Odds And Ends: Hamels, Victorino, Golson, Marson, Attendance
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, September 29, 2008 11:09 AM | Comments: 23
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A little post-regular, pre-post odds and ends:
- You’ve all heard by now that Cole Hamels will start game one of the NLDS.
He’s the ace. I don’t care what anyone says about Jamie Moyer. Look, this kid kept his ERA below 3.50 all season. He’s one of the top-five arms in the National League. He’s the ace, and he deserves game one.
- Shane Victorino is OK.
Another one you’ve probably heard. He took a bang to his shin in Saturday’s clincher, but will be good to go for the NLDS. We need him. Big time.
- Greg Golson has been announced for the Florida Instructional League.
Looks like So Taguchi is on the playoff roster. The only question is JA Happ or Rudy Seanez, and I’m pretty sure Seanez wins that debate. Happ, as good as he was in his first innings as a Phillie, doesn’t match the tested experience of Rumblin’ Rudy.
- Lou Marson hit his first big-league home run yesterday, and said this :
“It was one of the biggest moments of my life.”
There you go. Hey, I’m psyched for June 1, 2009, when Marson makes his return to Philadelphia. For now, I’m psyched about Wednesday.
- The Phillies had their 50th sellout with Saturday’s clincher. I’d assume Sunday was already a sell-out, putting the number to 51. The fan total: 3,422,583.
I’m happy to report I comprised eight of that number. Basically, the Phils drew them in this season, and that’s what a first-place team does. The Phils finished fourth in the NL in attendance (after Shea, Dodger and Busch).
- And speaking of attendance, yes, yours truly will be in the game two crowd.
Would’ve gone to game one, but I just can’t take that much time off. Rob Cowie, our expert marketing director, will be at both games. I’m psyched. The last Phillies playoff game I attended? Game three of the 1993 World Series. Bad loss in the rain, but it was my birthday. Great present.
Posts: 0 Gabriel
i held off on buying my postseason tickets but actually went to the stadium this morning on the way to work, got game 1 for wednesday…
then i got to work and my boss said, “you only got 1 game?!”
so i got on the horn to the ticket office and he bought the rest of my allotted games… i’m eligible one of the NLCS games (either 2 or 4 depending on who gets homefield) and The World Series game 5
hope i get to go to all of them!!!
Posted: 11:23 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 NC Jason
Right now I am re-listening to the 9th inning from Saturday! Amazing! I defenitly will be excusing my students early from my late class Wednesday!
GO PHILS
Posted: 11:25 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 ashley
glad to see victorino is ok.
Posted: 11:40 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Guess there’s no point having Happ on the major league roster for the NLDS, I guess if one of the starters doesn’t have the goods and we’re still in it he’ll be added for the NLCS but makes sense to have that added RH bench-bat untill then.
Been trying to keep my expectations of Marson down but man did that kid arrive in a big way on both at the plate and behind and it’s not like he caught just the one pitcher. Maybe his stats are misleading but he seems the kind of player who’s not going to be out-prepared and won’t be sitting around in the off-season.
In the meantime Moyer or Blanton game 3?
Go Phils!
Posted: 11:40 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Gotta go Moyer in game 3. He’s such a pro I wouldn’t want anyone else going in that situation.
Posted: 11:44 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Some pointers for attending the playoff games. They all surround one key goal: Give your team the biggest advantage they can get!
1. Don’t be a Bartman. Don’t reach out for opposing team home run/foul balls if you they are close to going out, but have a chance at staying in. If anything, ensure they stay in the park and are playable by our team. For Home Run balls, ensure you are subtle about keeping the ball in play because they can review the play. We want fan interference on those plays.
2. Cheer and cheer loudly. Make some noise, when appropriate. Don’t just waive your stupid towel in the air, that doesn’t produce any noise. Whistle, Boo, Pound the Floor or Seat, Scream, etc. Make some noise!
3. For those in the top 2 rows of sections 423 – 427, try to block the shadows for our guys, but make them hell on the opposing batters. Bring signs, sheets, banners, etc. to help you. This won’t matter for Game 2 because of the time, but should help for Game 1!!
4. Get to your seats before the first pitch. Try to get there before starting lineups are announced. I know Game 1 will be tough because of the start time, but the players will be pumped to see the stands full and everyone making some noise (see #2).
5. Have a few drinks of choice. Relax and enjoy the ride.
6. Spread the word. Posting this in a “comments” section on this blog is not going to get the word out. Spread these guidelines to others and get the word out. Make sure everyone you go to the games with is on board.
Posted: 11:45 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
I am counting the hours until Wednesday. I wish it was here already. Hope there’s a playoff game tomorrow in the AL I’ll need a baseball fix.
Posted: 11:45 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Just watched an ESPN.com breakdown of the series and Peter Gammons described the Philly bats as some of the most accountable guys in baseball…
Posted: 11:52 AM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Robbi P
Tim, Im just curious as to why you are saying June 9th as Marson’s call up date? I would think that if Coste doesn’t return or if one of the two catchers had a crappy spring training, wouldn’t that open the doors for Lou? And does anyone know whats going to happen with Jamarillo? I thought he was the catcher of the future. Also I don’t know if anybody else noticed but JRoll did say that they were going to win 100 games this year. If they win the World Series that puts them over 100 wins! Jroll, can you start picking lottery numbers haha!
Posted: 12:01 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
Hey I made this 10 min video of Saturday’s game when we clinch.. Check it out (watch it in high quality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX-MmxGZAqY
Posted: 12:10 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Gabriel
excellent point robbi with the 100 wins… i hope his nastrodaumus like ability holds true over the next couple of weeks…
Posted: 12:14 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Chase Mutley
After being in the hosue for the clincher last year, I went to Game 1 against the Rockies in the playoffs and it just couldn’t compare. It seemed like both the fans and the players were so laid back, just happy to be there.
I hope the fans get the place rocking this year. NLDS is just the beginning!
LETS! GO! PHILLIES!
Posted: 12:19 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Gabriel
Mutley – i too was at both of those games and you are right, the energy at the clincher was stronger than game 1… i sat terrace deck last year and on wed. i get 316, row 3.
you can rest assured i will be doing my part to keep it noisy in there.
Posted: 12:21 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 rk
any extra playoff tickets here? This is two years in a row I have signed up to try to win the opportunity to buy tickets and lost. And now there are a bunch of overpriced tickets out there. 3 years ago I purchased playoff tickets and they never made it. rorkel20@yahoo.com if anyone has tickets.
Posted: 12:32 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Gabriel
http://obsessedwithsports.com/2008/09/29/nlds-preview-phillies-vs-brewers/
fun with blogs – phils/brewcrew matchup
Posted: 12:39 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Robbi, I was totally throwing June 1 out there as a standard mid-season call-up date. Nothing to read into there.
Posted: 12:47 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Yeah Marson looked solid. A few months of polishing in AAA and hell be ready to come up and take over one of the catcher spots on this team permanently.
Posted: 12:51 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 bull
Perry is a joke, is it me or does he contradict himself by explaining how valuable howard is to the phils…isnt that what the award is about!!
While the NL MVP talk surrounding Ryan Howard is laughably ridiculous, he is certainly essential to the Phillies’ success. In Philly losses this season, Howard has hit .192 AVG/.279 OBP/.438 SLG, but in Philly wins this season he’s hit .292/.380/.619. As you can see, when Howard hits the Phillies win, and when he doesn’t they lose. In the first half of the season, Howard had an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .832, but in the second half that figure rose to .950. Obviously, the Phillies are hoping the second-half version of Howard sticks around for the playoffs. If he runs into an untimely slump, then the Phillies may not make it out of the first round. — Dayn Perry
Posted: 01:06 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Joe
The recap of yesterday’s Marlins-Mets game in today’s New York Times has an on-screen ad declaring “Sponsored by CHOKE – Now Playing”
Article is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/sports/baseball/29mets.html?ref=baseball
Screen capture for posterity is here: http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/mm140/joestern/?action=view¤t=sponsoredby.jpg
Posted: 01:10 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Groty
Freddy Garcia vs. Gavin Floyd today! LMAO
Posted: 01:31 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Joey
Really, how can they justify leaving Taguchi on this roster…he does nothing well. Golson is faster, Stairs and Jenk can hit better, Jenk and Golson can field better…because hes right handed he can survive on this team?!? BS.
Posted: 04:40 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Ryan
Greg Golson has been announced for the Florida Instructional League…Id rather have him over So. That guy an really fly.
Posted: 10:14 PM on September 29, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I’d rather have So, he has a lot of post season experience and some huge hits in the post season.
Posted: 10:39 PM on September 29, 2008