Over/Under/Never Phillies Spring Training Idea Solicitation!

by Phrozen on Jan 21, 2012 11:50 PM EST

Ed. Note: Front Paged for the Cabin Febrile'd.-- Wet Luzinski

From deep within the bowels of their secret Ice Fortress, the OUN Cabal has begin to plan for the 2012 season, and we need YOUR help.

Home sweet home.

See details after the break.

It's admittedly early, but some of us are suffering from Ice Fortress Fever, and need diversions wherever they can be found. We're gonna pretend it's early by focusing on Spring Training for now. So here's what we need from you: suggestions. We've got the basics covered already, but we're looking for the extra flair. How many triples is Scotty Pods gonna hit, when will Phrenchy Aumont get his first save, how many runs will The Seminoles score. That sort of thing.

The Cabal will take the suggestions, and compile the best of them into a poll to be held at a later date (~2 weeks), from which we will pick the most popular, using a highly complicated algorithim of our own design.

The poster whose suggestion receives the most votes in that poll will be awarded a vagueish prize of some sort, possibly a baseball autographed by Robin Roberts.*

* A baseball autographed by Robin Roberts will not be awarded.

So fire away!

You don't want to disappoint Lord Kitchener, do you?

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Here are all the important dates of the Spring Training schedule for those of you who are making event suggestions.

Pitchers and catchers report: Feb. 18
First workout: Feb. 19
Position players report: Feb. 23
First full-team workout: Feb. 24
Phillies vs. FSU Seminoles: Feb. 29
First Grapefruit League game: Mar. 3 (Phillies vs. Yankees)
Home Exhibition Series: Apr. 2-3 (Phillies vs. Pirates)
Opening Day: Apr. 5 (Phillies @ Pirates)

As for my event suggestions and predictions, I’mma wait until I’m sober to start any sort of conjecturing…

Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.

by TheOrangeCone on Jan 22, 2012 3:09 AM EST reply actions

Sober? Well that’ll take the fun out of it!

But thanks for the info. I could have thought to include some of it, if I were sober enough…

by Phrozen on Jan 22, 2012 3:50 AM EST up reply actions

Phillies announce extension with Cole Hamels: April 5
Charlie Manuel’s first ejection: April 30
Jim Thome’s first walkoff HR of the season: June 1
Chase Utley lands on DL for first time: June 15
Jamie Moyer’s first appearance against the Phillies: July 15
Vance Worley traded: July 28
Cole Hamels traded: July 29
Joe Blanton traded: July 30
Jesse Biddle, Brody Colvin, Trevor May, OR Dom Brown traded: July 31
First game of 15 innings (includes 14 1/2-inning wins at home/losses on road) or more: August 1
Ryan Madson’s first save against the Phillies: August 22
Wilson Valdez’s first relief appearance of the season: September 1

Fare thee well, JM. In my book, you were the Greatest.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7890127&c_id=mlb

by Missing Jamie Moyer on Jan 22, 2012 8:05 AM EST reply actions

Will the Valdez prediction still be valid...

…if he does it for his new team?

by jimjones1968 on Jan 26, 2012 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

First non-pitching appearance by a Phillies pitcher or pitching appearance by a non-pitcher: June1

by michaeljack on Jan 22, 2012 8:31 AM EST reply actions

We'll consider those, of course

But remember, we’re looking for Spring Training related items at this point.

by Phrozen on Jan 22, 2012 2:55 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

Strangely enough, I did the exact same thing when Phrozen sent me the email suggesting a SPRING TRAINING O/U/N event this year. There’s a lot of pent up demand I guess, which is why he was suggesting the brand diversification.

by Wet Luzinski on Jan 22, 2012 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

Oops.

Sorry, you guys aren’t the only ones who have been imbibing liquors this weekend.

Fare thee well, JM. In my book, you were the Greatest.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7890127&c_id=mlb

by Missing Jamie Moyer on Jan 22, 2012 7:36 PM EST up reply actions

Savery plays in the field March 20
Dontrelle Willis DHs March 25

by pretzalz on Jan 22, 2012 4:03 PM EST reply actions

This special ST edition of O/U/N should also be catnip for the organizational depth/prospect heads out there, for whom I also propose this format:

is sent down/DFA’d (never); breaks camp and is brought up for “On Deck Series” exhibition games (under), is on Opening Day roster (over).

by Wet Luzinski on Jan 22, 2012 4:37 PM EST reply actions

Oh rad. I nominate Cameron Rupp, Jiwan James, and Cesar Hernandez for this format.

by Trev223 on Jan 22, 2012 6:43 PM EST up reply actions

Actually, rereading, those aren’t the greatest examples, if only because they have basically zero chance of achieving the over. Phillipe Aumont and Justin DeFratus are probably the most overall interesting.

by Trev223 on Jan 22, 2012 6:47 PM EST up reply actions

The other variable is a bit of injury luck, but yeah, this is why we’re putting this post out now to get the most intriguing propositions.

by Wet Luzinski on Jan 23, 2012 12:02 AM EST up reply actions

This may be a stupid question, but do we have a list of the ST invitees to go over?

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 23, 2012 10:57 PM EST up reply actions

I assume this is the 2012 list of NRI

by Cormican on Jan 24, 2012 10:31 AM EST up reply actions

Obviously, all the 40 man players show up as well.

by Cormican on Jan 24, 2012 10:33 AM EST up reply actions

First recorded instance of a Phillies player in the “best shape of his life:” March 2nd.

by Trev223 on Jan 22, 2012 6:48 PM EST reply actions

My money’s on Jim Thome.

Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.

by TheOrangeCone on Jan 22, 2012 6:49 PM EST up reply actions

Either Thome or Blanton

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 23, 2012 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

Heh – First recorded instance of a Phillies player other than Thome or Blanton in the “best shape of his life”: March 22nd.

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 23, 2012 10:59 PM EST up reply actions

Now that is a good one.

by Phrozen on Jan 24, 2012 12:56 AM EST up reply actions

Oh, nice.

by Trev223 on Jan 25, 2012 10:52 PM EST up reply actions

First instance of a starter retiring every batter he faces before being pulled: February 29
First injury scare: March 5
First time the Phillies face a lineup including a Phormer Phillie and a Phormer Phuture Phillie: March 13.5
First reference to a non-Irish player having “the luck of the Irish” March 17.5
First multiple home run game by a bench player and/or a AAA player: March 20
Announcement of who will be the opening day starting First baseman: April 1.5

All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia

by Veni Vidi Vici on Jan 22, 2012 11:15 PM EST reply actions

First reference to a non-Irish player having "the luck of the Irish" March 17.5

LOL. I like this one, though I have no idea how to be objective about it.

by Phrozen on Jan 23, 2012 12:06 PM EST up reply actions

I only recently learned that that phrase has a racist history. As Americans and Brits thought the only way any Irishman could have any success was through pure luck, as they had no skill, intelligence or work ethic.

by Cormican on Jan 23, 2012 12:42 PM EST up reply actions

Crazy. Makes sense, I suppose. We Americans are generally a bunch of racist bastards.

by Phrozen on Jan 23, 2012 1:28 PM EST up reply actions

Similar story behind the term Paddy Wagon, for police truck (in 1800’s NYC, they were actually wagons and nicknamed such for the seeming frequency they were packed with Irishmen). I love word and phrase origin stories.

by Cormican on Jan 23, 2012 2:46 PM EST up reply actions

you should check out How the Irish Invented Slang…

also, Christopher Ricks’ book on Beckett (Beckett’s Dying Words), aside from being utterly beautiful and marvelous, has a fascinating chapter on the “Irish bull”, which is, if you’ll allow me to quote from my own non-sports blog :

the kind of absurd language in which the speaker appears foolish. Ricks tells us how earlier, English, accounts of the bull tended to assume that the speaker knew not what he or she was saying, the joke was on them. But Ricks argues, and it seems clear he is right, that the joke was on the English, who of course as the oppressor in the relationship, were not inclined to see themselves as the butt of jokes.

by yolacrary on Jan 24, 2012 9:41 AM EST up reply actions

The Existence Machine is a fantastic name for a blog.

by Phrozen on Jan 24, 2012 12:01 PM EST up reply actions

ha ha, thanks… I took it from a Thomas Bernhard novel, The Loser

by yolacrary on Jan 24, 2012 12:33 PM EST up reply actions

We Irish were black long before it was cool to be.

by Wet Luzinski on Jan 24, 2012 8:10 PM EST up reply actions

Some eraser stubble on the drawing board now that Wilson Valdez is gone. More opportunity for my man Bello.

by Wet Luzinski on Jan 26, 2012 12:04 AM EST reply actions

Phillies sign Luis Castillo as NRI utility infielder: Mar 5
Juan Pierre gets caught stealing: Mar 7
Jimmy Rollins pulls up holding his hamstring stealing 2nd: Mar 19
Jim Thome starts at 1st base: Mar 11
Jim Thome records first error at 1st base: Mar 11
Antonio Bastardo hits a batter: Mar 20
Chase Utley homers: Mar 14

by Jokes & Burns on Feb 3, 2012 3:05 PM EST reply actions