Phillies Nation

Timmmmayyyy great great article.

When Pedro is in the mood, he gives it up for the media as good as anybody. Funny, self-effacing, honest. After watching Pedro for about ten years up here, it will be interesting to see how the Boston media follows his exploits in Philly. I’ll keep you posted. Pretty trippy to see him in Phillies red.

One thing’s for sure. This might be the first time anyone’s strained a shoulder signing a contract.

Tim, please stay! You made this site and it’s not even close to the same without you. No one puts into words the passion and energy every one of us fans feels about the Phillies like you do.

Awesome article Tim. What you just said was exactly how many Philly Phans feel, but can’t put into words. Your ending, about how long they will win for, is why I am nervous about Halladay. Giving up years of winning for one that we are set to win now. (Yes we need starting pitching, I know that as well as anyone, but we’ve been doing pretty decently so far.)

Great piece! That is so true but you put it in words so accurately that it made me understand a bit of the humble-ness and respect that most of those on the phils have

So… No sooner did I comment on my distaste for recent articles on this site do I come across this gem of a piece. Tim, I don’t know you and I don’t know how you do it, but for some reason you always strike a new chord. Will you just come back full time?? I’ll throw down some bills, hell I’ll start a fund if that’s what it takes.

In all seriousness though, great article. Glad to see you still have a little time for philliesnation. You always seem to personify exactly how I’m feeling. Sure, it was Pujols’ show and St. Louis is the hub of baseball, but the Phils stole the show, a testament to the fans. Surreal.

@rob5000, How did the Phils steal the show? By having the most people there, courtesy of Charlie? Phils players were a combined 1-7 with a run scored. Utley made a very good defensive play, but that was about it. The only thing the phils stole were the roster spots of more deserving players [Im not including Utley and Ibanez, they deserved to be there]

Also, David, you act as if no All-Star manager has ever selected his own players. It happens every year so get over it. And the Phils 1-7 appearance was no better or worse than the rest of the NL’s poor attempt to do anything. They had 18 straight batters retired. You make it seem like everyone else hit the cover off the ball.

oy, tim malcolm is a crummy writer.

Tim, your passion comes apparent when you write and it is a gift.
Regarding Pedro – I cannot agree at all. To me he personifies what a mutt is through and through – talented and full of himself. Does NOT fit into the team environment that the Phils have worked hard to put together – even in one of his first meetings with reporters after the deal became official – what did he talk about? HIS legacy (among other things).
I just think he is a cancer and regardless of how well he pitches (if/when he returns off the DL), he will be let go after this season – take that to the bank guys.

I do not know about you Tim, but the Phils have the talent to be competitive for a number of years–to give up blue chip prospects at this point for anybody gives me an uneasy feeling. The recent Yankee and Red Sox runs have been done with a key group of home grown players—Phils are in this boat presently—they need to be careful not to rock this boat

PoconoPete….excuse us for playing in the best division in the NL for the greater part of the decade. The NL East has a bad three months and all of a sudden it is a joke to everyone….

How about when the Cards won the series after winning 82 stinking games, which was 4 less than the Phils won that year if I’m not mistaken. Saying that WS winning teams are not great is the very definition of sour grapes, even if you don’t agree with how they got there.

And how are the other National League divisions any better? The central is full of mediocre teams. Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Chicago are decent but I think most baseball experts would take the Phils head to head against any of them. The west has a dominant force in LA and a good young team in San Fran. The Rockies are ok, but are about as streaky as the Phils. The DBacks and Padres are brutal.

Great article. Two great articles in two days. I’m mostly responding to David & Miles and the article here….With all due respect to Phillies fans, management and the team… to say they are like the Red Sox of the NL is a little overboard no? More people are paying to see the Cubs, Dodgers, Padres, Mets, Nats, and Braves on the road than they are the Phillies. Now I’m not saying those #s prove 100% that for instance the Nats are more liked (obviously it’s probably a cheaper ticket) but you gotta consider the Cubs, Dodgers and Mets and maybe even the Braves as having a large following on the road right now just based on the numbers. I mean… the white Sox won it a few years ago and they were celebrated at the AS Game also… you don’t see them as being the new great team of the AL do you?

I totally agree that there is no way you should take a 2nd half into consideration for the All-Star Game. I didn’t see Melvin Mora get recognition for his 2nd half, did you? What about Adam LaRoche?

If you honestly believe Howard deserved it over Sandoval you’re being too much of a homer. BUT I do believe Manuel earned the opportunity to pick Howard…. I just think Sandoval should have been on that team more than both Vic and Howard.

I mean in the OF alone… Braun, Dunn, and Kemp are having better years than Victorino.

Boston’s popularity grew when the new owners took over… not just in 2004. It wasn’t one series that did it… it was a snowball effect of fan relations, and improving the experience at Fenway and showing a willingness to go get the players they need. The 04 LCS was just the moment it all came together.

And as for Pedro I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. He is exactly what Phils fans hated about the Mets. Hell he CREATED the atmosphere that you all hated so much… and now he’ll be wearing your uniform. Funny how things work out sometimes huh?

Pedro might bring the Phillies the swagger they need. I was thinking back when TO first joined the Eagles and how much fun that season was. The Eagles and their fans went into every single game thinking they would win. The Phillies are the World Series Champions and have 5 All-Stars, they need to start acting like it. No more getting swept at home by teams like the Orioles. And maybe the Phillies can start putting teams away early in the game, which they have done the past week. But there were a few game against the Red and the Pirates where they let them get out early, and had to come back. Those teams stink, the Phillies should put up runs early and often against them.

And the NL East is pretty bad. The Marlins are a strong team who can hit, but have horrible fielding and mediocre pitching. The Mets and Braves can’t get anything going for more than a series. And the Nats are the worst team in baseball. The Phillies should have this division wrapped up by now.

Josh Johnson is better than any starter on Philly right now… yet Florida has mediocre pitching eh?

Josh Johsnon is one pitcher… a very good one..

but the rest of there staff is nothing special.. I think the Braves have better pitching than the Marlins do

Nolasco had to be sent down earlier.. maybe he’ll respond like Brett Myers last year, who knows? Andrew Miller and Chris Volstad might be really good one day.. but haven’t really shown that yet . Volstad can look nearly unhittable one game, and then have to be removed in the 3rd inning his next time out.

He’s only 22 or 23 years old though, so he’ll be good.. but they’ll probably trade him by then

Anibal Sanchez has been on the DL, after getting rocked to start the year..

Marlins could be dangerous.. but I wouldn’t bet my money on them making the playoffs this year

To take Morris’ point a bit further…..if Pedro never pitched a game but helped bring some “swagger” the Phillies need…..then the $1 million was very well spent. He would be sort of a glorified over-paid cheerleader. For the stretch run that could be very valuable.

Jair Jurrjens is probably better than anyone on the Marlins staff besides Johnson.

yea but Tim Hudson coming off Tommy John.. you have no idea what he can give you this year..

They need to trade for a bat..

Chipper Jones leads them in HRs with 9
Yunel Escobar leads them in RBI with 44

They need some offense to contend

The biggest acquisitions at the trade deadline in the NL East could very well be.

Mets: Reyes, Beltran healthy.
Braves: Hudson.

I see jessup is back on the pipe again today. Try the Muts blog. That’s where all the losers are. You will fit right in there.

Yeah Geoff I heard Cox has pulled Escobar llike 4 or 5 different times this year for different idiotic things he has done on the field like not hustling or not trying in general.

To continue the above discussion about the Phils growing popularity or lack thereof, it’s ridiculous to even suggest the Padres and Nats travel better than the Phils. There has been a noticeable Phan presence at every away series we’ve gone to this year. I would argue that we almost match Nats fans at their home games. Teams like the Mets and Yanks are always going to travel better because of the NY market, and Boston and the Cubs have longer, more storied franchises.

And as I mentioned earlier, a whole generation of kids is growing up and seeing a team full of marketable players that they will attach themselves to. I think in 15 years there will be a much more legitimate “Phillies Nation” that was born with the nucleus of Utley, Howard, Rollins, Hamels, and Victorino.

I kinda think of it the other way… the Marlins are a swing for the fences kinda team, with no bullpen

the Braves have pretty steady starting pitching.. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann both got off to slow starts.. and they have a solid bullpen..

we’ll see.. I think the Marlins are going to fall away as the year goes on.

When the Mets get healthy they’ll be solid again, but how much longer can they hang around .500 with their best players missing?

I wonder if the Nationals will win 60 games this year? .. what is the least amount of wins any team ever had?

TIIIIMMMMMM!!!!! Man oh man we miss you around here. When I saw your name at the top of the post, I thought it was just another tease, but, as someone else said, a few sentences in I knew it was you. Welcome back, if only for just a day or two at a time.

Don: 62 Mets won 40 out of 160 games… I think the Tigers in 03 won 43 out of 162, which I believe it ehw rost ever in 162 game season…

Amazin… you’re too uneducated for me to respond to you anymore.