Philadelphia Phillies (47-41) at Chicago Cubs (40-50) Joe Blanton (3-5, 6.41 ERA) vs. Ted Lilly (3-8, 4.08 ERA)
Last night was one to forget. Forget about it, and start fresh today.
Joe Blanton needs to get back on the right track. Now would be the perfect time to turn things around. Throughout his career, he has been a second half pitcher (4.33 in the first half; 3.99 in the second half).
With a solid performance today, Ted Lilly could raise his market value. The soon-to-be free agent has been linked to several trade rumors. Lilly has struggled in his last five starts, posting an earned run average over six. His career numbers against the Phillies are not pretty either, also with an ERA over six.
One positive from last night's game was Ryan Howard, who homered twice. Howard has received some criticism for his lower power numbers, but expect them to rise. Howard's on-base plus slugging percentage is .875 in the first half throughout his career. In the second half, it is 1.045! That's a major difference. This is the time of the year Howard really starts to heat up. Howard does have a home run in his book against Lilly.
This one got ugly real fast. Ryan Howard quickly put the Phillies ahead 2-0, but boy did this game escalate quickly.
With Howard's two-run home run, it seemed like the Phillies were starting the second half on the right foot. Howard later homered in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, those two home runs runs weren't nearly enough.
Aramis Ramirez smacked a two-run double off Jamie Moyer to tie the game at two. Later, Starlin Castro stole home to give the Cubs a lead, and that was pretty much the game. Moyer blew up for six earned runs in three innings. He gave up two home runs; one to Derek Lee, another to Alfonso Soriano.
The game really came out of reach when Jose Contreras pitched in relief. Contreras surrendered five earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning, including a Geovanny Soto three-run shot.
Poor pitching led to the 12-6 defeat. It was certainly not a way the Phillies would have liked to start the second half, but tomorrow is a new day.
Philadelphia Phillies (47-40) at Chicago Cubs (39-50) Jamie Moyer (9-8, 4.51 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (7-7, 3.61 ERA)
The Phillies closed the first half with a four-game sweep over Cincinnati. The Phillies would like to begin the second half with a victory, extending the win streak. During this time last year, the Phillies found themselves a hot streak, ultimately winning ten in a row. Of course, that team had a comfortable first place lead, while this team battles back to first. The Phillies have been a second half team for the past few years, and hope this year is no different.
Jamie Moyer will take the hill against the team that he debuted with in the 80's. Overall, Moyer is 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA against his former club. Moyer will be facing an underachieving Cubs offense. Aramais Ramirez and Derek Lee have struggled all season. Alfonso Soriano has been very streaky, although he has picked it up after a slow start.
Ryan Dempster has been the Cubs' most consistent starter. Dempster is 4-3 with a 5.15 ERA against the Phillies in his career, but the collective lineup is batting .221 against him. He last faced the Phillies in May, surrendering four runs in six innings.
Both teams are 1-1 head-to-head this season, and both are well rested. It's been a few days since either team has swung a bat or threw a baseball. Will they start off slow to try and regain their rhythm? Or will they look fresh with a new boost of energy?
The “mystery reliever” has been revealed. The Phillies are aggressively going after Danys Baez, and have agreed to sign the right-hander.
The 32-year old had a 4.02 ERA in 71.2 innings with the Baltimore Orioles last year.
You're it! The Phillies also signed Tagg Bozied. Bozied spent last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A club, where he batted .288 in 240 plate appearances. Bozied, 30, is a corner outfielder and first baseman.
Bozied was a big-time power prospect for the San Diego Padres. However, he tore a tendon in his knee while celebrating a walk-off home run in 2004.
In other news, the Chicago Cubs signed former Phillie Marlon Byrd. The deal is believed to be three years, $15 million. Yup, that much money for THAT Marlon Byrd.
Allen Iverson is back in Philadelphia. Iverson almost retired, however he met with the Philadelphia 76ers, who eventually offered him a contract. He accepted, and is back with the team that he became a Hall of Fame player with.
Iverson led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001, but the Sixers haven't been back since. When Iverson left the Sixers, he started to decline and the Sixers became a weak team.
Adding Iverson is exactly what the Sixers needed. Before the Iverson talks, nobody cared about the Sixers (sorry to those few die-hards). But once the AI Rumors came out, the Sixers were mentioned before any other team, including the Philadelphia Eagles. That never happens, not even for the playoffs.
The Iverson move will help the Sixers more than record-wise. Without him, the franchise would continue to lessen in popularity. Now, more tickets will sell, and perhaps increase the Sixers' popularity. With Iverson on the court, more fans will watch. When more fans watch, they will notice some of the other, younger stars. They needed that, because right now they're not very popular in a football town.
We're aware that this is a baseball blog, so here's your daily dosage of MLB:
The Atlanta Braves signed Billy Wagner. The deal is worth $7 million with an option for 2011.
There is a "strong possibility" for a Pat Burrell-Milton Bradley trade. The Cubs are Rays could make the deal, although it's also possible to see Burrell in a Mets uniform. With a left fielder in Alfonso Soriano, the Cubs could flip him to the Mets. The Mets are in need of a left fielder. They could get rid of Luis Castillo and get Burrell in return.
The Phillies have their eyes on J.J Putz. Putz missed most of last season due to arm troubles. The Pirates and Astros also appear to be interested. The Phillies are also being linked to Randy Wolf and Rafeal Bentancourt for the first time this offseason.
The Mariners are pursuing Rich Harden.
The Astros and Rangers are interested in Brett Myers. The Rangers would likely want him as a reliever.
From Wednesday to Friday, the Orr clan took a trip to Chicago to root on our beloved Phillies at Wrigley Field. I did not know what to expect about Chicago, but I woke up to a pleasant surprise. It is a beautiful city and a great baseball town.
One of the passangers on our plane was Neil Hartman, an anchor for Comcast Sportsnet. Lately, I've been running into famous people. A few days before my vacation, I spotted Ryan Howard at a local Dairy Queen. He wasn't the only All Star caliber player I saw within a weeks span. Hours after arriving in Chicago, I saw two Phillies in the city.
We ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Chicago, where there is an outdoor amphitheatre. A band played some of Motown's best as somebody danced on the pavilion. It was Jimmy Rollins. I did not want to bother him, but one of my family members approached him. After a quick photo, Jimmy left. But, five tables over from me sat Shane Victorino.
Like Rollins, I didn't want to bother Victorino since players are always swarmed with fans. Victorino was having a drink with his "friend" (I think it was Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, but it was hard to tell since he was wearing dark sunglasses). We passed him quickly to wish him luck, and Shane put his hand out to shake. Shane couldn't have been nicer so we snapped a quick picture.
It wasn't even a full day and the trip to the Windy Cindy was already well worth it.
Wrigley Field
After the Phillies took the first two games of the series, we headed to Wrigley Field on Thursday, hoping for a sweep. We got that, but the experience at Wrigley Field made the sweep even more special.
Wrigley has a completely different feel than Citizens Bank Park. Opening in 1914 and being the last stadium to install lights, Wrigley is filled with a ton of history, which is felt when entering the stadium. From the moment you enter Wrigleyville, the town which the ballpark is located, it is like a time machine pulled you back.
The view of the field is breathtaking, especially during the day when the sun brightly shines on the field. There are a few obstructed views, but you can get a glimpse of the action in any seat, including the ones on top of nearby buildings. The diamond is in perfect condition and the ivy can't get any greener. No scoreboard in any other stadium compares to the old fashioned one that sits in center field at Wrigley.
There aren't a lot of concession stands. There aren't any flashy scoreboards to pump up the crowd. The seventh inning stretch is a tradition that nobody can miss.
Being at Wrigley isn't the same Wrigley that appears on television. If you already have an opinion about the Friendly Confines but have never been there, a visit may create a new opinion. It is very hard to put the Wrigley experience into words. It's that awesome.
The Fans Philadelphia was well represented in Chicago. Left and right, there were Phillies fans. Philadelphians have a natural bond and stick together. If sporting Phillies gear while wandering the streets of Chicago, another fan is guaranteed to say "Go Phils!" In my section, I was lucky to be surrounded by many Phillies fans. Also, I could always count on the Phillies faithful to pose with brooms after the game.
While Shane Victorino was showered with a beer, Cubs fans received a bad rap by the national media. However, I must say that the Cubs fans were very respectful. Many of the fans were very upset with the incident that took place. According to several Cubs fans, the Bleacher Bums are where all the bad-loads are. If anything, the beer incident proved that those type of things happen everywhere.
In a way, Cubs fans remind me of Phillies fans in that they are very knowledgeable, loyal, passionate, and patient toward their team. In addition, they aren't afraid to be heard. Like a Phillies fan, they wore their colors with pride, sporting Cubbie blue no matter where they were at. I wasn't in White Sox territory, but I did find that some of the White Sox fans rooted both ways. But, the White Sox fans didn't show their colors like the Cubs fans did.
What I especially liked about Chicago was that everybody knows how the Cubs are doing this year. Sometimes in Philadelphia, football overshadows baseball. In Chicago, baseball comes first. Even the non-fans can talk about the team in a very knowledgeable manner.
I would definitely recommend taking a trip to Chicago. It is a beautiful, clean, and safe city with lots of things to do. Visit the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). See the stunning view of Lake Michigan, grab a bite at Gino's Pizza, shop on the Magnificent Mile, or go to one of the many museums. But more importantly, visit Wrigley Field, even if the Phillies aren't playing the Cubs.
It was fitting that Ben Francisco caught Alfonso Soriano's fly ball to end the game. After all, Francisco played hero by picking up the pieces for an offense that continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, and a closer that failed at a save attempt.
The Cubs were the first to get on the board. Jake Fox's RBI single in the third and Soriano's sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
J.A Happ allowed only two runs, but wasn't the J.A we're used to seeing. He lacked command, but wiggled out of jams. He gave up seven hits, walked four, and struck out three in six innings. A couple key double plays helped Happ avoid further damage as the Cubs left a total of 12 men on base throughout the evening.
On the other hand, Rich Harden was dealing. He was perfect through five innings. In the sixth, Carlos Ruiz drew a huge walk. Not only did it end the perfect game, but Jimmy Rollins followed with a home run to end the no-hitter and the shutout. The homer tied the game at two.
The Phillies were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. However, an important run came without a hit. Ruiz drew another big walk. Shane Victorino was plunked, and Chase Utley walked to load the bases.
Surprisingly, Lou Pineilla did not have a left-handed pitcher ready to face the Phillies lefties. Instead, he left it up to Carlos Marmol, who was having trouble finding the strike zone. Patient, Ryan Howard drew a walk to bring the run home. The Phillies took a 3-2 lead.
Lidge has the highest earned run average and the most blown saves among any reliever in baseball. The Phillies would have liked some insurance. Ruiz came close to it-- well, not really. Ruiz hit a fly ball to left field that was clearly foul. Originally, the umpire ruled it fair, but it was reviewed and overturned. Ruiz grounded out to end the inning.
Lidge started the ninth by walking Kosuke Fukudome. With the wind blowing in, the Cubs played small ball, and Ryan Theroit bunted him over. Next, Milton Bradly singled which drove in Fukudome. It tied the game at three, and Lidge blew another save. Lidge didn't give up anything else, so the game headed to extra innings.
Tyler Walker and Scott Eyre did a tremendous job keeping the game knotted at three. In the 11th, it looked like Milton Bradley won the game for the Cubs as he started his trot around the bases. Victorino lined up against the ivy wall and made the catch. Walker and Eyre got hitters out and gave the offense a chance.
Kevin Gregg left a curveball in Francisco's wheelhouse, and he drove a bomb into the left field basket. The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the twelfth inning on Francisco's twelfth home run of the year. Francisco now has more homers in the month of August (2) than Utley, Howard, and Raul Ibanez combined (0).
Chad Durbin finished with the save to secure the 4-3 win. It was a long night filled with a range of emotions, but the Phillies pulled this one off.
Philadelphia Phillies (61-48) at Chicago Cubs (58-52) J.A Happ (8-2, 2.74 ERA) vs. Rich Harden (7-7, 4.41 ERA)
The Phillies start their road trip at Wrigley Field. They'll take on the Cubs, who are three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. The Cubs and Phillies last met in July. The Phillies took two out of three, however, the Cubs ended the Phils 10 game winning streak.
Rich Harden pitched well in his pitchers' duel against Joe Blanton. Harden pitched seven innings, allowed one run and struck out six, receiving the no-decision (Jayson Werth's walk off home run against tomorrow's starter, Jeff Samardzija). Harden has been a hot pitcher of late; he is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 41 strikeouts in his last five starts. His seven solid innings isn't the only dominance he has had against the Phillies. Overall, he has given up two runs and struck out 22 in 20 innings against the Phillies in his career.
The Phillies will send J.A Happ to the mound, who has been solid all year. The rookie is coming off a complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies.
Although manufacturing runs off Harden may not be easy, Wrigley is a perfect place for the offense to resurrect. Chances are, the wind will be blowing out, perfect for a team that likes to hit the long ball.
Can Steve Bartman ever forgive Chicago? ESPN announced that they will be having a documentary on Steve Bartman, a Cubs scapegoat. Here is the "real" documentary (really just an article I wrote where I had to incorporate quotes. It's not a true story, although it's based on certain things that were real):
When a girl leaves her home at 18, she does one of two things: stop at McDonalds for an egg McMuffin or go for a jog. Abigail Bartman decided to take a jog to the supermarket to run a few errands. Ah the long winter in Chicago- the lights, the crowd, the amusement! This was a great pleasing metropolis after all. Abby took the scene in as she jogged while listening to Carrie Underwood's hit “Before He Cheats,” thinking of ideas to do to her ex-boyfriend’s car. She walked into the frozen food aisle and saw a man incognito shopping for Ego Waffles. He looked familiar so Abby kept looking over at him. Several times, their eyes accidentally met, and then there poured into hers such a flood of feeling as she had never before experienced. She was completely shocked. She didn’t know what to think, but flashed backed to October 14, 2003, the last time she saw this man.
That was going to be the day, and everybody on the north side of Chicago knew it, including Abby, twelve at the time. She was ecstatic to attend the first game at Wrigley Field, home of her beloved Chicago Cubs. Sporting the Cubs tradition red and blue colors, she waited at the train station with her older cousin Steve. Despite their age difference of twelve years, Abby and Steve had a close relationship. Every Sunday, their grandfather invited his only two grandchildren over to watch the ballgame. Grandpop, a living baseball encyclopedia, recalled memories of the Cubs and told old baseball stories to them. Every visit was a history lesson, which Abby and Steve both cherished. Steve was impressed with Abby's knowledge and passion for the Cubs, so he chose her to attend the game with him after Grandpop denied due to his sore leg. Every game had become bigger and bigger, and Abby could not believe she and Steve would be in attendance to witness history, something Grandpop hadn't seen before. The Cubs were one win away from the World Series and reversing the curse of the billy goat. Confident in a victory, Abby already planned how she would celebrate the final out. She imagined the strikeout that would end the game while she screamed and jumped up and down. She replayed the scene in her head over and over as she found her seats with Steve on the left field foul line. The game began and Steve put his headphones on so he could listen to his favorite broadcasters while getting a glimpse at the action taking place. The game started and before they knew it, the Cubs jumped out in front and took the lead. The Cubs needed just five outs to become National League champions.
All of a sudden a ball was hit toward Abby and Steve’s way. A formal high school varsity star, Steve knew he could make the catch. On the other hand, Abby knew the ball was playable for the left fielder, Moises Alou, and she ducked out of the way like every other fan in the section. Alou wondered over, but Steve reached out for the ball. Fans yelled “No! Don’t get it!” but Steve headphones were too loud; he couldn’t hear a thing. Steve bobbled the ball, but Alou slammed his glove down and pointed to Steve. It was at that moment Steve knew he had done something wrong. “He could have caught that!” a fan yelled as Steve was escorted out of the stadium as trash was thrown at him. After the infamous Bartman incident, the Cubs lost the game, and lost the series the next day. Disappointed and embarrassed of her cousin, Abby pretended she wasn't related to Steve for the rest of the game. After interviews with the media, Steve waited for Abby in the parking lot. “You ruined my life!” Abby said to Steve. How true it is that words are but vague shadows of the volumes we mean. After that, they never saw each other again… until that one day at the supermarket.
“Steve?” Abby said to the disguised man. Deep down she was still angry of the events that took place six years ago especially now that the Cubs have gone one hundred years without a World Series championship. They talked for awhile, but she was still disgusted and couldn’t put the past behind her. The conversation turned to their grandfather, who Steve still visited but on different days as Abby. Steve, who seemed upset taking to Abby, said he had just came back from taking Grandpop to the hospital. His leg that bothered him six years ago became so weak that he couldn't walk. Abby was upset and started to cry. She knew Steve felt the same and knew what a tough time it would be for the both of them. From then on, her and Steve became close again as Abby realized family is much more important than a game.
All good things come to an end. The Phillies ten game winning streak was halted with their 10-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Jamie Moyer cruised through the first three innings, but hit a rough patch in the fourth. Moyer loaded the bases and Alfonso Soriano’s RBI single put the Cubs on the board. Jeff Baker followed with a double that drove in three runs. On the play, Shane Victorino threw the ball to second base. Chase Utley was unable to keep the ball in front of him as it scooted towards the first base line. The bases cleared and the Cubs took a 4-0 lead.
An inning later, Milton Bradly’s RBI single extended the Cubs lead by five. Moyer lasted five innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks.
The Phillies had an opportunity for a big inning in the bottom of the fifth, however, Pedro Feliz failed to score on what should have been a sacrifice fly. An inning later, Feliz got it back with a two-run single, which made it a 5-3 game.
The bullpen has been so good over the past ten days, but it faltered today. At one point, the game was 8-5 after Greg Dobbs’ two-run single. However, the ‘pen allowed five runs (3 by Chad Durbin, 2 by Brad Lidge) in the loss.
The offense left 11 men on base and went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Phils had opportunities to score off Zambrano, who allowed ten hits and walked three. The Phillies scored four runs against him in his 6.2 innings of work, but had a chance for more.
It was a nice streak while it lasted, but it had to end eventually. You can’t win ‘em all.
Call of the Day: Kalas called everything, even the scariest of moments. Cole Hamels was hit on a comebacker, and helped off the field.
Chicago Cubs (47-45) at Philadelphia Phillies (53-38).
Carlos Zambrano (6-4, 3.36) starts vs. Jamie Moyer (9-6, 5.58 ERA).
The Phillies look to sweep the Chicago Cubs and extend their winning streak to 11 consecutive games.
Jamie Moyer is coming off one of his best outings of the season, shuting down the Marlins. Moyer will be playing against the team he debuted with in 1987. In six career starts against the Cubs, he is 3-0 with a 4.19 ERA.
Zambrano has a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts. Not only can he pitch, but he can hit. Since 2005, Zambrano leads all Major League pitchers with 16 HR and 43 RBI.
TheChicago Cubs (47-44) play the Philadelphia Phillies (52-38) tonight.
Rich Harden (6-6, 5.06 ERA) is the starter vs. Joe Blanton (6-4, 4.44 ERA).
The Phillies will attempt their tenth straight victory. They haven't won ten in a row since 1991 when they won 13 straight.
The rain wiped out Joe Blanton's last start after 1.1 innings. He gave up two runs on 24 pitches, but luckily for him, the game was postponed. The rescheduled game will not be until September, but Blanton will start today, three days after the washout. In his last nine starts, Blanton is 4-1 with a 2.44 earned run average.
After blowouts, the Phillies always seem to have trouble scoring in the following night. After a ten-run outburst, the Phillies need to keep up their offense against a struggling Rich Harden. Harden has a 5.06 ERA, but was better in his last start. Granted, he faced the Nationals, but on the road he is 5-1 with a 2.17 ERA.
What's up with the Phillies? They're on fire! Their 10-1 blowout over the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to nine consecutive games, tying their longest streak since 2006.
In the first inning, Raul Ibanez clubbed his 25th home run of the season, a three run shot. Rodrigo Lopez and the Phillies didn't look back.
Carlos Ruiz's home run in the second inning made it 5-0. He drove in another run in the fourth inning with a double. He finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double, two runs scored, and three runs batted in.
Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly, Alfonso Soriano's error on a fly ball, and Chase Utley's RBI single made it 8-0 in the fourth. Rollins (1-for-3) proved to be a big factor in the win. He led off the game with a single, and when Rollins gets on base and scores runs, the Phillies win.
Ted Lilly's four game winning streak was snapped after getting rocked in his shortest outing of the season. His ERA jumped from 3.18 to 3.59 after the Phillies pounded nine runs in four innings.
Lopez didn't have his most commanding stuff, but in six innings he gave up only one run on five hits and three walks. The only run came on Ryan Theriot's RBI single in the fifth, taking away the shutout. Lopez struck out five.
Everybody in got into the action except Ryan Howard until his "oppo boppo" in the eighth. His 24th home run of the season put the finishing touches on the Phillies 10-1 blowout.
Chad Durbin was able to eat innings out of the bullpen. He allowed one hit in his three shutout innings, earning the save.
The Phillies are finally .500 (23-23) at home. They will attempt 10 in a row tomorrow. The last time they won that many games in a row was in 1991 when they won 13 straight.
Chicago Cubs (47-43) at Philadelphia Phillies (51-38) Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
The Phillies had an incredible 9-1 homestand the last time they were home. This homestand will be tougher, but the Phillies have been unstoppable for the past couple weeks, winning eight straight.
Both teams will keep a close eye on both their starters. Ted Lilly was pushed back from Saturday's start with inflammation in his left knee. Rogrido Lopez hasn't pitched in 11 days and he left his last start with right-shoulder inflammation.
Lopez's spot in the rotation is in jeopardy as Pedro Martinez takes steps closer to the big leagues. Lopez allowed eight runs in 4.2 innings in his only career start against the Cubs.
Lilly is coming off his 100th career win. Most of his success has come at home. At Wrigley Field, Lilly has a 1.18 ERA; on the road it is 4.66. Against the Phillies in his career, Lilly is 1-3 with a 4.88 earned run average (4.66 at Citizens Bank Park).
On Friday night, Carlos Zambrano won his 100th career game. In the same night, he hit his 18th home run of his career.
"After this contract, I'm done. I'm serious. I don't want to play. I want to help [the Chicago Cubs], I want to do everything possible to win with this team, but after five years or four years, or whatever I have left on my contract, I just don't want to play."
Despite his 100-63 record, 3.49 career ERA and .249 batting average, Zambrano doesn't think he'll play in the majors once his contract is done. Zambrano, 28, is in his second year of a five year, $91.5 million contract that ends in 2012 with an option for 2013.
"I want to stay home and see my daughters grow up and hang out with my family more," he said. "Do you know how many Mother's Days I spend with my mother? Do you know how many things I've lost in my life?"
"It's good to be here, it's good to play baseball -- don't get me wrong," Zambrano said. "But five years, four years, whatever I have left in my contract, I will retire. That's it."
Wanting to be with his family in understandable, but his emotions on the mound and his competitive nature do not indicate he is losing interest in the game. Perhaps he isn't satisfied with his contract, or the Cubs.
Call of the Day: It's rare Abraham Nunez and Sal Fasano hit a home run in a game. For both of them hitting a homer in the same game is rare. But hitting them back to back? Sounds impossible, right? Well, it believe it or not, it happened.
"Line drive to deep left! And this ball is outta here!"
"This one might go back to back, its way outta here! Off the basing of the upper deck, Sal Fasano. And the Phillies go back to back on young Scott Kazmir. It is now a tie game at two."
The New York Mets have agreed to a deal with Oliver Perez, pending a physical. The deal is 3 years, worth $36 million.
Perez was 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 180 SO, in 2008. Ollie's stats are like a roller coaster, up and down. Perez had an unbelievable year in 2004 with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he posted a 2.98 ERA. Since, he has had seasons where his ERA was above 5. In between, he has had a respectable ERA.
The problem for Perez is the walks. He has a career 1.42 WHIP and 4.76 BB/9. When Perez is able to limit the walks, he is usually effective and will strike batters out. However, when Perez is off, he's way off and very wild. Perez can be very inconsistent. You never know if you'll get the good Ollie, or bad Ollie.
It is also being reported that the Mets are not interested in Manny Ramirez, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have made an offer.
The Baltimore Orioles acquired Rich Hill from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later.
In 2007, Hill had a break out season going 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 183 SO. However, in 2008, he pitched just 19.2 innings with an ERA of 4.12. He was troubled with back spasms and sent down to AAA where he sported an ERA over 5.
The Oakland A's acquired Michael Weurtz from the Cubs in exchange for Minor Leaguers Richie Robnett and Justin Sellers. Weurtz was 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 45 games last season, also spending time in AAA.
Caribbean Series: Brad Knox pitched 6+ innings of no hit ball to lead Venezuela over the Dominican Republic, 3-2.
Ronnie Paulino (Dominican Republic) was 1-3 with a walk.
No, the other Manuel. Jerry Manuel, the New York Mets manager, welcomed the idea of unsigned free agent, Manny Ramirez.
"It's rare that you get that type of talent. I mean, boom! Right in the middle of the lineup type of guy, and right-handed for us, that would be a big bonus."
"Would you like to have that? Yeah. Would you like to add something else? Yeah. But hey, we have to deal with what we have, and what we have , we feel like we have enough tools to make it into the playoffs."- Manuel
In other news, the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with free agent pitcher, Jon Garland. The one year deal will be worth between $6-8 million. With the Los Angeles Angels in 2008, Garland was 14-8 with a 4.90 ERA.
The Diamondbacks also made an offer to former Phillie, Randy Wolf, but have no come to an agreement.
The Cubs, who have also been rumored to Wolf, acquired former Met, Aaron Hielman. The Cubs acquired Aaron Hielman from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson.
This is the second time this offseason Hielman was traded. The Mets traded him in a package deal for reliever J.J Putz. Hielman had a 5.21 ERA in 2008.
Spring Training is less than a month away, and the free agent market is shrinking. It's all quiet on the Manny front, and other free agents like Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn are still available.
It is being reported that Ryan Madson turned down a 3 year, $12 million offer. Madson is eligible for arbitration, along with Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and others. Madson has spent time as a starter and reliever in his career. Most of his success has been as a reliever, and in 2008 was known as "the bridge to Lidge" in his time as a setup man.
Madson was 4-2 in 2008 with a 3.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 67 SO in 82.2 IP.
In my opinion, the offer by the Phillies was reasonable. Any more than $4 million for a reliever who has had his struggles is ridiculous. However, with Scott Boras his agent, $4 million a year is an insult. Madson a Phillie beyond 2009 could be a question mark.
The Phillies also avoided arbitration with Greg Dobbs, signing him to a 2 year, $2.5 million deal. Last year, Dobbs set a Phillies record for most pinch hits (22) in a season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers officially cut ties with Andruw Jones, releasing him. A disappointing Jones was the franchises' highest paid player in their history. Jones batted just .158 in 75 games before having knee surgery in 2008.
The Cubs have signed former Phillie So Taguchi to a minor league deal. The Cubs also signed Ronny Cedeno to a one year, $822,000 contract.
The San Diego Padres signed David Eckstein to a one year, $850,000 contract. The hard nosed Eckstein batted .265 with 2 HR with the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008.
Also, MLB changed their ruling so that all postseason games will be played in its entirety. Also, one game playoffs will not be based on coin flips, but head to head matchups.
Pat Burrell will be playing at Citizen's Bank Park in 2009. A Ray will have a 2008 World Series Ring.
Burrell signed a 2 year, $16 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies will scrimmage the Rays during the On Deck Series prior to Opening Day. The World Series Ring ceremony isn't until April 8th, but maybe the Phils can have a mini ceremony for Pat a little early.
Burrell's contract was much less than I expected. Less money, less years. Raul Ibanez, who is the better option for left field, will have a larger contract than Burrell.
"First of all, at the end of last year, obviously, I got to know the [Rays] pretty well," Burrell said. "And coming into free agency, the thing that was most important to me was to go somewhere where I thought I had as good a chance or better to repeat and go back to the World Series."
Burrell will be a good fit for the Rays, adding the bat they need. Burrell will get on base and hit 25+ HR, plus get on base. Moving him to the middle of the other, and moving the speedy guys up in the lineup will produce more runs for the Rays. Burrell will DH, so you don't have to worry about taking him out as a defensive replacement.
The Phillies did not offer Burrell arbitration, therefore will not receive a draft pick.
In other news, the Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Milton Bradley. Bradley and the Cubs agreed to a 3 year, $30 million deal.
In 126 games last season, Bradley hit .321 with 22 HR. He also led the American League in OBP, .436. Bradley had a .999 OPS.
The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a 2 year, $17.5 million deal with reliever Brian Fuentes. In 67 games, the lefty had an ERA of 2.73.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Chicago Cubs traded infielder Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for 3 Minor Leaguers. The Cubs also acquired infielder Aaron Miles. DeRosa batted .285 with the Cubs in 2008.
The Cubs could also deal Jason Marquis in exchange for reliever Luis Vizcaino. The Cubs could also be close to getting Milton Bradley.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed right hander Claudio Vargas to a one year deal. Manny Ramirez agent has contacted the Dodgers
The New York Mets have extended their offer to 3 years with Derek Lowe worth a total of $36 million. In his career, Lowe has a career ERA of 3.75.
Philadelphia Phillies (47-41) at Chicago Cubs (40-50)
Pat Burrell
