Get ready for another installment of The Good Phight's All-Time Phillies Tournament. As we are progressing through round 1, we have yet to see a major upset. Hopefully we'll see some fireworks today (but I am not promising anything). Here are today's matchups:
#8 Mike Lieberthal vs #9 Jimmy Rollins
#3 Von Hayes vs # 14 Del Unser
#7 Tony Taylor vs #10 Stan Lopata
#8 Bill Hamilton vs #9 John Titus
You can find the most updated bracket by opening the link on the left bar, or clicking the link below.
The Good Phight's All-Time Phillies Tournament
Round 1 - Game #9:
#8 Mike Lieberthal vs #9 Jimmy Rollins
Always good to see two recent Phillies go head to head. Jimmy has always taken it hard for not being a "prototypical" leadoff hitter and Lieby was always looked at as a hold over loser from the old guard (funny how short people's memories are). Anyway, here we go. Game 1 started off slow as both teams we re just feeling each other out, but JRoll lands the first punch with a 2 run 4th inning. Lieby gets one back in the 5th on a single, but JRoll gets that back in the eighth after he drew a 2 out walk (yeap, you heard that right peoples), stole second, moved to third on a throwing error (sheesh Lieby, you ARE a catcher after all) and then scored on a passed ball (double sheesh). Down by 2 in the bottom of the 9th, Lieby gets on base via an error and then coaxes a walk (I am not making this shit up) to put 2 on and nobody out. Lieby then flies out, but laces a single to right to make it a 1 run game. Another error by Rollins at first base loads them up, but Lieby must have been hanging around Burrell too long and strikes out twice to end the game. In game 2, Lieby strikes first sandwiching a HR inside the second inning where he struck out 3 times. Back to back doubles puts him up 2-0. Rollins gets one back in the fifth but Lieby cracks another homer and scores 3 times in the 7th to go up 5-1. A homer in the 7th all but puts the game away for Mike. Jimmy, leads off the 8th with a hit and then hits a hooking homer to left to get to 6-3. After Lieby walks and singles, he hits into a Lieby special, GIDP. Rollins, not going down without a fight hits a 1 out homer to right to get to 6-4. After striking out, he hits back to back to back singles plating another and has men on first and second. Rollin decides to give up on the singles and revert back to his homerun swing at the beginning of the inning. A big swing for the fences and that just results in a flyout to center, Game Lieberthal (both teams manage to strike out 25 times). In game 3, Rollins comes out firing building a 3-1 lead in the 4th. But Lieby puts up a 4 spot in the bottom of the 4th to take a 5-3 lead. Rollins manages to score 4 runs in the top of the fifth without ever hitting the ball out of the infield on the strength of two infield singles, 3 errors, a wild pitch, and 2 stolen bases. Rollins puts the game away in the 8th scoring 4 more courtesy of back to back triples. Lieby builds a 2-0 lead in game 4 only to see Rollins score 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the fifth to go up 4-2. They don't call Lieby Mr. Clutch for nothing though (that was him, right?) 2 in the bottom of the fifth and 1 in the sixth puts him up 5-4, which would last til the 8th, when Rollins leads off with a homeruns he should never be hitting. Lieby leaves the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning and Rollins takes advantage scoring 4 in the 9th to take the series, and a date with Bobby Abreu.
G1: 3-2 Rollins
G2: 6-5 Lieberthal
G3: 11-6 Rollins
G4: 9-5 Rollins
Rollins wins series 3-1.
Round 1 - Game #10:
#3 Von Hayes vs # 14 Del Unser
We finally get to see a player that has been much maligned to Phillies Phans over his career. This is truly unique. Um, yeah, right. In game 1, Del opens the scoring with 1 run in the second. Von gets it back with a very unclutch 2 out single in the 4th. The game remains scoreless until the bottom of the 9th when Von reaches via an infield hit and moves to second on a ground out. Von reaches deep inside himself, fights off all the boos and drives the winning run home on an error to second. Oh well, good enough. In game 2, Del started off the scoring again with a run in the third. Hot and Haysie ties it up, but the Farmer puts two on the board in the sixth and then makes it a laugher with 4 in the 9th. Von bounces back in game 3, despite striking out 12 times, he puts on his rockets and gets a triple, an inside the park homer and steals 3 bases. DUns has no idea what he was witnessing and fell to the hurricane that is Von Hayes. Deciding that he didn't want to let himself get Hayesd, the D man game out with all pistons firing. 12 runs on 12 hits and just 2 extra base hits were too much for Von to handle and the series is tied 2-2. Del starts the scoring again in the decisive game 5 with a homer in the 3rd. Hayes ties it up in the 4th and puts two more on the board in the 6th. He wouldn't look back and moves on to round 2.
G1: 2-1 Hayes
G2: 7-2 Unser
G3: 5-1 Hayes
G4: 12-7 Unser
G5: 4-1 Hayes
Von Hayes wins the series 3-2.
Round 1 - Game #11:
#7 Tony Taylor vs #10 Stan Lopata
Here we see Tony, the Italian Stallion, Taylor against Stanley, I have phlegm in my throat, Lopata. All of South Philly has their eyes on this one. Of course, Stanley comes out in game 1, smacks 2 homers, a triple and 2 doubles to take a 13-1 lead. Tony tries to come back, but alas, all he could muster is 4 runs. Round 1 go to Stan the man. In game 2, Stan comes out firing again, putting 2 up in the second and 2 more in the 4th for a 4-0 lead. But, Tony shows us he is a tiger and puts 3 on the board in the bottom of the 4th thanks to a questionable HBP that got one of the Stanleys thrown out of the game for arguing from the dugout. Tony puts another on the board to tie it up in the fifth, but Stan shows his resolution and takes one deep in the 7th enroute to a 7-5 victory. With his back up against the wall, Tony was destined to take game 3. And that he did...not. Stanley scores in 6 of the first 7 innings to go up 14 to 1 and then proceeds to pitch underhand to help Tony out. It wasn't enough.
G1: 13-5 Lopata
G2: 7-5 Lopata
G3: 14-5 Lopata
Stan Lopata pulls of the minor upset and wins the series 3-0.
Round 1 - Game #12:
#8 Bill Hamilton vs #9 John Titus
A couple of really old school guys take the field. Little Willy (as his friends like to call him) versus John Titus, also known as JTit. You never know how that ball will bounce early in the century. Game 1 featured Titus coming out fast and furious. John built himself a 10 run lead that even BHam couldn't run through, though, he was fortunate to score 5 runs with only 6 hits, 3 walks and no extra base hits or stolen bases. Titus, tasting blood, scored 3 runs in the first in game 2 and adds one more in the second to go up 4-1. Billy puts small ball and speed together to 4 on the board in the 4th and 2 more in the fifth. He didn't look back and wins 11-5 while stealing 4 bases and hitting 5 doubles. Billy picks up his Ricky bat and smacks a leadoff homer to start game 3 and he never looks back. 3 in the first, fourth and 6th were plenty to put this game away. JTit had less of a chance in game 4 as BHam had his running shoes on. 8 stolen bases and two homers set marks never seen before by and #8 seed who played before the turn of the century. Every BHam had a hit and there were even 3 caught stealings and a double play.
G1: 11-5 Titus
G2: 11-5 Hamilton
G3: 10-3 Hamilton
G4: 19-4 Hamilton
Hamilton wins the series running away, 3-1.