Rollins: 'I just didn't execute'

A quote from today's CSNPhilly.com postmortem.

Via Jim Salisbury - With one out and the Phils playing for a run late in the game, the situation called for Jimmy Rollins to get Jayson Werth to third base. Rollins said he thought about bunting, but wanted to take one shot “to get him over swinging if not drive him in. After that, I don’t mind bunting.” Rollins swung at the first pitch and popped it to third base. Sergio Romo then struck out Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz to preserve the tie.

"I just didn’t execute,' Rollins said.

Charlie Manuel said he thought about having Rollins bunt, but did not order it because Rollins is adept at pulling the ball to the right side when he bats left-handed. “All he’s got to do is get a ground ball to the right side,” Manuel said. “That’s one of his strong suits. Not only that, if he gets the ground ball, it has a chance to go through and he could drive the run in.” [Read entire article]

Comments

[GBrettfan]

I feel good about Halladay pitching tonight. Problem is, we have to face Lincecum.

I would love to take this to at least 6 games, preferably 7, even if we ultimately lose, just to make it a good fight.

I would really love to see us play our best defense throughout the game, show baseball smarts at the plate and on the basepaths as well, and if they beat us...well, it happens.

Regardless, it's been a great run. Those who say the Giants aren't worthy because they needed SD to start losing in order to win the division should remember that we got to the playoffs in '07 and '08 with help from the Mets' losing, too. The Giants still had to win games to get to postseason, and they've come out firing in this NLCS. I won't begrudge them the pennant...if they win it.

It's a little ironic that the one year we have a terrific rotation looks like the year we won't get the rings, but then without H2O, we wouldn't even be in the playoffs. And our hitters aren't exactly facing Little Leaguers; H2O is well matched by SF.

The Phillies have done a great job battling through injuries and slumps this year, and a fantastic job making it to the postseason 4 years running and to 2 World Series. I might be a little embarrassed to be the favored team and lose, but overall, I'm proud of this team. And I've had a lot of fun cheering them on.

Go Phillies!

[J. Weitzel]

Here's a case where Manuel's approach backfires, allowing a veteran like Rollins to freelance and decide for himself what he's going to do at the plate. I know Rollins looks like he *might* be coming around at the plate, and that Romo gave up back-to-back-doubles, but you have to move the runner over in that situation.

[eatonsucks]

1. Ruiz not blocking 2 easy balls in the first (chest would have blocked them np)
2. The ghost of Bill Dancy showing up at 3rd getting ruiz thrown out by 5 feet to a - arm Rowand.
3. Durbin throwing a FB to Sandoval when the entire world knows he swings at offspeed trash out of the zone.

4 run swing on those 3 plays. That doesnt get into Rollins pathetic outing or the fact that he got saved big time after his error by a second double play ball. Just overall terrible mental play. I suppose the bright side is that none of it included Vic or Werth.

[GBrettfan]

Here's something to feel good about (from philly.com):

Chuck Greenberg, managing partner and chief executive officer of the Texas Rangers, says the Phillies are one of the teams he hopes his franchise can emulate.

"Three of the great role models are the Red Sox, the Angels, and the Phillies, with no disrespect to the other clubs," Greenberg said Wednesday. "You look at the three of them, and 10 years ago they were dramatically different franchises."

Greenberg said he is impressed by all three teams' sustained success. "They have been able to maintain a level of success within their communities in years that are strong and ones that are disappointing, and that is where we want to be," he said.

[Benny Profane]

There was NOBODY out when Rollins was up. Not one out.

[Will Schweitzer]

Lets face it...there isn't any one area that needs improvement. The Giants have outplayed and outmanaged Philadelphia at every turn in this series...not by a country mile, but by enough to earn the win.

Even in their victories, dating back to 2007, the Phillies have not been able to replicate their regular season run production in the post season. There have been a few exceptional games that stand out, but for the most part, this is how it has been vs Colorado, Cincinatti, Tampa, New York and San Francisco.

Where's Jonathan Broxton when you need him.

Season isn't over yet though... It's not impossible, but up to this point, it hasn't gotten "funner" yet.

[phillyinnyc]

our chances tonight even with doc..,

slim

the giants at att will be out of their minds along with the fans,

i had to shut it off because i get up at 5 am to get to work, -- but i kindof doubted the phils would win - because last night their play was careless - stupid and ROLLINS play was selfish

i think when the series is over; & the next few uineventful seasons pass (w/ the team getting older and less reliable) - we will wish that in 2010 - they played like they were capable of - to win another ring.. instead of like _______________

guess they thought the giants weren't GIANTS.. but they are...

[Old Phan]

How exactly was Chooch supposed to stop those pitches in the 1st? There is a reason they are referred to as "wild pitches".

[jason.tp]

Why are so many people bashing Ruiz?

The first wild pitch called for a high and outside fastball, that Blanton threw 6in before homeplate. You can go from setting up high and away fastball to sliding on your knees just like that, there is no expectation for the ball to be in the dirt which takes away half of the catchers ability to block it.

The second passed ball hit so far in front of the plate that it actually had time to spin sideways and get around Chooch as he went down for a block.

We're really going to complain about Ruiz because JOE BLANTON CANT EVEN RETIRE THE GODDAMN GIANTS LINEUP!?

[eatonsucks]

"How exactly was Chooch supposed to stop those pitches in the 1st? There is a reason they are referred to as "wild pitches"."

By using your chest protector instead of glove. Those are not difficult balls to block.

[jason.tp]

Edgar Renteria - benched all season, Giants would give away for free if someone paid his salary.

Freddy Sanchez - dumped by Pirates for salary relief

Aubrey Huff - baltimore retread

Posey - rookie

Burrell - picked off waiver wire because no one wanted him

Cody Ross - picked off waiver wire because no one wanted him

Sandoval - benched all season

Aaron Rowand - benched all season, would give away for free if someone wanted

Bumgarner - rookie

Thats what the Phillies lost to.

[eatonsucks]

"We're really going to complain about Ruiz because JOE BLANTON CANT EVEN RETIRE THE GODDAMN GIANTS LINEUP!?"

Who called that fastball to Sandoval down 1-2 in the count? Yeah sure Ruiz doesnt deserve any blame. He had a terrible game. Pitching was ok last night, the mental mistakes were not.

[STHS]

Too bad Rollins didn't ask Utley how to ground out to second.

[J. Weitzel]

jason: I think it's a great point.

[jason.tp]

eaton: Fine blame ruiz for that fastball. I think he called for it up and out fo the strikezone and Durbin missed his spot - btu whatever i'll give you that.

Considering your first post had nothing to do with that pitch, i apologize for not adressing that in my response.

[Fatalotti]

Joe Blanton is at fault for those wild pitches, completely. And if you can't control your FASTBALL, the pitch that should be the absolute easiest for you to control, you shouldn't be toeing the rubber. Manuel and Dubee dropped the ball big time yesterday, and are extremely culpable for the loss.

Also, in the 8th inning, there is no question: Rollins should be bunting from pitch one to get Werth to 3rd base. It would have changed the entire dynamic of the inning. Instead, with Werth on 2nd, Romo could just sit back and throw slider after slider after slider. If Werth is on 3rd base, the slider is a dangerous pitch because of the wild pitch ability. With Werth on third, Ruiz and Francisco likely get fastballs. Still doesn't excuse the ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE at bats taken by Ruiz and Francisco, but the manager's job is always to optimize his team's chances to win the game.

Manuel did not do that last night AT ALL.

[#34]

It’s easy to be calm when things go your way. Grit and guts is what we like about our Phillies teams of late. I saw a flicker of a flame last night so I know the fire still burns within. Our horse it pitching today and so it’s is going to be a HALL-of-A DAY!

[roger]

good post today at LDPF for those needing a lift.

http://longdistancephilliesfan.blogspot.com/

[eatonsucks]

It almost seems like Manual is so comfortable and used to his players delivering in the clutch, he allows them to get away from fundamentally sound baseball.

[eatonsucks]

"Joe Blanton is at fault for those wild pitches, completely."

I agree with you that the were terrible pitches but big players make big plays when they are needed and Ruiz failed to make the blocks. He also showed poor technique in trying to use his glove instead of his body. Are they on the pitcher? Yes. Should Ruiz have blocked them? Absolutely.

[No-Doubles Defense]

The Phillies of all teams should know all Burrell wants to do watch four balls go by and take first base.

The leadoff walks by Blanton and Durbin absolutley killed them. It seems any Giant leadoff hitter who reaches, scores. Everything is working for them.

[eatonsucks]

Hey at least the phillies worked leadoff walks in the 1st and 3rd....if any umpire in the game was behind the plate other than Wally Bell.

[Sam Fan]

@jason - bullseye. If the Phils were playing their best and losing to a worthy opponent, I would be stoic and accepting.

But they're not and I'm not. It's been that kind of year.

[Old Phan]

I'm not saying the official scorers are the be all and end all, but if Ruiz could have done anything with those pitches, they would have been "passed balls". Sorry, those pitches were not on Chooch. Donut Joe had a few 1st inning jitters. That's it.

[no name fame]

DON'T LET US WIN TODAY, TIMMY.

Oswalt at CBP? Money

Cole vs. Cain in Game 7 in Philly? I like those odds

DON'T LET US WIN TODAY, TIMMY.

[Fatalotti]

eatonsucks, when a catcher is expecting a certain type of pitch, he is more easily able to react to it. Have you ever seen a catch expecting a breaking ball, but gets a fastball instead? They get fooled, and badly sometimes.

When you ask for a fastball in the first inning from your starting pitcher, the last things your expecting is a pitch that hits the dirt 3 feet in front of home plate. It's easy to say that Ruiz "should have made that play", but they were exceptionally hard plays.

So if I'm going to pin blame on someone for the wild pitches, do I put it on Ruiz, who needed to make an exceptionally hard play to stop the wild pitches, or do I blame Blanton, who simply needed to just throw his fastball to Ruiz's glove.

I'm going to put all the blame on Blanton, for not controlling his fastball.

[Joe Cowley]

Rollins has been doing that sht his entire career, and when he's not hitting otherwise it's more exaggerated. he's a great guy and was the face of the team when we won it all, but when it comes to basic baseball skills him and Victorino are mentally challenged. And Chooch doesnt go blameless either, the two worst games he called were last night and game one.

[Fatalotti]

It's hard not to blame the whole team last night. Everyone who stepped on the field contributed in some way to the loss.

[Old Phan]

"By using your chest protector instead of glove. Those are not difficult balls to block."

Then it's fair to assume you are a professional catcher with experience catching 55 ft. fastballs in the dirt that bounce? Ok, then.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Wild pitches are on Blanton, not Ruiz. Ruiz tried to adjust and get them, but he didn't.

Easy to say this in hindsight, but I wouuld left Blanton in. Gotta get through 5 innings, and at least getting some outs in the 6 would've been nice.

[Fatalotti]

So, you would have left Blanton in to face Posey in the 5th? Posey had smoked two balls off him so far that game, and almost hit the second one out of the park.

In fact, Contreras was the ONLY guy to get Posey out last night.

[Heather]

Well, Jimmy, it's not really baffling that you didn't execute, being that:

a) you have an uppercut swing worthy of Babe Ruth, and
b) you don't have the power to swing like that, resulting in a ton of infield pop ups and fly balls for outs, and
c) you were trying to be a hero and being even more uppercut-ty than usual (if possible)

So, honestly, I'm not astonished you failed to execute. That's not the problem. The problem is that that your swing stinks and you refuse to acknowledge your limitations.

I'd be happy without an apology and you simply try to hit line drives in the future. Ok?

[eatonsucks]

Of course the pitches are on Blanton. But again this is the playoffs and big players make big plays. Ruiz came up small on both of them. Of course its not his fault but he absolutely needs to block them in a game like this.

If you want to get nitpicky we can discuss how he managed to call a terrible game but again they didnt lose because of Ruiz. However they could have won because of Ruiz had he blocked both balls.

[jason.tp]

fatti: agreed, I tried to avoid beerleaguer today because its just asking for pointless arguments of who should we blame more?

When in reality they're all to blame.

And the answer? Nothing. I wouldn't trade this team for any other in the world, no matter who wins this year.

That might be even more frustrating than the Giants feableness.

[phils and nova]

Manuel's puzzling decision-making buries Phillies in pivotal Game 4

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tom_verducci/10/21/five.cuts/index.html?eref=sihp

read that by verducci. he rips charlie a new one and i cant disagree.

• Here's the real killer: eighth inning, runner at second, no outs, tie game. Jimmy Rollins at bat. The Phillies must get the runner to third base. Does Manuel bunt? Of course not. He trusts his players to get hits. I swear to you I said this as Rollins stepped in: "He has to bunt because Rollins hits way too many pop-ups." (Rollins has popped out an incredible 22 percent of the time in his postseason career.) Rollins popped out.

But it got worse. The next batter was Ben Francisco, a part-time player forced into the starting lineup because Manuel lost faith in slumping Raul Ibanez. Sergio Romo, the Giants pitcher at the time, is death on right-handers (.185). There is no way you can give a right-handed part-time player like Francisco an at-bat in the eighth inning against a dominant right-on-right pitcher with the go-ahead run at second base of a crucial NLCS game -- no way unless you are a manager who always believes your guy is going to get a hit.

"I couldn't believe that," said one Giant. "That has to be Ibanez's spot. Has to be. He's a professional hitter who's done it before."

[Fatalotti]

Look, I'm not exactly a Ruiz apologist after the series he's been having. His game calling as been spotty, at best. And he picked a hell of a series to revert back to '07 Ruiz at the plate.

But I cannot put any blame on Ruiz for those wild pitches in the 1st. I've never caught in the majors, Ruiz has proven over the lenght of his career that he's adept at blocking balls in the dirt, and like McCarver said on the broadcast, catchers NEVER expect a fastball to land 4 feet in front of home plate. They just don't. The only way he blocks those balls is if he gets lucky and the bounces og his way. The bounces didn't go his way.

[The Truth Injection]

jason.tp's post is exactly the silly sentiment you get on this blog where the other team always has to be reduced to garbage to make the Phillies look worse.

Of that line-up you can easily call Renteria garbage. After that you have:

Freddy Sanchez- a career slash of .298/.335/.414/.750

Aubrey Huff- a career slash of .283/.345/.476/.821

Burrell- We know how good Burrell can be and many said going to the other league was what affected him.

Posey- A rookie but a legit ROY candidate and a solid all around player.

Ross- Picked up off the waiver wire to block the Padres from getting him. And a guy who has murdered the Phillies in his career.

Sandoval- Yes he struggled this year and lost starting time but has shown the ability to hit the ball pretty well

Rowand- Yeah pretty much garbage at this point

Not a bunch of world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but not the island of misfit players like they are being painted as either. There is talent there regardless of how "retread" it may feel. Furthermore, if the Phillies execute better this series might be the other way around.

[Joe Cowley]

And the genius Victorino exclaims after the game that he "loves" the spot the team is in. Not surprising coming from a player that was thrown out to end a game last season stealing second down a run. Guess what Shane, the fans don't love the spot the team is in, and we'll love it even less this weekend when we have to resort to watching the Eagles and the Sixers until early February.

[Heather]

Phils and nova: I agree with the article that Manuel made a lot of mistakes last night but what else do you expect?

There is a fine line between "believing in your guys" and "putting them in a situation in which everyone knows they are almost guaranteed to fail and hoping for a different outcome."

Charlie not only doesn't seem to recognize the line, he zooms past it on a consistent basis, players fail, but he does it OVER. and OVER. and OVER again.

Either you accept it or you agitate for a new manager, because he won't change.

[JT in NC]

Not sure why we are baching everyone except Polanco. If he catches that ball and turns 2 its a totally different game.

That means Blanton gets through the 5th unscratched.

It means the Phils have the lead in the 6th.

It means Blanton and possibly Contraras would have been available for the 6th instead of Durbin.

That Polanco play totally killed the Phillies momentum.

[GBrettfan]

"Don't let us win today, Timmy"

I'm pretty sure he's going to do his darnedest not to, and I'm pretty sure he'll be good at it, too. It will be up to Halladay & our BP to hold the Giants scoreless, I think, and up to at least one of our lineup to get us a run, if not off Timmy, then off the BP. Or for us to hold SF to 1-2 runs while scoring 2-3 ourselves.

In short, it won't be easy, even with our ace on the mound.

And some astute pitch selection to go along with the command, and defense that doesn't at times fall short....These will also be necessary.

[ericg51]

The Phillies organization has bought a TON of talent for Cholly to win with. It's easy to manage the Yankees, Sox, and Phillies - each of those teams is loaded with talent. Manuel doesn't have a clue how to manage. He should be released and someone with actual baseball know-how be brought in to manage this team. Bochy has totally out-managed the far inferior Giants.
The other change is to trade Rollins. He also doesn't have a clue and is on the part of his career marked by rapid decline in all phases of the game.

[Heather]

'And the genius Victorino exclaims after the game that he "loves" the spot the team is in. '

Well, what is he supposed to say? "Stastically, we are a long shot to win this series. I don't have much hope due to the fact that historically, very few teams have dug out of a 3-1 hole. Nevertheless, since I am contractually obligated to play the game tomorrow, I will do so and try my best, even though I believe it is nothing more than a formality, and the Giants have already punched their tickets to the World Series"?

[jason.tp]

tti: freddy sanchez was still dumped for salary relief. burrell and ross were still waiver wire transactions. I'm not making things up. If i had to retract any of that, I would say that Huff was a legit FA signing, so good for them. Nothing else I said is even a stretch.

I have nothing bad to say about Posey, I just stated he is a rookie. Same with Bumgarner. And I was specifically talking about Game 4 - I obviously don't have a problem recognizing lincecum/sanchez/cain as great players.

[Old Phan]

Heather, exactly. What is Shane supposed to do, hang his head and weep? That's for the fans to do. He just has to go out and play ball today.

[The Truth Injection]

jason: But they are not terrible players- that's the point. If the Phillies were getting beat by a team of Wilson Valdez types that is one thing- they aren't.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

It's one thing to trust in your players, but another thing when Rollins HAS to get the runner to 3rd. Manuel needs to confirm with Rollins that he knows what to do up there. Plain and simple. That wasn't time to sit back and let your players do what they want.

[Old Phan]

Maybe UC has been drinking the "bunting is stupid" Kool-Aid like many others have. Of course Jimmy should have bunted there. Ah, well, you takes your chances.

[Fatalotti]

I agree with everything that Verducci wrote. These are the types of games that get managers fired. I'm not advocating such a course of action, but if the Phillies lose this series, I wouldn't be surprised if Manuel gets the can for his terrible managing in this series, specifically last night's game.

He made SO MANY terrible moves, it became tough for the Phils to not only beat the Giants, but when they're also battling the umpires and their own manager, well what do you expect?

[phillyinnyc]

SEASON = OVER

beaten by a bunch of retread Giants

and mostly by ourselves of course

[Joe Cowley]

Shane can say that the team came up small last night and he was one of the reasons, and that they'll take one game at a time now and feel good with their ace on the mound. Don't insult our intelligance by saying you "love" the spot you're in. You should "love" being up 3-1, not down 3-1. You should be embarassed being in this position against this team. What's love got to do with it??

[timr]

The fact that there are so many potential scapegoats being suggested here tells us that there are actually no scapegoats on this team, because the whole team is to blame. This 3-1 deficit is on everybody. The Phils do have more talent, but the Giants are playing smart, loose, fundamentally sound playoff baseball, and are winning as a result.

[phanatic's brother]

If I had to pick one goat, it would be Durbin.

[Fatalotti]

If I had to pick one goat for the series, it would be Utley. His failures at the plate have been killing this team. The only player who's been more useless has probably been Ibanez, but since Ibanez has only participated in 3 of the 4 games, Utley gets the nod.

[Joe Cowley]

Charlie really sounded like a fool in the post game when he said that you "Gotta ask Doobs" about Oswalt volunteering his services in the 9th. Isn't he the manager?? The fact is he's led around and guided by the coaches. He wont dispute a call at first unless Davey Lopes argues it first. He wont yank a pitcher like Durbin before he faces 6 more batters until somebidy tells him maybe it's time to get him out of there. He wont tell Jimmy how to put a ball in play or have Shane take a pitch at 3-1 like he did late in game 3. He's a great baseball man and a player's manager. But he's not a great manager and never was, and he's exposed when the team is in a tough spot.

[Jon]

Sunny forecast in Philly this weekend. Good weather to watch the Phightins pull off a huge comeback.

[Joe Cowley]

'Good weather to watch the Phightins pull off a huge comeback.'

Or book that haunted hayride.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Re: Oswalt. While it does come down to the manager making the final decision, there's a reason for the pitching coach. You know, he coaches the pitchers, and should be in the know whether or not Oswalt is available to pitch.

[st]

they aren't firing manuel. "wouldn't be surprised" lol. gimme a break

[Joe Cowley]

"While it does come down to the manager making the final decision, there's a reason for the pitching coach"

Agreed, but man up and fall on the sword when it blows up in your face.

[GBrettfan]

I hope you all are just venting your frustration. Otherwise, there's an awful lot of anger, resentment and finger-pointing for the fans of a team that went to the NLCS for the 3rd year in a row. Am I disappointed and frustrated? Absolutely. Do I feel we've played our best? No. We could have won each of these games. But I'm not going to hate the players or the manager or assume they're dumb or selfish or unmotivated. Geez.

[Matt]

Of course when you're down in the count, weaknesses and inefficiencies are magnified. If Cody Ross hadn't gone berserk with the bat, if Pat Burrell had a third strike called on him, if Polanco turned a double play, the Phillies could be up 3-1 themselves and maybe we're not complaining about Carlos Ruiz's ability to block balls in the dirt.

Sometimes managerial decisions backfire on you, and they did for Charlie last night. I don't think that's cause for termination. His steady hand over an injury-plagued season was impressive. Hell, I thought he managed the All-Star game brilliantly. Coaching isn't the problem; the players have to get the job done.

[Fatalotti]

Am I the only one who's baffled that the team has two veteran aces in Halladay and Oswalt who have both had success pitching on short rest, who came here to win, and who were both MORE THAN WILLING to pitch on short rest, and yet neither was used in such a situation, and here we sit, down 3-1 in the series?

Am I the only one who is certain that Phillies win last night if Halladay is on the mound?

[no name fame]

Goat of the NLCS= Utley.

He has been nothing since he got off those roids.

[Joe Cowley]

There's no way Charlie should be fired, that's ridiculous. But let's admit he has shortcomings that were glaringly obvious last night and throughout the series. The players aren't executing basic baseball skills in the biggest games of the season.

By the way Shane was spotted with a T-Shirt in the dugout reading: "Nearly Dead and Loving It!"

[no name fame]

So Top 8 no outs, Werth on second.

1.) You bunt Rollins no matter what.

2.) You pinch hit Ross Gload for Francisco...They probably bring in Afeldt or another lefty....we hit Sweeney (who gets his chance to be a hero). Ibanez to left.

[denny b.]

There are about 30 goats (including the coaching staff) in this series.

Lots of guys have come up small and the Phils (so far) have been beaten by a better, hungrier, smarter TEAM.

This team needs to be re-tooled in the offseason. The OF (all 3 spots) are in play. Durbin, Romero, Francisco and Dobbs will be gone. Ibanez and/or Victorino could be as well. Some new blood (and more importantly some YOUNG blood) will be brought in. You have a 2-3 year window, where you will have "The Big 3" in your rotation and probably at the top of their games. The infield will be back in tact. Hope Rube and company rebuild the rest of the team around those guys, before its too late.

The Giants have simply hit better, pitched better, caught the ball better and managed better in this series. They have gotten the big hits. Their bench has produced. Their pitchers have gotten the big outs, when they have needed them.

All that being said, if Doc goes out and does what the best pitcher in baseball is paid to do, this series will go back to Philly and the Phils are still in decent shape to win the last two. It just doesn't feel like that's going to happen this time though. The tank looks empty for too many players.

[Joe Cowley]

You have a better chance of them trading Cliff Lee than firing Charlie....oh wait....

[timr]

Blanton did okay. The decision to pitch him was not the problem. If the Phils got blown out I could see the argument but this was a very winnable game, and with one or two luckier bounces or better performances from Phils this thing is 2-2 and the rotation is set for the remainder--advantage Phils. If you can't score Werth from second with no outs in the 8th innning of a must-win playoff game, it really doesn't matter who was pitching.

[UD Hens]

Why don't you let them play the games until someone wins four of them before you start talking about firing the manager. This team has won 101 games so far this year. How is that possible if everyone is old or stupid and the manager stinks? The team in the other dugout is pretty good too, and some guys get hot at the right time (Ross) and some get cold at the wrong time (Ibanez, Utley, etc). Let's play it out and see what happens.

[UD Hens]

no name fame = stupid post re Utley

[no name fame]

What do you think fan reaction will be to Cliff Lee winning the world series as a Texas....I think this is an interesting thought.....there would have to be some backlash right?

[sneed]

We could debate starting Blanton ad nauseum, but whoever said that he was lucky not to have given up more runs is probably right. There were a lot of hard hit balls that went right into gloves, and he was aided by some flash up the middle from Rollins. Initially I thought our defense had sparked us to that 4th run inning, but then we bobbled and misplayed a few that we should have had and the game got away from us. It was a long game.

Chad Durbin does not have good control (3.9 BB/9 for career), and I'm not surprised that he was the one to blow the game like this after not throwing live action in 20 days. That said, this is what you get for having a shallow pen. This is also what you get for not leaving Blanton in longer and bringing 11 pitchers, one of whom was Kyle Kendrick who basically is on the roster to pitch if someone was injured. I would expect that Charlie would have left Oswalt in the game until we took a lead, or if there had been a situational advantage to use Romero in.

If they wanted to start Blanton, they should have been prepared to push him deeper into the game. I'm not saying that adding Baez or Herndon to the roster would have made a difference, but the Phillies are essentially operating with 4 relievers that they trust to throw a complete medium to high leverage inning, and they yanked their starter after 60 pitchers and 4.2 IP last night.

[idiot]

It’s simple; this series is going 7 games. Know why? Because the baseball gods/karma won’t let me get a refund on games 6&7 b/c they know that I’ll use that money to drown my sorrows in wh0res and booze. Rest assured, at the cost of my debauchery, the Phillies will pull this one out.

[The Truth Injection]

Fatalotti: Give it a rest with the Halladay thing. Blanton was the right move last night, and Oswalt coming in for the 9th is not a correlative move.

There are legitimate things to gripe about- that is not one of them.

[Joe Cowley]

I dont think there will be a backlash if Lee wins the World Series against this fraudulent, overrated Giants team. If he beat us then it's justified.

[no name fame]

Ok UD Hens....be blind...he def uses AT LEAST HGH....the man heals quicker than doctors expect everytime he gets hurt (by a lot)....that screams HGH....so if he is willing to go there, why not with the roids? His power went where this year? Just sayin....

[The Truth Injection]

The main decision where I fault Charlie last night was not going to Ibanez in the 8th when Romo was pitching. Force Bochy to move to Affeldt which means he'd have to go to Sanchez for another lefty to face the big guns should they come around. Ibanez can't hit a fastball right now, but Romo is primarily a slider pitcher. He can hit that.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

If the Fighting Cliff Lee's win the WS, i say "hat's off to him/them", and move on. Get over it. You think there will be a riot down Broad Street? Tyson Gillies assassinated?

[GBrettfan]

A Padres fan I know who's now rooting for the Phillies just called last night "Mudville Miserable" (with the accent over the "e").

Fata, you've lost your positivity today. While I've resigned myself to the probable loss and am becoming philosophical about it. I believe the Buddhists say "Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed." That's my philosophy for the day. I'm sure it will change come game time and I'll expect great things and be disappointed if they don't happen. But I agree with UD Hens and some TTI.

Joe C. RE: shirt "Mostly dead and loving it." LOL You've got me singing Monty Python's "I am not dead yet." And hearing the guy wail "I'm not dead yet" - Only to be conked over the head.

[GBrettfan]

* Delete "some" from before TTI. Don't know how that got there.

[jason.tp]

tti: they all have been terrible players and now they're just busting out. Thats why its so annoying. They all played themselves out of a job over the past season or two.

huff out of balitmore, sanchez out of pit, burrle out of tampa, ross out of fla, retneria/sandoval/rowand out of their own.

And now they're all just spraying and slapping hits across the diamond. Infuriating.

[st]

he doesn't really heal. utley that is. he's playing. but that doesn't mean he's healed. if you proof of this alleged use, i'm all ears

[Joe Cowley]

GBRett: Something tells me Shane is more of a Spongebob fan then Monty Python...

[no name fame]

Lets just say I have heard things, and my source is a former major league coach.

[Fatalotti]

"Fatalotti: Give it a rest with the Halladay thing. Blanton was the right move last night, and Oswalt coming in for the 9th is not a correlative move.

There are legitimate things to gripe about- that is not one of them."

Why should I give it a rest? Do you think the Phillies win last night if Halladay starts?

I never said the Oswalt thing was correlative. I said that Oswalt was willing to pitch on 3 days rest, if needed, and that is proved by the fact that he pitched last night. He, along with Halladay and Hamels, are willing to do whatever it takes to get this team to the WS. If you are going to put your hopes on any 3 players on this team, I don't see why it shouldn't be on the arms of your Big 3. Not starting Halladay last night was a mistake.

You want to argue otherwise, be my guest, but telling me to "give it a rest" hardly counts.

[Joe Cowley]

I've heard things, I've heard things Joey...what happened with you and Sal that night at the Copa?....

[The Truth Injection]

I always love the people who post things and then say they have "sources." They are trolling guys. Let them say their dumb things and move on.

[jason.tp]

noname - well then get that guy to get utley some more roids pronto

[st]

yeah not exactly good enough proof for me.

[sneed]

On the optimistic side of things:

In a 2-3-2 series, the team with homefield advantage is not in bad shape going home down 3-2. And we've got Oswalt and Hamels. If the Phils can push this 7, they will win it.

From the Flyers-Bruins series this year we learned two things. First, anything can happen if you stay with it, and second that the odds of coming back from 3-1 are worse than 3-2, and so on. These situations are independent and the order of games does not matter. The hardest games is going to be today - the Giants do not want to lose and go back to Philly needing to win with Sanchez and Cain.

[Joe Cowley]

David Bell was on the juice, and he sucked

[pete]

can we leave the investigating to Congress and George Mitchell please? It's odd that I never heard these accusations from "fans" until Utley's performance declined and he came up flat in some big spots....

[no name fame]

Well I aint gonna sell the guy out. Utley just has lost his luster. No bat speed, No glove, scared to throw the ball away so he short arms everything.....roids take there toll.

I have a feeling Victorino gets traded this offseason for a true leadoff guy. He is the only moveable guy we have (really). I guess there is the option to trade rollins at the deadline if we are in a selling position. I don't think next year is going to be a fun season. Just remember Utley, Howard, and Ibanez all get +1 next to their age. Howards contract is going to be so laughable in 5 years (spoiler alert: we will still be paying for him to DH for an AL team)

[Matt]

I think after every pitch thrown to a Phillies hitter, Charlie needs to call time and discuss with him what he plans to do in that particular count.

[The Truth Injection]

Fatalotti: I don't think Halladay starting guarantees anything last night other than he starts. I said before the game yesterday that if you say Blanton shouldn't start then you are operating under the assumption that he is an automatic loss. If you think he is an automatic loss against Madison Baumgarner then he is a loss against anyone in that rotation.

If you start Halladay and he wins you almost have to keep going then with your guys on short rest. If it goes 7 games you're asking Halladay to pitch twice on 3 days rest. He's a great pitcher but that is a tall order to ask anyone to do.

If Halladay loses last night then the series is really over because you are asking Oswalt and Hamels to win on 3 days rest- something Halladay was unable to do.

The right play was give Blanton the ball and hope he gives you 5 or 6 innings and then turn it to the bullpen. He gave you almost 5. He wasn't spectacular but he left with a lead, and helped get a run (almost 2) by dropping a perfect bunt in the 5th inning. He probably got left in one batter too long- which is a legitimate gripe to use.

It doesn't matter who takes the mound- if the Phillies don't score, they don't win. Last night they got 4 runs and the starter left with the lead only to watch the bullpen implode. Both teams were relying on their bullpens last night and the Giants were a little bit better.

[st]

it's "their" not "there".

[Fatalotti]

Utley was never on the juice. The guy has had major surgery 3 times in the last 4 years. He's rehabbed his ass off each time. The guy plays harder than anyone out there. For all that's said about Halladay work ethic (and it is legendary), Utley is the first one to the park every day. He gives 110% every time out there. I don't begrudge him for his struggles this year or this series. I love Utley, and always will, but with the way he plays, playing in 4 straight postseasons, and going deep into 3 of them, having less time to rehab, it's no wonder that he's been decling a bit lately.

[no name fame]

im aware st i was typing fast. sry or sorry or stfu. If i correct every grammatical error on every post...I would have no free time haha

[Heather]

"I hope you all are just venting your frustration. Otherwise, there's an awful lot of anger, resentment and finger-pointing for the fans of a team that went to the NLCS for the 3rd year in a row. Am I disappointed and frustrated? Absolutely. Do I feel we've played our best? No. We could have won each of these games. But I'm not going to hate the players or the manager or assume they're dumb or selfish or unmotivated. Geez."

Isn't this basic human nature? We put our trust and belief in fallible human beings playing a game of baseball. So if they fail to execute, either:

1) We were dumb to put our trust in them to begin with.
2) Our trust was correctly placed, but they let us down by failing to perform and execute, or
3) Everything is random, baseball is essentially meaningless and we need to take baseball less seriously.

My guess is that very few people posting on beerleaguer are going to take the long view of #3, and between #1 (blaming ourselves) or #2 (blaming the players)...aren't most people going to blame someone else?

Personally I'm torn between all 3 options. I blame myself for believing this team would execute in the clutch to begin with, I blame the team for honking in situations they could have easily stepped up to, and I'm beginning to think I should believe more of #3 and spare myself any more emotional anguish.