For those of you who had Yankees in 6…that pick is still alive…but not without a little trepidation. You only have to look at the starters for game 6 for a little doubt to creep in.
37 year old Andy Pettitte on three days rest for the Yankees…vs. 38 year old Pedro Martinez on full rest for the Phillies.
Just like they did in games 4 and 5…the Yankees are starting a pitcher on 3 days rest. It worked out for them in game 4…even though C.C.Sabathia didn’t get the win.
But A.J. Burnett imploded in game 5 (6 runs in 2 plus innings of work) and it might not be such a great idea after all.
Last night Fox Sports showed a graphic illustrating the risk Yankees Manager Joe Girardi is taking.
Since 1999…when one pitcher starts a playoff game on three days’ rest …against a starter on full rest… the pitchers on short-rest have won 12…and lost 36.
Girardi says he thought it over a long time…consulting with his staff…and his pitchers…and remains convinced this is what they needed to do to win the World Series.
He might still be right.
I think this really comes down to two things: The Phillies offense…vs. the Phillies Bullpen !!! And that’s not a typo!
Can Utley, Werth ,Ibanez, Rollins and Howard (if he ever snaps out of it)…score more runs than the Phillies beleaguered bullpen gives up ??? Can anyone really trust Ryan Madson or Brad Lidge with less than a 10 run lead in the 9th ??? They make Mitch Williams look like Mariano Rivera !!!
If the Phillies somehow win game 6…can’t you see it in game 7…Phillies lead 5-4 in the 9th…with Brad Lidge on the mound…and the Yankees have the top of the order coming up !!!
It’s the ultimate payoff…or let down…and it’s what a lot of Phillies fans have both dreamed about…and anguished over all summer long.

I started writing this blog before Game One…now I’m finishing it before Game Two.

If I didn’t have such an emotional investment into who wins the World Series…I think I would really look forward to watching a nail biting winner-take-all game 7. Being a lifelong Phillies fan…I don’t know if I want it to go that far!!! I would prefer not to have to endure what could be a wild rollercoaster ride to the finish.
That being said…it has all the makings of a great match up. The two best teams in baseball this season…going head to head in the best of 7 Fall Classic.
The defending world champs…against the traditional powerhouse. The team with the most last place finishes in baseball history vs. the team with the most world titles.
Both teams are loaded with stars…Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley etc…vs. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and the rest.
Try comparing them by positions…side by side…and it’s very close.

1st Base…Ryan Howard and Mark Teixiera. Two great sluggers. Howard hit more home runs and had more RBI’s…but Teixiera is better with the glove. Howard has shown the ability to rise to the occasion…and has been a clutch performer for the past three seasons down the stretch. The jury is still out on Teixiera…after a sub-par postseason so far.
Advantage: PHILLIES

2nd Base…Chase Utley and Robinson Cano. Both can hit…but Utley is the Phillies answer to Derek Jeter. He is always in the right place at the right time…and does what it takes to win…with the bat or with his glove. Two home runs off Sabathia in Game 1 says it all (Only Babe Ruth has ever done that before…2 HR’s in a World Series game..by a left-handed batter …against a left-handed pitcher…pretty exclusive company!) Advantage: PHILLIES

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter. The 2007 NL MVP vs. one of the all time great Yankees who had a resurgence this season with the bat and the glove. Jeter is a winner…and it’s the intangible that cannot be measured. Rollins is better with the glove…and rises to the occasion when the spotlight is on. Close call. Advantage: YANKEES

Third Base: Pedro Feliz and Alex Rodriguez. No debate. A-rod is one of the best players of all time…who was thriving for the first time in October..until Cliff Lee took the mound.
Feliz has an average bat…and a good glove…but he’s not A-rod. Advantage: YANKEES

Leftfield: Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon. Ibanez has more power…is a better fielder…and Damon’s arm is weak at best. Damon hit the most home runs in his career this year with 24…but so did Ibanez with 34. Advantage: PHILLIES

Centerfield: Shane Victorino and Melky Cabrera. Victorino is another one of those Red Light players that seems to thrive when the pressure is on. He’s also a gold glove centerfielder. Cabrera started the season as a back up to Brett Gardner…but regained the starting job in July and provides some pop at the bottom of the Yankees order. Advantage: PHILLIES

Rightfield: Jayson Werth and Nick Swisher. Werth has come into his own this season…with career highs in home runs (36), RBI’s (99) and games played. He was an All Star for the first time this season…and may have room to get even better. Swisher also hit 29 home runs of his own…usually batting 8th in the Yankees order…but he has really struggled in the postseason.
Advantage: PHILLIES

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz and Jorge Posada. Don’t sell Ruiz short. For the second postseason in a row he has been a rock behind home plate and a clutch performer at the bat. Posada has more power…but he has lost a step behind the plate. Advantage: PHILLIES

Starting Pitching: I think the Yankees have the edge…but it’s a very close call…especially after Game 1. Cliff Lee was incredible…C.C Sabathia was good…but not great. After that…it’s a toss up. Who will be better ….Pedro or A.J ??? And will the real Cole Hamels please stand up ??? Does Andy Pettitte have another big game left in his bag of tricks ??? Before Game 1… I thought the Yankees had the advantage. After Game 1…I say it’s EVEN.

Relief pitching: Mariano Rivera tips this to the Yankees. He’s the best closer of all time…and as usual is the one key player that no other team has. Brad Lidge was brutal during the regular season…shaky but efficient so far in the playoffs. The other relievers …on both teams …are no guarantees. Advantage: YANKEES

Prediction: I made this before I saw Game 1…
Phillies in 5.
Howard, Utley and Rollins are the best players the Phillies have ever had at their respective positions. Sprinkle in Cliff Lee…Shane Victorino…Jayson Werth…and add a little burst of Pedro magic…and the Phillies will repeat.

As the leaves turn…and the days get shorter…and colder…the calendar clicks over to October 1st.
I think of two things when I see that date…and they both have to do with the Phillies.

October 1, 1950: The Whiz Kids Win It!

It was the last Sunday of the regular season in 1950…and for the first time in 35 years…the Phillies had a chance to win the National League pennant. They were known as the “Whiz Kids” because most of the players were home grown from the Phillies fledging minor league system…and their average age was about 26 years old.
They were the youngest team in baseball…led by future Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn…and helped along by fan favorites like Del Ennis, Andy Seminick and Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones.
Maybe most important of all…was the flash of brilliance turned in by relief pitcher Jim Konstanty. He was 33…he wasn’t young…and he wasn’t imposing to look at…but he was the grizzled veteran that held the young team together.
Konstanty made 74 appearances, which set a new National League record. He also won 16 games, all in relief…and racked up a National League best 22 saves. Konstanty was the first relief pitcher in baseball history to win the MVP award.
On October 1st…the Phillies were desperately clinging to a one game lead. The Brooklyn Dodgers were breathing down their necks. The defending National League champions had already taken the first two games of this season ending series at Ebbets Field…and they needed just one more win to force a one game playoff. Robin Roberts and Don Newcombe hooked up in a pitcher’s duel…both righthanders were looking for their 20th win of the season. The Dodgers almost won it in the bottom of the 9th…but Richie Ashburn fielded a single in center and threw a strike to home to nab Cal Abrams at the plate and send the game into extra innings.
Then in the top of the 10th…Dick Sisler hit a two out three run homer…the biggest home run in Phillies history …to give the Whiz kids a 4-1 lead! 35 years of frustrations wiped away by one swing !!! Despite Konstanty’s dominant season as the “closer”…it was Roberts who got the last three outs to end it. The Phillies …the Whiz Kids…had finally won the pennant!!!

October 1, 1970: Farewell Connie Mack

That was the night they finally closed down Connie Mack Stadium…home of the Phillies for 32 seasons…and original home of the Philadelphia Athletics…and I was there.
Built in 1909 as Shibe Park…it was America’s first concrete and steel ballpark. Located at 21st and Lehigh in Philadelphia… it was home to Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s…the premier franchise of the American League for the first three decades of the 20th Century. The Phillies began sharing the old ballpark in 1938…and became sole occupants when the A’s left for Kansas City in 1954. Known for it’s French Renaissance exterior…and the dome that graced the main entrance…Shibe Park was a green diamond in the slowly deteriorating North Philadelphia neighborhood.
Renamed Connie Mack Stadium…it was considered antiquated by the 1960’s…and Phillies waited to move into a modern ballpark. That would happen with the opening of Veteran’s Stadium in 1971.
But before they did…they held that last game…October 1st 1970.
My father loaded our  family into the station wagon and we headed into North Philly to see the Phillies play the Montreal Expos in the final game of the season…the final game at Connie Mack.
It was quite a show…the old stadium was packed to the rafters. And a lot of fans didn’t come to say good bye…they came to take something home. They started to literally pull the old ballpark apart…seat by seat and brick by brick. I remember sitting in the upper deck along the first base line…and the familiar sounds of a ballgame were replaced by the din of hammers…and wrenches and bare hands ripping seats from their foundations…and the signs off the walls. I still remember the feeling…when the upper deck started to sway as the demolition continued. My father quickly led us back downstairs…because he thought the whole place was going to come down !!
But it was a really good game (!) …so we stayed to watch the end…from the lower stands along the third baseline. The Phillies won it 2-1 in the bottom of the 10th…when Oscar Gamble singled in Tim McCarver with the game winning run. And that’s when the fans stormed the field…and started ripping the beautiful green grass up…and tearing down the outfield walls. It was total bedlam…and very sad. I was only 9 years old…but I could see the look in my father’s eye that this was a heartbreaking way to say farewell to an old friend.
About a year later my dad took my brother and I back into the now vacant ballpark. It was scary and fun all at the same time. The field was overgrown with weeds and debris. Part of the upper deck on the third base side had been heavily damaged by fire in August 1971…and it was now just a conglomeration of twisted metal and charred remains. Rows and rows of stadium seats were actually lined up where the infield used to be. The big Ballantine Beer scoreboard in right was still there…but it was full of holes and missing tiles.
But standing there with my dad and brother …in what was now desolate and quiet…you could imagine that you were Jim Bunning standing on the mound…or Tony Taylor digging in at home plate.
You could almost hear the crack of the bat…and the roar of the crowd from long ago.
My brother and I ran the bases…at least what we figured where the bases once were…and we laughed…and shouted…and tried to make it home….with my dad cheering us on.
For one brief moment…it was a ballpark again.
Before we left…my dad noticed three complete seats…still joined together…along the rows laying in the infield. The three of us carried them out…and took them home…for a final souvenir.
39 years later…I still have those seats…and the memories of Connie Mack Stadium…safe at home.

Here’s another one of those stories that can be followed with a collective “Who Knew???”
The former Heavyweight Champion of the World Muhammad Ali…spend some time in Ireland…the birthplace of his ancestors….as part of a nine-day European tour to help raise money to fight Parkinson’s Disease.
As the AP reports Ali was greeted by scenes reminiscent of a presidential visit as thousands of well-wishers lined the streets in the town of Ennis.
The 67-year-old ex-boxer was honored by the town council with a plaque at the home of his great-grandfather…Abe Grady.
Grady was born on the Emerald Isle…but migrated to America …and settled in Kentucky in 1860 …where he later married a freed slave.
One of their grandchildren turned out to be Ali’s mother…Odessa Lee Grady Clay.
Genealogists uncovered Ali’s Irish heritage in 2002.
Ali suffers from Parkinson’s Disease…and did not speak to the crowd …but he shadow-boxed for the spectators and cameras before meeting his distant relatives.

So Irish Eyes must have been smiling when Ali took it to Liston…battled with Frazier…and knocked out Foreman in Zaire.

And as the great poet himself might say ….”Float like a leprechaun…sting like a bee…the Luck of the Irish…and the punch of Ali !!!”

Who Knew ???

It’s hard not to be touched by the outpouring of emotion with the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. He made a difference in so many lives…not only here in Massachusetts…but also across the nation. There are countless stories of how the Senator took a personal interest and active role in helping his constituents….whether he was helping someone down on his or her luck to find a place to live…to get a green card…or to provide the funding necessary to make a dream come true.
He was not a man without faults…and at times his personal life was the enough to fill tabloids…magazines and “E” True Hollywood Stories. But his life turned around when he met and eventually wed his second wife Vicki in 1992. She changed his lifestyle and helped him regain his focus. I had a couple of opportunities to meet the Senator in person…and one quick chance to interview him. It happened right after the UMAss/Kentucky Sweet Sixteen Men’s NCAA Basketball game in Philadelphia in 1992. The Senator was there with his then new fiancée. I was part of a large number of sports reporters and videographers waiting to get into the locker room to interview the Minutemen after the game. The Senator was allowed in first…to congratulate the team on a job well done…after a tough loss to the Wildcats. Vicki stood alone …next to the wall…away from the throng of media waiting for access to the players. I took the opportunity just to walk over and say hello…and really just make small talk with her. It was really nothing more than…”Congratulations…did you enjoy the game…and how are the wedding plans going ???” But that’s when Ted came back through the door….and walked directly back over to Vicki…and to me.
No one made a move…but here I was…with the Senator…and his soon to be new wife…and I figured he’ll probably say “No”…but I’ll ask anyway. “Senator…would you mind commenting on what you just told the team?”
The Senator saw my microphone cube…saw that I was from 22news in Springfield…and began to speak. As he did…about 50 microphones descended around us…and suddenly the Senator and I were in the middle of a swarm of sports reporters looking for an extra “bite!!!” He told me “What a great season they had…and how much fun they were to watch…and what a great thing it was for the Commonwealth…” and with a quick smile and handshake…he left…but not before I had a chance to whisper a quick thank you to the soon to be Mrs. Kennedy…for helping me be in the right spot at the right time. It was a brief…and probably to some…insignificant encounter…but one I’ll never forget.

Just checking back on the Baseball Forecast I made back in April.   Some predictions are right on…others are not so close!!!

In April …I said the Red Sox would win the AL East…and the Yankees would win the Wild Card.  Right now it’s reverse order…but still close enough to say it could still happen.

In April…I said the Indians would take the AL Central division crown away from the White Sox.     WRONG!!!    The Indians are so far out ..they have traded some of their best players !!! (Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez etc.)   The White Sox trail the Tigers by a game and a half.

In April…I said the Angels would dominate a weak division….and so far I have that right…but the Rangers are only 2 and a half games back.

  I’m doing about the same  in the National League !!!

In April…I said the Phillies would win the NL East…that looks good.  But I had the Mets winning the NL Wild Card..that doesn’t look like it will happen.

In April…I said the Cubs would win the NL Central…they’re just a half game back of the Cardinals…so that could still happen.  One of those teams will probably win the NL Wild Card.

And in April…I said Arizona would take the NL West…over the Dodgers…but the Diamondbacks are awful..and Manny is still Manny in LA.

  So out of  six divisions…I have two right…two close…and two way off !!!

We’ll see what happens with two months to go in the regular season!!!

 Babe Ruth 13/14 Division

Kiwanis at ITI 6/7/09

 Kiwanis scored 4 in the first and 4 more in the 4th on their way to a decisive win over ITI…10-4 the final. Pitcher Matt Irzyk didn’t give up a run over the final four innings…and he also ripped a two out two run single to cap the scoring in the first. Kyle Hinds hit a booming double in the 4th that scored 2 more runs and gave Kiwanis a 9-4 lead. Jack Templeton, Ian Wolski, Anthony Pellan, Sam Thresher and Matt Plasse also contributed hits as Kiwanis scored their most runs in a game this season.

 Babe Ruth 13/14 Division

Kiwanis at Cortina Tile 6/11/09

 Sam Thresher’s 2 hits and 4 RBI’s led Kiwanis to their third straight win…as they down Cortina Tile 10 to 7…in a game shortened by rain after five innings. Thresher came up with the bases loaded in the first and the third…and delivered both times. Kiwanis scored 7 in the first in their biggest inning of the season. Jack Templeton had two hits. Matt Irzyk and Dean Varelas each had a hit and two RBI’s. Matt Plasse also chipped in with an RBI single. Ian Wolski started on the mound and game up just one unearned run…recording four strikeouts along the way.

Should the Red Sox trade Brad Penny or hold on to him.

On this team he is a good number four starting pitcher, but on most other MLB teams he is a number two or even a number one.

The Sox were able to sign him for cheap money and he signed for cheap money because he was damaged goods and he needed to reestablish himself as a major league pitcher. A good decision by both parties.

Now its time for the Sox to make a profit.

Trade him for prospects.  Package him if need be, but move him now before he breaks down. The Sox have great pitching prospects, but not a great number of everyday prospects, so let’s make a deal.

The Phillies, Braves, Mets, Brewers, Rangers and maybe even the Cubs could be trading partners. Just trade him.

That’s all I got.

Babe Ruth 13/14 Division
Kiwanis at Camfour 4/29/09

Camfour 2 Kiwanis 1
Ian Wolski pitched 3 shut out innings…and made a spectacular bare hand play at shortstop …but Kiwanis falls just short against Camfour 2-1 the final. Wolski went deep into the hole…and snared the ball with his bare hand…before turning and firing to first to get the last out in the bottom of the sixth. Jack Templeton and Anthony Pellan had the only hits for the Kiwanis offense. Matt Plasse and Ryan Tettemer followed Wolski on the mound with 4 strong innings of relief.

Babe Ruth 13/14 Division
ITI at Kiwanis 5/2/09

ITI 3 Kiwanis 2

Ryan Tettemer started and went three strong innings on the mound…and also scored two runs ….but Kiwanis drops another close one to ITI…3-2 the final. Tettemer, Ian Wolski, Anthony Pellan and Dean Varelas all singled. Varelas and Wolski threw four strong innings of relief…and Kiwanis played great defense.

Babe Ruth 13/14 Division
Cortina Tile at Kiwanis 5/8/09

Matt Irzyk went 2 for 3 with two RBI’s…but Kiwanis falls to Cortina Tile 12-5. Kiwanis built a 5-1 lead on the strength of hits from Ryan Tettemer and Eric Berrios…and two clutch two-out singles from Anthony Pellan and Irzyk. Kyle Hinds had an RBI single…and Dean Varelas and Anthony Garde also picked up basehits. Ian Wolski struck out 6…and gave up just one run in 3 innings on the mound. Tettemer turned a double play to end the top of the 7th.

Babe Ruth 13/14 Division
Camfour at Kiwanis 5/12/09

Dean Varelas pitched 4 shut out innings…leading Kiwanis to a 6-3 win over Camfour. The game was tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth…when Kiwanis erupted for 4 runs. Anthony Pellan led the offense with 2 hits. Jack Templeton, Ian Wolski, Eric Berrios and Matt Irzyk also hit singles in that 4 run inning. Irzyk hit a clutch 2 out 2 run single. Berrios closed it out…striking out the side for his second save of the season.

Here’s a look at another one of my teams…these kids are 8 and 9 years old…and they are off to a good start. They’re just learning the game…and facing live pitching for the first time.

North Instructional
Westfield Police at Heritage Lawns 4/20/09

Heritage Lawns 8 Westfield Police 6

In their opening game of the season…the Westfield Police drop a close one to Heritage Lawns 8-6 the final.

Dillon Bazegian, Rory Tettemer, and Carter Cousins each had two hits…and starred on the mound for the Police. Luke Bacopolis made a nice fielding play at second to slow down a Heritage rally. The Police were down 8-1 at one point…but rallied to make it a close game at the end.

North Instructional
Westfield Police at Industrial Tech 4/25/09

Westfield Police 8 Industrial tech 8

Sam Rehor had three hits and scored two runs…leading the Westfield Police to a comeback tie against Industrial Tech. The Cops were down 8 to 3…but rallied with 4 in the fourth…and 1 in the sixth. Nick Garde had two hits and two RBI’s. Carter Cousins had two hits…including an RBI single. Dillon Bazegian had an RBI double…and Nick Sampson singled and scored a run. Bazegian and Rory Tettemer each pitched two scoreless innings to allow the Police to make the comeback.

North Instructional
Westfield Bank at Westfield Police 4/27/09

Westfield Police 9 Westfield Bank 8

Dillon Bazegian hit a solo home run in the third…a three run triple. in the fifth ..and walked with the bases loaded in the 6th to force in the game winning run…as the Westfield Police outlast Westfield Bank 9-8. Besides three hits and five RBI’s…Bazegian also started the game on the mound…and recorded 9 strikeouts in 3 shutout innings. The Cops were down 8-1 in the bottom of the fifth before they started another comeback. Nick Sampson and Ryan Rix both singled and scored a run. Danny Bongiovani and Ian Wilhoite each scored two runs. Carter Cousins and Sean Mitchell each worked an inning on the mound. Rory Tettemer pitched a scoreless 6th inning with three strikeouts.