O's Are Clutch, Sweep Phils...Countdown 49

Yes, the Phillies have been slumping at home and were without some of their key players, including Ryan Howard with the flu, but wins are wins. With the Orioles having such a dismal road record this season, I'm still happy when the O's can win anything on the road. A sweep of team away from home is music to my ears. And even a slumping Phillies team is still dangerous, they are still the defending World Champions, and they have the hitters to make any young pitching staff tremble.

But the Orioles manage to pull off the three game sweep by coming up with clutch hits late in the games and not allowing Philly to run away with any lead. The O's are now on a 5 game winning streak and playing some good baseball right now. The man of the moment has to be Robert Andino. In the 20 minute of the game I was able to stay awake to watch, (I know I'm lame) he just made all the plays. It's going to be hard for Izturis to come back and just reclaim his spot. Andino is seizing his opportunity and making terrific plays and even hitting in clutch situations.

I feel like the team is enjoying the winning and is starting to remember how fun baseball can be. They are in much better spirits and its showing while they are playing. This team has been nothing but streaky this season and right now is no exception. But something has changed. The Orioles are no longer winning based solely on their slugging. Now they are preventing teams from scoring runs and are winning close games. And that's something to look at with enthusiasm and hope it continues.

While a .500 season is still a long way off, 49 games to be exact, every little sign of hope is something to be happy about. And if for the first time in years, the O's could have a better record the second half of the season, it's possible. I'm not ready to count them out yet.

Photo: #49 Jason Berken

Maybe Next Year

This has been a year of unlikely happenings. And while the world seems to be falling apart everywhere you look with the economic crisis, the on going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the end of these being nowhere in sight, there have been some great things that have happened this year. And with the new year comes new hope.

I'm just going to talk about the good things in the sports world. Though I love politics, I've tried to keep this blog free of my personal views on the election. However, it is impossible to talk about things happening this year without at least mentioning the historic election of Barack Obama. And to tie this into sports somehow, he has expressed interest in getting a playoff system for college football. And for that policy he has my whole hearted support.

This year has been one of upsets and unlikely characters winning. The World Series featured the Tampa Bay Ray, who had never before had a winning season and the Philadelphia Phillies, whose city had suffered from a 25 year championship drought. The Phillies won and the in an even more unlikely turn of events, everyone is Philadelphia was happy for a few weeks. That was a truly amazing sight. The Rays gave hope to every small market team that with good management and a well stocked farm system allows a team to compete even in a division with the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Another surprise this year for me was the Ravens actually being competitive. With so much turnover and so many changes I picked them to go 5-11. They are now one win away from having the opposite record and going to the playoffs. My hopes for maybe next year turned into maybe this year. A win over Jacksonville tomorrow will cement a playoff berth and even a loss with some help could send them into the post season. The Ravens have been competitive all season and had some hard losses. Overall, they've been really fun to watch and it's been great to finally see some offense from this team.

The Terps football team was one of constant surprises. Each week a different team seemed to take the field. And they seemed to win the games they were supposed to lose and lose the ones they were supposed to win. They went from thoroughly enjoyable to completely unwatchable. It was a frustrating season, but they ended with a respectable record and a bowl game. So next year hopefully they'll be a tad more consistent and go to a bowl game in a warm city, instead of Boise. But a bowl game is always nice, expect another post about this soon.

The Terps basketball team is off to a great start this season. They are 8-2 and winning at the moment. They haven't lost any truly damaging out of conference games. They're only two losses coming to Georgetown and Gonzaga, both ranked. And they have managed upset wins over Michigan and Michigan State. They are playing well with a young team and look to be in a good position going into ACC play in the new year. Hopefully this season will end with a tournament appearance, and not the NIT. Right now things are looking good for the young Terps team.

I also discovered hockey this year. And apparently at the right time. The Caps went from being one of the worst teams in the league to winning their division and making the playoffs last year. Even though they were eliminated in the first round, they fought til the end and gained good experience. This season, the Caps have suffered injury after injury and are still leading their division by ten points. They could make a good run this season if they can get everyone or mostly everyone healthy by playoff time.

Even the Orioles seem to be moving in the right direction. They are shoring up their farm system and trying to sign young players to improve their core. They didn't get Teixeira, but not all is lost. The hometown boy probably wouldn't have been the savior they were looking for anyway. And while it's a slap in the face to go play in New York, that money can be better spent on quality pitching, a far more pressing need for this team. But with Baltimore back on the jerseys, maybe next season will be a winning one.

The Summer Olympics also took place this year. Michael Phelps popularized swimming and won a record eight gold medals. There was also some scandal involved with possibly underage gymnasts. And Usain Bolt shattered his world record 100 meter time even though he slowed down at the end to showboat. China dominated sports I didn't know existed like synchronized diving and trampoline. But the US had strong showing overall and I got sucked into watching sports I didn't care about and cheering for unlikely comebacks. I'm actually excited to see what happens in four years.

The new year is a time to look back and see how far things have come. Its a time to remember the good things of the year and think of ways to make the next year better. With so much turmoil and uncertainty in the world right now its nice to be able to look at sports think of the eternal hope of sports fans. Maybe next year things will turn around.

Thanks for everyone who has supported and read my blog this year. I've really enjoyed writing it and appreciate all the comments and criticisms. I'll try to get a few more posts up this year, but I thought I'd thank you all in advance. Have a happy new year.

Philadelphia Freedom

Last night something happened in Philadelphia. It was more than just a win. It was more than a World Series championship. It was a giant sigh of relief. A weight was lifted off an entire fan base. After 25 years of no championships for a city, years of almosts wons, years of letdowns, last night the city rejoiced. And I was lucky enough to be around for it.

After a monsoon suspended the game, Philadelphians started to think that even God was conspiring to keep them from winning a championship. The faith in this team started to wane and doubt was creeping into the city that had been smiling just days earlier. Yes, it was really odd, people in Philadelphia were uncharacteristically happy. There was a gasp of inevitability when Rocco Baldelli hit a home run to tie the game for Tampa. And then Pat Burrell crossed the plate on a hit by Pedro Feliz to take a 4-3 lead and the team never looked back. And then, last night the city celebrated.

People rushed onto Broad Street. There was much hugging and high five-ing and general good will. Yes, there was some mayhem, some banners torn down, some lights broken, a few cars flipped, and a few fires started. But the overwhelming sense was not one of a riot scene but more of a big party. For all the videos on youtube of people acting the way you would expect Philadelphians would, there were far more people toasting the city, and just being drunk, happy fans.

I was almost disappointed in the lack of destruction. I expected a little more from the city of Angryville. But maybe this is a different city now. One that doesn't boo every time something goes a little wrong. One that doesn't feel the need to destroy all the city that finally has a championship. We'll see what happens as the afterglow fades. Since the moment Brad Lidge finished his perfect season, this city has been in emotional overload. There was laughing and crying and hugs and kisses and cheers and car tipping and fires. This was a moment that changed the lives and attitudes of every Philadelphia fan.

Why Can't Us is now YES US CAN!

Congratulations Philadelphia, it's been a long time coming.

The Suspense is Killing Me

Last night was the night the Phillies were supposed to end their city's misery. Last night, the unstoppable Cole Hamels took the mound to finish off those upstart Rays and clinch the World Series. But alas, it was not to happen. Mother Nature, father Commissioner and Big Brother network colluded to play in terrible conditions. It was raining when the game started. And as the field turned to swamp and the base paths turned to bog, the game was not called.

The Phils went up 2-0 in the first inning. And it was not until B.J. Upton scored the tying run in the top of the 6th that the game was suspended. This is a game that should not have been started. It should have been delayed. But Commissioner Bud Selig gets different weather reports than everyone else. His reports only called for a little rain. But he was still worried before the game started. He told the managers that this game would not be called because of rain. I think that was the right call after a initially wrong decision.

Even starting the game earlier would have led to playing in terrible conditions. But there was no way that could have happened. Fox was not going to let this game be played in any spot other than prime time. Even if the forecast had been better. Bud Selig wouldn't have had the power to go against the mighty network that already dictates so much of the World Series schedule. Even the game that was supposed to be restarted today was not going to get broadcast until 8 pm. However, Mother Nature is still not cooperating. It is absolutely miserable today. Rain, possibly snow in some places, is pounding the area, and even if it stops the wind is gusting.

MLB has announced that the game will not be resumed tonight but will have to wait to try again tomorrow. This is much to the chagrin of the Rays. They had checked out of their hotel yesterday before the game. And the hotel was booked for tonight by the out of town fans. So they had to scramble to find a new place to stay last night. Let's hope they still have rooms open for tonight.

But back to Selig's decision. No player wants to win or lose the World Series due to a rain out. It seems unfair. And I understand Selig's reluctance to call the game. But there should be some contingency plans for bad weather. Especially as the baseball season gets longer and longer. The game could have been suspended before it was complete, which would have led to it being continued when the weather allowed. Selig waited too long to suspend the game. But suspending it was the right thing to do. Even if he did wait til the game was tied. Hamels had lost the ability to control the ball and couldn't pitch anything but fastballs. But Kazmir and Balfour both had to deal with the same conditions. And the fielding was equally as hard for the Rays as the Phillies. No one should have been playing in those conditions. It took away the pitchers' control, the fielders' grip, and the runners' speed. It was a miracle that B.J. Upton was able to run through the muck and mire to make it home.

But there is one other group that did not want this game postponed. It was the Phillie fans. They wanted to go to the game last night. They wanted to see their team win. They did not want another day off to wait to celebrate. The fans could almost taste the victory. They could sense the agony of 100 years without a championship was about to end. There would have been unhappy people in Philly no matter what Selig decided to do. Philadelphia may be pissed about the way last night was handled, but they would not have been happy regardless. The weather was not cooperative for them.

I'm not that upset. I wasn't really that excited about going and celebrating in the cold rain that came down last night. I'm sure the fires from the riots that I'm sure will ensue if the Phillies win might have helped to keep me warm. But I had my fill of drinking outdoors in the rain at homecoming this weekend. So maybe tomorrow night will be better. And maybe tomorrow night will finally bring the celebration this city is so craving.

Talkin Bout a Ray-volution

Last night was Game 2 of the World Series. The Phillies played roughly the same game as they did in Game 1. But this time they did not have their ace, Cole Hamels pitching and as a result, the game had a very different result. Neither team was very good at getting hits with runners in scoring position. But Tampa Bay managed to get people on early and then score on ground outs. So they managed to drive in runs without hits and win the game 4-2. Jamie "Big Game" Shields managed to live up to his name and pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings. And the young pitching star Price came out and stopped Philly for the last few innings. He even helped to increase the drama by throwing erratically to walk Utley on four pitches only to strike out the next batter, Howard.

But that kind of play was the standard for the Phils all night. The Phillies are now 1 for 28 with runners in scoring position this series. They were 0 for 13 in the first game and 1 for 15 in game 2. The Rays had similarly bad numbers but managed to score anyway. And they showed that they will keep finding ways to win. While it seems like the Phils are trying to find ways to lose.

There is one positive for me about the Phils loss. It now means that the Phils cannot sweep the Rays and end the series on Sunday night. I have an exam on Monday and therefor would not be able to join in the raucous celebration on Sunday. So thank you Ryan Howard for going 50 at bats without a home run. I know you just want to let people savor this series. The city of Philadelphia would like to enjoy this moment for as long as possible.

Tomorrow the series moves to Philly. Hopefully the home crowd will help inspire the Phightins to get some hits and actually get some runners home. This team left 11 runners on base last night. That's just sad. I can already hear the boos if this keeps up. And with the ALCS MVP , Matt Garza, taking the mound tomorrow, the Phils are really going to have to find their swing. We'll also get to see if Jamie Moyer can use his experience to shut down this young Rays lineup. Or maybe the Rays will break out like they did in Boston? If so the Philly bullpen better be ready to come out early and work hard.

I'm still pulling for the Phillies. But as I said before, I'm an Orioles fan and consequently no stranger to heartbreak. Anyway, GO PHILLIES!!

Side Note: I wrote most of this post on the way back to Maryland for the Maryland Homecoming tomorrow on the Chinatown bus. I know, it's crazy to think that cheap crappy bus now has free Wifi. But I forgot one crucial lesson when riding the Chinatown bus, never sit near the back unless there are no other seats available. The closer you get to the back the closer you get to the bathroom and the more it smells. I had forgotten this and just wanted to pass on the word. For anyone not familiar with the Chinatown bus, its a cheap bus that will take you up and down the northeast corridor from Chinatown to Chinatown. It costs $15 to go from Philly to DC or Baltimore and even less to go from Philly to New York. Despite its sometime smelly nature, its cheaper, more reliable and faster than Greyhound. I figure with the way the economy is looking, cheap transport is in pretty high demand. Plus now they have free internet. So its not all bad.

Phillies Win Despite Trying to Blow Game

Last night was Game 1 of the World Series featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. And despite the Phillies attempts to lose the game, Cole Hamels' amazing performance propelled them to a win. While Kazmir pitched a great game, Hamels was the more dominant pitcher. He has now won 4 games in the post season. Which is a feat few others have attained. It sets the stage for a Hall of Fame career. He's young and has a great upside.

The rest of the Phillies kind of bumbled there way to the 3-2 win. They stranded eleven players on base and had a pretty bad communication with at a play at first in the first inning. Somehow no Phillie made it to the bag after a routine grounder. Luckily B.J. Upton hit into double play to erase the mistake. But for a the first few innings I really thought Philly was trying to screw it up. I mean they are cursed. And I am cheering for them now, and everyone knows I'm a sucker for a heart breaker. Yeah, having me rooting for the Phillies might not be what the city wants right now.

The other shining star of last night was Chase Utley. His first inning two run home run created a lead the Rays were never able to overcome. And the run Victorino managed to score was enough to keep the Phils on top for the game. But man, are those guys going to have to play better tonight. It'll be hard to win a lot of games playing like that. Especially if the Rays find their swings. Hopefully the bats of the Phillies will come alive tonight and help propel them to a 2-0 game lead heading back to Philadelphia.

Side Note: Jayson Werth looks like a meth addict. I must have said this about 50 times last night. But every time I saw him I was just as shocked. Does he really think he looks good? Really? Really?

The Rays have feed off adversity all season long. They lost the first game of the ALCS to Boston and then managed to split in Tampa and then took two in Boston. So Philly needs to watch out for this scrappy team. They don't have any playoff loss history to bog them down. The Rays can come back and will try to tonight. It should be fun to watch. The Rays don't have as big a drop of from their number 1 to number 2 pitchers as the Phils do. Both the starting pitchers can be brilliant but they can also be a little shaky. Pitching is the key to this series, just like every series. But with two teams with big bat potential, its the pitcher that can keep the other team in check that will dominate this game. (I should be a TV sports commentator with obvious statements like that...Networks I'll be waiting for your call.)

Game 2 is about to start, so I'm going to watch and I'll try to get back here tomorrow with more pithy commentary about the state of the series.

Can Both Teams Win?

I've said several times that I was glad there was going to be a Rays-Phils World Series. And while I am excited to see two fresh faces in the line up, it leaves me with a slight dilemma. Which team should I root for? My team's season is long over. So that leaves me a free agent of sorts. I have no plans on being loyal to this team after the season, but it's more fun to watch sports when you're cheering on a team. My sister and I used to watch Monday Night Football together, each pick a random team, and then cheer as hard as we could against each other. In competition, you have to pick a side. Here are the arguments.

Rays Pros: They're a miracle team. They went from last place to World Series in one season. This brings hope to all those other fans of terrible teams. The Rays are also a group of young athletes playing for way below the league average salary. I think the average Ray makes $414,000 a year. It seems like a lot of money to me, but in baseball thats petty cash. Also, this scrappy team bonded together and even got their manager to get a Rayhawk. Add to that, they kept the Yankees out of the playoffs and Boston out of the World Series. Also, I just think the American League is inherently better, mostly because its the league that the Orioles play in. Yes, I'm a homer. Oh yeah, I also love the way this team celebrates. They want to mark every minor milestone with a party. And that's a mentality I can get behind.

Rays Cons: They play in the same division as the Orioles. I wouldn't exactly call them division rivals because until this year, they were mostly just competing for the last spot in the division. But still, I shouldn't like them because of the whole same division thing. Supposedly, they also have no fans. I don't know how true this is, they do have terrible attendance, but they were terrible until this year. And most of the people in Tampa Bay are over 80, so it's hard for them to stay up for a 7:30 start time. The thing that really bothers me most is that Dickie V is their biggest fan. I had a hard time cheering for US Mens Basketball because Coach K was their coach. Well, that and I don't like pro basketball in any form. My hatred of Duke runs really deep. And while Dickie V is not nearly as bad as Coach K, he is probably the biggest Duke fan ever. On the other hand, Dickie V does talk up the ACC as much as possible, which I do appreciate since it's the best conference in College Basketball. Regardless, Dickie V still annoys me.

Phillies Pros: The Phillies haven't been to a World Series in 15 years, they haven't won in even longer and well the city is starved for a championship. Philadelphia has all 4 major sports and has gone 25 years without a championship in any of them. That's just sad. It makes you kind of want to cheer for them. Also, Phillies fans seem to be slightly optimistic this year, and less mean. Less booing, more cheering, more happiness. It's weird to see the city like this. Last year when the Phils made the playoffs, people were excited but then the Phils got swept by the Rockies in the first round and people seemed resolved to their fate. Really, the biggest thing Philly has going for it is that this is where I live. I get to celebrate with this city if they win. And this city knows how to party.

Phillies Cons: Philadelphia sports are heart breakers. They lose, they choke, and they crash and burn. They have a history of not being able to close. The Rays have no playoff history, except the one they are writing now. And that so far has been a winning one. Philadelphia sports are cursed by William Penn. It's hard to get behind a team that seems so likely to fail. Also while Phillies fans this year haven't been that bad, Philadelphia sports fans in general are among the worst. And it's hard to want the people who boo Santa to actually get a championship. Plus, I like to think he National League is inferior and if they lose the World Series again, I can believe that for another year.

Well, in the end I'll be happy for either team. But after living in Philly for a little over two years the Phillies have started to grow on me, kind of like a cancer. And I as much as I like the upstart Rays, I get to party in Philly if the Phils win. So, I guess, GO PHILLIES!

Why Can't Us?

There's something about these Phillies fans that is overwhelmingly entertaining to me. They qualified for the World Series and still there not cocky. My friend wanted a NLCS sweatshirt even before they won "just to prove they were in the playoffs in his lifetime." Now, that they've won, I wondered if he wanted a World Series sweatshirt, not just a NLCS champion one. His response, "Don't be ridiculous, you're going to jinx us." Even though they soundly beat the Dodgers and are playing great ball, there's still a cautious feeling about the World Series.

Don't get me wrong, the city is the happiest I've ever seen it. The sound of cheering filled the night last night and the celebrations went on til the early hours of the morning. But this isn't like Boston where even though they're down 3-1 in the ALCS, they still think they're going to come back and not just go to the World Series, but win it. Phillies fans know what heartbreak feels like. And while they are giving their whole hearts to their team, they're not still not really sure it's going to work out. They're wishing and hoping and praying, but not bragging. I admire that.

So congratulations Philadelphia. It's been a long time but if any Philly team deserves to make it to the big stage it's the Phillies. And I wish you hopeful, grammatically challenged fans the best.
Maybe this really is the year Philadelphia breaks their curse.

On a slightly unrelated note, I think the entire city of Philadelphia smells like cheese steaks right now. I swear to god, I live on the 18th floor of my building and my apartment right now smells like I have 10 cheesesteaks sitting on my table. The odor of cheesesteak is wafting in my window. I think this is a good sign for the Phils.

After soundly defeating the Dodgers 3-1 in the series and clinching it with a decisive 5-1 win by NLCS MVP Cole Hamels yesterday, the Phils are well situated for this series. They've shown that their pitchers can stay calm not get flustered by even big hitters like Manny. Yeah, he had a lot of hits, but he really didn't get to score that often. They were able to neutralize him as a threat. That should serve them well in the World Series.

The Phils also had solid production from their line up. Everyone on the team seemed to come up with big hits at the most opportune time. Whether it was Matt Stairs with the two run homer to take the lead in game four or Jimmy Rollins homering to start off game five. Everyone played a part. And that team mentality is important. I think Pat Burrell might have even smiled. Though I can't confirm that.

Right now the Rays are leading the Red Sox 5-0 in the fifth, so it looks like there will be a World Series of two underdog teams. I can't wait.

Maybe This Year?

I know that I usually hate all sports things Philadelphia. Mostly because of the booing. But I can't help but wonder if maybe this is the year for the Phillies. And I hate to admit it, but I'm happy for them. Maybe over two years of living in this city has worn me down or maybe I just like to see the team that never wins have something good happen to them for a change. I know what baseball heartbreak feels like, and I can sympathize.

The Phillies are by far the most likable team in Philadelphia. And the fans seem to have moved past the days when they threw batteries at players. Sure, they still boo. But it seems like it happens less often. Maybe it's just the optimism of Philly this year. It seems like for the first time, people actually believe the Phillies can pull this off. While watching the game last night, I was pretty sure it was all over. Lowe was pitching like a machine. He looked unhittable. But then an error on a throw to first base, a home run and two batter later another home run gave Philly the lead they wouldn't relinquish.

I was surprised by the stat the Phillies are perfect when leading at the end of the 8th inning. Maybe that's not that weird. But as an Orioles fan, I wish I could say that. Because, I usually go into the ninth inning with a sense of dread. No lead is ever safe. But the Phillies are a different matter. They played a great game and didn't get rattled when they were down by two.

So could this be it? Could this be the year the Philadelphia sports breaks the curse of building higher than William Penn on City Hall? It doesn't look like the Eagles are going to do it. Not in the brutal NFC East. The Flyers looked good last year but hockey season is long and just getting started. So who knows what's going to happen. I have no idea what the predictions for the Sixers are. Frankly, its the NBA so I don't really care either. But the Phillies, I find myself rooting for. They really are fun to watch.

I don't know what I'll do if it's a Phillies-Rays World Series. Which underdog team to cheer for? It might be the Rays. I admire the way they've turned things around. And I like the way they celebrate every win and every milestone. They seem to really appreciate that just getting this far is great. But somehow this seems like the Phillies year. I can't explain it. But the feeling is palpable in the city. For the first time since I've been there, it seems there's actual hope.

This team and city have faced so much heartache. Last year they made the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, only to be swept in the first round. Now this year could end crushing defeat, the AL East has a way of doing that to hopeful teams. Look at the way the Red Sox dismantled the seemingly unstoppable Rockies last year. But I know one thing. If the Red Sox beat out the Rays. I'm becoming a Phillies phan. Even if it's just for these playoffs.