He's been a lot more patient at the plate than in previous seasons, and that has led to a lot more success. Obviously he's bringing his outstanding glove, and you can see how good he is in the field in just about every game.

SS Jimmy Rollins

C-

.274/.340/.438 39 R 6 HR 31 RBI 24/24 stealing

Projection: .280/.340/.460 13 HR 71 RBI 45/47 stealing

In early April, Rollins suffered a sprained ankle injury that put a cloud over the season before things really got started. After a controversial stay on the bench, he was finally put on the DL and allowed to rehab. He got back and just hasn't been the same. It's possible Rollins is still bothered by the injury, and I hope he keeps getting better. His SLG hasn't been this low since 2005. Despite the severe lack in XBH, Rollins has been as good as ever on the basepaths as the Phillies continue to be one of the most efficient base stealing teams in the league.

RF Geoff Jenkins

F

.237/.289/.379 23 R 7 HR 24 RBI 1/2 stealing

Projection: .245/.300/.410 43 R 12 HR 45 RBI 1/3 stealing

Jenkins was supposed to be a pretty big part of the lineup. He was brought in to platoon with Jayson Werth and face right handed pitchers. Obviously, since there are more righties than lefties, Jenkins was paid a lot of money to hit some home runs behind Burrell. There's a big problem for the Phillies: he hasn't. He's having an absolutely terrible season, and he's still on the payroll for at least one more year. He has to make the necessary adjustments to put the ball in play more and smack some extra base hits.

RF Jayson Werth

B

.271/.357/.477 32 R 16 HR 36 RBI 11/12 stealing

Projection: .275/.365/.460 60 R 22 HR 65 RBI 20/23 stealing

Werth's OPS is down from last year, but you'll be hard pressed to find a fan that's upset about his performance. He has absolutely smoked lefties again this year, but he's still a bit average against righties. With Jenkins struggling the way he is, Werth could see a few more opportunities to hit off them. He's a good defensive player with a knack for stealing bases, and he's definitely an asset off the bench.

C Carlos Ruiz

F

.202/.303/.269 26 R 2 HR 20 RBI 0/1 stealing

Projection: .230/.320/.300 46 R 5 HR 40 RBI 0/1 stealing

I can't explain it. Ruiz was solid in 2007, providing good defense and not being a total butcher at the plate. This season, he has experienced a terrible drop-off after a strong spring that got fans excited for his potential. His CS% has dropped dramatically, and despite a much lower CERA, a lot of fans are still upset with his defense. Color me surprised. I didn't think C would be as much of a weak spot for the 2008 Phillies as it has been. He needs to get better, or he could join Brett Myers in the minor leagues.

C Chris Coste

C

.279/.333/.479 16 R 7 HR 21 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: .270/.320/.460 30 R 10 HR 40 RBI 0/0 stealing

I hope Coste is still getting seen more and more as just a regular bench player now, and his great story is pushed to the backs of everyone's minds. Obviously what he accomplished was great, but people need to ignore where he came from when evaluating him now. He's in a huge slump right now, and I hope he can make the adjustments necessary to stay afloat. He started tailing off at the end of last year, and I hope people realize the more he plays, the worse he does.

Util Eric Bruntlett

C

.232/.314/.317 32 R 2 HR 12 RBI 8/9 stealing

Projection: .240/.325/.330 57 R 3 HR 22 RBI 14/17 stealing

Bruntlett's Philadelphia career got off to a rough start when he took over for Jimmy Rollins. Early on, he made a couple errors and failed to execute at the plate against the Mets, and many fans turned on him early. He can play just about every position, run the bases well, and offensively, he's been better than Abraham Nunez, which is all I ask for.

Util Greg Dobbs

B

.322/.362/.441 13 R 2 HR 18 RBI 2/3 stealing

Projection: .305/.345/.450 28 R 6 HR 38 RBI 3/4 stealing

Dobbs has to be setting some sort of historic pace for pinch hitting. He's been almost automatic coming off the bench, and when everything is said and done, he'll probably be the best Phillie pinch-hitter in history. With Feliz' emergence as a solid 3B, Dobbs' role has been minimalized. He'll get a spot start here and there, but no matter how often he's penciled into the lineup, he'll find a way to contribute late in games when the team needs a hit.

OF So Taguchi

F

.212/.288/.273 15 R 0 HR 4 RBI 2/2 stealing

Projection: .220/.300/.280 17 R 0 HR 4 RBI 2/2 stealing

I think that before the trading deadline, the Phillies will find a way to upgrade the bench and Taguchi will be gone. I know he's only the 5th OF and I probably shouldn't complain much, but he has not provided anything this year. His defense has produced more heartache than it should, and he doesn't have a single pinch hit this season.

2B Brad Harman

F

.100/.182/.200 1 R 0 HR 1 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: .167/.214/.250 1 R 0 HR 1 RBI 0/0 stealing

I'm just having fun with that line, but the point is he probably won't get many more AB this season. He came up briefly for Rollins while he was on the DL, but the team just didn't need him much. He still has some room to grow in the minors, and he was only up because he was the extra IF on the 40 man roster.

OF T.J. Bohn

D

.400/.400/.600 1 R 0 HR 3 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: .300/.300/.400 2 R 0 HR 3 RBI 1/1 stealing

Bohn did a decent job in his few moments with the team. He provided a surprise RBI double at one point, and his defense saved the team a run or two. He's a very mediocre hitter, but he's a good athlete that plays a strong OF.

OF Chris Snelling

D-

.500/.500/1.500 1 R 1 HR 1 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: Same line

If healthy, Snelling could be a real asset to a team. As it stands, he's not. He's fast, but what good is speed if you're always on the DL? He at least has a little power, but you can't prove it from the training table. I'd like this guy to be the 5th OF, but the fact is, you can't rely on him.

Util Mike Cervenak

F

.000/.000/.000 0 R 0 HR 0 RBI 0/0 stealing

Projection: Hopefully he gets a hit

Cervenak is a career minor leaguer who got called up for a brief time before the break. He got his first ML AB, but he couldn't reach base. Hopefully he gets that chance later this year.

Cole Hamels

A

9-6 3.15 ERA 142.2 IP 1.02 WHIP 126 K 34 BB

Projection: 17-10 3.27 ERA 226.2 IP 1.09 WHIP 210 K 50 BB

You couldn't ask for anything more from this guy. He's incredible. It's great to have a legitimate #1 pitcher back in the fold for the first time since probably Schilling. Even though he hasn't gotten the run support you'd like to see, every time Cole goes out there, you're confident that you have a great shot at winning. He's averaging just over 7 IP a start, which I thought to be ridiculous when I first calculated it. I didn't know guys pitched that many innings.

Jamie Moyer

B

8-6 3.95 ERA 114 IP 1.39 WHIP 70 K 33 BB

Projection: 13-11 4.70 ERA 201 IP 1.45 WHIP 115 K 60 BB

As an end of the rotation starter, what more can you ask for? He's given up quite a few baserunners, but Jamie Moyer has done a great job of getting out of jams this year. I hope he can keep it up, but I have to say that with guarded optimism. It's well documented that August is his worst month, and he's going to have to stay afloat for the Phillies to stay in the position they're in. I hope this guy can pitch until he's 50.

Kyle Kendrick

B

8-3 4.47 ERA 104.2 IP 1.46 WHIP 47 K 32 BB

Projection: 13-8 4.67 ERA 188.2 IP 1.40 WHIP 85 K 60 BB

I'm going to admit that I'm not a huge Kyle Kendrick fan. I don't have posters of him in my room, and I don't think he's the next Brandon Webb. I don't think he's that great of a pitcher, but I can also acknowledge that he does a good job with what he has. He certainly doesn't have great stuff, but at some point, you need to look past it and just say he does a good job. He gets great run support which helps a lot, but more often than not, you have a chance when he's on the mound.

Adam Eaton

F

3-8 5.71 ERA 104 IP 1.61 WHIP 56 K 43 BB

Projection: 4-10 5.50 ERA 124 IP 1.65 WHIP 65 K 50 BB

Ouch. Let me assure you, when Adam Eaton made several starts that weren't absolutely horrendous, I saw through the mirage. I knew the Eaton on the mound was not any different from the one we saw in 2007. I hate to blast the guy because he's always completely accountable for what he does. He's the perfect teammate, but he can't play. He just can't pitch.

Brett Myers

F

3-9 5.84 ERA 101.2 IP 1.56 WHIP 88 K 44 BB

Projection: 9-13 5.00 ERA 185.2 IP 1.45 WHIP 170 K 80 BB

From 2007 Opening Day starter to very good closer to 2008 Opening Day starter to Lehigh Valley to Reading and back to the majors. The last one and a half years have been quite a journey for Brett, as a highly paid, often times controversial pitcher. He struggled from the word go in April, and he's lost just about every supporter along the way. However, we've all seen him pitch well before. I still have a little confidence that he can regain something and help the team out. I still had to give him an F.

Chad Durbin

A+

2-2 1.89 ERA 52.1 IP 1.20 WHIP 43 K 19 BB

Projection: 3-4 2.50 ERA 87.1 IP 1.25 WHIP 65 K 35 BB

A+ might be a little high, but I can't believe what Durbin is doing out of the bullpen this year. I didn't think much of his signing back over the offseason, but I figured he would at the very least be better than Jose Mesa. He's been better than Mesa by a long shot. He gets a lot of big outs in tough situations, and with the way he gets ground balls, he's a valuable asset to any bullpen.

Ryan Madson

B+

2-0 2.77 ERA 48.2 IP 1.17 WHIP 37 K 14 BB

Projection: 4-2 3.01 ERA 75 IP 1.20 WHIP 57 K 22 BB

I can't say enough about this bullpen. Despite some early struggles, Madson has put together a great season so far. He has been lights out for the past couple months, and he'll keep getting some high leverage innings if he continues to pitch well. Although he makes himself unavailable more than most people would like, his arm is important down the stretch. We need him healthy.

Brad Lidge

A

2-0 1.13 ERA 20 saves 40 IP 1.13 WHIP 55 K 19 BB

Projection: 3-1 1.57 ERA 40 saves 70 IP 1.15 WHIP 95 K 35 BB

Albert Pujols is behind him, and Brad Lidge is well on his way to resoldifying himself as one of the best in the game. He was a perfect 20 for 20 in save chances, and he's been as dominant as they come. After a knee injury that had Phillies fans groaning again, Lidge came back and proved right away that Pat Gillick made a smart trade to get him. His slider has embarrassed just about everyone, and he earned himself a nice contract extension.

Clay Condrey

B

2-1 3.66 ERA 1 save 39.1 IP 1.35 WHIP 23 K 8 BB

Projection: 2-1 3.70 ERA 1 save 45 IP 1.37 WHIP 26 K 10 BB

Unfortunately, if the Phillies add another reliever, it'll probably cost Condrey his Phillies job. I like the guy, but it'll probably be the right move to make. He's having a solid year pitching relaxing innings, and he hasn't killed them in games like he did a few times last year. I wish him luck.

J.C. Romero

B

4-2 2.17 ERA 1 save 37.1 IP 1.39 WHIP 33 K 25 BB

Projection: 5-4 2.75 ERA 1 save 62.1 IP 1.35 WHIP 53 K 45 BB

If I was grading him for what fans think of him, his grade would be a lot better. Obviously since I'm grading him based on my expectations, he's doing just fine. J.C. Romero IS a great pitcher against left handed batters. He's one of the toughest to beat in the game. J.C. Romero is NOT a set up man, and J.C. Romero is NOT a future closer. He is straight up awful against righties, and that's hurt the team in a few spots.

Rudy Seanez

B

4-3 2.40 ERA 30 IP 1.33 WHIP 22 K 16 BB

Projection: 5-5 3.50 ERA 50 IP 1.40 WHIP 35 K 28 BB

Here's another guy who I was just hoping could not kill the team. He's done a solid job so far, and he's beating my expectations. He's had a couple bad outings where he just doesn't have it, but otherwise, I have no complaints. He doesn't throw quite as hard as he used to, but he's still done a pretty good job of getting outs.

Tom Gordon

F

5-4 5.16 ERA 2 saves 29.2 IP 1.62 WHIP 26 K 17 BB

Projection: 5-4 4.90 ERA 2 saves 40 IP 1.55 WHIP 35 K 24 BB

Gordon has been the only weak link in the pen this year. Although a lot of fans like to play the "if you take X appearance out" game with him, the reality is that doesn't matter. His bad games are mixed in there, and they've cost the team games. When he gets hot, he deserves to get important innings, but I don't know if it'll happen again. He may be done.

J.A. Happ

C

0-0 3.27 ERA 11 IP 1.46 WHIP 8 K 8 BB

Projection: 1-1 4.50 ERA 22 IP 1.40 WHIP 14 K 12 BB

Happ came up and did a little better than last year, and I guess that's all the Phillies could've asked for. I'm not going to fly off the handle and say he should be guaranteed a start every five days the rest of the year, but he could contribute if we give him the chance. I think ultimately, he ends up as a lefty reliever, and he might end up playing that role later this year.

R.J. Swindle

F

0-0 7.71 ERA 4.2 IP 2.36 WHIP 4 K 2 BB

Projection: Same line

His stuff is fun to watch because it's so different. His slow curve and delivery can throw off some batters, but it wasn't very successful in his short stint in the bullpen. Eventually, he could become a good option against lefties, but if anyone is counting on him to be a regular reliever, you'll be disappointed.

There we go. Things were a lot shorter than last year, which is a good thing. The season is going well, and the roster has largely remained unchanged. Joe Blanton is a pretty decent acquisition, and he should be able to pitch some valuable innings down the stretch. He can be a decent pitcher, and I hope he gets off to a fast start.

NL All-Very Goods @ AL All-Stars

I'm going to stick to my guns and not watch the game tonight. However, I will attempt to objectively analyze the players that are there, whether they deserve to be or not. Let's take a look at the starting lineups in terms of stats, not names and positions.

National League BA/OBP/SLG/OPS

.311/.391/.566/.957
.291/.372/.582/.955
.347/.443/.653/1.096
.350/.466/.608/1.074
.376/.472/.614/1.086
.337/.421/.553/.975
.286/.324/.549/.873
.279/.383/.408/.791
.288/.369/.522/.891

American League BA/OBP/SLG/OPS

.304/.366/.371/.737
.284/.345/.395/.740
.310/.367/.552/.919
.312/.392/.581/.972
.293/389/.518/.908
.316/.440/.610/1.049
.314/.381/.552/.933
.322/.418/.455/.873
.314/.357/.458/.816

It's pretty clear that the NL has a superior starting lineup, both in terms of talent and lineup arrangement, the latter of which probably doesn't matter too much. However, if the NL is going to have a shot at winning, it's probably going to have to come off of Cliff Lee early. With the exception of Jason Varitek, the All-Stars have a stronger bench than the Very Goods. The NL pitchers will have to take advantage of Ichiro and Jeter batting so high because they probably shouldn't be batting 1 and 2.

I'm going to go out on a short limb and say the AL will win this game, and it might not be close. Yeah, I'm bitter. I dislike Clint Hurdle, and I feel that he, the fans and players alike did a poor job in choosing the so called NL stars. These are supposed to be the best of the best, and in some cases, the best are at home while players that are just pretty good are suiting up right now.

The NL is represented by 21 hitters, most of which are damn good players. However, let's look at Ryan Braun for a second. He is 21st in OPS among all NL players, but only 10th among OF. The team has 6 OF, not counting Soriano, so he's probably taking a spot of a more deserving guy, such as Pat Burrell, who has Braun trumped in in OBP, SLG and OPS while hitting the same amount of home runs.

He's not even the worst starting OF for the team. That honor would go to Kosuke Fukudome, the popular Japanese rookie for the Cubs. Having a strong international fanbase and playing for Chicago, Fukudome is obviously a popular player. That's why he's starting the game. However, at 18th among OF in OPS and only slugging .408, there were better choices to be made. These two should not be starting, and it's very debatable whether or not they should even be at the game.

While we're looking at the outfield, let's talk about Corey Hart. Milwaukee, I congratulate you on the campaign you launched to get him voted in as the final player. However, he is inferior to Pat Burrell offensively in just about every way. He has scored fewer runs, doesn't hit for the same power as Burrell and his OBP is a pathetic .327. I'll give Hart the obvious advantage he has in terms of speed and defense, but they don't make him a better player.

Ryan Ludwick? Great story. He's having a great year and deserves to be at the game, but he's not the Cardinals' only rep, so it makes me wonder why he was selected over a better player in Pat. I'm not going to complain about this one as much because he's been damn good this year too. I'm not happy about Nate McLouth being in the game, but I guess the decision-makers felt he was the Pirates' best player. I would argue against that too, but I don't care.

I'm not done yet. Let's talk about reserve players at other positions that I'm wondering about. Why would you take a total of four extra C/1B? I agree that Adrian Gonzalez deserves to be there as the Padres' rep, and Brian McCann should probably be the backup C. For Russell Martin, it comes down to whether or not he should be LA's rep. I thought Saito was deserving, but I'm not going to make a big stink about that one yet.

The rest of the infield is crowded too. Obviously you want a backup 3B, so Aramis Ramirez was a logical choice. David Wright is probably somewhat deserving to go to the game too, but consider the circumstances in which he got in. When it was officially announced that Soriano would not be playing, Matt Holliday replaced him in the lineup, and Hurdle needed a player to take his spot on the roster altogether. Wright is 20th in the NL in OPS, and even though he plays decent defense, there were several more players that should've been taken ahead of him.

Finally, in terms of position players, the SS position. Hanley Ramirez is an awesome player, and he earned the start. Christian Guzman was selected as Washington's rep, and this is irritating on a couple levels. First, I don't think he should've been Washington's guy, and similar to the case of Russell Martin, I think the NL should've taken RP Rauch over the position player. The more egregious selection here is Miguel Tejada. I don't get it. You don't need a third SS, and if you did, Jose Reyes would've been a better choice. His OPS is .739, and the adjusted OPS+ is below 100, which means his home ballpark inflates those already mediocre numbers. As I mentioned earlier, the NL has 21 hitters. Miguel Tejada is not top 21 in OPS, or even top 50. He checks in at 68th. Absolutely baffling.

I alluded to the bullpen a couple times, so now we'll talk about the pitching selections. I agree with most of them. Sheets definitely deserves the nod as the starter, and pitchers like Webb, Zambrano, Lincecum and Volquez are having good years. There are some players like Cook and Dempster that I can see have a case to make the team, but I personally wouldn't have chosen them. Johan Santana and Cole Hamels probably should be there tonight, but they aren't.

The bullpen is absolutely ridiculous. I agree with the selections of Lidge, who will close the game if presented the opportunity, Wagner and Wood. I have to take issue with Brian Wilson. Lincecum is the Giants' first rep, so it's not like they need another player here. I'll congratulate him and the Giants for giving him a lot of save chances (he leads the NL,) and playing a lot of close games, but his ERA is 4.58. Only three other players in the NL have double digit saves and an ERA higher than that. Two of them have lost their jobs, and one of them is a future Hall of Famer. I would take any number of relievers over Wilson, including the previously mentioned Rauch and Saito.

Finally, we have the Kerry Wood injury debacle. Maybe debacle is a strong word for the situation, but it's puzzling nonetheless. Wood was having a great season, and it's definitely one of those nice feel-good stories. He's battled injury after injury and remade himself as a closer. He's second in the NL in saves with an ERA just over 3 with great rates. Great selection for the team. Before the game, he pulled out because of injury concerns. Who's chosen to replace him? Fellow Cub Carlos Marmol. Lou Piniella isn't managing this team, so it doesn't even make sense that the manager would just pick his own guy. Marmol isn't a closer, and most relievers that play in this game are closers. He had a great 2007, and I'll give him that, but it's 2008. He has great rates, but the fact is, there are other relievers with good rates with better ERAs that close. The choices weren't even limited to relievers. He could've easily gone with a Santana or Hamels, but instead, he chose a pretty good set up guy instead of a good closer or great starter.

For all of these reasons, I am not watching the game tonight. The NL has not won since the Great Depression, and their chances don't look any better tonight with the mediocre squad that was put together. I know Major League Baseball or nobody cares that I'm not watching, but if they're not going to put the best players on the field, why bother?

76ers Basketball

If there were any fans that stopped following the team when AI got traded or didn't care when they were losing games, it's time to get back on the wagon.

The LA Times is reporting that Elton Brand has a verbal agreement to sign for about 80 million over 5 years. This is a little more than the Clippers were prepared to offer to bring him back, but it's also a little less than what Golden State thought it would take to bring him in.

The Elton Brand offseason has been quite a story. He opts out of his current contract with one year remaining, but not to get more money. He wanted to create cap room so the team could sign Baron Davis, who opted out of his contract, to become contenders. The 76ers went all-out in pursuit of Josh Smith, thinking the window on Brand was closed.

However, at some point, Ed Stefanski and Brand's agent had a meeting. This was probably best for both sides. Why would Brand want to leave a team out of negotiations and not explore every option, and why would the Sixers not want to look into every player? It turns out, it was the right idea for everyone.

The Sixers extended a contract offer, and Brand was interested. Apparently, the Clippers had previously made a lesser offer and said that they could not offer any more money. When they caught wind of Philadelphia's proposal, they changed their tune. Brand was not happy about the lowballing attempt and was turned off to LA.

To make room for all of this to take place, the Sixers made a little deal with Minnesota. They cleared out just enough cap space by sending Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth and Utah's first rounder for for Minny's trade exception and a second round pick. This freed up just enough room to increase the offer to Brand and get him interested. Now we just have to wait for it to become official, and hopefully it does.

Game 91: Cardinals at Phillies (1/3)

St. Louis Cardinals: 50-40
Philadelphia Phillies: 48-42

Joel Pineiro (2-4 4.52 ERA, 0-0 3.46 ERA)
Cole Hamels (9-5 3.22 ERA, 10-0 4.26 ERA)

Projected lineups

Mather LF N/A
Ankiel CF 1/2, .500/.500/1.000
Pujols 1B 3/7, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .429/.375/1.000
Ludwick RF 0/2
Glaus 3B N/A
Molina C 1/4, 1 RBI, .250/.250/.500
Izturis SS 1/1, 1.000/1.000/1.000
Pineiro P
Kennedy 2B N/A

Rollins SS 2/6, .333/.333/.333
Victorino CF N/A
Utley 2B 2/3, .667/.667/.667
Howard 1B N/A
Burrell LF 0/2, .000/.333/.000
Jenkins RF 1/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333/.333/1.333
Feliz 3B 0/3
Coste C N/A
Hamels P

After another embarrassing defeat, the Phillies take on a new, and probably better, NL team in St. Louis. Cole Hamels has to act as a stopper after the Phillies got humiliated in several different fashions against the Mets. Whether it be a late bullpen meltdown, leaving guys on base and getting killed by Fernando Tatis or the starter having a chicken shit effort, the Phillies got it done against the Mets.

As bad as it was to lose 3 games to them, the Phillies are a first place team. I know a lot of the idiots on PhilaPhans don't get that, but they're a good baseball team with a good lineup, good bullpen and a couple good starters. Do they need to upgrade some spots? No doubt. However, they're not a last place team like some morons seem to believe.

Game 90: Mets at Phillies (4/4)

New York Mets: 44-44
Philadelphia Phillies: 48-41

Pedro Martinez (2-2 7.39 ERA, 7-5 3.27 ERA)
Adam Eaton (3-6 4.79 ERA, 5-0 3.29 ERA)

Projected lineups

Reyes SS
Chavez LF
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Delgado 1B
Easley 2B
Anderson LF
Schneider C
Martinez P

Rollins SS
Victorino CF
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Dobbs 3B
Jenkins RF
Coste C
Eaton P

It's tough to rely on Adam Eaton, but the Phillies need to split the series today. He's done a good job against the Mets, and he has to put in another good outing today since the bullpen is pretty depleted. Flash went on the DL, and R.J. Swindle was called up, so that's one fresh arm in the mix. It'll be interesting to see how he does because he really doesn't have conventional stuff.

Pat Burrell not making the All-Star Game is an absolute joke. People complain about fan voting, but if the players and managers, especially Clint Hurdle can't see what kind of year he's having, then they're not much better at voting themselves. It'll be sad if he doesn't get in as an injury replacement or with the final ballot, and I might not watch the game if he's not there. That's just one of many bad selections by the players and Hurdle.

Game 89: Mets at Phillies (3/4)

New York Mets: 43-44
Philadelphia Phillies: 48-40

Oliver Perez (6-5 4.98 ERA, 2-3 3.83 ERA)
Kyle Kendrick (8-3 4.58 ERA, 1-1 3.00 ERA)

Projected lineups

Reyes SS
Chavez RF
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Schneider C
Delgado 1B
Easley 2B
Anderson LF
Perez P

Werth RF
Utley 2B
Rollins SS
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Feliz 3B
Victorino CF
Coste C
Kendrick P

After things unraveled late last night, the Phillies will get right back into it this afternoon with a beatable pitcher. Perez has decent numbers against us, but it's almost guaranteed he's not going to have command of his stuff. The lineup needs to stay patient and wait for him to make mistakes. He walks a lot of guys, and if he's going to just give away baserunners, they need to take advantage.

I think it's pretty much a lock that Utley and Lidge are headed to New York in a week and a half. After that, I'm pretty confident Burrell will make it and finally be a first time All-Star. Hamels is the guy I'm not sure about. He's a top pitcher in most categories, and it just depends on Clint Hurdle looking at the right ones.

Phillies Extend Lidge

To a 3 year, 37.5 million dollar contract with a team option for 2012.

12.5/year is probably the going rate for good closers these days, and Lidge certainly fits the bill this year. He's been one of the best in the league so far in 2008, and I suspect he will be named an All-Star later today.

That certainly adds a lot to next year's payroll though. Is this team going to pay more, or are we making cuts in other places? What does this mean for Pat Burrell, whose contract expires after this season? Can we really afford to pay Brett Myers 12 million next year too? Would someone take Adam Eaton off our hands? We shall see.

If I Decided The All-Star Rosters

I'm going to attempt to project the two 32 man rosters that will take the field in the Bronx for the MLB All-Star Game. The real selections will be revealed tomorrow. I'm using the numbers through Friday night's games with the starters being determined by the last voting update.

American League

C- Joe Mauer, Twins
1B- Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
2B- Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
SS- Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B- Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
OF- Manny Ramirez, Red Sox
OF- Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
OF- Josh Hamilton, Rangers
DH- David Ortiz, Red Sox
SP- Cliff Lee, Indians

C- A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox
1B- Jason Giambi, Yankees
2B- Ian Kinsler, Rangers
2B- Brian Roberts, Orioles
SS- Michael Young, Rangers
3B- Mike Lowell, Red Sox
3B- Evan Longoria, Rays
OF- Milton Bradley, Rangers
OF- Jermaine Dye, White Sox
OF- Magglio Ordonez, Tigers
OF- J.D. Drew, Red Sox
OF- Grady Sizemore, Indians

SP- Scott Kazmir, Rays
SP- Roy Halladay, Blue Jays
SP- Joe Saunders, Angels
SP- Justin Duchscherer, A's
SP- John Danks, White Sox
SP- Felix Hernandez, Mariners
RP- George Sherrill, Orioles
RP- Joakim Soria, Royals
RP- Francisco Rodriguez, Angels
RP- Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox
RP- Joe Nathan, Twins

I went ahead and took a 33rd player because it's unlikely Ortiz will play. The last guy to make it was Joe Nathan, and a couple guys that just missed the cut included Carlos Quentin and Jon Lester. The Red Sox lead the AL with seven reps, three of which were chosen by me and not the Red Sox Voting Commission of America. Brian Roberts was a late addition to get another middle infield type involved. Choosing a C was difficult because a bunch of guys rest a lot and don't qualify. Pierzynski did qualify, and although Dioner Navarro and Gerald Laird had slightly better numbers, it wasn't enough to justify taking them over a guy who has remained healthy all year.

National League

C- Geovany Soto, Cubs
1B- Lance Berkman, Astros
2B- Chase Utley, Phillies
SS- Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3B- Chipper Jones, Braves
OF- Alfonso Soriano, Cubs
OF- Ken Griffey Jr., Reds
OF- Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs
DH- Pat Burrell, Phillies
SP- Dan Haren, Diamondbacks

C- Brian McCann, Braves
1B- Albert Pujols, Cardinals
1B- Adrian Gonzalez, Padres
2B- Dan Uggla, Marlins
SS- Jose Reyes, Mets
SS- J.J. Hardy, Brewers
3B- David Wright, Mets
OF- Xavier Nady, Pirates
OF- Matt Holliday, Rockies
OF- Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
OF- Jason Bay, Pirates

SP- Johan Santana, Mets
SP- Ben Sheets, Brewers
SP- Carlos Zambrano, Cubs
SP- Tim Lincecum, Giants
SP- Edinson Volquez, Reds
SP- Cole Hamels, Phillies
RP- Jon Rauch, Nationals
RP- Takashi Saito, Dodgers
RP- Brad Lidge, Phillies
RP- Kerry Wood, Cubs
RP- Billy Wagner, Mets

Unfortunately, Billy Wagner was the last guy on. Adam Dunn, Carlos Lee, Nate McLouth and Tim Hudson just missed out. The Cubs lead the NL with five reps, and the Phillies and Mets are just behind with four each. The Dodgers and Padres really throw a wrench into things. They really don't have any outstanding players, and I went with Saito and Gonzalez. Peavy and Young have missed some starts this season, so it was tougher to include them, and Gonzalez is by far their best hitter. LA has Russell Martin, but because I chose Gonzalez for SD, I already had three C/1B guys on the bench.

That was fun. Tomorrow, we'll see who the real managers picked, and how their decisions differ from mine. There will almost certainly be something to complain about.