Now I Remember: Phillies 13, Marlins 2

by dajafi on Apr 26, 2009 3:48 PM EDT

It took three weeks and 17 games, but the Phillies finally got a pitching performance to be proud of and a win to relax by: they held the suddenly reeling Marlins to two runs, and for the first time this season did not allow a home run in a blowout 13-2 victory. The team also never trailed in today's game, breaking their string of 16 straight games facing a deficit to start the year.

Jamie Moyer continued his dominance against Florida, running his lifetime record against the Fish to 12-1 with six innings of one-run, seven-hit ball in which he struck out six to record his 249th career win. Meanwhile, Marlins pitching issued 11 walks against the Phils, as emergency call-up starter Graham Taylor walked six and three subsequent relievers combined to give up the other five. The only Florida pitcher not to surrender a walk? Outfielder Cody Ross, who threw a scoreless ninth to go with his three hits and run scored. The Phils also took advantage of numerous outfield misplays by Marlins left fielder Jeremy Hermida, who was charged with one error but repeatedly took bad routes to balls that fell in near him.

Oddly, the Phils put up 13 runs with just two extra-base hits, doubles by Eric Bruntlett and Shane Victorino. But every regular got a hit except catcher Chris Coste, and four Phillies scored two runs each.

Back over .500 for just the second time this season, the club comes home Monday to start a three-game set against last-place Washington. The Marlins, losers of six straight, hit the road to visit the Mets and Cubs.

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very pleased by the oppo HR streak fail. Quite a record we now sport!

So, in reviewing the game thread, any love for Chris Coste? Anyone? Anyone?

Bueller?

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 26, 2009 10:46 PM EDT reply actions

No love for Coste. His career needs to be ended ahora. He is a bad player in pretty much every facet of the game. His little 34 year old rookie act was cute for a while, but it is clear there was a reason he spent so many years toiling in the minors.

I also have a natural aversion to him because the Philly fans liked him so much. He has come to symbolize the “Rocky complex” this city has whereby bad (white) players are worshipped and good (usually black) players are criticized for the most minute things.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m basically sympathetic to that viewpoint but at the same time I honestly don’t think Coste is all that well liked. I think he’s too colorless and family-friendly to fit the mold you’re alluding to.

There’s certainly a significant racial element to the favorites game in Philadelphia, but it’s also a lot more complicated than that.

Also, just as a philosophical matter, I’m all for upgrading players who are treated unfairly, but not downgrading players who are treated too well (unless they’re actually bad people like, say, Lenny Dykstra). It isn’t their fault.

by taco pal on Apr 27, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I want the Lou Marson era to start already – the full time learn to play in the majors and displace the over rated ruiz type of his era

Course I still believe Jason Donald can play 3rd base :)

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 27, 2009 4:25 PM EDT reply actions

I have been an advocate of the rocky complex for a long time – but to simplify it as a skin tone thing I believe is not an accurate thing.

See Evans, Reggie on the Philadlephia 76ers – he’s loved – by so many – for his ‘blu collar’ bs – but when it comes down to it – he’s a terrible one dimensional player who hurts the team vastly more than he helps the team.

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 27, 2009 4:31 PM EDT reply actions

hence “usually black”…should have also put “usually white” there as well for clarity.

Indeed, this city didn’t really warm up to Mike Schmidt until he was in the 500 home run club. Burrell got very much the same treatment. Yet, for every talented white player who has been disliked, I am sure you could find a handful of black (or otherwise non-white) players who are subjected to a level of scrutiny incommensurate with their skills (see Rollins, Howard, Iguodala, Abreu, and McNabb for recent examples).

by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah. Interestingly, though, I think a fair amount of the anti-Iguodala sentiment in town comes from black Sixers fans as well as white ones.

I think that there’s basically a premium that has to be paid if you’re a black player, although it’s never the sole factor in one being hated. A white McNabb or Iguodala would not be loved. A white Rollins probably would be loved, but then, the black Rollins hasn’t exactly been disliked (up till now – knock on wood). A black Schmidt or Jaworski would probably have been despised, but the white Schmidt and Jaworski were both treated pretty brutally too.

Since you mentioned Abreu, I think foreign-born players have generally gotten it the worst of all because of their inability to communicate. It’s very difficult for a black player to be truly loved in this city, but I can certainly think of a number who have reached that level nevertheless. Has any foreign player ever been truly loved? (Not counting hockey, of course, where everybody is foreign.)

by taco pal on Apr 27, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think it has anything to do with skin color or nationality – pat burrell was just REALLY good at baseball so he made it seem effortless – so even when he was playing his best he didn’t ‘look’ like he was trying – same with abreu (and besides, phillies fans put more emphasis on defense, hence the instant deification of Aaron Rowand, at least they put more emphasis than I do)

Reggie Evans LOOKS like he’s trying hard but in reality he’s doing nothing positive (and there’s a lot of numbers to back this up) except in one small (and to me very unimportant category) – but the fans love his ‘effort and energy’ – who cares that it amounts to nothing.

To me it’s always this idiotic theory that philadlephia is a blue collar town – and dear god it’s not – but the whole rocky thing – it’s why i hate the rocky statue – i hate that it was located outside a sports arena – that was ridiculous – seriously – at this point – take the 3 best sixers and flyers of all time and make a strong multi player statue and you’ll be fine.

Appreciation is a multiple of how much it ‘looks like’ your trying divided by the the percentage of talent you have versus the average player – so guys who stink but run around get a lot of appreciation but guys who are naturally effortless but amazing get the short end of the stick cause ‘imagine how good they’d be if they tried harder’ -

The Iguodala situation is a more complicated issue surrounded by who he started his career with and unrealistic expectations from the type of player he has always been – and the fact that while he doesn’t wow you in any single category i posit that he’s one of the 20 best ALL AROUND players in the NBA (not to mention the ESPN hype machine – they make Brandon Roy a star and ignore Iguodala when an objective analysis has been made by a few people that Iguodala is better than Roy (with less talent around him as well))

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 27, 2009 5:21 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry man, have to disagree here. Having been in Philly and listened to WIP’s treatment of Abreu (particularly Eskin), to the extent that Eskin’s hatred of Abreu was representative of a certain portion of the Phillies’ fanbase (which I think it is), the treatment was certainly predominantly motivated by racist bigotry. In fact, it would be inappropriate for me to repeat most of the things I heard people say about Abreu up in the 400 level or chatting while waiting for a hot dog at a food truck on broad st.

But yeah…I will agree that Philly hasn’t been “blue collar” (in the gritty proletarian sense) since the flight of the manufacturing industries after WWII.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Now se – if eskin is leading the charge on anything I don’t find it to be bigotry – just the complete stupidity of the average sports phan – i’m sorry – but phiadlephias bad rep is kind of deserved and as long as Eskin is pulling high ratings – that rep is deserved.

A smarter sports fan (like the ones mostly who post here and on other blogs I read) find eskin a useless tool

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 27, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

But now you are avoiding the point…just because they are stupid doesn’t mean they are not racist. In fact, the two go together quite nicely.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s harder to separate stupidity from racism – i know some pretty intelligent racists – they’re easier to ‘categorize’ (my mother for instance)

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 27, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure…but the writing is on the wall in this case: if someone says, for instance “Abreu can’t speak english, he’s one of those stupid Latin players” the statement might be a result of the speakers lack of intelligence, but the statement is still undeniably racist (or bigoted if you prefer).

by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions