Phillies Breakfast Links, October 22, 2009: Back to Back to the World Series Edition

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 22, 2009 7:37 AM EDT

It was about the 4th inning last night when Whole Camels went to the bullpen and once again waved to the righthander to do the next three weekdays' worth of Breakfast Links. And of course I was so wired that I was up until 2 a.m. Bottom lines: Add linkys where you may; I'll just get the party started.

via media.philly.com

Back for Seconds: Phillies in Fall Classic. Todd Zolecki tells you everything you need to know in the lede, and makes me suspect that he either checks out our game threads, or that maybe Jayson Werth just has a fondness for beer and cigars.

Jayson Werth held a cigar in one hand and a beer in the other as he soaked in the champagne that had been poured on him and the atmosphere that had surrounded him as the Phillies celebrated their second consecutive trip to the World Series on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

They're nothing quite like last night, but the booth calls of the clinching out are also on this page. Andy Martino's game story is here.

Lots of interesting NLCS records. Perhaps like me, you heard so much about Ryan Howard's consecutive RBI streak, but did you know about Chase Utley's? And here I thought Chooch was a postseason OBP monster.

Don't miss some great pictures of Werth here--the look-in to the dugout shot after his 3-run HR and Pedro Martinez pouring champagne in his mouth are two of my faves (don't worry jonk, neither one is the best Werth picture ever).

Phillies fans celebrate a night of good karma. Just in case you're out of town and were wondering how ugly and angry things got after the pennant clinch. Turns out: Not so much.

Bill Lyon: Savoring a night of triumph. He's right. This comes along like, well, never. Jayson Stark gives the context.

Bill Conlin: Manuel's champs have it all over Green's. Who but Bill Conlin had the pre-loaded lede that last night was the 29th anniversary of the 1980 win? And Oh By The Way, he was right about Manuel all along. I hope there's no lasting damage to Charlie Manuel after the pregame hug of Dallas Green.

Phil Sheridan: The greatest Phila. team of all time. Not to be all Debbie Downer today, but if the greatest Philadelphia team of all time still winds up losing to the Yankees, it's just not going to help this city therapeutically.

Paul Hagen: Tipping or not, Phillies starter Hamels still struggles. Speaking of therapy, recall that not all was sweetness and light last night. Any tips for Cole Hamels? Seabiscuit in the 4th? Plastics?

Dodgers pitchers fall short in clutch situations. You know, that's what she said! Meanwhile, over at the L.A. Times, do I detect some West Coast bile? Careful, L.A.--thinking like this might give you an edge.

Shane Victorino is not universally loved, but for his eerie power to slay Dodgers. I know, it's a shock. Fun post from McCovey Chronicles.

Down 3-1 in ALCS, Angels try to stay positive. No way I could miss this link. If only there were some cheesy way I could help.

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Comments

That Victorino article really is a good one. Some good work done in the comments too.

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 11:13 AM EDT reply actions

I hate to break up Taco Pal's one man party here

I agree on the Victorino article. Great absurdity, a must read. As is the long dissertation on the Millennium Falcon.

by Cormican on Oct 22, 2009 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Dancin’ with myself. I’ll be dancin’ with myself…

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Damn

SF Giants fans have more vitriol for L.A. than I’ve seen for Mets fans in recent years. They had their own victory thread with sad Dodgers pix that had 600 comments.

by doubleh on Oct 22, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I think the geek quotient in sf fans is truly quite high…i thought phillies fans had a high quotient (see BSG) but my goodness…I mean I know it’s silicon valley and ll but wow

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Oct 22, 2009 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

At least one Mets fan has decided to root for our guys. Seems to be a point of rather intense debate in that segment of baseball fandom.

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

Mets fans deserve to know how we felt during the 2000 Subway Series. I remember not paying much attention, and that my lawn was fairly well raked that year.

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 22, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Cole – I think he’s just gassed. Maybe the week of rest will get him closer to being the real Cole again.

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

The Empire’s media reps begin taking their first shots over our bow.

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 11:34 AM EDT reply actions

Haha, are they kidding?

But the roster’s soft underbelly quickly reveals itself after that: Carlos Ruiz and Pedro Feliz are little more than role players, and the bullpen is notoriously shaky (despite Brad Lidge’s strong postseason so far).

Soft underbelly? Really? Our “soft underbelly” is our 7 and 8 hole hitters, because they didn’t hit 30 homers and/or steal 30 bases this season? And have they seen Chooch play in the postseason? If that’s our “soft underbelly,” I’m feeling pretty good.

by JimmyK on Oct 22, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Because I enjoy getting everyone riled up for no good reason, here are some of the most annoying pro-Yankee comments on that NYT blog post.

No doubt – Yanks will beat the Phils and parade through the city of NY once again. The Phils are a very good team, but so are the Yanks this year and we all know that pitching beats everything this time of year. Yanks pitching is FAR superior to Phils pitching – especially of late – and that will win the series for them. Lineups are pretty even, though the Yanks do have a stronger bottom third and certainly a stronger bench. Who is even going to DH for the Phils – Matt Stairs?? Please.

Oh, it’s so cute to watch rabid Phillies fans get all worked up about a statistical argument, as if they’re love of their team could overcome the numbers. Adorable.

What the phillies fans fail to understand is that all the greatness they’ve accomplished so far has come against the equivalent of AAAA teams when compared with the AL. Why do you think the AL consistently dominates interleague play as well as the all-star game? Why do you think NL teams have won 6 of the last 15 world series? The Dodgers and Rockies are not close to the Angels, RedSox or even Minnesota, Detroit and Tampa. The Phillies have one #1 starter and the a bunch of #4 and #5s. Pedro Martinez? Yeah, he was really good against AL teams about 5 years ago. He’d do just about as well as Smoltz and Penny if he were pitching in the AL east now. Hamels and Lidge are not the same players they were last year and the Yankees are mch better then Tampa Bay. Let’s see where all of you are 2 weeks from now, I guarantee it won’t be spewing your exhaust on this board.

Hahahah it’s funny to see all the little Phillies fans get riled up. It’s cute.

Someone from Philly called another city’s fan "fair-weathered". Yeah…….

There are some seriously delusional Phillies fans making comments right now. All four American League playoff teams as well as the Tigers for that matter are better than the Phillies, and they Yankees will probably sweep them. The Phillies will be lucky to win one.

Feel that disrespect, Philadelphia? Let it sink in so the resentment permeates your souls until you can’t hold it in anymore on the 31st! Remember – these random blog commenters speak for every member of the entire Yankees organization!

(In truth, the Phillies-sympathizers outnumber the Yankee-boosters on that thread, and unfortunately most of their arguments are not very good. But whatever.)

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Those guys don’t even sound like very well-informed Yankees fans. Most of the real Yanks fans I know are nervous about the match-up. Only idiot bandwagoners resort to the “NL doesn’t even belong in the same stratosphere as the AL” and “Phillies fans are so cute” crap. Whatever.

by doubleh on Oct 23, 2009 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions

In all fairness, the first poster there is pretty close to right on some points. On paper the Yankees have an edge in pitching. The lineups are equal and they will have the better DH.

So, who will DH? We’ll need one for 4 games. Mayberry? Stairs? Cairo? Won’t be Dobbs, Francisco or Bruntlett.

by Cormican on Oct 23, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

But the Yankees are not “far” superior in pitching. More importantly, pitching does not “beat everything this time of year.”

by taco pal on Oct 23, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

DH

Why wouldn’t it be Francisco? Isn’t he the obvious choice? At least against Sabathia and Pettitte? To me, the only question is whether you play him in the field and move Ibanez to DH.

Francisco could play everyday on a lot of major league teams. He is superior as an offensive player compared to Melky Cabrera, for one.

by taco pal on Oct 23, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d definitely consider DHing Ibanez and putting Francisco in the field. Ben can fly. The only question would be if DHing Raul would take his head out of the game – some guys don’t handle the disruption of the rhythm well.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Oct 23, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

I think of Bruntlett and Francisco as valuable defensive replacements. I like the idea of DHing Ibanez though.

by Cormican on Oct 23, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m thinking that if Ibanez DHs, you won’t need to defensively replace anyone.

by taco pal on Oct 23, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I kinda meant to include that in my post.

by Cormican on Oct 23, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

You think of Bruntlett as valuable anything?

Oh dear.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Oct 26, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Haha, its going to be cold, somebody has to get the coffee!

by Whack8888 on Oct 26, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

right, since the Phanatic’s uniform won’t need to be dry-cleaned as often.

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 26, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree that the Yankees have even an edge in Pitching. If you actually (not trying to sound preachy or insulting, just trying to say if you actually ;)) look at the stats for Burnett and Pettitte they are not very good. Granted, AL DH probably has something to do with that, but I would be hard pressed to say they have an edge, given that most of there numbers are significantly worse. Also, I dont have a whole lot of confidence in the Yankees bull pen, aside from Rivera who is awesome. But there is a limit to how many 5 out saves he can do.

As far as the DH, I am pretty positive it will be Ibanez and Francisco, who is a very decent player in his own right, will start in LF. That is a pretty awesome defensive outfield, and Francisco is pretty solid if he is a 7-9 batter.

by Whack8888 on Oct 23, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Pettitte is a very good postseason pitcher, though. AJ is spotty, but can be dominant when he is on. I agree they aren’t far superior. I would give them a slight edge in pitching.

by Cormican on Oct 23, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

They still play baseball in the postseason, right?

If so, I’ll weight his 2009 regular season numbers higher than his postseason numbers from as far back as 1995.

by phatj on Oct 24, 2009 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

So how many games will Jim Caple predict we’re going to lose in this time around? Let’s set the over/under at, say, 4.5.

by taco pal on Oct 22, 2009 12:06 PM EDT reply actions

Under.

by PhillyFriar on Oct 22, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Neyer will probably say we’re going to lose in 3.

by wildcatlh on Oct 22, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Let him

Every time he makes a prediction that we lose we come out on top. No need to break that streak now. I’ll be more worried if he picks the Fightins.

by doubleh on Oct 22, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I cant imagine what it would feel like to be one of those guys…champagne showers? screaming fans? going to the WS?

Im not even embarrassed to show my love or bromance over this team. Us fans are really lucky to have this team. Great guys and management.

by ssean2266 on Oct 22, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for Philling in WL.

After scrolling through those pics, I have some additional admiration of CHoP. I always love seeing the guys enjoy themselves like little kids. CHoP standing on the dugout spraying the fans with a :D on his face is awesome.

Ryan Madson got the save last night. I realize there wasn’t one issued, but he cleaned up a giant mess.

by Bilzo on Oct 22, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

Madson pitched great. When you enter a game with the bases loaded and nobody out, and you only give up one run, that’s as successful a relief appearance as you can get.

by wildcatlh on Oct 22, 2009 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

this picture does sort of bother me though.

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 22, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

We are being spoiled rotten. I love it.

by FuquaManuel on Oct 22, 2009 2:32 PM EDT reply actions

More fun from our loyal fans

Another must read, with much Yankee bashing:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=4584376&sportCat=mlb

And this, http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33431576/ns/sports-baseball/ which includes our quote of the day:

"Martinez tried to deflect questions about facing his former rival while dodging champagne sprays and beer showers in the postgame celebration Wednesday, but couldn’t resist when a reporter said, “Pedro, you have a long history with the Yankees.” He stopped, leaned in and said, “No, the Yankees have a long history with me.”"

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 22, 2009 4:04 PM EDT reply actions

New York and Philly are separated by a turnpike, about 100 miles and attitude. New Yorkers consider Philadelphia a really nice imitation of Cleveland — and Philadelphians know it too. Nothing would give this city more pleasure than watching the Phillies slice and dice the Big Apple into baseball submission.

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Oct 22, 2009 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions