(US Presswire)

When runs are coming at a minium, you can’t afford to be without your best hitter.

But if your best hitter should happen to look at Gary Cederstrom the wrong way, then anything is possible.

In the top of the third inning Carlos Ruiz was ejected from the game when he questioned a call on a pitch by Roy Halladay.

“Chooch said he just told the umpire, ‘That was a strike,’ and when he looked up at him he threw him out of the game,” Manuel said. “When I went out there, the ump said, ‘He was looking at me and I threw him out.’ “

Great.

I suppose that Cederstrom thought that Chooch was showing him up, but really, who is showing up who here?  Sometimes the umpiring crews need to let stuff go, and stop trying to interject themselves into the game so much.

Joe West must have written a handbook for these guys or something…

Roy Halladay was in the middle of coughing up 4 runs to Nationals at the time of the incodent, and you could tell he was less then pleased with the ejection of his catcher.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with what he did,” Halladay said. “He didn’t use obscene language. He simply said it was a strike. I’ve never seen one like that before. It’s unfortunate. He’s our best player and he got run out of the game for saying a ball was a strike. I’ve never seen that before.”

Ruiz had already left the complex when the team was made available to the media.

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With the Washington Nationals in town I have been listening to people rehash the shit storm that surrounded Cole Hamels after admitting to intentionally plucking Bryce Harper and finally got to me. For some reason everybody in the national media was appalled by this. I honestly don’t understand why this was even an issue. The only crimes that Cole committed was answering a reporters question truthfully and that it was Bryce Harper on the receiving end of that pitch. If that pitch hit Mike Trout, a similarly highly touted outfield prospect that plays for the Angels, but lacking the Internet hype Harper pocesses, that question wouldn’t have been asked. Since it was Bryce Harper people are acting like Cole threw a grenade at him. This is what Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo had to say about it “I’ve never seen a more classless, gutless chicken [bleep] act in my 30 years in baseball. Cole Hamels says he’s old school? He’s the polar opposite of old school. He’s fake tough. He thinks he’s going to intimidate us after hitting our 19-year-old rookie who’s eight games into the big leagues? He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”.

OK, in his thirty years of baseball Roger Clemens threw piece of a broken bat at Mike Piazza for no reason (except steroid use) and I’m sure he has at least heard of Juan Marichal  hitting John Roseboro with a baseball bat. Outside of his thirty years of baseball, let’s not forget that Ty Cobb went into the stands and beat up a handicapped fan so bad he put him in the hospital. So I’m pretty sure that no matter what era of baseball you are talking about Hamels hitting a rookie in the back isn’t even a blip on the radar of classless, gutless, chicken shit acts in baseball history. Plus why does he bring up the fact that Harper is a 19 year old rookie, as if he should be cutting him some slack because he is 19.

The second he steps on the field he should be treated like every other player and if the Mike Rizzo can’t handle that then don’t have him step to the plate. Harper on the other hand reacted perfectly from the start. After taking his base he hustled to third base on the next batters single and then stole home on the pick attempt by Hamels. After the game they asked Harper about it he just said Cole pitched a great game. He was a straight up professional and so what I would like to say to Bryce Harper is…. go fuck yourself. How dare he do his talking on the field and take the high road after the game. That show of maturity just proves how big of an asshole he really is. The thing that bothers me more though is it gave people another reason to unjustly rip Hamels again. Why does this guy get no respect?

I heard people say things like if Halladay did it it would have been old school or Cole isn’t that type of guy so why is he trying to be tough? I like Mitch Williams but I heard him say on two different show that if Harper would have charged the mound that he would have kicked Hamels ass. How does he know that Harper can fight? I have never heard of him getting into a fight but we know  Hamels got into a bar fight and from what I’ve read it sounds like Cole got the best of the guy.  If you want to say that Hamels isn’t mentally tough, I’ll disagree with that too. You have to be mentally tough to have the post season that he had in 2008 and to pitch as well as he has all these years with little to no run support seemly almost every game shows mental toughness too. I just don’t know what this guy has to do to get a little respect. Even the auto correct on my iPad  is capitalizing Bryce Harper’s name but not Cole’s name. This is bullshit. Hamels is a Philly type player and it is about time we started treating him like that and not like some soft guy who just talks funny…

Written by Chuck Lombardi

Doc needs to step up tonight. He hasn’t pitched well against the Cubs over his career, going 1-5 with a 3.75 ERA in six starts. He’s compiled a 5.29 ERA while losing all three outings at Wrigley Field.

Volstad is also have a tough time getting wins. The right-hander, acquired from Miami during the offseason, has gone 0-10 with a 5.15 ERA over his last 18 starts dating to mid-July. Ruiz is 10 for 22 (.455) off Volstad.

Carlos Ruiz is Batting .407 over his last 18 games, Chooooch surpassed his home run total from 2011 with his seventh long ball last night.
Jimmy Rollins also hits Volstad well going 14 for 32 (.438) with a homer.
***Last night recap***
Kendrick pitched well going 6 innings giving up 3 hits and 2 runs (1 ER) 0 walks 4 strike outs. He didn’t get the win, but if he continues to pitch like that he’ll be ok. His next start will probably be Monday against Washington.
The bullpen came in and pitched 3 scoreless no hit no walk innings.
Freddy Galvis continues to be hot going 2/4 with 2 doubles (leads team 11) and an RBI.
Ruiz 2/4 with a walk and a solo HR 3 run scored. What more can you say about Ruiz, he’s a hitting machine.
Hector Luna made his Phillies debut with a bang. Grand slam in the top of the 9th sealing the 9-2 victory for the Phillies.

Doc wins tonight and we get our 5th win in a row !!!

The Phillies face Matt Garza, who has owned the Phillies. He is 2-1 with a 0.96 ERA in four career regular-season starts against Philadelphia.  Garza’s worth outing against the Phillies came in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series when he surrendered four runs over six innings in a 5-4 defeat for Tampa Bay.

Kendrick goes for the Phillies tonight, because Worley has been placed on the 15 day DL (retro to May 12) with right elbow inflammation. Kendrick has pitched in 8 games for the Phillies this season (3 starts) and the team has lost all 8. Kendrick pitched well in 2 or his 3 starts one was against the Cubs on April 29th. Kendrick’s line (6IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 7K) Phillies lost 5-1. Kendrick is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA against the cubs in three career appearances (two starts). The only Cubs hitter with more than 5 at-bats against him is Ian Stewart, who 3 for 13.

Thursday Night Halladay vs. Volstad to close the quick 2 game road trip. The Phillies have not won a game that Doc has pitched in since 04/16/12.

Who’s Hot : (last 7 days)

Carlos Ruiz (.462 avg., 1 HR, 4RBI, 3 R)                                                                         Freddy Galvis ( .381avg., 3 2B, 1 3B ,7 RBI)                                                                 John Mayberry (.318 avg., 2 2B, 1 HR, 3RBI, 4 R)

*** Injuries this season. pitchers Vance Worley, David Herndon and Mike Stutes and position players Jim Thome and Laynce Nix have all gone on the DL in recent weeks. Infielders Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Michael Martinez and reliever Justin De Fratus all began the season on the DL.****

But Joe Blanton came through the next day,
shutting out the Braves in a matinee.
He gave up just three hits
and gave Atlanta fits,
and the Phils won in their get-away.

Halladay’s night was over, his line for the night; 5.1 innings, 12 hits, 8 runs all earned, and 5 strikeouts. Joe Savery comes in to finish the inning sitting down the Braves. Top of the 7^th the Phillies bats come back and drop a 3 spot on pitcher Eric O’ Flaherty of the Braves, when Ruiz launches a 3 run home run on an O’Flaherty slider giving the Phillies a 9 to 8 lead. The Phillies do not stop there, getting 3 more runs in the top of the 8^th when Ruiz again delivers with a double scoring Pence, John Mayberry and Wigginton. Once again the Phillies have a comfortable 12 to 8 lead. Game seems sealed but wait the Braves come back once again. Jose Contreras comes in for Antonio Bastardo who pitched a scoreless bottom of 7^th. This would be a night to forget for Contreras. He gives up a single to Uggla, next Chipper Jones reaches on a fielding error by Jimmy Rollins giving the Braves two on and no outs. Matt Diaz pinch hits and strikes out swinging, one out. The defense hopes for a double play and to end the inning with no damage, but Pastornicky singles off Contreras scoring Uggla making it 12-9. Heyward then walks loading the bases. Michael Schwimmer comes in to relieve Contreras, same result though. Michael Bourn walks, walking in a run to make it 12 to 10. Martin Prado then singles scoring two making the game tied once again 12-12. Freddie Freeman sacrifices to right field, scoring Bourn to make it 13-12 Braves. The game looks all but over as the Braves bring in Craig Kimbrel who is on the top 3 in the NL in saves. Juan Pierre walks on 4 pitches, he then steals 2^nd base, but in the process Rollins is called on strikes but the pitch was clearly a ball. Polanco strikes out swinging leaving Shane Victorino to become the hero to save the game and bring it to extra innings. Victorino completes the task, singling up the middle scoring Pierre, giving the Phillies life once again. The inning is over after a Pence strike out. Brian Sanches replaces Schwimmer; the inning starts off rocky, but gets out of the inning without any damage. The game goes to extra innings, with both teams going back and forth but no runs were scored, until the bottom of the 11^th. Sanches is still in the game, working in his 3^rd inning of relief and seemed gassed from the beginning. He surrenders a single to Uggla, next steps up Chipper Jones who has always killed the Phillies since he was a rookie in 1991. Sanches pitched him tough throwing a mix of 2 and 4 seamers and forkballs. The count is full, Sanches winds up and the pitch……you guessed it, Jones crushes the 3-2 fastball to dead centerfield ending the game for the Phillies who lead the game twice. The Braves win 14-12. The game was not result of poor hitting, but poor pitching by Halladay and the bullpen. The Phillies look to take two out of three from the Braves when they face them in an afternoon matinee toady at 12:40pm. Joe Blanton looks for his 3^rd win of the year; he will be opposed by Randall Delgado who is 1-2 this season.

Roy Halladay takes the mound for the Philies to open the four-game series on Friday

IF you thought the Cardinals series was a great boost for the Chicago Cubs confidence, well let me remind you how rough the Cincinatti Reds series was, sorry, had to do it. This weekend won’t be any different for the Cubbies either because they had to Philly for a four-game set. Let me just say two words that might hurt a little too, Roy Halladay.

Going into the day off on Thursday, Chicago ranked 11th in the 16-team National League in batting average at .253, and were 15th in slugging percentage at .333, only ahead of Pittsburg who hold a .325 percentage.

Halladay on the other hand enters Friday’s matchup with the Cubs with a 3-1 record and a 1.50 ERA. He has yet to give up a homer in 30 innings this season. Saturday the Philies will put right-hander Joe Blanton on the mound.

The message is clear for the Cubs starter on Friday, who is left-hander Paul Maholm. You have to stop the Phils offense! The Phillies have scored just 63 runs this season, three less than the Cubs, and their on-base percentage of .294 is neighbors to the Pirates’ .269 mark.

Here’s another positive for you, the Cubs won’t have to face Cole Hamels. The Cubs are at their best with a left-handed hitting attack which includes break out player Bryan Lahair, and Tony Campana. Chicago may also be graced by Steve Clevenger who may make an appearance at the number two spot in place for Geovany Soto.

This season Clevenger has made just five starts with 22 at-bats, but still leads the club with five doubles. Starting pitchers have a 1.88 ERA when he starts, compared to a 5.29 ERA when he’s not in the starting line-up.

With that in mind, it looks like the Cubs are in a bit of good shape as they take the field at Citizens Bank Field. It will only matter what the team does in the late innings as we have seen numerous times this season, the late innings are not our friend.

The offense? They showed up, too. 7 runs! Okay, it’s only the 5th game of the season, I know, but after the last 4 games, this was just the boost the Phils needed to start a winning season. Ruiz hit a homerun and a double. Rollins, Pence and Victorino, the Phillies’ 3-4-5 hitters, were 7 for 13 with 3 RBIs and 4 runs.Freddy Galvis, although 1 for 14 at the time, hit a two-run double to make the game 5-1. Did you hear the crowd? “Freddy, Freddy, Freddy!”  With Utley out, I know I had my doubts about Galvis, but I think he is starting to show us he’s not messing around.

Blanton will be starting for the finale of this series against the Marlins. I think it’s safe to be cautious going into it, but a win for the Phillies will make them go into the game with positivity. We can’t doubt these players because the talent is there, we just have to be patient for them to use it.

Whenever I go somewhere I love to dive on local fair.  Sure, I look for a tourist trap or two, but I also like to find out where the locals chow down.  So I asked a few friends of mine who are Pitt Alum to give me a few reccomendations, and I ended up with this delicious sandwich in front of me.

Beautiful weather, a Phillies win, glorious food, and a good time with one of my best buddies.

Roy Halladay was great, and I got to see Papelbon get his first save as a Phillie.

The rest of the series sucked in Pittsburgh, but all in all it was a good time.

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Alright, the 6-2 loss was a litte difficult to watch on Monday.  I was at the game, and I’ll have to say when you factor the weather, and play of the Phillies it may have been one of the worst games I’ve been to.  Considering the last (Home) game I was at was Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS, I think that may be saying something.

Wednesday won’t be any easier with Josh Johnson on the hill for the Marlins.  Sure the Phillies are countering with Roy Halladay, but Johnson is no slouch, and he wasn’t so great on Opening Night for the Marlins, so I’m certain he’s looking to rebound in a big way.

There is plenty of doom and gloom surrounding this season.  I don’t know if it’s necessarily panic time yet, but I’m a little worried.  This team looks like it still needs time to gel.  We have a collection of guys that are not used to doing what they normally do, and they are hitting in spots they don’t normally hit.  That being said these new roles will take a bit of adjustment.  Also, this lineup is weaker then it ever has been.  Without the power threats of Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley interjected in the lineup opposing pitchers are able to choose their battles, and don’t have to pitch to Jimmy, Shane, and Hunter like they normally would.  These guys are not going to get nearly as many good pitches to hit as they would with Howard, and Utley in the lineup.

Makes me wish we had gotten Michael Cuddyer…

One thing is for sure, we’re not going to be able to count on the starters to throw a shutout each game. I know that I was immediately concerned after the Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Monday, because I didn’t know if the Phillies would be able to bounce back.  They didn’t, and really never had any good chances.

I think we  know why the 2010 Giants called their season “Torture.”

2011 was probably the year for the Phillies.  They were able to basically cruise to the finish line (I mean they basically mailed it in the last two weeks) and they still managed to set a franchise record for wins in the regular season.  Right now I still think Charlie is trying to find out what works.  So far in the four games we have had, he’s had four different guys play first base.

Look, I think that the Phillies should have left Pittsburgh with a sweep, but a few errors cost them on Saturday, and Sunday and that’s something that needs to be addressed.  If you play clean baseball, without errors, you’re going to significantly increase your chances of winning ball games.  Is that possible when guys are playing different postions each game, I really don’t know.  If you’re reading this for answers, then I have to tell you, you’re in the wrong place.

I think that this team just needs more time, and one good breakout game to loosen things up a bit.  Jumping on top of a pitcher like Johnson tonight would be a pretty good time to start, but I’m not so sure that’s in the cards.

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In Case You Forgot

Game 1:

Phillies 1 – Pirates o

W: Halladay (1-0), L: Bedard (0 -1), S: Papelbon (1)

Game 2:

Pirates 2 – Phillies 1 (10 innings)

W: Cruz (1-0), L: Blanton (0-1)

Game 3:

Pirates 5- Phillies 4

W: Hanrahan (1-0), L: herndon (o-1)

 The Good

And we mean VERY good

The Pitching. Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ. It was like being force fed peeps when all you crave are peeps. I don’t think anyone ever expected the pitching to be as impressive as it was especially from Erik Bedard. Bedard nearly matched Halladay pitch for pitch only subcumbing when Halladay again proved that he’s immortal against teams not from St. Louis. Jeff Karstens dueled the Phillies 1-b starter Cliff Lee to a draw. James McDonald was effective although Hunter Pence had a field day against him. Then again, Hunter Pence seemed to be the Phillies only offensive option all weekend. Granted without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley this Phillies team (which already was offensively challenged) lacked any real bite. The bullpen proved that it might not be the weak link we all thought it would be this season.

After a slow start out of the gate, Andrew McCutchen had a monster game in the rubber match of the series bringing home the winning run with two outs. Pedro Alvarez hit a home run in game 3 as well. Alex Presley has proven a solid lead off hitter gaining hits in all three games. Until McCutchen got hot, Presley and Jose Tabata were pretty much the only baserunners of note for the Bucs.

The crowd. Largest crowd ever for a Pirate game on opening day. See, we haven’t forgotten the fun of the first half of last season.

The Bad

And we mean VERY bad

Three errors in three games. That’s not going to cut it over the long haul. That’s an average of an error a game.

The Pirates lack of pop from the plate is a big concern. The team will need to be more aggressive on the bases and will have to attempt a small-ball mentality became I’m not sure the team will have more than one player over 20 homers this year, if that.

The Ugly

And we mean...you get it.

Against pitchers not named Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, the Pirates big four hitters (McCutchen, Neil Walker, Garret Jones and Alvarez) did a fine job getting the ball into play. But against those two All-Stars? A combined 1 – 20. To be fair most hitters aren’t going to fare well against Lee and Halladay and Clint Hurdle sat Alvarez and Jones for game 2, but that’s because they had a BETTER chance of hitting Halladay than Lee. Needless to say the Pirates most potent offensive weapons must find a way to at least get the ball into play against the top pitchers in the National League, and quickly. If not, the energy and excitement of the unexpected series win will turn on the doubts that have built up in every Pirate fans mind for the past 17 years.

On Deck

A three game series @ Los Angeles

Cliff Lee pitched 6 innings to the Pirates and in my opinion did a phenomenal job ( I was there to witness). But the extra inning loss isn’t to blame on our bullpen, but rather the same reason, I believe, we lost in the playoffs last season; hitting.

Worley, although not next in rotation, was switched out for Hamels so that Cole can pitch the home opener. He took 6 innings and when we released the bullpen, the Pirates took full advantage with 3 runs. In the end, shadowing Saturday’s win, the Pirates won in a walk off.

The best part about being a Phillies fan is the mere fact that our “phaith” will never be doubted. This was our first series of the season and although we ended with a 1-2 record, there is no doubt that this team isn’t to be taken lightly this season. I am fully certain that come August we will have a team that will be feared; the Pirates shouldn’t take these wins lightly, but rather remember that when we are in our Park the rules change.

I will say this, after being a loyal fan for quite some time, I have been to Citizen’s Bank Park more times in my life than I will be able to count. However, PNC Park has one of the most amazing views I have ever seen. This Philly fan wouldn’t mind seeing a Bucco game again merely for the view those fans get to have at every home game. Switching teams? Absolutely not. My Phillies won’t disappoint me this season, I am sure we can bounce back from these losses. We are the Phightins, remember?

The Terry Cashman classic would ring through your head if you were to walk into Landmark Americana in Glassboro on Thursday. They were most definitely “Talkin’ Baseball” in Glassboro as the Philadelphia Phillies opened up their 2012 campaign in Pittsburgh against the Pirates at PNC Park.

I felt a little out of place and was getting stares by wearing my Derek Jeter shirt and Yankees hat, but the Philly Phaithful still embraced my presence.

Some of the waitresses were saying how it is usually not this busy for a day Opening Day game on a Thursday, but Rowan University students had a reason to crowd their favorite bar.

Starting this school year, Rowan’s on-campus housing does not carry Comcast anymore…they carry DirecTV. With DirecTV, unless you have the MLB Extra Innings Package, you cannot watch Phillies games…so “cha-ching” for Landmark and their workers.

“I love it here,” said Rowan student Casey Kelly. “The food is great, the atmosphere…we’re all rooting for the Phillies…it’s a great time.”

Flying out of the kitchen all afternoon was classic finger foods that Landmark regulars have come to love.

Everyone and their mother knows how the Cheesesteak is the classic Philadelphia sandwich, but at Landmark, the Phillies fans love a smaller, different version of their favorite sandwich.

Meet Cheesesteak Egg Rolls; CAB (Certified Angus Beef) steak, sautéed onions and American cheese served with cherry pepper relish and srirachia ketchup.  Srirachia is type of Thai hot sauce that is mixed with ketchup, and has a tangier, sweeter taste than your normal ketchup. It is a perfect combination priced at $8.99.

After that, all you mostly saw was their famous wings. Landmark offers nine different sauces including mild, honey BBQ, Thai Chili, and what seemed to be the most popular…Garlic Parmesan.

You can get ten wings for $8.99 or five nice size tenders for $7.99.

So after downing all those wings and pints of Bud Light, the Phillies beat the Buc-O’s 1-0 after a stellar performance by ace Roy Halladay. Landmark was joyously up in arms.

Here is a special that will make them do that as well. This Monday April 9^th, Landmark will have a Phillies home opener special for when they take on the Miami Marlins. From the first pitch (at 1:05) till the last pitch, the special will be as follows: $2 Bud Light Platinum’s and $1 hot dogs. Looks like this Yankees fan is pulling his Shane Victorino jersey out of his drawer on Monday.

Gene J. Puskar/APDOC

With offensive questions abound,
the ’12 Phillies won the first round.
Ace Roy Halladay
kept the Bucs’ bats at bay
with a masterpiece from the mound.

But less-promising from the plate,
a new lineup tested its fate.
The Phillies, not powered
by Utley or Howard,
scored one run to kick of their slate.

Not stifled stifled by offensive wheeze
was catcher, “Chooch,” Carlos Ruiz.
His offensive supply –
a late sacrifice fly –
was enough for the pitchers to breeze.

Tiger Woods finished up his first round with a 72 even par at Augusta today. I’m a huge Tiger fan, and was thrilled when he won his first tourney two weeks ago. I expect him to compete throughout the weekend, but winning is another matter. It’s impossible to predict winners this early in the tournament. I didn’t get an opportunity to see much of his play today, but even par through 72 ain’t bad.

The Phillies started their 2012 campaign with a 1-0 win over the Pirates. Halladay pitched very well, giving up two early hits, but clamped down as he went 8 innings. John Mayberry had two great defensive plays, and set up an RBI for Chooch in the 7th (I think) to finally put the Phillies onto the board. Mayberry had a good season last year, and I think he will more than qualify to replace Ibanez this season. Cliff Lee will take the mound Saturday night against the Buccos in a 7:05 start on CSN. Gotta give my player of the game award to Halladay, but Chooch with his 3 hits and RBI, and Mayberry with his all-around play made it tight. Good start to the season.

The Sixers look abysmal. I remember it was mid-february in a 98-89 win over the Bobcats when I saw little thigns the team was doing that bothered me. The issues are in full swing now. The team played with no effort against Toronto last night, no effor against Washington last week, but came out and played hard in Miami and against Atlanta. The Sixers are not in a position to take teams lightly, especially with how terribly they’ve played since the All-Star break. I knew the Sixers would come “back to earth” during the season, but there is no excuse for coming out flat in crunch time. The C’s may have the tough schedule, the Knicks have injuries, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see both teams pass the Sixers by season’s end. If the Sixers don’t start playing with some fire night in and night out, it’ll be devastating.

I understand the team doesn’t have the most talent, but you can make up for it with team play. They are more than capable of putting up double digit wins against the Wiz and the Raptors. Orlando visits Philly Saturday night on ESPN, and then the team travels to Boston for a huge matchup against the Celtics on NBA TV. Stay tuned.

But today, on this beautiful April afternoon, the longest chase to a championship in sports begins. Opening Day in MLB is one of the most anticipated events of the entire sporting year. Okay, granted some people find baseball “boring” or “slow”. Screw them is all I’ve got to say. The entire feeling of baseball season is unlike any other. Cold beer, hot dogs, cheap tickets (okay not that cheap) compared to other sports, and just the overall feeling of being outside on a sunny, summer night. Ahh, it’s that time again.

Our Phillies kick off the season today with a 1:35 first pitch at the Pittsburgh Pirates. As weak as the Pirates historically are, the Phils are only 16-12 against them the past 4 seasons. Not saying that’s a bad number obviously but it’s not complete domination like some of you may have expected.

2010 Cy Young winner Roy Halladay gets the opening day start against the sudden journeyman Erik Bedard. God I hate when we start against lefties. I’ll give it til May before Bedard heads back to the DL. I was actually supposed to attend today’s game but ended up staying home to work. What was I thinking? I know how some of you like to overreact over early season happenings. It is going to take the Phillies a few weeks to adjust in my mind. Whether I like Utley or not, it is going to be an adjustment for a bit with him and Howard out of the middle of the order. I’ve seen multiple people actually predict Hunter Pence as their 2012 NL MVP. I guess we’ll see.

Anyways, enjoy the day and enjoy the season. I’ll be back to writing all the time with baseball about to kick into full swing. Let’s hope this season ends with a similar picture to what we see below. Go Phils!

I wait from the end of their playoff run, which hopefully ends in the World Series, to April when they start to play again. When it comes to watching the Phils in Clearwater, I do get excited to see what the season is projected to look like. It isn’t until the official, first game that I start to follow whole heartedly, but then again, that may just be me.

Thursday’s opener is an interesting one for me, personally. Being in Western PA for college, I have met more than my fair share of Pittsburgh enthusiasts. When it comes to their Steelers and Pens, believe me, they are not shy to tell you that they are the best. I grew up with Philadelphia fans, I know what hardcore fans are, but in Pittsburgh (no offense Eagles & Flyers fans!) they have plenty of room to act like they do. But, I have come to see that when baseball is put on the line, those same fans tend to forget the sport existed. No, I do not mean all of them, because I know plenty of them that will admit they aren’t the best but that they still will back there team up. It’s funny how a City of Champions, as Pitt fans have claimed to be, will forget that the Pirates exist so easily.

With losing a series to them last year (even though we won the second time) it is unsure how the game will go. We have Halladay on the mound, but with Utley and Howard out for injuries, the Phillies forecast isn’t looking too promising. The best part of being a Phillies fan though? I will always have “phaith” that they can beat anyone. They don’t call them the “Phightins” for nothing!

Technically it already occurred in Japan, but it is about to take place (again).

With Opening Day in baseball coming up Wednesday night from Miami, let’s take the time to look into our crystal ball and see how the 2012 season will finish up.

In no particular order, we start in the Junior circuit as the West is once again top-heavy with the Angels signing, arguably the greatest baseball player to ever play the game, Albert Pujols, to a monster deal as well as signing CJ Wilson away from division rival Texas.  Don’t over look the secondary pieces the Angels made with signings of veteran pitchers to fill out their bullpen and the likes of Chris Iannetta for another bat in the order.

With all those moves made by the Halos, it goes without saying they are likely to end up playing for the World Series.

Texas tries to make a third trip to the Fall Classic, but won’t be easy.  I like both teams to make the now 5 team playoff picture, the Rangers as a Wild Card out West.

In the American League Central the Detroit Tigers added a big bat this off-season, literally.

Prince Fielder heads to the place his daddy called home not all that long ago.  The Tigers bring along with Fielder a dominant pitching staff, anchored by the reigning Cy Young and Most Valuable Player in 2011, Justin Verlander to diamond on a nightly basis.

Combine this with potential MVP candidate, Miguel Cabrera and a more mature lineup as well.  The Tigers should have no problem putting the Central division away by the All Star break and look to contend for the American League pennant.

Out East, the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and even the Toronto Blue Jays should have a compelling race for the division and the second Wild Card slot.

The Jays may still be a year away from really competing for the division, but don’t let the Canadian club fool anyone, they can rake.  The Red Sox under first year manager, Bobby Valentine (in Bean Town) have a lot to overcome after last seasons disaster finish in missing the playoffs all together.  The Sox don’t have a great rotation or pen, that looks to cost them a trip to the playoffs, again.

That leaves the Rays and Yanks to fight for the division.  The Yanks can out hit the Rays, but the Rays have an advantage with younger arms that if they stay healthy and consistent could win them the AL East.  Either way, the Yanks get the division by a game or two, but the Rays take the second Wild Card spot.

The postseason will shape up with the Rays defeating the Rangers in the one-and-done Wild Card round to advance to play the Angels.  The Angels advance to the American League Championship Series where they will take on the Tigers, after they knock off the Yankees and finally the Angels win a great seven game series over Detroit to advance to the World Series.

Before heading over to the Senior Circuit, the AL MVP will go to Albert Pujols (not jumping out on any limbs here).  Verlander repeats as the Cy Young Award winner, and the biggest surprise of the 2012 season looks to be how awful the Central is after the Tigers.

Taking a glance at the National League.

The Philadelphia Phillies, the perennial favorite the last few years may finally take a step backward with the injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to start the season.  They still have the pitching that is capable of winning a World Series in Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, but offensively they will be challenged a bit.

With that being said, look for the Atlanta Braves to rebound from last years debacle on the final day of the regular season to win the NL East.  Philadelphia will make the postseason with a Wild Card spot.

The Miami Marlins, much to the grin of Pat Reilly in the prior offseason, made some of the biggest splashes of the free agency period with Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle coming into the new ball park, may be a few pieces away from contending, while the Washington Nationals are expected to compete for the playoffs, but like Miami, may be a season from making some noise.

In the NL Central division, get ready for a wild 2012.  The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series last year but, lost their manager, Tony La Russa, MVP first baseman, Albert Pujols, and not for certain what they will get from Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter for innings after their injuries (Wainwright did not pitch in 2011).

David Freese, a bright spot and playoff superhero, looks to continue to grow and produce and may be a dark horse for the MVP in the NL.

Don’t look for the red birds to get into the playoffs because of Milwaukee and Cincinnati.  The past two division champs may have the upper hand heading into the 2012 season, as the Brewers did lose Prince Fielder, but return all five starting pitchers, their top two relievers for the eighth and ninth innings and brought in Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez to improve their left side of the infield.

I like the Brewers to get a Wild Card birth, as the Reds, with the 2011 MVP Joey Votto carrying the Reds with some help from Jay Bruce, who made a big improvement in his impact on the Reds lineup a season ago.

The Chicago Cubs, will again not win the World Series, and will struggle to get consistent pitching and hitting after swinging and missing on big name free agents, Pujols and Fielder.

Finally out West, always interesting, look for the Colorado Rockies to win the division and reach the postseason, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Fransisco Giants to contend throughout the season, but run out of gas down the stretch.  Don’t count out the Arizona Diamondbacks, but don’t see the consistent pitching that they had a season ago that took them into the playoffs.

So to conclude the NL.  The Brewers fall to Philadelphia in the Wild Card round.

Philly knocks off top-seeded Atlanta, while Colorado takes care of Cincinnati in the Divisional round before the National League Championship Series from Denver sees not Tebow-magic, but Troy Tulowitzki have a big series and lead the Rockies to the World Series for an offensive Fall Classic.

There, the Angels take care of the Rockies in six games.

The National League MVP goes to Troy Tulowitzki.  Cy Young Award belongs to Cliff Lee and the biggest surprise in the National League in 2012, 49-year-old Jamie Moyer picks up 10-plus wins for the Rockies.

Get your grills, charcoal and brats ready to start-up and twist off a long-neck of your choice, Opening Day is coming up shortly.

Enjoy the season everyone!

A quick flashback to last year would be indicative of Wiz Khalifa’s meteoric rise to stardom. At this time in 2011, Wiz had just released his major label debut Rolling Papers to lackluster reviews after experiencing his first mainstream success behind the hit record “Black And Yellow”.
Fast forward and TGOD supporters around the world rejoice as the 24 year-old Pittsburgh native is back on the scene with his newest project Taylor Allderdice. Named after Wiz’s high school alma mater, the project shows a return to the form he had prior to his Atlantic Records venture. During that span, Wiz enlisted a shortlist of producers and engineers (Sledgren, Cardo, Big Jerm, Johnny Juliano, I.D. Labs) to create synth-heavy, bass-blaring, listener-engaging instrumentals which were crafted specifically to fit his signature deliveries and lyrical content, the latter of which is centered on his heavy usage of marijuana and his party lifestyle. Taylor Allderdice sees Wiz bringing back a sound which fans have come to expect from him, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
The qualities and characteristics of Taylor Allderdice are largely comparable to some of Wiz’s more recent works. For instance, the more aggressive atmosphere which Wiz attempted to achieve with Cabin Fever has a presence on Taylor Allderdice. With songs like “Taylor Gang” and “Homicide” being huge fan favorites last year, it’s good to see Wiz incorporating this sound into this new project with records like “Guilty Conscience”, “T.A.P.”, and “The Code”. Simultaneously, fans of Kush & Orange Juice will appreciate the cohesive sound of Taylor Allderdice. Whether it’s the flow-heavy rapping and melodic choruses which spawn memorable records, or if it’s the familiar production styles and thematic interludes which provide a packaging for those records, Taylor Allderdice sees Wiz and the gang perfectly meshing these essential song qualities in order to craft a project which is wholly enjoyable and plays like a soundtrack fitting of a stoner lifestyle (no Mac and Devin…).
Taylor Allderdice has several standout tracks for the listeners to enjoy. The inaugural record “Amber Ice” is likely to be the smoothest opening to any of Wiz’s projects to date, while “Mary 3x” is more than serviceable as the “weed song” this time around. The beauty of Taylor Allderdice is that the project gets better after it reaches its midpoint. “Rowland” (track 10) features fellow emcee Smoke DZA and captures a vibe which is faintly reminiscent of Wiz’s How Fly days with Curren$y. “My Favorite Song” sees the Academy Award-winning Taylor Gang member Juicy J make his first of three straight appearances on the project. The song is produced by Rob Halladay (of Yung Berg “Sexy Lady” fame) and is slightly infectious to say the least. Next up, the SpaceGhostPurrp-produced “T.A.P.” slows the pace and brings a more bass-heavy production for Wiz and Juicy J to takeoff to. Finally, a Lex Luger production finds its home on the project as “The Code” lets the Taylor Gang (Wiz, Chevy Woods, Juicy J, & Lola Monroe) engage in a new-school posse cut. While the momentum gained by these four records is somewhat lost after the project fails to go out with a bang, Wiz’s effort is still commendable.
In summary, Wiz Khalifa fans will appreciate and enjoy Taylor Allderdice for the foreseeable future and add it to their collection of Pittsburgh-penned marijuana music. Hopefully, this project is foreshadowing of good things to come for Wiz and the Gang.

Pros:
+Serves as a nice rebound from Rolling Papers
+Returns to the use of in-house producers/engineers, with efficient use of outside production
+Further demonstrates Wiz’s ability to craft cohesive projects
+ “Mary 3x”, “Rowland”, “T.A.P.”, “The Code”

Lows:
-Closes out with lackluster, filler-quality songs
-Shows a lack of growth in terms of subject matter; no expansion or evolution
-“Brainstorm”, “Number 16”, “Blindfolds”

Listening Rating:
3.9/5, BA[S]ICs
STRONG

Let’s take a look at what Utley has really meant to this lineup over the last few years and see if we can’t come up with some way to fix it.

2008-159 G, 707 PA, 113 R, 177 H, 33 HR, 104 RBI, 14 SB, .292 AVG. Basically he had a monster season in 2008. This was the year the Phillies won the World Series.

2009- 156 G, 687 PA, 112 R, 161 H, 31 HR, 93 RBI, 23 SB, .282 AVG. Another solid year. I’m not going to say anything negative about these 2 seasons no matter how much I dislike Utley.

Now starts the steady, painful decline.

2010- 115 G, 511 PA, 75 R, 117 H, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 13 SB, .275 AVG. Not exactly superstar numbers.

2011-103 G, 454 PA, 54 R, 103 H, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 14 SB, .259 AVG. 44 RBI’s in 454 plate appearances? I’ll rest my case.

It’s obvious to those who know baseball that Utley hasn’t been completely healthy since the start of the 2010 season. And that’s not always directly his fault. Some guys it just happens to. But there’s no way anyone can say with a straight face that those 2010 and 2011 numbers can’t be replaced with someone else. Nothing about those two seasons stands out as special.

I have my doubts that Utley will ever play again at this point. Being doubtful for opening day already is a sign of serious problems to come. But, as the title says, he IS replaceable. Okay, I understand that he’s a fan favorite and that maybe some of his intangibles and clubhouse leadership is going to be difficult to match. That’s why you have 3 of the top 10 pitchers in baseball on the mound every 12 days. Halladay is as fierce a competitor as they come.

Take a step back and look what Utley has really contributed to the overall good of the team over the last two seasons and then determine the level of concern.