Before moving to the happy subject of the Mets’ return to form this afternoon, I’d like to apologize to “Baseball Tonight”‘s Jeff Brantley, a frequent subject of ridicule at Chez CSTB.
Though he’s intolerably poor as a baseball analyst, Brantley’s work as a character actor on “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life On The Street” is first rate. I say this in the nicest way possible —- Jeff, please give up your day job!
As the Phillies’ 13-7 record since the Bobby Abreu trade was noted, Tim Kurkjiian pondered the puzzler, “dare we ask the question, are the Phillies a better team?”. Replied Kurkjiian, “I don’t think we can ask that question. That doesn’t make much sense to trade your best all-around player and then do better without him.”
Tim wasn’t asked if the trade made sense or if the intent of the deal was for the Phillies to get worse. But here’s another — on a team featuring Chase Utley and Ryan Howard (who hit his 42nd HR today off John Maine), was the low-power / high OBP / fence-phobic Abreu really the Phillies’ best all-around player?
Carlos D. entered today’s matinee at CBP mired in a 2-for-30 slump, as well as having gone without a homer since July 30. He ended the day with a pair of home runs, a triple and 4 RBI’s in the Mets’ 7-2 win. The first of Delgado’s two blasts, a 3rd inning drive to centerfield off Philly starter Scott Mathieson, was just your typical 450 feet rocket. The first baseman’s 2nd round-tripper followed a solo shot by Carlos Beltran, and was the very definition of a line drive HR — the moment Delgado made contact, it didn’t seem there’d be any chance the ball would clear the right field fence (which it did, narrowly).
San Francisco’s Matt Cain took a no-hitter into the 6th inning today against the Padres, a game the Giants would eventually win, 8-4. Cain’s bid was broken up by Josh Bard’s bloop single, and let this be a lesson to all of you. Fuck with the Air Traffic Controllers, and somewhere down the line, you’re gonna pay.
Thanks in no small part to a putrid showing by Jaret Wright, the Yankees (12-3 losers to the Orioles on Thursday) find themselves a mere 1 1/2 games ahead of Boston entering this weekend’s 5 game series at Fenway.
2002 AL Rookie Of The Year-turned platoony marooney OF/3B Eric Hinske was traded today from Toronto to Boston. In addition to providing Boston with a left-handed PH option, the Boston Globe’s David Lefort tips Gabe Kapler as the most likely candidate for demotion.
Former Rangers/A’s/Tigers 1B Carlos Pena signed a minor league deal with Boston today. Previously this season, Pena had hit 19 HR’s and drove in 66 runs for Columbus, but had an out-clause in his Yankee deal that was exercised last week.
Days after I rushed to Kaz Matsui’s defense, there’s talk of the former Mets 2B/SS returning to Japan next season. Not very hopeful talk, either.
My response to Tim would be that the main reason for the Phillies recent uptick
has been because the rotation has stepped up, especially with the emergence of Cole Hamels, Jon Lieber locking in as of late, and Randy Wolf coming back from TJ surgery. The Phillies had no problems putting up runs with or without Abreu and it has been starting pitching that was the Phillies Achilles Heel up until recently.
I met Peter Gerety on the M15 Bus in NYC and, with the aid of some scotch-scented courage (I get starstruck around people from Homicide — I’d pass out if I met Clark Johnson), got off at the same stop as him and told him I admired his work. He was super nice and didn’t say anything bad about Ravech.
Chuck,
correct on all counts but I still thought it was hillarious that Tim K. said “we can’t ask that question”. Didn’t they have a production meeting earlier in the day? The Phillies are playing (almost) .667 ball since dumping Abreu and Lidle, either you ask whether they’re a better team or you CONCLUDE they’re better. sheesh.
David,
Don’t freak out, but Max Perlich is WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW.
My 5 year old nephew went to his first game at Yankee Stadium and the last thing I heard him say on the cell phone was, “Uh oh, triple trouble, the bases are loaded!” I don’t think he left the ball park happy, but today’s game is the way every kid should experience the Bronx.
does anyone beside me think that the bosox taking on hinske means that trot is definitely gone next year and that right field will feature a hinske/wily mo pena platoon?