Domain Name

Tired of typing in the long address of phanamanda.blogspot.com? Well now you can easily type in swingandalongdrive.com!

Okay, so there isn't much of a difference in character length, but the name of the blog is finally the web address. Hopefully it is easier to remember for new readers.

Don't worry if you have the old name saved to your favorites, or linked to your site, the old name can still be accessed.

I am having some technical difficulties and my blog roll has been delted for whatever reason. I will do my best to put every blog back on that I have done link exchanges with. Please e-mail me if I forget.

Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave in the comment box or e-mail me at amanda@swingandalongdrive.com. As always, thanks for reading.

Call of the Day: Harry Kalas called of many of Mike Lieberthal's 150 home runs.

"Hit pretty well to left field, and this ball is outta here! Two run home
run Mike Lieberthal, his seventh of the year, and the Phillies now lead it 6 to
2 here in the third inning."

David Wright Licks Bats

David Wright was caught on camera licking his bat while getting ready to hit on Friday.

"I think I do that quite a bit," Wright said with a sheepish grin. "It's
something that comes natural."

QUOTE SOURCE: Newsday

Bastardo To Start Tuesday

Antonio Bastardo will make his major league debut on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. Bastardo will temporarily fill in for Brett Myers. A roster move will be made prior to Sunday's game.

In his minor league career, Bastardo is 18-9 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 297 strikeouts in 264.2 innings.

The 23 year old has been his way through the system quickly since the Phillies signed him after being undrafted in the 2007 Amatuer Draft.

Phillies News

• J.C Romero returns on June 3.
• Jamie Moyer will go for win number 250 for the sixth time.
• Liked Ryan Howard's grand slam in the third deck on Saturday? Ryan Howard broke Mike Schmidt's franchise records for most grand slams. Howard has eight, and his eighth was a long one. It wasn't the first time he hit into that area. In a recent "Call of the Day" feature, and a note to reader Jordan, here is the link for Ryan Howard's 7 RBI night, including his third decker HR.

Phillies Could Trade for Big Name

Brett Myers will undergo the knife and have hip surgery sometime next week. The Phillies have an opening in the rotation and are going to need to fill it.

For the short term, the Phillies will likely call up either Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, Antonio Bastardo, or Andrew Carpenter. In the long run, the Phillies are going to look to make a trade.

In recent years, the Phillies added starters, but not the big guns. They've added Jamie Moyer, Kyle Lohse, and Joe Blanton; solid pitchers, but not big names.

One option is Jake Peavy. The Phillies could go after Peavy, but he is rumored to not want to come to the east coast. With a full no trade clause, he could veto any trade.

The most likely option is probably Roy Oswalt. With Ed Wade their GM, the Phillies could be able to get Oswalt a little cheaper than if he were on another team.

Erik Bedrard, Jason Marquis, are also among names that have come up. Even names like Brandon Webb, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang, Doug Davis, and Chris Young have popped up. The Phillies probably aren't looking at a Brad Penny type of pitcher, the kinds the have picked up in recent seasons.

In order to get a big name pitcher, the Phils will have to dig deep into the farm system. The Phillies system is much deeper than recent years. Jason Donald, Carrasco, Lou Marson, Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, Travis D'Arnuaud, Freddy Galvis and Bastardo seem to be popular targets. In order to get something, they Phillies have to give something up. It benefits to have a deep system.

With all that being said, out of all the players I mentioned, Roy Halladay would my choice. I don't see it happening, but I can dream too.

Call of the Day: This call isn't so much the great play, but what Harry Kalas would say after each inning.

"This ball is juggled by Rollins. But he recovers in time to throw out
Kelly Johnson! Great recovery by JRoll. No runs, hits, errors, and
none left. We go to the bottom of the ninth. Phillies last shot.
Braves four, Phils nothing."

Pharm Phriday: 5/29

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA): 19-27, 5th in INT North

Miguel Cairo, who was just designated for assignment has joined the IronPigs and is batting .357 with 1 HR and 5 RBI.

Jason Donald has been struggling, batting just .234,but has missed the last couple games due to a hamstring injury.

Antonio Bastardo pitched 7 scoreless innings in his last outing. In 13 innings, he is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. IRONPIGPEN predicts that he will be the next prospect to be called up. With Brett Myers injured, that prediction doesn't seem far off.

Reading Phillies (AA): 25-20, 3rd in EAS South

Michael Taylor continues to dominate. His .322 AVG, 8 HR, 33 RBI, and .960 OPS leads the team by far.

Neil Sellers is also having a decent year at third base. He is batting .313 with 5 HR, 19 RBI and a .863 OPS.

Vance Worely has been stellar in the 57.1 innings he has pitched. His ERA is just 2.83. Even more impression his WHIP: 0.91.

Clearwater Threshers (A+): 22-20, 2nd in FSL North

Dominic Brown: .338 AVG/ 6 HR/ 33 RBI/ .989 OPS

Yohan Flande: 5-1/ 3.38 ERA/ 40 SO/ 1.33 WHIP

Kyle Drabek: 3-1/ 2.91 ERA/ 52.2 IP/ 11.5 K per 9 / 1.18 WHIP

Lakewood Blue Claws (A): 27-19, 1st in SAL North

Travis D'Arnaud is batting just .185, but leads the team in RBI with 25. Phoul Ballz has an interview on the catching prospect.

Tyler Cloyd: 5-2/ 3.08 ERA/ 1.07 WHIP/ 8.86 SO/BB

Call of the Day: In July of 1993 Mickey Morandini hit a grand slam off San Francisco's Dave Righetti in the eighth inning of an 8-3 win.

"Righetti stretches... 1-2 pitch... swing and a well-hit ball to deep
right... this ball is a grand slam, a grand slam home run Mickey Morandini and
the Phillies have broken this game wide open!"

Myers Injures Hip; Likely Done for '09

Brett Myers' hip has been bothering him off and on throughout the years, but more recently for the past month or so. However, it wasn't bad enough to keep him out of any games. But on Wednesday, Myers irritated his hip after throwing a pitch, and left the game.

What Myers described as a "pinch" turned out to be fraying and possible tearing of the hip labrum, a similar injury to Alex Rodriguez and Chase Utley. X-rays after the game also revealed bone spurring in his right hip joint.

"I am going to explore every option I need to," Myers said. "Keep pitching, but
if he tells me, 'It’s over, you need to have [surgery] now or you could cause
damage,' I will have it. I have to. It's a no brainer. If he tells me rehab and
anti-inflammatory medicine will take care of it, I’ll pitch through it."

Myers will likely undergo surgery and recovery time is about 4-6 months. Myers, a free agent after the 2009 season, likely has thrown his last pitch as a Phillie.

Hip injuries have been the popular injury this season. Beside A-Rod and Utley, Carlos Delgado and Alex Gordon have had hip problem this year.

QUOTE SOURCE: The Phillies Zone

Kalas to be Inducted into Wall of Fame

On August 7, Harry Kalas will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame.

"When we started the Wall of Fame in 1978, the intent was to honor the great
players in our history," team president David Montgomery said. “We believe it is
fitting to make an exception because Harry deserves to be remembered along with
some of the greatest names in our history. He is indeed a Phillies icon."

The Wall of Fame is located in Ashburn Alley in center field at Citizens Bank Park.

Call of the Day: On April 8, Raul Ibanez hit his first home run as a Phillie.

"Towering drive, watch this baby! Way outta here! Off the
facing of the second deck! And this game is tied at two! Raul Ib-an-ez
delivers."

QUOTE SOURCE: High Cheese

Too Much Love For Phils, Not Enough for Raul

The Philadelphia fans have acted as a tenth player throughout the years. Just 9-13 at home, Charlie Manuel says the Phillies may be trying to do too much, but also has a message for the passionate Phillies fans.

"I notice sometimes when they're talking to us around the dugout, they're
always talking about last year and thanking us for winning and all that,"
Charlie Manuel said. "Of course, they're enjoying the game and they love us, but... well, maybe they should get on us a little bit."

"If you notice, our fans are still into everything. They fill our ballpark
up. And they stay. And that's good. I want them to keep coming to the
games. But I want our fans to start telling them, 'Hey, look: We've got to
win this year, too.'"

While the Phillies have been getting love, Raul Ibanez hasn't in terms of All Star voting. The best player in baseball this season is only sixth in the voting for outfield behind Ryan Braun, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltran, Manny Ramirez and Mike Cameron.

While the break isn't for over a month and it may be still early to vote (I'll wait until the end of June), Raul is definitely a deserving starting All Star to this point.

Chase Utley is the leading second baseman for the National League. Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins both rank third among their positions.

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com

Everybody Dance Now

Jay from Phoul Ballz originally posted this, but it was just too awesome, I had to post it.

The Lakewood Blue Claws had a dance off against the Greensbrough Grasshoppers after the rain washed out the firework show. But there was still a show..

(Best part is around the 4:45 mark)



Like dancing? Check out this college baseball danceoff between USF and UConn, which happened a few days before the Blue Claws did it. A fun time, none the less.



Gotta admit, the BlueClaws are better dancers than those college kids. The college boys just had a batter ending.. How awesome would this be if the Phillies did this?

Call of the Day: Harry Kalas calls final pitch for the NLCS in 2008.

"The 3-2 pitch...Swing, and a pop-up, this game is gonna be over...Carlos
Ruiz squeezes it, and the Phillies are the National League champions! The Phils
move on to the World Series!"

What's Wrong with Lidge?

As seen on Philliesnation.com

The word “struggling” is an understatement for closer Brad Lidge. He has blown four saves in twelve opportunities, including two in a row. He is 0-2 and his earned run average soared over nine.

He has allowed 2.08 walks and hits per innings pitched and opponents are batting .337 against the right hander. Runners have already stole five bases off him. Last year they stole a total of eight.

His fastball velocity reaches 94-95 mph. He says he is healthy. He is not tipping his pitches. So, what is wrong with Brad Lidge?

His location hasn’t been off by much, but he isn’t throwing as many pitches for strikes, indicated in his walk totals. Batters are taking pitches. When he is behind in the count and throws a slider, a chase pitch, batters lay off since he isn’t throwing it for strikes.

Or, is it a confidence factor? After blowing one save, “perfection” is gone. Maybe all he needs is one 1-2-3 save to get back to a confident mindset.

Despite his hard-to-watch struggles, after last season, he deserves fan support.

Call of the Day: The Phillies clinched the 2008 National League East on a terrific double play.

"The pitch to Zimmerman... ground ball up the middle, J-roll dives, to
Utley one, relay... DOUBLE PLAY! The Phillies are the National League Eastern
Division champions on a spectacular double play. J-roll to Utley to
Howard! What a play by J-roll!"

Mayberry's Impact

In need of an extra right handed bat for for interleague play, John Mayberry Jr. was called up from Triple-A.

Mayberry's eight home runs and 25 runs batted in led the Lehigh Valley IronPigs coming into Sunday. Called up to the majors, Mayberry impacted the Philadelphia Phillies lineup right away by showing his power to the nation.

His first major league home run, a three run shot, gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead on Saturday. He also doubled.

In his second game, he was 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

Charlie Manuel said Mayberry will stick around for awhile, but the Phillies do not need a designated hitter until June 23 when they play the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. After their series in Tampa, they head to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays.

Mayberry won't recieve much playing time with a starting outfield that consists of Jasyon Werth, Shane Victorino and the red hot Raul Ibanez.

Despite their need for a right handed bat off the bench, the Phillies would benefit if Mayberry is sent back down to Triple-A. Being able to play on a daily basis, he'll get extra at-bats so he won't be rusty if he gets playing time in the majors at the end of June.

He does not have enough experience, and strikes out too much to serve as a temporary pinch hitter. Just 25 years old, his future is an everyday player, not a utility man.

While Mayberry is a much needed right handed power bat, the Phillies should look elsewhere for the sake of benefiting the team in the future.

For IRONPIGPEN's point of view on this subject, please visit his blog: IRONPIGPEN: The Pork Stops Here!

Phillies Overcome BS

The Philadelphia Phillies overcame Brad Lidge's BS- blown save. Lidge blew his second straight save, and fourth of the season.

Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez each had RBI hits. Mark Teixiera homered and Johnny Damon had a RBI for the Yankees, making it 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Cole Hamels and CC Sabathia dominated the game. Hamels pitched six innings allowing just the two runs on eight hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Sabathia struck out four in eight innings, allowing three runs on nine hits.

Melky Cabrera, the hero of Saturday's game, drove in the tying run off Lidge in the ninth. Lidge managed to get out of the inning without further damage, but he still blew the save.

With two outs, Chase Utley, who did not start the game, drew a walk and stole second. Carlos Ruiz doubled to score Utley and the Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the 11th inning. Three of the four runs the Phillies scored came on two outs.

Earlier in the game, Ruiz blocked the plate perfectly and Damon was thrown out at the plate for the second time of the series.

The Phillies took two out of three from the Yankees, who won nine in a row coming into the series.

Rosenthal: Phillies Looking For Starters

On Saturday’s FOX broadcast between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees, insider Ken Rosenthal talked about options the Phillies could be looking at.

“There is no question the Phillies want another starter, maybe even two starters
the way this thing might evolve. In a perfect world, they would get a number 2
to fit behind Cole Hamels, someone better than Joe Blanton, the pitcher they
acquired last season. Obviously, we’ve heard about Jake Peavy this week. He
probably would not want to come to Philly. But you’ll be hearing about guys like
Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, who both pitch for the Mariners, maybe even Roy
Oswalt. The Phillies are going to inquire and be in on every one of those
pitchers.”

Call of the Day: We all thought it, but Harry was the first to say it. He said it a few times over the years. but the original was classic.

"A high-chop to the mound... Chase Utley's gonna keep going.. and he's safe
at home plate! Chase Utley, you are the man!"

Lidge Blows The Save In Loss

Everything looked good for the Philadelphia Phillies heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the New York Yankees, 4-2.

You couldn't of asked for a better start from J.A Happ, who made his first start of the season. He allowed just two runs on four hits in six innings of work. He did not allow a walk and struck out four batters of the powerful Yankee lineup.

Raul Ibanez hit his major league leading 17th home run to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Tied at one, rookie John Mayberry Jr. hit a three run home run in his Major League debut.

Mayberry was the first Phillies player to hit a home run for his first major league hit since Chase Utley hit a grand slam in his major league debut in 2003.

Mayberry's father, (who was in attendance but mistaken for another fan on FOX's broadcast) hit his last home run of 255 at the old Yankee Stadium.

The bridge led to Lidge with a 4-2 lead in the ninth. Lidge continued his struggles walking the leadoff batter. The mead of the lineup was due up and it hurt him. Alex Rodriguez homered to tie the game at four. Blown save for Lidge.

Robinson Cano singled up the middle and stole second base. Melky Cabrera singled into the gap, scoring Cano. Yankees win 5-4. Loss for Lidge.

After being perfect in save opportunities in 2008, Lidge has blown 3 in 11 opportunities this season. His ERA has soared over 9. It makes you wonder what's next for Lidge. Is his knee still bothering him? Are the players in the dugout going to need to get out their Curt Schilling towels and put them on their heads? He has struggled before with the Astros and needed a change of scenary to get back to his old self. All we can hope is its a phase and he can go back to being "Lights Out."

Cuddyer Hits For Cycle

Michael Cuddyer of the Minnesota Twins hit for the cycle on Friday, becoming the second Twins player to hit for the cycle this season, and the 10th in team history. Jason Kubel hit for the cycle on April 17.

Cuddyer hit a three run home run in his first at bat against the Brewers' Manny Parra. In his last at bat, he got a triple to complete the rare feat.

Cuddyer's five runs batted in tied a career high.

Orlando Hudson and Ian Kinsler also hit for the cycle this season.

Call of the Day: In 2004, Jim Thome his his 400th career home run.

"Could it be? Could it be? It is.. OUTTA HERE! Number 400, for
Jim Thome! Take a bow big man! There is no more popular player in Phillies
history than that big guy."

Homer Happy

The new Yankee Stadium has been a hitting paradise since it opened. In 22 games, there have been 82 home runs at the new ballpark. The Philadelphia Phillies proved why its a hitter's park, smashing four home runs to lift them over the New York Yankees, 7-3, snapping the Bronx Bombers' 9 game winning streak.

On the first pitch of the game, Jimmy Rollins hit a solo shot to the short porch in right giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Chase Utley, was plunked which looked to be intentional. Myers responded by throwing behind Derek Jeter on the first pitch he threw which led to a warning for both sides. Nothing happened after, except more home runs off the Phillies bats.

Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez each homered for the Phils. Ibanez hit his major league leading 16th home run off Chein-Ming Wang, a monster shot to the right of center field above the Yankees bullpen.

Brett Myers was excellent in the eight innings he pitched. He allowed three earned runs, all on solo home runs. He struck out five, allowed eight hits but did not walk a batter.

Burnett, who signed a 5 year $82.5 million contract during the offseason, allowed five earned runs in six innings of work, raising his ERA to 5.28.

The Phillies called up John Mayberry Jr. after the game, who could serve as the designated hitter. To make room for him, Sergio Escolona was sent back to Triple-A.

Orioles Release Adam Eaton

Adam Eaton has been released for the second time in three months. The Baltimore Orioles released Eaton on Friday.

Eaton was 2-5 with an 8.56 ERA in eight games. In his last start on Thursday, he allowed 7 earned runs in 4.2 innings against the New York Yankees.

"Obviously, numbers don't lie, but I feel like I've got better stuff than an
8.00 ERA," Eaton said after Thursday's loss. "One thing you can count on is I'm
going to keep trying and keep working to get the numbers turned around and start
getting some wins for this team."

The Orioles will likely call up Matt Albers to be a long relief pitcher. It is unsure who will take Eaton's spot in the rotation.

QUOTE SOURCE: Baltimore Sun

Call of the day: Harry's last home run call came off the bat of Matt Stairs against the Colorado Rockies.

"Long Drive into deep right center field.. this ball is OUTTA HERE!
Matt Stairs with a two run pinch hit home run. And the Phillies have taken
a seven to five lead here in the ninth inning and battled all the way
back."

Peavy To ChiSox?

The San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox have agreed to a deal in which Jake Peavy will be sent to the White Sox. However, Peavy has a no trade clause and the deal is up to him.

During the offseason, there were rumors Peavy would be in Chicago for the 2009 season, but with the Cubs. The deal didn't fall, and now he has to chose to wave or not to wave.

The players believed to be sent to San Diego are pitchers Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda and two other players.

Mat Latos and Will Inman, two prized prospects, were promoted by the Padres which indicated a potential move of Peavy.

Peavy is 3-5 with a 3.89 ERA and this season. In his career, the 2007 Cy Young winner is 89-67 with a 3.27 ERA and 1325 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP.

A move the Padres did make was trading Jody Gerut to the Brewers in exchange for Tony Gwynn Jr.

UPDATE (8:13 PM): Peavy turns down deal to White Sox.

Phillies Take Series in 12-5 Win

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds, 12-5 on Thursday to take the series two games to one.

The Phillies knocked Micah Owings around who lasted just 3 innings. He allowed 5 earned runs, including Greg Dobbs' solo home run. Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Ryan Howard eventually homered in the game.

Joe Blanton gave up five earned runs; all in the fifth inning captivated by Brandon Phillips' 3 run home run. Blanton lasted five innings and struck out four. The bullpen was able to shut down the Reds for four innings.

Jimmy Rollins, who went 4-for-6, stole his 300th career base. Rollins is the fourth player in Phillies history to steal 300 bases, and the third to have at least 300 stolen bases and 300 doubles. He also got his 1,500th hit of his career in Thursday's game.

Utley, who was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, was a triple shy of the cycle.

The Phillies will take their 6-1 road trip to New York to face the Yankees.

Call of the Day: Mike Schmidt's 499th home run.

"That might be four-ninty-nine! It is! Outta Here!
Michael Jack Schmidt. Number four-ninty-nine in his career and its tied at
one."

Happ Moved To Rotation

J.A Happ was moved to the starting rotation and Chan Ho Park was moved to the bullpen.

"I'm disappointed," Park said. "I lost the job as a starter, which is what I
wanted. I don't make the decision, but I lost the job. I've got a new job. I
have to figure out how to prepare to be good with the new job in the bullpen. I
have good memories of the bullpen last year. I know it's not easy, that's why I
don't like being in the bullpen. But the team expects more from me out of the
bullpen. I have to do my best."

Park could be available out of the bullpen as early as Wednesday. Happ will pitch Saturday against the New York Yankees.

QUOTE SOURCE: Zo Zone

News Around MLB

Raul Ibanez was named the National League Player of the Week. Ibanez batted .481 with 4 HR and 12 RBI. He also slugged .963. It was the fifth time in his career he was named to this honor.

Roy Hallday earned honors in the American League. Halladay was 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA with the first place Toronto Blue Jays.

According to a poll of Major League executives and managers, Jayson Werth and Adrian Gonzalez are the two most underrated players in the National League.

Currently, Gonzalez leads the majors with 15 HR and Werth has 7 homers. Gonzalez is batting .294, the same average as Werth. Gonzalez has 29 RBI, Werth 24. Gonzalez has a 1.017 OPS and Werth's is .936.

The Phillies signed catcher Paul Bako to a minor league deal. In his 11 year career, Bako has hit .231 with 21 HR and 186 RBI.

Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado will need surgery to remove a bone spur and repair torn labrum in his right hip. The injury is similar to Alex Rodgriguez and Alex Gordon's. He will need about two months to recover.

Ricky Weeks is sidelined for the remainder of the season because he will need surgery on his wrist. Weeks suffered the injury when he struck out swinging. Weeks was batting .272 with 9 HR and 24 RBI.

Remember when the Phillies were in the World Series? Good times, right? Remember how you stayed up past midnight to watch the Phillies fight their way to a championship? Remember how you got up 6 AM or earlier the next day for work (or school). Remember how exhausted you were, even if it was well worth it?

Now, you won't have that problem. Introducing new World Series times! Games will start approximiely 40 minutes earlier! That is 40 minutes earlier!

Perhaps Phillies fans came through again? Remember 1980 when the Phillies broadcasters could not call the game. Fans complained and 3 years later the rule was changed. Or, as FOX claims, they did it for the young fans.

Call of the day: Bonus! Since yesterday was an off day, I'll give you two calls of the day in one shot. Pat Burrell hits two home runs during the NLDS against the Brewers.

"Swing and a long drive! Fair or foul? It is a... fair ball! Outta here! 3 run
home run Pat Burrell, and the Phillies take a 4-0 lead here in the third
inning!"

"Swing and a line drip to deep left field. And this ball is..
over the fence and OUTTA HERE! Line drive home run Pat Burrell, his second home
run of the game, and the Phillies now lead it by a score of 6 to 1 here in the
8th inning. What a day by Burrell who came into this game of the division series
0-for-8. But he made up for that this afternoon, 3-4 with 4 RBI, two home runs."

Umps are Busy with no DH

While there are errors on the field, there are errors in.. the lineup?

The Tampa Bay Rays made a mistake in their lineup on Sunday that forced starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat.

Evan Longoria was supposed to be the Ray's designated hitter, instead the lineup card had two third baseman: Longoria and Ben Zobrist. No DH was listed.

Making sure the decision was correct, the game was delayed 13 minutes before the umpires declared that Sonnanstine would have to bat third and the Rays would lose a DH. Longoria would be available to come off the bench.

Sonnanstine didn't look like a pitcher at the plate. In the fourth inning, Sonnanstine smoked an RBI double to left. He also reached based on a failed sacrifice attempt. He became the first pitcher since Matt Garza in 2007 to get at least two plate appearances in an American League game.

"I knew something was up, but I didn't know exactly what was going to happen,"
Sonnanstine said. "They told me that I was going to have to hit, and I corrected
them and told them 'I get to hit.' I took it as an opportunity. That was one of
the craziest games I've ever been a part of."

On the mound, Sonnanstine allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work.

Maddon took the blame, but the players backed him up winning it 7-5. In the process of the win, benches cleared when Kerry Wood nearly hit B.J Upton twice. Victor Martinez, who almost was hit by a pitch earlier in the series, got into a verbal argument with somebody on the Rays bench until the dugouts emptied.

Troy Percival responded plunking Mark DeRosa in the ninth, but was likely unintentional as it was a save situation and DeRosa was buried in an 0-2 count.

Besides figuring out the DH situation and separating the players from each other, the umpires were busy. They appeared to have missed a call on Ryan Garko's fly ball to left field. Carl Crawford caught the ball against the wall, but the replay shows that the ball clearly hit the padding before entering Crawford's glove.

The outcome of the game may have been different if the Rays had their regular DH, Pat Burrell. Burrell was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 11. Burrell suffered a neck strain, but Joe Maddon doesn't expect it to be more than 15 days.

QUOTE SOURCE: ESPN

Four Game Sweep

The Phillies came into Washington with a record of .500, but it didn't take long for them to get back on track as they swept the lowly Nationals in four games.

Raul Ibanez was the star of the series going 9-for-18 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. Pedro Feliz was also a key player going 7-for-14 with 2 RBI. Feliz's bunt on Sunday helped score the go ahead run on a huge fielding blunder by the Washington Nationals.

Jimmy Rollins and Brad Lidge showed signs of getting back on track. Rollins was 7-for-18 with a triple and 2 RBI. Brad Lidge blew his first save opportunity of the series, but the Phillies came back to win in the 12th inning. However, he bounced back saving the next two games. On Sunday, Charlie Manuel decided to pitch Scott Eyre for the first two batters in the ninth. When Lidge came in, he threw just two pitches to get a game ending double play and the save.

Chase Utley and Shane Victorino, who have both been struggling recently, were able to get on base. Utley had 4 hits and Victorino had 5. Ryan Howard also hit 2 home runs during the series.

Andrew Carpenter and Sergio Escalona earned their first major league wins. After Cairo was released, Carpenter pitched instead of J.A Happ because of his bullpen appearance on Friday. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 5 earned runs during the rain shortened double header. Carpenter was sent down, and Escalona was called up and pitch in a big situation for the Phillies liming the Nationals to one hit over one inning.

Myers pitched well in his seven innings on Saturday. He allowed just 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 8. Chan Ho Park struggled in his start on Sunday allowing 5 earned runs in just over one inning.

For the most part, the bullpen pitched well throughout the series. The sweep was huge even if it was against the Nationals. They showed a little fight and make the game too close for comfort, but at the same time played horrible proving why they are a last place team at the moment.

None the less, the Phillies needed to take advantage of the Nats struggles and capture this sweep. They are 20-16, the same record they had at this point in 2008.

Call of the day: On July 2, 1993 at 4:41 AM, closer Mitch Williams delivers a game-winning RBI single against the San Diego Padres in the second game of a rain-delayed doubleheader.

"Line drive... left-center field... Incaviglia scores and the Phillies win
it on a base hit by Mitchie-poo!"

12th Inning Rally Lifts Phils

This game would have been really tough to take in if the Phillies lost. However, they managed to pull out a win by the skin of their teeth.

Over four and a half hours before the game ended, Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Ruiz, who was batting under the Mendoza line, raised his average to .293 in a matter of a week.

The Nationals took the lead off starter Joe Blanton when Ryan Zimmerman and Wil Nieves hit RBI singles and Blanton walked in a run with the bases loaded. In five innings, Blanton allowed four earned runs on five hits and six walks.

The Phillies inched back when Ruiz and Pedro Feliz, who went 4-5, each drove in runs in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Ryan Howard hit a towering, 400+ foot bomb to right center field, giving the Phils a 6-4 lead.

In the ninth inning, a struggling Brad Lidge came in to close the game. The Nationals managed to reach base on a couple of bang-bang plays. Willie Harris doubled, and on a Chase Utley error on the relay, the Nationals tied the game at 6. Lidge's ERA is now over nine.

It wasn't until the 12th inning when the Phillies scored again. Raul Ibanez didn't hit it hard, but managed to drive in two runs. Feliz doubled to give the Phillies a 10-6 lead.

J.A Happ earned the win in his two innings in relief. He was scheduled to start game two of the double header, but instead, Miguel Cairo was designated for assignment and Andrew Carpenter will make his second major league appearance.

The Phillies decided to go with Carpenter instead of Kyle Kendrick, who is scheduled to pitch with the IronPigs on Saturday.

Call of the day: On September 23, 1983, Steve Carlton won his 300th game, striking out 12 in the process. He became the 16th player in Major League history to win 300 games.

"Struck him out! Ball game is over! Phillies win it by a score of
6-2. Steve Carlton wins his 300th major league game, and the big left
hander is the first one to go out and shake the hand of Al Holland. Steve
Carlton, 300 Major League wins, 199 losses. Paul Owens is hugging the big
left hander. What a pleasure it was to watch him pitch over the years
since joining the Phillies in 19 hundred and 72. Thanks left hander.
You've given us a lot of thrills."

Pharm Phriday: 5/15

This edition of Pharm Phriday is a bit more laid back. It was featured on Phillies Nation earlier in the week, but I updated the stats.


The Phillies Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, are 14-19, 5th place in International North League.

Standout Star

Mike Cervenak: .328 AVG/ 3 HR/ 22 RBI/ .832 OPS

Jason Donald and Carlos Carrasco are two minor leaguers that everybody has their eye on. Donald has been up and down so far this season, but is tearing up lefties. He is hitting .421 against them. Overall he is batting .254 with one home run and 13 runs batted in. His on-base plus slugging percentage is .679. He has played the majority of the time at shortstop, but has played a few games at third base.

Carrasco was off to a terrific start, but has struggled in his last four starts. In his first three starts he lacked run support from the IronPigs so he had no wins to show for it. In 35.1 innings, he has 37 strikeouts, but is 0-4 with a 6.62 earned run average and allowed 1.75 walks per innings pitched.

Kyle Kendrick is 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA in seven starts. He has allowed a lot of hits (39 in 36 innings), but has been able to escape jams.

The Double-A Reading Phillies are 18-13, and in 3rd place in the Northern Eastern League.

Standout Stars

Michael Taylor: .310 AVG/ 6 HR/ 23 RBI/ 5 SB/ 9.65 OPS

Vance Worley: 3-0/ 2.11 ERA/ 0.86 WHIP/ 34 SO/ 38.1 IP

Class A Advanced team, the Clearwater Threshers, are 18-15. They are in 2nd place in the Florida State League North.

Standout Star-

Dominic Brown: .317 AVG/ 6 HR/ 26 RBI/ .974 OPS

Dominic Brown has been the standout star by far, but Kyle Drabek is a player to watch. So far he has rebounded nicely from Tommy John surgery. He is 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He has struck out an amazing 51 batters in 40.2 innings.

The Class A Lakewood Blue Claws are 18-14. They are in 2nd place in the Northern South Atlantic League.

Jason Knapp is the player to watch for the Blue Claws. Overall he is 2-3 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but was practically lights out in his first four starts. He was rocked in two of his outings, but his 53 strike outs in 37.2 innings is unbelievable.

Phillies Honored at the White House

The Phillies visited Barack Obama and the White House in Washington D.C on Friday afternoon. Originally scheduled to visit in April, the Phillies postponed due to the passing of broadcaster Harry Kalas.

Jimmy Rollins, who campaigned for Obama, presented the 44th president with a #44 jersey and a baseball. Obama asked for a World Series ring too, but Rollins politely declined.

“What an unbelievable run it was, full of come from behind wins. This is an
underdog team that loved to prove their prognosticators wrong. We share
something in common because no one thought I was going to win either,” Obama
said.

QUOTE SOURCE: CNN

Call of the day: Rollins has played superb defense throughout his Phillies career.

"Line drive. Oh what a catch by J-Roll. What a great grab by
Jimmy Rollins for out number two. Phillies have thrown some leather at the
Brew Crew throughout this series to silence their offense."

Rally in 9th Not Enough

Down by two, the Phillies rallied to tie the game in the ninth inning. However, it wasn't enough for the Phillies who lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3.

Cole Hamels dominated in the 7 innings he pitched. He allowed 2 runs, just 1 earned. He struck out nine, walked one, and allowed 7 hits.

Chad Billigsley was just as dominating. In 7 innings, he allowed just one run on three hits and four walks.

Brad Lidge continued his struggles, surrendering an earned run in the ninth inning.

Jonathan Broxton came out to close the game for the Dodgers, but with two strikes, two outs and two on, Carlos Ruiz smoked a double to right field. Greg Dobbs scored tying the game at three.

Russell Martin and James Loney each had RBI doubles off Chad Durbin with two outs in the tenth and the Dodgers retook the lead.

The Phillies couldn't rally back in the tenth. Instead, they took the series loss to the Dodgers.

Call of the day: In 2008, the Phillies rallied in the ninth and Pedro Feliz hit a walk off double.

"Smoked down the left field line, going ALL the way down to the
corner! Here comes Jenkins, being waved around. The throw to the
plate.. he's safe at home plate! Phillies win 4-3, with a four run 9th
inning! Pedro Feliz with a big game winning double. Jenkins was
flying around third, scored the winning run. What a comeback by the
Phils. The led the majors in comeback from behind wins next year, and they
have several this year and they come back 3-0 in the ninth inning to win it
4-3. Wow."

Werth Is A Thief

Jayson Werth is a thief; he stole second, third, and home. All in the same inning.

It was his team leading sixth steal of the year and fourth of the night, tying Gary Maddox and Sherry Magee for the franchise record of most steals in a game. Magee did it twice in 1906, and Maddox did it in 1978.

Werth became the 49th player in Major League history, and the ninth since 1942 to steal second, third, and home in the same inning. The last Phillie to complete this feat was Pete Rose during the seventh inning on May 11, 1980. The last major league player to do it was Eric Young of the Colorado Rockies in 1996.

It is rare that one player can do such a task, but Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner each did it four times, the most in the history of baseball.

Werth was 2-for-4 from the 3 hole. Jimmy Rollins even picked up a big hit from the sixth spot. Chan Ho Park settled in and pitched six solid innings allowing just two runs as the Phillies beat the Dodgers 5-3.

Call of the day: The last Phillie to steal home was Carlos Ruiz on a double steal in June 2007.

"Bourn goes. Ross' throw is strong, and its a double steal! Delayed double
steal! Coming into score is Ruiz and the Phillies lead it 5-1."

New Lineup

The Phillies lineup has an entire new look as the Phillies take on the Manny-less Dodgers in an NLCS rematch. The Dodgers are 1-3 without Manny.

A slumping Jimmy Rollins moves down the lineup. Charlie Manuel said this might be just a one time deal.

Phillies New Starting Lineup

1. CF Shane Victorino
2. 2B Chase Utley
3. RF Jayson Werth
4. 1B Ryan Howard
5. SS Jimmy Rollins
6. LF Raul Ibanez
7. 3B Pedro Feliz
8. C Carlos Ruiz
9. P Chan Ho Park

Call of the day: In July, Shane Victorino hit a walk off single to beat the Mets.

"Line drive hit to right field. Here comes Feliz! He will
score! And the Phillies win by a score of 3 to 2 on the RBI single by
Shane Vic-tor-ino! A two out ninth inning game winning hit by
Victorino. Feliz scores. Phillies win game one of this series by a
score of 3 to 2."

Swing and a Long Drive Update

Hello, everybody. Hope all is well, and a Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

This page has been a little slow recently, but hopefully it will start to pick up during the summer. I'll still try to keep you updated as much as possible, and the popular "call of the day" feature will continue to run all season, but once the summer roles around, this page will be a lot more active.

All the Phillies blogs in the blogosphere do a great job of keeping everybody updated. Make sure you click the links on the side bar for some of the best blogs around.

Phillies Nation is always up to date with Phillies news as Tim and the gang keep everybody updated. I still contribute to that site, but have been busy lately and haven't contributed as much as I would of liked, but I will be posting there more in the near future.

I know, I know. So far this post has been "me, me me," and you probably could care less, but we have some new things to check out that you can be apart of.

Swing and a Long Drive set up a Twitter page! I'm still trying to figure things out, but click here to follow me.

Don't have Twitter? Like Facebook instead? Join our Jason Donald Fan Club group!

Thanks to all you readers out there! I appreciate you guys stopping by and commenting. Page numbers have increased dramatically since this site debuted. It is not the most popular site in town, and compared to other sites, the number of page views is nothing, but for all of those who stop by, I thank you.

Also, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or any type of feed back, please email me at phanamanda@gmail.com.

Call of the day: In 1983, Ozzie Virgil hit a pinch hit grand slam to win the ballgame.

"One strike to 'em. Swing and a long drive! It might be a slam! It is! The
Phillies win, by a score of 5-3, on a pinch grand slam by Ozzie Virgil!"

The Many Styles of Chan Ho Park

Like Jayson Werth, Chan Ho Park has many different styles. Noticeably, each time Chan Ho has pitched this year, his hair gets shorter and shorter, whether it's a new haircut or a trimmed beard.

Park sports this look with the Dodgers. He has short hair, and a goatee.

The "I am a rich man" look. Chan Ho sports the long hair and facial hair as he signs his million dollar contract with the Phillies.

Park's most recent look. Short hair. No beard.



Park shows off his long hair and his scruffy beard.

Parks hair is recognizably long. He goatee is trimmed.

Notice long hair and short beard.

Park's holiday look.

Park looking stylish on his big day.

Call of the day: In 1983, the Phillies won the National League pennant.

"Nothing-and-two to Bill Russell.. Al Holland.They're going crazy here at
Veteran's stadium. Struck him out! Phillies have won it! Holland
dives on Mike Schmidt! Paul Owens coming out. The Phillies have won
the National League pennant. The score 7-2, as the Phillies are the 1983
National League Champs winning it 3 out of 4 against the Los Angeles
Dodgers."

Phillies Reactions to Manny

Some Phillies players have discussed the fifty game suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder, Manny Ramirez.

Brad Lidge

"It makes you wonder, was he doing it last year? Every time something like
this happens, you feel cheated a bit. Was he on the substance when I had to
pitch against him in the postseason? Naturally, it makes you feel upset."

"So he either did it negligently, or he did something he wasn't supposed to
do? Either way . . . I'd be curious to know the details. It makes you wonder,
was he doing that last year?"

"It's real frustrating, because it continues to tarnish our game," he said.
"No one knows who is going to be next. As players, we should realize that
every time someone gets caught, our game takes a hit."

Matt Stairs

“If you know the stuff isn’t on the list, why take it? I know I’m not very
smart, but I know I can figure that one out. There are a bunch of guys who are
going to have to stop taking all this health [stuff] and go back to being chubby
and having fun.”

“I think now there are guys who are taking MLB approved supplements and
sticking with it,” Stairs said. “But I’ve never even used that stuff and never
will unless someone puts it in my drink by mistake.”

(For more on Matt Stairs, visit Stairs' Way to Heaven and see the "fact" I suggested.

Shane Victorino

“It’s sad. I feel bad for him, but I guess he brought it on himself.”

Charlie Manuel

“I used to do a lot of work with him as a hitter. I knew how good he was.
He’s a great hitter. I know his talent. I’m sad. I don’t know what to say. I’m
just sad.”

“I don’t know anything about [the possibility of Manny taking steroids in
the 90s],” Manuel said. “When he was young I don’t think he was taking
anything.”

“I’d like to see baseball get cleaned out – cleaned up,” Manuel said. “I’d
like to see baseball get through it and move on.”

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com, Comcast Sportsnet

Phillies Note: Danny Ozark passed away on Thursday. He had a career record of 594-510 managing the Phillies, including 3 consecutive division titles. He was 85 years old.

Call of the day: In 1983, Tony Perez hit a home run to win the game.

"The 2-0 pitch.. LONG DRIVE! Deep Left center! Outta Here! A 3 run homer, Tony
Perez. And the Phillies win it by a score of 7-4, on a 9th inning homer by
Perez!"

Manny Suspended 50 Games

Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended for 50 games for the use of performance enhancing drugs.

The suspension is similar to J.C Romero's. Manny was unaware the substance was banned. The substance that caused him to test positive was likely from a medication he received from a personal doctor for a medical problem.

Depending on rain outs, Manny will likely be back on the field on July 3.

Ramirez has been a key player for the first place Dodgers who set a modern day record for their 13-0 start at home. In 27 games, Manny is batting .348 with 6 HR and 20 RBI.

Manny will lose $7.7 million in salary for suspension.

Xavier Paul fill be called up from Triple-A to replace Manny on the Dodgers roster.

UPDATE (5:34 PM): The steroid Manny reportedly took was HCG, or human chorionic gonadatropin, a women's fertility drug. The drug is normally taken when a steroid user comes off a steroid cycle in order to restart testosterone production.

Chan Ho Earns Another Go

If Chan Ho Park was indeed pitching for his spot in the rotation on Wednesday night, he earned another start.

Park pitched six shut out innings and didn't allow the Met's lone hit until the fifth inning. He walked two and struck out five, having the best outing of any Phillies starter this season, by far.

The only problem, Johan Santana was better. In seven innings, Santana allowed two hits and three walks while striking out 10.

The Phillies had a couple of opportunities, but could not get any run support for Park. However, the Mets were having just as much trouble for Santana. They scored the only run of the game on a throwing error by Pedro Feliz and a double clutch by Jayson Werth in the seventh inning.

That is all the Mets needed as Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez finished out the 1-0 game.

Despite the loss, the Phillies remain in first place, and Shane Victorino extended his hitting streak to 15 consecutive games.

Jamie Moyer will go for career win number 250 against Mike Pelfrey tonight at Citi Field.

Call of the day: In May of 2006, Xavier Nady of the Mets hit a deep fly ball with two outs and the bases loaded off Gavin Floyd. But Aaron Rowand was there to save the day.

"Driven to deep center field. Rowand back, are you kiddin' me? What a
great, great perhaps GAME SAVING catch, by Aaron Rowand!"

Bruised Foot Keeps Utley Out of Lineup

Chase Utley was held out Tuesday night’s lineup because of a bruised foot. Utley, who also did not play on Saturday, was hit by a pitch by Mike Pelfrey on Friday night.

“He wanted to play [Tuesday night],” said Charlie Manuel. “But I felt like there
was no sense in taking a chance on it getting any worse. I don’t want him to be
down for a long period of time.”

Utley was available to pinch hit, but Manuel did not want to use him unless the game was on the line. Utley should be back in Wednesday’s lineup.

Call of the day: The Phillies were losing to the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in the 4th inning in September, in the middle of a pennant race. Although the Phillies ended up losing the game, Jose Hernandez came off the bench to pinch hit and put the Phillies right back in the game and was smack in the center of a Harry Kalas call.

"Marshall winds.. The 3-2 pitch. Swing and a drive to DEEP LEFT! It might be, it
is OUTTA HERE! GRAND SLAM HOME RUN, Jose Her-nan-dez! And it is now an 8-6 game, and the Phillies are right back in this thing."

Phillies Note: Shane Victorino extended his hitting streak to 14 games in Tuesday's game after hitting a solo home run. Victorino went 4-5 to help the Phillies take first place in the NL East.

Catch With Cole

Check out this video of Cole Hamels having a catch with.. a Cubs fan? Pretty cool of Cole.



Call of the day: In 2006, Ryan Howard's 49th home run of the season broke Mike Schmidt's single season home run record.

"Swing and a towering drive, to deep right center field.. it
is... Number 49 for Ryan Howard! He is the Phillies all time single
season home run leader with 49 home runs!"

"Ryan Howard has just broken the Phillies all time single season
record which he shared with Mike Schmidt and that was a no doubt about
it!"

Hamels Scheduled for Friday

Cole Hamels, who sprained his ankle, could be back on the mound on Friday night against the Braves.

Hamels feels fine with no serious pain, but wants to make sure he is able to not only pitch, but field and hit before he takes the hill.

"That was the big concern: playing my position," Hamels said. "Having to run. I
know I can put down a bunt, but I still have to run to first base. I just can't
put down a bunt and walk to the dugout. And if I was on another team, I would be
bunting to me a couple times, just to see how I do. I need to take some
grounders and cover first. That's a big key."

The World Series MVP has battled injuries and struggles all season, and if Hamels can not make his next start, J.A Happ will likely fill in. But as for now, Hamels is scheduled for Friday.

QUOTE SOURCE: Phillies.com

Call of the day: Gary Maddox home run in 1983.

"Down and in to Maddox.. Line shot! Deep Left! Gotta chance.... Home run!
Gary Maddox has tied up the ballgame at four here in the bottom of the
eighth.

Walk Off Walk in Extras

In their second meeting, the Phillies and Mets played a game that was more like the games they have played in the past: close, back and fourth, down to the wire, down to the last pitch, and the Mets bullpen blowing the lead.

Chase Utley was out of the lineup after he was hit by a pitch in the foot on Friday, but Amaro said it was just a day off for Utley. Eric Bruntlett filled in for Utley, and Charlie Manuel mixed up his lineup, batting Shane Victorino lead off, Raul Ibanez second, Jayson Werth third and Jimmy Rollins fifth.

The Phillies scored early off Oliver Perez, who allowed four earned runs in 2.1 innings. Ibanez's sacrifice fly opened the scoring, and Rollins hit an RBI single.

On a couple sac flies and a home run by Daniel Murphy, the Mets inched back to make it 4-3.

The Mets would tie the game on Ramon Castro's home run and take the lead of Luis Castillo's RBI single.

Jamie Moyer pitched 5.2 innings allowing the 5 earned runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 2.

In the bottom of the 6th, Ibanez hit a solo home run to tie the game at 5.

Ryan Madson got some help by his defense in the eighth inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Carlos Beltran smacked a single to Jayson Werth. Werth fired home nailing Omir Santos at the plate with the help of a great tag by Carlos Ruiz, who was just activated from the disabled list.

Brad Lidge returned from injury and pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The game went to extras and Sean Green pitched the 10th inning for the Mets. He loaded the bases, and with two outs, Shane Victorino worked a walk to force in a run and end the game.

The Phillies won 6-5.

Call of the day: Saturday's win was quite familiar to the Phillies first win of the 2008 season against the Washington Nationals. Saturday, Pedro Feliz hit an infield single to start the inning, and a walk of walk ended the game. Something very similar happened in 2008, but with two different players.

"Three and nothing. Ball four! Walked 'em! Phils win by a score
of 8-7 on a bases loaded walk to Jayson Werth. Not a dramatic way to
end the ball game, but the Phillies get their first win of the year on a bases
loaded walk to Jayson Werth. Jimmy Rollins got it going with an infield
single, and the Phillies are on the board for their first win of 2008 in 10
innings by a score of 8-7."

Phillies Note: Today's game has been postponed. No word on rescheduled date.

Chan Ho Must Go and the Rest of the Rivalry

The New York Mets beat the Phillies yesterday, 7-4, in the rivals first meeting of the year.

Chan Ho Park stunk, once again. He gave up 7 earned runs in 4.2 innings.

Charlie Manuel may say that Park his his fifth starter for now, but his spot in the rotation is finally in jeopardy. I didn't think his spot in the rotation would last long, especially once Romero gets back with all the lefties in the bullpen. Park could be out of the rotation before Romero returns.

A basrunning mistake probably cost the Phillies, but the Mets were able to take advantage of the Phillies mistakes.

It wasn't like some of the games in the past where these games are usually down to the wire, down to the final pitch.

“It’s one of those things where it’s two totally different mentalities, two
different attitudes, everything. We just don’t believe in the same things. Our
two teams, it’s like oil and water. Some of the guys on their team just wouldn’t
fit in our clubhouse, and some of the guys here just wouldn’t fit with their
guys. That’s just how it is.” Ryan Madson said.

Moyer goes to today against Perez. Lidge should be available today.

Call of the day: With just one out and runners at the corners in the top of the 9th, Shawn Green hit a ground ball that wasn't hard enough for a double play. Tadahito Iguchi tried to turn it until Marlon Anderson attempted to break it up.

"Bouncing ball, chopped to short. It's not a double play ball. OH, they
called interference! They ruled interference on Marlon
Anderson and that will end the game!"

"...No they didn't have to go get 'em, its not a double play ball.
They could not of turned the double play, but Marlon Anderson, takes out
Tadahito Iguchi and is called for interference- a game ending interference
call."

Pharm Phriday: 5/1

In this edition of Pharm Phriday, Jay from the blog Phoul Ballz helped out with a report about the 2009 Lakewood Blue Claws. IRONPIGPEN joins us again.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA): 9-11, 4th in INT North League.

John Mayberry Jr.: .269 AVG/ .956 OPS/ 5 HR/ 14 RBI/ 20 SO/ 18 G/ SB

Kyle Kendrick: 2-1/ 26 IP/ 2.77 ERA/ 15 SO/ 1.42 WHIP

IRONPIGPEN: As far as pitching is concerned, Kendrick has stopped his downwardslide and is quietly regaining his effectiveness. His performance Thursday evening (6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) was his best effort of the season so far. If his improvement trend continues, it should only be another month or sobefore the conversation turns to when the Phillies might consider another shot for Kendrick in The Show.

Andrew Carpenter: 1-0/ 23.1 IP/ 3.86 ERA/ 14 SO/ 1.33 WHIP

Carlos Carrasco: 21.2 IP/ 0-2/ 4.57 ERA/ 23 SO/ 1.15 WHIP

Jason Donald: .244 AVG/ 1 HR/ 4 RBI/ .669 OPS/ SB

IRONPIGPEN: Meanwhile, the IronPigs bullpen has produced outstanding results since theopening series debacle versus the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Mike Koplove (11.2 IP, 0.77 ERA) and Gary Majewski (12 IP, 1.50 ERA) continueto plead their case for a place in the pen at Citizens Bank Park. The mostreliable of all, however, has perhaps been Tyler Walker, the former San Francisco Giant who was signed as a free agent after the season started.

Walker, in five appearances, has been unscored upon and has allowed just one hit in ten innings pitched. The veteran Major Leaguer also sports a standoutratio of zero walks to nine strikeouts.

Reading Phillies (AA): 12-6, 2nd in EAS South

Michael Taylor: . 338 AVG/ .958 OPS/ 3 HR/ 14 RBI/ 5 SB

IRONPIGPEN:

Highly touted outfield prospect Taylor, has apparently put his pedal to the metal in recent weeks. One thing to watch for, should this kind of production continue, would be whether or not Taylor is moved up to AAA at some point in the second half of the season.

Quentin Berry: .245 AVG/ .626 OPS/ 3 RBI/ 9 SB

Antonio Bastardo: 12.1 IP/ 1-0/ 0.73 ERA/ 11 SO/ 0.57 WHIP

IRONPIGPEN: As far as R-Phils pitching goes, the one man who continues to distinguish himself would be middle reliever Matt German. German, graduated from A+ Clearwater this spring, remains unscored upon after no less than eightappearances and 11.2 innings pitched. With just six hits permitted and sixteen batters struck out, German is fast developing into one of the league's more dependable firemen.

Clearwater Threshers (A+): 11-9, 2nd in FSL North

Dominic Brown: .288 AVG/ .893 OPS/ 3 HR/ 14 RBI/ 5 SB

Kyle Draebek: 3-0/ 24.1 IP/ 0.99 WHIP/ 31 SO

Lakewood Blue Claws (A): 12-8, Tied for 2nd in SAL Northern Division

Jason Knapp: 1-2/ 24.1 IP/ 1.85 ERA/ 37 SO/ 0.74 WHIP

Jay: Jason Knapp is a name plenty of Phillies phans became familiar with early last week, when he pitched 7 shut out innings while striking out 14 for Cleveland's low A ball squad, the Lake County Captains. Lakewood pitching coach Bob Milacki told me, "if he stays healthy and keeps improving like he is, Knapp's gonna be a big leaguer in a few years." His fast ball tops off at 97 MPH, and he's developing his already solid command of his curve and change. His strike outs show that he can over power hitters. His record has suffered due to lack of run support in his starts, but his ERA, WHIP, and strike out to walk ratio (37:6) don't lie. Only 18 years old, the 2008 2nd round pick Knapp is expected to spend the full season at Lakewood, but he could very well be a quick riser through the Phillies' system.

Travis D'Arnaud: .230/ 2 HR/ 17 RBI/ .650 OPS

Jay: Travis D'Arnaud is one of the Phillies' top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America. Lakewood's starting catcher has a low batting avg. in the early going, but he has not failed to come through in key situations, as he leads the team in RBI (no other BlueClaw is in double digits in RBI yet). D'Arnaud needs to become more selective with his pitches. 3 walks in 18 games needs improvement. D'Arnaud is a good game caller. He gets credit from his pitching staff as well as coach Bob Milacki for helping the pitchers excel. The 20 year old, D'Arnaud, batted a combined .305 between Williamsport and Lakewood last season, so expect him to have a good time getting that average back where it belongs.

Jesus Villegas: .429 AVG/ 1 HR/ 9 RBI/ 1.020 OPS

Jay: Jesus Villegas Andino leads the team in average and OPS. In his first 11 games, Jesus had 16 hits. His on base percentage (.522) is jaw dropping. The 22 year old Puerto Rican infielder plays both short stop and second base. The 2007 14th round draft pick has been quite a surprise and keeps earning himself more playing time. Not in the opening day lineup, Jesus has hit safely in 9 of his 11 games, and will be one to watch this year, if he stays hot.

Jon Velasquez: 5-0/ 20 IP/ 2.25 ERA/ 0.95 WHIP/ 13 SO

Jay: Jon Velasquez has already earned a promotion from the bullpen to the starting rotation this month. The 23 year old Bronx, NY native was signed as an undrafted amateur free agent in March, after he was spotted by a Phillies scout at an independent league tryout. His 4-0 record (3 wins in relief) leads the South Atlantic League. Coach Bob feels that Velsquez certainly has the talent to play at higher levels.

Ibanez Vs. Burrell, So Far

As Seen on PhilliesNation.com

When the Phillies signed Raul Ibanez, many were unsure how he would fill the shoes of a fan favorite, Pat Burrell. So far, there have been no complaints; just chants of “Rauuuuuuul!”

Traveling back a year ago, Burrell batted .326 with eight home runs and 21 runs batted in. He struck out 18 times, but had a 1.135 on-base plus slugging percentage in April of 2008. Not too many people thought you could get much hotter than Burrell.

So far this season, Ibanez batted .359 with 7 home runs, and 17 RBI. His on base percentage is .433 and he slugged .718, giving him a 1.151 OPS. He has come up clutch with a walk off home run and a late-inning grand slam. The numbers are close, but Ibanez is off to a better start than Burrell was last season.

In 2009, Burrell is batting .254 with with just one home run and eight runs batted in. His on base percentage is .370, but he is slugging a low .343, totaling a .714 OPS. He has struck out 14 times compared to Ibanez’s 10.

There were question marks surrounding Ibanez’s base running and defense, but so far he has been superb in the field and on the base paths. He isn’t the greatest defender, but he has made some spectacular catches and his arm is stronger than originally thought to be. He isn’t a track star, but he hustles, and is a better running option than Burrell.

Because of the upgrade in speed and defense, the Phillies do not have substitute him for a defensive replacement or pinch runner. An extra bat in the lineup in the later innings has proved to be a difference as the Phillies are among leaders in all of baseball in runs scored after the seventh inning.

If Ibanez can continue to be the consistent hitter that he is, he is going to put up very good numbers. Ibanez played at Safeco Field last season, a pitcher’s park. Moving to a hitter friendly park will only benefit him. Burrell, on the other hand, moved from a hitter’s park that fitted him well.

As long as he continues to produce, the “Rauuuuuuul!” cheers will live on.

Call of the day: In 1993, a group of goofballs were able to make it to the World Series. Here is Kalas's call from the division clincher. (I recommend watching the video. Kalas talks about the whole team and you see the celebration and clubhouse interviews.)

"Ground ball.. it's a fair ball. Kruk, to Pall, and the Phillies are the '93
National League Eastern Divison Champions. This wonderful band of throwback
players have won the National League East, mobbing one another on the field."