Comments for Phillies, an old school team

Phillies, an old school team

2009-10-30T18:34:14Z

I'm starting to take a closer look at the Phillies and am leaning toward them winning this series. Baseball has changed over the years. Now instead of baseball people in charge, we have young business profiled bullshitters who try to come up with statistical anaylsis as a winning method. That's why I like the Phillies.

I can just hear Charlie Manuel (our hitting coach when I played for the Indians) in his heavy southern drawl, "don't let that sucker get ahead, if he throws a strike, hammer it!"

Hitting isn't about how many pitches you can see during an at-bat. It is about hitting strikes and the Phillies get after it early and often. Even the so-called table setters of Rollins and Victorino take monster hacks if you bring it in the zone early. In my opinion, that's why their offense is dangerous.

Think about this...every pitching coach is preaching to his pitchers to "get ahead" yet the new way of hitting is preaching to "see more pitches." HUH? Dumb hitters who follow that theory. Watch Cliff Lee throw the ball over the plate with the majority of his pitches. He pitches to contact and that is why he he has been dominant. He is defying the new hitting theory! Heck even Pedro challenged guys with his blazing 88 MPH fastball with inside strikes last night!

Oh well, short series can bring all sorts of outcomes along the way, especially with the umpiring as weak as it is this year. So anything can happen. But pay attention to the aggressiveness of the Phillies offense.

Comment from Rick S on 2009-10-31

2009-10-31T15:23:28Z

Just when I thought the Phillies had a chance, you give them the kiss of death just like with the Angels. I always pull for the AL team with a big asterisk if it's the Yankees -- the Evil Empire who tries to buy it year after year. Just seeing Spike Lee all decked out in Yankee gear like a six year-old is enough to hope they lose.

BTW What's your take on Tim McCarver? I turn the sound off when he starts going off on one of his "astute analysis", that he'll repeat ad nauseum, just to make sure we all know he's "the expert".

Comment from Noneck on 2009-11-02

2009-11-02T06:29:40Z

Sometimes no matter how well you play the game or how well you are coached, you run into a team that is just a better team. That seems to be the case this year with the Phils.

Comment from lesnessman on 2009-11-03

2009-11-03T20:33:01Z

What do you think of your California guy (jk) Hamels?
Do you think the Old School Charlie Manuel privately put his foot up Hamel's ass?