The Future Phillies

One of the major things that stood out for me during the World Series was the confidence that Charlie Manuel displayed in his players.  He ran the same group out game after game, and it paid off in a big way.  There was no single hitter that consistently showed up for the Phillies.  In fact you could say that from top to bottom everyone had good days but mostly bad days.  And yet they won.  It was the pitching.  Other than a couple of bad outings from Jamie Moyer versus the Brewers and the Dodgers, and one from Brett Myers, the pitching was awesome.  Cole Hamels elevated himself from number one to NUMBER ONE!  He just may be the second coming of Steve Carlton.  Myers and Joe Blanton pitched well enough to win, and six innings of good pitching is all it takes these days.  And don't forget Moyer.  He was terrible against the Brewers and worse against the Dodgers.  But Manuel stuck with Jamie and he came through in game three against the Rays. And the bullpen!  Romero, Madsen, and Lidge.  What a fantastic performance.  And hats off to Eyre and Durbin, too.

Now for the lineup.  Two players came through in the clutch before the final out, Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino.  Both had some terrific at bats and clutch hits.  And lets not forget that Manuel went with Pedro Feliz in the last game and Feliz came through big.  But more important was that Manuel never wavered when Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, and Jayson Werth were all terrible with men on base.  But each came through at important times, both offensively and defensively.  What a great play Utley made in the last game when he threw that Ray out trying to score from second on a ball hit in the hole.  Great play.

I look forward to more great things from this team.  The infield it set.  Ruiz will catch.  Victorino is set in center.  I don't think Burrell will be back, especially at $14 million a year.  Hoepfully the GM will bring in a big bat to replace Burrell.  And the pitching looks good.  Hopefully Moyer will again be back, Kyle Kendrick will return to his rookie form, and Myers will be consistent once again.  Add Blanton and that's five starters of quality.  

Last, had the Phillies not been in the series I would have rooted for the Rays.  They have a bright future ahead of them.  They played well throughout the playoffs, and Maddon is an excellent manager.  They, too, have much to keep them on top.

This off season should see the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox spending lots of cash.  Each has some holes that need to be filled.  The Yankees need pitching, pitching, and more pitching.  The Mets need a bullpen.  The Red Sox, well they will spend money like they are printing it.  They need Lowell 100% and perhaps replace Veratek.  

Seed you next spring!

Your Bailout $ at Work

The Mail, a British/London newspaper, reports that Goldman-Sachs has set aside approximately $10 billion of bailout funds for salary and bonuses to its 443 "partners."  That will amount to about $4.5 million EACH for Christmas.  This comes as no surprise to me, since the author and main thrust behind the bailout is non other than Hank Paulson, ex CEO of...Goldman-Sachs.  So people of America, how do you like where your US Treasury funds have gone?  And remember that Paulson was appointed by our fearless leader, Mr. George W. Bush.  And remember that Mr. John McCain has proudly claimed that he has backed Mr. Bush almost 100% of the time.  Haven't the Republicans, Bush-Cheney-Rove, done enough to destroy the USA as we once knew it?  Isn't it time for the Republicans to pack up and leave Washington?  Oh, and take Dem. Pelosi with you.

BTW, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has warned Wall Street that using bailout funds to pay salary and bonuses will be in violation of the law.  We'll see.

I am so lucky!

I wonder how many of you have been as lucky as I am.  Just read this list and you'll be astounded at my luck...

1) I have won the British lottery at least ten times

2) My name has been drawn from millions of emails sent and I've won!

3) My long lost Nigerian uncle has left me millions of dollars

4) I have been selected to receive millions from a Hong Kong account in my name

5) The Liberian government had awarded me ten million dollars

6) A CEO job is just waiting for me, and it pays millions

7) Wal-Mart wants to give me thousands of dollars

8) I get to keep a lap top for free

9) Eat this, not that

10) Vote for Obama

But, on the other hand...

1) I need male enlargement

2) But my breasts are too small

3) My wrinkles are too big

4) But my IQ is too small

5) My bank account has to be updated

6) But my bank account has been suspended

7) My bank account has been closed

8) But someone wants to meet me

9) My ebay auction winner wants their money back

10) But I should vote for McCain

I wonder what all of these people did before there was an Internet?

Chase Utley Drops An F Bomb!

In the excitement of the celebration, Chase Utley, the Phillies spectacular second baseman, let fly with an expletive which we all know and love! The greatest second baseman in Phillie history is hereby excused and will not get a reprimand from the teacher!  The only problem is that Chase did his thing in front of perhaps several million adoring baseball fans.  But hey, this is only the second World Series victory for the Phillies in their century and a quarter of existence, so Chase, we love you!  And drop another one next year, too.

Shameful approach by the McCain campaign

As the presidential election draws closer, it seems to me that the McCain campaign is getting uglier and uglier.  The truth is elusive, and at this point doesn't matter at all to the McCain people.  There only rallying point has become that Obama is inexperienced, that Obama is a Muslim, that Obama has ties to terrorists, that Obam this and Obama that.  Well, McCain, rather than dwell on Obama, how about telling us about yourself?  How about how you became involved in politics.  How about your ties to Charles Keating?  How about your lack of judgement in picking Sarah Palin as your running mate?  Just the other day I heard Rush gushing about Sarah!  That's enough to send me to the polls twice!  I've seen the TV ad where it is pointed out that the first time there is a crisis it will be the first time Obama occupies the Oval Office under heat.  May I ask, "How many times has John McCain faced a crisis in the Oval Office?"  And worse yet, what shape would our country be in if Sarah Palin sat in that chair?  The woman doesn't even know the contents of the First Amendment.  She recently used the First Amendment as an example of how the media has been critical of her.  Excuse me, Mrs. P., but the First Amendment allows the media to say exactly that.  So you obviously have it backwards. But she has shown a lack of understanding on the level of a grade school student when it comes to the Constitution, current events, foreign relations, the current financial crisis, and on and on. Now she seems to have disappeared as the last few days of the campaign wind down.  Obviously that have decided to shut her up before the other foot disappears down her throat.

While driving to work the other day I noticed a crowd on a major street corner near my work. They were McCain supporters waving their signs and having a great time.  That's fine.  But, one sign read, "Obama kills babies."  That's just obnoxious and reflects the mentality of so many McCain supporters.  Shameful stuff, indeed.

PHANTASTIC!!!

World Series!

2008 World champions!

A great day for Phillies fans the world over!

GO PHILLIES!!!

In anticipation of tonight's continuation of game 5 of the 2008 World Series, there is only one thing to write about...

GO PHILLIES!!!