77-68, one game behind Florida in the NL Wild Card, six games behind Atlanta in the NL East
The Phillies, one night after the great Eude Brito outpitched Tim Hudson, got a shaky start from fellow rookie Gavin Gloyd, but rallied back from a 4-2 deficit in the fifth, largely because Ryan Howard is just ridiculously good.
On Baseball Tonight last night Karl Ravech asked Peter Gammons if Howard could be the Rookie of the Year, and incredibly, Gammons not only said no, but also said that Jeff Francoeur can’t win it either, because it’s going to Willy Taveras. Screw that. I’m not even sure Taveras is better right now than Matt Murton. In fact, I’ll bet if he wins it, he’ll be the Jerome Walton of his generation. If you were picking rookies for your team, Taveras wouldn’t go before any of those guys and there are a mess of pitchers you’d take, too.
Anyway, a week ago the Astros not only swept the Phillies, but they did it in devastating fashion, winning two games with Billy Wagner on the mound and leaving the Phillies for dead.
But today, the Phillies are back in front of the Astros. How can anybody figure this stuff out?
In this huge ten games in ten days stretch with Atlanta and Florida the Phillies have started out 4-1. If they go 4-1 again through the second half of it, they could well seize control of the Wild Card. But they’re the Phillies. They’ll do something exotic and make sure no lead would ever be safe.
Tonight it’s Horacio Ramirez for the Braves against the always mediocre, and freakishly tatooed Cory Lidle. If you’re sitting in the bleachers in Philly tonight, bring your glove.
80-64, one game behind Anaheim in the AL West, 2.5 behind the Indians, and 1.5 behind the Yankees in the AL Wild Card
83-62, one game ahead of the Yankees in the AL Wild Card, six games behind the White Sox in the AL Central
What to do when both of our adopted AL teams play each other? Well, you root for the one still trying to ruin the White Sox’s supper, I suppose.
Monday night’s game was tremendous, with CC Sabathia and Dan Haren locked in a bona fide pitcher’s duel. Sabathia blinked, and Haren got ample help from impressive rookie closer Huston Street in a 2-0 Oakland win.
Last night it looked more of the same with the great Kurt Saarloos shutting down the Indians again. Kevin Millwood was dealing for the Tribe, but it looked like it wasn’t going to matter as Oakland again had a 2-0 lead.
Then the power went out at Jacobs Field. OK, the power didn’t really go out, a computer that runs the lights malfunctioned and half the lights went out. It took 20 minutes to fix it and when the game resumed, somebody turned Ben Broussard’s power on, too.
He hit a two-run jack in the seventh off of Jay Witasick to tie the game, then came up with two on in the eighth, and he did it again. Two homers, five RBI and a 5-2 Cleveland win. The second homer came off the impossibly unpronounceable Justin Duchsherer.
Our conflict continues tonight as the A’s and Indians wrap things up with Barry Zito facing Jake Westbrook. Then Oaklands head to Boston for four and the Indians enjoy a day off before the Royals come to town for three. That should be a nice tune up for the three gamer in US Comiskular that starts on Monday for the Indians.
You forgot my real claim to fame, Andy.
Only black man with a part in his hair.
The “Loggins and Messina album” item cracked me up.
Double dose today!
Ezequiel Astascio may be uglier than Ron Karkovice.
It’s both a great thing and an awful thing to know that the 1985 Chicago Bears had the best season ever. They beat the crap out of everyone that year, and we all had the greatest time watching them. I can’t even imagine a parallel season for the Cubs, especially with the dismal characters of the past two years.
Everyone? Ahem!
I’d like to come play for the Bears. Phil Arvia (who?) agrees:
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/columns/arvia/x14-ard1.htm
WOO HAA!!!
I got you all in check!
Gifford, Namath and OJ R Us.
Compared to Astacio, I look downright handsome. Ok, maybe not.
Check me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that Giants playoff game the “The fans are cheering for the snow!!” game?
Crash, that was the Rams game, when the it started snowing right before Wilbur Marshall scored the TD to ice the game.
It snowed during the Rams game, but the Giants game was a much, much colder day.
We quite possibly are the creepiest bunch of people alive.
Thanks CT – I get my Bears playoff games confused, seeing as there have been so many…
When a pitcher goes to his mouth on the mound, isn’t just a ball called rather than a balk?
It’s a balk, which if there are no runners on is a ball to the hitter. Juan had three balls (sounds like a medical problem), so the “balk” was ball four.
Feel me. If only I were real.
I will coach the white sox if they ask me, I want they can play in soldiers fields, but also, heep sop choi the chinaman must be on the team, otherwise no bones. Plus my dog “ball licker” is allowed to crap wherever it wants on soldiers field. thems my negotiations.
What? broadcaster? I can barely speak any english.
That Giants game was my first Bear game ever. Sat right above the Bears’ tunnel to their locker room. Landetta’s whiff was the only play of the game we had a good angle on.
North applied for the CBS NFL studio analyst job a few years ago. It got as far as Ed Sherman’s column.
Chuck, those seats are the best! Remember the Monday Night when I jumped out of the stands to catch the kick that just went through the uprights? I’m still a douchebag.
Tony, you steroid addled freak, that was in the south endzone. My seats were in the north endzone, west corner.
Aw, you the man, Chuck! Now get over here and get a high-five up there for the endzone buddies!
Tony Little, who the fuck are you, you pansy? I’M the guy that caught Butthead’s PAT.
It was even on a MNF special this year on the 35 best MNF moments, to commemorate MNF’s 35 years on the air.
I’ma roofer and I appeared on Letterman after the catch.
Here’s me talking to Swanny.
Yeah a high school drop out and Park District stiff, who can talk faster than anyone in Chicago to cram more commercials into an hour, is gonna be what?
http://fantasysports.yahoo.com/analysis/news?slug=mh-fbtw_081905&prov=yhoo&type=lgns&league=fantasy/mlb
10 grand for the Taveras to Walton insult in that column.
Let’s not forget quarterback Tony Champaign Eason getting knocked out in the Super Bowl early and the ex-starter, now back-up, Grogan having to be cajoled to come in and replace him.
Funny how perception can differ…the playoff game between the Giants & Bears was one of the longest afternoons of my life. The only redeeming thing was how Simms hung in there, we knew we had something for the following season…
is a huge piece’a shit.
listen to me here
http://jeffmarkley.com/files/joenamath.mp3
How can you be a Cubs and Giants fan? You an Avalanche, Spurs guy too.
I love cheeseburger.
#16 is right going to your mouth while on the mound is a ball not a balk.
Fine, for reuse of my Taveras/Walton bit, I’ll settle for a Hank White Fan Club t-shirt or help getting a date.
Is there any doubt that #28 really is Mike Harmon? I mean, who in the hell else would have linked to a column from a month ago that nobody actually read?
Mike doesn’t need help getting a date. I should know.
we sure haven’t heard much from Sox Fan lately, have we? I’m trying to recall….maybe you guys can help me out…. didn’t this troll make some promise to be sodomized by Sloth at high noon in Sak’s front window if the Sox didn’t make the playoffs?
go Tribe!