Well, I made it to the bottom of the 4th before I was forced to get up and put the radio on and mute the TV. That's longer than usual.
With the current debate going on in our country right now about the President's possible issuance of an executive order that would force companies which contract with the government to disclose all of their donations--and the subsequent petitioning of the Prez by good government groups to go further and ban all political spending by government contractors--and connected to the Phillies' wearing of a small round patch on their breasts memorializing some former owners, I have a modest proposal.
Let's pass a law that says that any government official which receives a fixed amount (5 percent, 10 percent?) of money from a particular company or industry must wear a small logo of that company or industry on his/her suit jacket in a visible location whenever that pol appears on TV or in public. The aesthetic effect would be the same as the Phillies' jerseys right now, which you can see by tuning in to Comcast SportsNet as I type (or most any other night).
Would our policies have been different if Dick Cheney had had a Haliburton logo on his weak chest whenever he was on television from 2001 to 2009? I don't know, but it would be harder for our media to ignore his conflicts of interest while overseeing our wars in the Middle East and devising our energy policy, attention that is sorely needed. It might also make it a little tougher for the Obama administration to discuss their weak-to-negligent financial regulatory policies when every person in the White House is walking around with a Goldman Sachs logo over their hearts (maybe we can write into the law that anyone who uses more than 40 percent of their campaign money from a single source has to have that logo tattooed on his or her forehead).
It is now the bottom of the 5th inning, the Phils are winning 2-0 over the Mets, and I am being naughty by drinking a soda. Those aren't good for you, you know.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Shy Chuck stays in the dugout--a lot
Charlie Manuel's use of the bullpen this year has never been shakier, and tonight's game with Halladay (still going on as I write this, btw) provided another questionable moment.
An obviously tiring Doc was struggling through more bum's luck in the seventh inning, after a couple of lucky, weak hits. With two outs the Reds' hottest hitter, Jay Bruce, was due up. Charlie had already been out to talk to his star, and one gets the feeling that Chuck doesn't really lead in these situations, he takes the easy way out and "let's his players play," rather than making a hard, possibly conventional wisdom-flauting move (Charlie is nothing if not consistent in his willingness to be conventional). Bruce is a lefty, there were two outs, and Halladay was done after this inning, no matter what happened. Why not bring in Romero or Bastardo--two very tough pitchers against lefties--for the final out?
Will Halladay get upset by this? I don't care. His job is to do what's best for the team. Charlie's job is to make the tough decisions, not be everyone's BFF. I've always wondered if someone is keeping track of the number of mid-inning pitching changes, because I've always suspected that the Phillies are pretty much last in the league in that category. It's as if Charlie doesn't want to upset or insult his pitchers by making them walk off the field all alone.
As I was writing the above, Bruce hit a home run in the 10th inning off of Bastardo. While that doesn't invalidate what I wrote at all, it does show how this is all about playing the percentages, reducing risk, and avoiding the strengths of your opponents. And then someone just does something damned impressive, because he's damned good--like Jay Bruce.
An obviously tiring Doc was struggling through more bum's luck in the seventh inning, after a couple of lucky, weak hits. With two outs the Reds' hottest hitter, Jay Bruce, was due up. Charlie had already been out to talk to his star, and one gets the feeling that Chuck doesn't really lead in these situations, he takes the easy way out and "let's his players play," rather than making a hard, possibly conventional wisdom-flauting move (Charlie is nothing if not consistent in his willingness to be conventional). Bruce is a lefty, there were two outs, and Halladay was done after this inning, no matter what happened. Why not bring in Romero or Bastardo--two very tough pitchers against lefties--for the final out?
Will Halladay get upset by this? I don't care. His job is to do what's best for the team. Charlie's job is to make the tough decisions, not be everyone's BFF. I've always wondered if someone is keeping track of the number of mid-inning pitching changes, because I've always suspected that the Phillies are pretty much last in the league in that category. It's as if Charlie doesn't want to upset or insult his pitchers by making them walk off the field all alone.
As I was writing the above, Bruce hit a home run in the 10th inning off of Bastardo. While that doesn't invalidate what I wrote at all, it does show how this is all about playing the percentages, reducing risk, and avoiding the strengths of your opponents. And then someone just does something damned impressive, because he's damned good--like Jay Bruce.
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Man returns
How great is it to have Chase Utley back on the field? How scared are you that it won't last? Yes.
Last week, C and I went to the Harry Kalas tribute night at the IronPigs (got a kickass talking bobblehead, I did). I bring this up because one of the phrases Kalas was famous for coining in his later years was from his spontaneous outburst about five years ago when Chase Utley scored from second on a Baltimore chop to the pitcher: "Chase Utley, you are the man!" It was a great hustle play, an incredibly smart baserunning move, and Kalas said it out of pure joy and excitement; there was no question of its having been thought out in advance or stated with any idea of it lasting beyond that moment. And it is a perfect illustration of why Harry was the last of an older school of announcers who were there to serve the game, not their careers. He spoke when he had something to say, not just to fill the air or to be verbose, and he said only what he meant. You knew he loved and rooted for his team, but in the way that was respectful of the ballplayers on the other team (I submit for evidence of the opposite the announcer for the Chi-Sox who has his stupid home and end-of-game calls--I won't try to describe them, just listen for yourself sometime).
Anyway, I just wanted to share another Harry memory, in the midst of the happiness of having one of the most beloved Phillies of all time back in the lineup. And as I write these words, the man is up...
Last week, C and I went to the Harry Kalas tribute night at the IronPigs (got a kickass talking bobblehead, I did). I bring this up because one of the phrases Kalas was famous for coining in his later years was from his spontaneous outburst about five years ago when Chase Utley scored from second on a Baltimore chop to the pitcher: "Chase Utley, you are the man!" It was a great hustle play, an incredibly smart baserunning move, and Kalas said it out of pure joy and excitement; there was no question of its having been thought out in advance or stated with any idea of it lasting beyond that moment. And it is a perfect illustration of why Harry was the last of an older school of announcers who were there to serve the game, not their careers. He spoke when he had something to say, not just to fill the air or to be verbose, and he said only what he meant. You knew he loved and rooted for his team, but in the way that was respectful of the ballplayers on the other team (I submit for evidence of the opposite the announcer for the Chi-Sox who has his stupid home and end-of-game calls--I won't try to describe them, just listen for yourself sometime).
Anyway, I just wanted to share another Harry memory, in the midst of the happiness of having one of the most beloved Phillies of all time back in the lineup. And as I write these words, the man is up...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Being civil
I enjoyed seeing/hearing the Braves fans doing the "tomahawk chop" during today's Civil Rights Day game (where the teams were wearing the uniforms of their respective cities' negro league teams from many decades ago).
Irony is dead in America.
Irony is dead in America.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Worley's Curlies
I never saw a guy open and close his mouth as he sprints, as new Philly darling Vance Worley did when tagging up from third tonight. It looked pretty odd, but I like him, so it was endearing. Plus, it sort of goes with his goggles.
Too bad the umpire had to screw up Worley's scoreless streak--he definitely had Laroche struck out.
I've decided to start a Brian Schneider fan club, in honor of the local (Northampton) product who does a more than admirable job behind the dish. And man, the older he gets, the more he looks like a PA Dutchman. I am taking name ideas for the club; so far I have Schneider's Sliders (referring to the pitch selection, but gives us the option to dress like mini-burgers--veggie burgers, of course) (actually, C and I came across this great idea for grilled beet sliders, where you take just a big, honkin' slice of red beet and grill it and throw it in a bun--can't wait for grillin' season!).
Too bad the umpire had to screw up Worley's scoreless streak--he definitely had Laroche struck out.
I've decided to start a Brian Schneider fan club, in honor of the local (Northampton) product who does a more than admirable job behind the dish. And man, the older he gets, the more he looks like a PA Dutchman. I am taking name ideas for the club; so far I have Schneider's Sliders (referring to the pitch selection, but gives us the option to dress like mini-burgers--veggie burgers, of course) (actually, C and I came across this great idea for grilled beet sliders, where you take just a big, honkin' slice of red beet and grill it and throw it in a bun--can't wait for grillin' season!).
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