Philadelphia Phillies

Umpires always have the option of confirming a call with their crew, they also have the option of reviewing a home run call with instant replay, but they sometimes don’t.

That’s why I should be an umpire.

It wasn't really a pretty game for the Philadelphia Phillies.

They looked to hand down the Red Sox at home in Citizen's Bank Park. After a successful road trip and being the No. 1 team in the MLB on the road, the Phillies weren't the team for home. They fell to 12-15 at home while Boston improved to 16-16 on the road as the BoSox slaughtered the Phillies, 5-2, in a 13-inning matchup.

I wouldn't particularly call it a "slaughter" but I just like to put things in my own "fancy" way. But as you can see right here, it's a slaughter:

I just finished watching an "Outside the Lines" report on ESPN about the responsibilities of a blogger.  

In this particular instance, Jerrod Morris, a writer for a blog called Midwest Sports Fans, wrote an article that explored the admittedly interesting jump in Raul Ibanez's power numbers.

For those who have been at work all day, one little blog posting has caused some strong reactions.

Yesterday 'JROD' over at midwestsportsfans.com posted an article about Raul Ibanez's great start over in Philadelphia. The article, entitled "The Curious Case of Raul Ibanez: Steroid Speculation Perhaps Unfair, but Great Start in 2009 Raising Eyebrows" got a response that the author never could have imagined.

The Daniel Murphy/Fernando Tatis platoon perplexes me. It’s not just because Murphy already looks to be a better defensive first baseman, although that does help.

It seems Tatis hasn’t been solid defensively anywhere he’s played this year. He’s not a liability, but he’s not good either. Sometimes you have to look at the upside.

The best case scenario for Tatis is that he’s a solid guy off the bench, and can spot start at first or in the outfield a couple of times and contribute offensively.

You can please all of the people none of the time, some of the people none of the time, and none of the people none of the time.

Wait, I think I screwed that up. Let me check my email again.

Nope, that’s right.

What was the strength of last year's World Championship team is now the weakest link on the team.

Brad Lidge.

He was perfect in 2008.

I always used to remember, when the Phillies played on a national stage, it was a big event. Any team that gets a nationally (or partially nationally) televised game, their fans look to it as a little bigger than a local station telecast.

That being said, Eric Karros and Dick Stockton announced today's Phillies-Dodgers game. Not only was it the worst and most awkward broadcast I have ever watched, they couldn't even do the simple tasks of being an announcer.

The Phil’s streak was halted. I hate it when a fantasy comes to an end. That’s why I miss the 70’s. You can’t fault an era when everyone took it off and let it hang in the wind.

Now that’s an idea for a promotion at Citizens Bank Park—a different type of giveaway.  Trust me, when it comes to hot ballplayers, nothing excites me more than “giving it away,” but what if we didn’t “get” something?  What if we gave something up? 

I bleed red.

I think that’s the silliest way to proclaim your devotion to the Phils.

But my loyalty goes deeper. Not only do I bleed Phillie red, mine’s pinstriped—like a candy cane. And when it pools on the floor it forms a “P” and smells like “dollar dog night.”