Spring is here and there are just 11 more days until baseball games matter again. I very excite!
In the 'Fruit, it was Phillies over the Red Sox, 4-1. Halladay pitched 7.2 innings of 1-run ball. I think he's ready. Shane Victorino tried to pull an Aaron Rowand. Alas, he failed in that endeavor; he won't miss any regular season time, most likely.
Phillies:
Amaro, Schneider: Castillo a low-risk proposition for Phillies
So basically what WholeCamels said.
Luis Castillo Meets His New Teammates
Another MS Paint masterpiece from ZWR.
Add "corneal abrasion" to your list of 2011 Phils maladies
I hate eye injuries. I can't even read about them without getting squeamish.
Rollins may be key to a Phillies lineup in limbo
"It makes everything go," Rollins said. "When that guy gets on, the car is in first [gear]. When it doesn't happen, you're revving in neutral and waiting for something to happen. Even if [Howard] gets up there and hits a home run [with nobody on], there's a run on the board, but the car is still in neutral. When the top guys get on with speed, the motor is running, something is going to happen. Now you don't need a home run to score. That's how you feel. We put ourselves in that situation where you don't need a home run to score, it makes it easier on everybody." Look at Jimmy Rollins getting all metaphorical. He could have a job here at TGP when he retires.
Spring Training 2011 Question Of The Day: Philadelphia Phillies
Rob Neyer wonders how many 20 game winners the Phillies will have.
Elsewhere in baseball:
The Atlanta Braves Could Win The NL East In 2011
This article begins with the premise that "the media is on the Phillies' nuts and says they will win the division in a cake walk" which is completely at odds with what has actually become the "trendy" line. Now it is all about how "the Phillies are old, their offense is suspect, and they are hardly the lock that they were being hyped as when they signed Lee" and the Braves now seem to have become the fashionable pick.
Mets Release Oliver Perez
Great news for Mets fans, obviously.
Maddon sticks up for everybody by having racist fan ejected
Are we sure that the Orioles "fan" wasn't actually an Orioles player? Namely, Luke Scott.
2011 Organizational Rankings: Introduction
I wonder where the Mariners will place.
Blogger On Blogger Action
Sexy.
My Mother’s Basement
OG Joe Posnanski goes in. Whole Camels is on the record as being a father's attic blogger. I'm an uncle's garage kind of guy. Feel free to chime in on where you blog from.
Stupid thing written about baseball of the day:
There were many stupid things written in this comment thread. This was the stupidest:
'I honestly think this is Charlie's way (after securing his contract) of saying "give me the pieces to win, not junk from the waiver wire". That's what I think. Middleton, you miser, open up your friggin' wallet again. This team's window is closing very fast and your profit margin will disappear faster than you can say "what happened to the fan base?"' --"mainlinephan"