The team that used to play on the worst surface in professional sports will need to adjust to Tropicana Field’s artificial surface, all-dirt infield and unholy white roof.
Another day, another article, another reason to second guess my decision to pick the Phillies in six. Over on the Phillies official Web site, Ken Mandel has a piece on the team’s preparations in St. Petersburg.
“Infield practice took on an educational tone,” Mandel writes, "with Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley waiting until the last second to snag grounders otherwise considered routine. Studying the bounces on artificial turf or when they went from turf to dirt became important lessons.
“'It was pretty bouncy,” Rollins said. 'It didn't stop bouncing when it got on the dirt. Sometimes, it didn't bounce at all. When they put some water on it, naturally, it will bounce a little more.' Coaches later wheeled out the popup machine for drills, allowing players new to the foreign Tropicana Field the chance to pick up balls against the roof's white backdrop. 'There's a lot of action going on up there,' Rollins said. 'The bars up there, catwalks and lights, more lights and more catwalks. I don't think it will be an issue. We're going to have night games, so the sun won't be shining through and making the roof lighter. But if you don't pick up the ball right away, it will be tough to find it.'
The Phils haven’t played a game on turf all season and only a handful of games indoors. Tampa was a 57-24 team at their unnatural home haven, the best home record in baseball.
Who was it that described the Vet turf as a bedsheet stretched over concrete? I want to say Eric Allen or Troy Vincent ...
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:02 PM
The one fielder I'm not worried about is Rollins. He grew up on turf. I expect a few of those Rollins trademark slide pivot and throw plays on grounders up the middle that he made a living off of when he first came up. I'm much more worried about Howard and throws in the dirt. Luckily, between Rollins, Feliz, and Utley, he hardly ever has to worry about that. In all of major league baseball, is there a SS, 2B, 3B combo that makes cleaner, more accurate throws to first than this phillies team? Given there first baseman, is there a team that needs it more?
Posted by: lekh tizdayen | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Random thought: Would there be a better way to win this thing than a So Taguchi walk off? Perhaps a Brett Myers 14th inning pinch hit walkoff blooper...
Posted by: lekh tizdayen | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Did you know that the Phillies have only let one starting pitcher get past the 6th inning in this entire postseason? Kuroda.
Olney was saying that offensively they've worked the opposing pitcher very well and it could be a key for them to win the Series...
Even though he's picking the Rays.
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Closing in on 31 hours until first pitch.
Jeez, will it ever get here.
Posted by: Bonehead | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:10 PM
I vote this stadium as the ugliest in MLB. When I saw an blimp shot from above, I assumed that this stadium had a retractable roof, but no! It's just plain ugly.
Posted by: Lake Fred | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:13 PM
The stadium looks like it's sinking.
Posted by: GoPhilsGo | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:18 PM
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/20081020_Bob_Ford__DH_should_not_be_part_of_World_Series.html
Good article about the DH.
Posted by: GoPhilsGo | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:23 PM
The stadium smells, too. It's not like the roof makes it cool and comfy in there. It's just a giant Easy-Bake Oven.
I'm seeing a lot of smack talking coming from Rays "fans," who feel the WS is just a formality for them as they've already played the best in their opinion. Man, I really hope the Phils shut their suddenly present pie holes.
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:25 PM
The Rays represent some of the worst ideas that baseball has ever had:
1. baseball in a dome
2. MLB with a DH
2. MLB in Fla.
Posted by: Bonehead | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Sad considering they're playing right around the corner from Legends Field. Couldn't they just set up some portable bleachers in the outfield?
Posted by: Gaze | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Agree - ugly ball park.
The Rays looked unbeatable in some parts of the ALCS, but then Boston took their bullpen to task in other parts.
Posted by: Bubba | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:35 PM
Chase Utley give me 2 most memorable quotes of the season:
"Boo? F*ck You." and
"Get the rubber duck out of your butt."
Guy doesn't say much but when he does it's a gem.
Anybody else watch Phils press conferences so you can count how many times Hamels uses "you know" or Vic "no questions asked"? Nope, just me, huh?
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:47 PM
I always get a kick out of "no questions asked" from Shane. No one has the heart to tell him he means "no doubt about it."
Posted by: Mike | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 01:59 PM
Mike: Yeah, or to say to him, "But I just asked you a question..."
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:03 PM
How ridiculous that this much time and energy is required by a Major League Baseball team to get used to playing in Tropicana Field?
It's like they are playing on an alien planet.
Way to go Bud Selig!
Posted by: mike cunningham | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:04 PM
regarding the article posted by GPG:
I'm not pro- or anit-DH... but I am against both leagues playing baseball under two sets of rules. I've said it before, but until both leagues DO play under the same sets of rules you will see the AL continue to out-play the NL. Maybe not in isolated series (World or otherwise), but the trend will continue to be that the AL has more muscle than the NL.
Posted by: The Theory | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:06 PM
"How ridiculous that this much time and energy is required by a Major League Baseball team to get used to playing in Tropicana Field?"
What else are they going to do with their time? Sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond?
Posted by: The Theory | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:07 PM
IMO, were a better team than the red sox and the sox took 3 games from the rays
why cant we take 4?
Posted by: do it for steve irwin, beat the rays | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Chase Utley is awesome!
Posted by: GM-Carson | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Nice to hear gripes about somebody else's ball park for a change.
Go Phillies.
Posted by: Bubba | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:13 PM
I agree regarding the DH, except that I hate it. I'm not old school by any means, I'm only in my mid-30's so I've never really known baseball without it, but I just don't like the rule. I believe every baseball player should be able to hit, field and throw. If you can't hit a baseball or hurt yourself simply running to 1st (ahem, Chien-Ming Wang), perhaps you aren't fit enough to play the sport. Period.
However, if we MUST have it, both leagues should adopt it. They never will, though, as there are many ballplayers, including pitchers, who never want to play for the other league for the same reasons (pro or con). It keeps the AL teams better because you can never take a batter off, so subsequently the pitching has to be better, etc.
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:17 PM
@The Theory -- I don't mind infield practice or pop-up practice or any of that at all.
If we were playing in Fenway,I'd expect the outfield learning to play the walls etc...
But Tropicana is like those video games where you can "build yoru own stadium" or "golf course". This is Major League Baseball, not SimStadium.
Posted by: mike cunningham | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Pity our neighbors to the north. The humble Mets fan must now choose between watching Rollins or Kazmir celebrate...
Posted by: Midre Cummings | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Everything about the DH is wrong, but I guess they felt that more offense would bring more fans. In fact, it takes more away from the game than it brings in terms of strategy and actual in game managing.
Besides, why shouldn't pitchers learn how to hit?
Posted by: GoPhilsGo | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:39 PM
It was fun watching guys like Drysdale swing the bat, and I remember when Tony Cloninger hit 2 grand slams in one game for the Braves. Eat your heart out, Myers!
Posted by: GoPhilsGo | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:42 PM
Beyond the Box Score is ranking the leagues best players by position according to various offensive and defensive metrics. They've done 2nd base and centerfield so far, and we've got the top 2nd baseman (Utley) and the 5th best CF (Victorino). Not too shabby...
Posted by: CJ | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:43 PM
The Trop isn't a baseball stadium. It's a television studio. Everything about it looks fake, even by dome standards. I keep expecting to see Johnny Carson throw out the first pitch or something. The lighting is so awful, I can't believe it.
Posted by: donc | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:47 PM
Dude, the Backstreet Boys are going to sing the National Anthem tomorrow night?
We can't draw anyone better than the Backstreet Boys???? Is Fox just trying to punish us for beating the Sox and Dodgers?
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:49 PM
We do get 2 or 3 games at home where the Rays pitchers will have to bat.
Thanks again Clint Hurdle for giving away home field advantage and abusing our closer in one exhibition game.
Posted by: Bubba | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:49 PM
CJ:
John Donovan compared the Upton to Vic on Si.com and here's what he had to say:
"Shane Victorino is a frenetic blur, a fielder who dashes to spots, turns around, adjusts, lunges, jumps when he doesn't have to and, all in all, makes an adventure out of a lot of fly balls that shouldn't be adventurous. He doesn't have Upton's arm, or his range, but he catches the balls he gets to and he makes fewer errors than his young counterpart."
Just shows you how much these writers really don't do their research before they write their puff pieces. He doesn't have Upton's arm or his range? Umm, didn't he lead the league in OA for much of the season?
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:52 PM
Joe Maddon just gave a live press conference on ESPN.
He's a class act, a very respectable human being.
Hats off to Tampa Rays manager.
Lets Go Phillies!!!
Posted by: Matt | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:54 PM
Vic's trademark line is "like I said". The Trop reminds me of the Kingdome. This is not a compliment.
Posted by: ozark | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Couple threads back, AWH had this to say about my post:
"Your evaluation of Myers is also a little off. "a very poor outing in the postseason, followed by a very good one"?
2 R in 7 IP vs the Brewers and CC Sabathia is a poor outing? Hmmm.
Followed by a Game 2 win against the Dodgers in which he gave up 5 R in 5 IP, with one pitch to Manny Ramirez that almost no other hitter could've handled. This, after he admittedly got gassed running the bases going 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Hmmm."
Obviously, AWH, I got the outings in wrong order. The second outing was poor, the first outing was very good. And, Jason, I agree that they're all at least a little above average, but reliable and dependable just aren't words I'd use to describe these guys.
Posted by: Tray | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 02:59 PM
Has it felt like an entire offseason has gone by since the last game to anyone else?
Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary, hopefully my wife won't mind me taking the night to watch game 1 (like she has a choice...)!
So will it be Coste to DH against the lefty?
My vote would be to ban the DH, never liked it...just think if we had the DH in the NL, we would have never experienced "The Plate Appearance" by Myers in the NLDS!
I always thought that baseball involved fielding your position or running the bases, but that just might be me...
Posted by: Colin_K | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 03:05 PM
"EVERYBODY HITS!"
Wasn't there a guy who used to yell that at the Vet?
Posted by: kbless | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 03:11 PM
kbless: Yes, Everybody Hits, Wooo! He was always near the cameras, too, so you could hear him clearly.
Posted by: doubleh | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 03:13 PM
I hate the DH rule. As painful as it is to see guys like Sydney Ponson and Bartolo Colon with a bat on their shoulder, hitting AND fielding are part of the game. When I was little and my dad used to do batting practice with my brothers and I, we always had to switch off and take our turns shagging down the fly balls before we got to bat. Its the way baseball is supposed to be.
Posted by: kbless | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 03:51 PM
doubleh: Yeah... I heard Keith Law on the radio today talk about how the Phils have mediocre range in CF and RF with Victorino and Werth.
Really? Am I missing something there?
Posted by: CJ | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Yech! Turf with dirt. The field looks awful, and I'm surprised that after the terrible astroturf stadiums like The Vet from the 1970s, MLB would allow a field to be built without it being 100% grass.
Posted by: Scott In NJ | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 06:28 PM