Baseball Cometh
Yes, being the time of year when we clutch at any shred of baseball, we luxuriate in the fact that the Phillies’ equipment truck left Philadelphia today at about noon, on its way to Clearwater.
Just think, a Pre-Season’s worth of ball, gloves, and every other imaginable bit of training gear are trucking south, even at this moment.
And next week, the pitchers and catchers arrive in Clearwater for Spring training.
Baseball cometh!
And if you stop and listen intently, you can just about hear the crack of a Phillies’ bat dominating an oncoming fast ball.
THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY, Philadelphia Phillies Fans…
Three weeks from today? Three weeks from today, there’ll be baseball in Clearwater, FL.
Three weeks from today, the pitchers and catchers of the Philadelphia Phillies are to report to Spring Training.
The Long Offseason is almost over.
Rejoice.
45 Days til Spring Training
It’s the first week of January, 2012. 2012. 2012. 2012. (It takes some extra practice to get used to the name of this new year.)
And it’s cold. The weather, balmy like Spring only a couple of days ago, has turned winterish in earnest. The soft ground is rock hard and everyone has visible breath outside.
But hold onto this: Spring Training is 45 days away.
45 days til pitchers arrive at Clearwater, FL.
May time fly.
Phillies 2012
Just when I got used to writing checks with 2011 on the top line, and just when I knew for sure that 2010 was last year, it all changes again in one hour.
But one thing remains the same: February is Spring Training, whether in 2011 or 2012. Ah, life is good.
What mysteries will Ruben Amaro unveil between now and Opening Day?
It’s 59 minutes til 2012. And don’t you know that 2012 will be another great year for all Phillies fans.
Happy New Year, Phillies fans.
Riley Cooper and the Phillies
Riley Cooper, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, has another Philadelphia connection.
Upon graduation from high school in 2006, Cooper was drafted by the Phils, tho he declined the contrat to play baseball in college in Florida. (where he was Tim Tebow’s roommate.)
He later signed with the Rangers, but decided to play football instead.
Who knew.
Papelpon = Phillie
It’s a done deal. Former Boston closer Papelpon is a Phillie.
It took most fans by surprise, because rumor had it that Ryan Madson was close to a deal with the Phils.
But he’s been replaced by a close with a similar record as his – except Papalebon has far more experience, and is older.
Just when we were getting used to seeing Madson lope in from the bullpen…
Now we await word on Cuddyer.
Cuddyer Visits Phillies Brass
Yesterday, Cuddyer, the much coveted versastile player who batted .284 last season, visited Philly.
He would add depth. And Philadelphia holds its breath til he signs.
Meanwhile, Ryan Madson isn’t signed. Sign, Ryan.
Jim Thome Is Coming to Town (ie Phillies)
It’s another early Christmas present from stellar manager Ruben Amaro. He’s got Jim Thome coming to Philly next season, for one season, to hit smash homers off the bench when they’re needed.
It’s a dream come true, almost as good – well, sort of – as when Amaro brought back Cliff Lee. At the least it’s a very nice early Christmas present.
It will be a season for Thome to relish. He’ll be playing for his good friend, his father-figure Charlie Manuel.
He is just what we need, an important puzzle piece put in place by Ruben Amaro.
Of course, there are more concerns. There’s third base. There’s short stop. There’s a closer.
But one thing Philadelphia has learned is that Amaro makes dreams come true.
Pass the popcorn.
Cliff Lee Is No Villain
If you listen to sports talk radio like I do, maybe you’ll agree with me that most of the callers seem to have low IQs. Not all – but most. Whew. Sometimes they sound like they only want to agree with the hosts, and sometimes they have views that bounce off every wall within sound of their voice.
One such opinion, as I see it, is that Cliff Lee is the reason the Phillies’s post season ended so soon. He had a four run lead and blew it. It was his fault, so some say.
I say no.
The Phillies got to the post season on the backs of their starting rotation. Cliff Lee was amazing.
Did he blow that 4 run lead? Yes, he did. But where the heck was the offense?
When one of your aces gets in trouble, that’s when the offense needs to bail him out.
But as we are all painfully aware, the Phillies offense was practically nonexistent during the final month of the season. When Cliff Lee got into trouble, nobody came to save the day.
Are mega-salaried professional athletes too full of themselves to watch a lot of video and to be willing to change their approach to hitting? Are they willing to be taught how to improve, willing to be taught how to adjust in order to have more success? Are professional baseball players willing to listen?
Let’s hope the Phillies are willing.
Now Phillies Phans Examine the Season
The pain is over. At least there is that.
We’ve watched the Phillies’ offense over the past couple of years, watched it turn hot and cold, as if the team were held in the grip of the most fickle of fates.
And we knew, as we saw the offense turn stone cold throughout this past season, we knew that the post season could be iffy at best.
And iffy it was. In fact, all we are left with are majors what if’s…
On the one hand, we had a wonderful season. We watched the Aces carry the team on their backs.
We watched the emergence of the Vanimal.
But on October 7, we also watched the season die at the hands of that suffocatingly still offense.
So now we take a few deep breaths. Now we pack away our World Series dreams, at least til next year, when those same dreams will leap to the fore.
After all, we still have our great starting pitching.
But there will need to be a few changes. Polanco? Rollins? Ibanez?
Time will tell.
But for now, we will continue to lick our wounds as we remind ourselves, as we are able, of the very good things that the 2011 Phillies baseball season gave us.
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