GAMES – Phillies’ Three-Year Run Teetering

The Flyers helped followers overcome an otherwise lousy winter sports season on the professional circuit for Philadelphia squads. Hockey, especially in HD, was exciting as the surprising post-season ride lasted all the way until that mediocre, unsuspecting side shot somehow snuck under the pads and trickled into the right corner of the net.
Despite another horrendous basketball campaign, I find myself wearing a Sixer cap these days to celebrate the arrival of new coach Doug Collins and the luck of the ping-pong balls. If they don’t screw it up, the Sixers should garner an impact player with the number two selection on June 24.
That organization needs a real boost and it says here that the hoops-smart and experienced Collins will begin to turn things around almost immediately.
The Eagles have exhausted their organized team activities for another off-season. The calendar begins an eager count toward training camp which is set to begin in about 40 days, a time many gridiron loyalists anticipate more than St. Nick headed down the chimney or even the arrival of that government window envelope containing the tax refund check.
Every step Kevin Kolb takes will be analyzed like those folks who watch for the ground hog to see his shadow. The new quarterback appears to have the perfect temperament for leadership in a relatively hostile football city. He’s been trained to play this role and early indications are that the lessons sunk in like that old concrete ship in Cape May Point.
That recap brings us to the baseball team. A three-year honeymoon is suddenly on the brink now that Charlie Manuel’s boys have lost their lumber and a so-so pitching staff has been more exposed than Hank Baskett’s wife.
I will carry my angst about the Cliff Lee trade until my ashes are nestled softly into an Eagles’ urn. I’ll never get over that trade and no one’s going to make me. It keeps coming up in my throat like the taste of an-hour-ago over-mayo’d tuna sandwich.
Trotting out Roy Halladay and Lee in the same series would be nothing short of awesome.
Sorry, that’s would have been.
Power pitching makes any prolonged hitting slump irrelevant. Manuel’s team dislikes manufacturing runs with bunts, steals and hit-and-run plays more than Andy Reid’s Birds disdain running the football. But the Halladay and Lee combo with Cole Hamels in the three spot may have caused Chuck to re-consider his Earl Weaver three-run homer mentality.
Scratch out a run or two with some sacrifices and hitting behind runners. Take more pitches. Make the other guy work. Do the little things to squeeze out a run. Speaking of squeeze, I’d try that, too.
The Phillies invested heavily in aging Raul Ibanez who has given them one-half of one season for their $31 million gift. We can only wonder if the stepped up performance enhancing drug testing is just a coincidence for many older players who previously found new career life in their late 30s.
As much as I despise the Lee trade, I probably have down right angst for the Ryan Howard contract extension. This team will regret that decision more than the Sixers wish they’d never traded the top pick for Jeff Ruland and Clifford Robinson.
The unfortunate and long-term leg injury to Jimmy Rollins is not the only obvious issue. We tire of waiting to see if Jamie Moyer gets a plate umpire who calls the corners and then some. We don’t want to watch Joe Blanton’s fastball arrive flatter than a slice of provolone cheese.
The bullpen just isn’t built for long-season success with the usual cast of aging arms and the frustratingly inconsistent Ryan Madson. When Madson returns from his self-inflicted frustration injury, he needs to fill the vital role of set-up man, effectively.
Closer Brad Lidge appears to be on the right track but time will tell. Maybe the Phils can go on a streak and recapture the glory of the recent past. Or maybe these hitting slumps and average pitching performances will be enough to sink the ship.
Reach Rossi at joerossi61@comcast.net