Phillies Nation

You gotta love what Cole has been giving this team all year. He never got down, just kept dealing. He’s been a real leader by example this year.

No surprise that Cole had to throw a shutout to win by one run.

I was wondering who would help us to take care of the Braves – as inevitably we will need some help other than face to face and who else to turn to but the Cards at first (the Muss have shown their femininity).

The Cards have 2 more games left vs their nemesis in their own division, the Reds. They are currently 11-5 vs the Reds but a woeful 21-24 vs the rest of the slugs in the Central (5-10 vs the Stros!). I guess my point is that if the Cards are feeling like they can take the division, they need to turn on the gas and play some Redbird ball in Atlanta. The Reds do own the rest of their division (a 34-12 record vs the slugs of the Central) so I don’t think the Cards have a chance but they might think so and that’s what counts. The other negative is that they are at the start of non-stop baseball until the end of the season. That is correct, 31 days in a row of baseball – wow.

Go Cardinals – you know it feels a lot better cheering the Cards on than it does the Muss!

Ahhhhhh- how nice to wake up and find that the Dodgers beat the Giants. 3 up in the WC. We’ve played so well and made up so little ground that every half game feels good. Of course I’m still rooting for the Division, but keeping my eye on the WC just in case.

Well….we’re not that far from the best record….

CIN – 78-56 .582 —
ATL – 78-57 .578 .5GB
SD – 76-57 .571 1.5GB
PHI – 77-58 .570 1.5GB

Yup, he looks like a phuckin stud alright. Fastball didn’t have the pop so it appears he mixed in his curveball for a little more balance. His curve looks to be improving. Actually, I would like to see his curve get even slower so that it contrasts in speed even more from his changeup, which comes in about 80-83. His curve is about 78. But thats knitpicking. Yup, I’m close to being sold on Cole. His demeanor is much improved also. A la Vince Vaughn, “our wittle babys all gwows up”.

The Dipsy

Dip, I didn’t see the game nor catch much of it on MLB. Did Cole have his cutter going? Good sign if his velocity was down on his fastball – that he can adjust to throw his other stuff with more confidence.

Same with Lidge, his velocity has been down for most of the year, his slider/changeup seems to be his out pitch now.

Madson looked surprisingly good last night (I did catch the 9th).

Will the real Cole Hamels please stand up? THANK YOU! I dont know what it is with this offense, Cole hits the mound, and they go back to sleep. Cole has been wicked overall. as for “close to being sold”. Thats said, because even I, one of the harshest critics of his lackluster ’09 performance as a whole, has been VERY impressed. Please tell me that if we make the playoffs, The Phillies will be able to score more than 1 run when he pitches. Last post season, I saw him hit the mound, I thought “Damn, a loss”. this post season (if we make it) I might be thinking the same thing, except it might be along the lines of a 2-1 loss. The Phillies have found there bats, but still a little inconsitant, expecially for being at HOME. If the phillies continue to play this way at home, we might be better off on the road. Much like what Jeff said, Cole should have 16 wins, Doc should have 18-20 wins.

Special salute for the dominating performance by Cole Hamels. He was stellar. Worried about our offense. It is like a race car. Sometimes it zooms and sometimes it is moody and runs like crap. Our pitching is solid but can only bail us out so often. Our offense needs constant tweeking, so I hope Old Cholly is willing to get under the hood and do that tweeking. Start Brown, and others from time to time.

Ibanez needs to be platooned with Benny Fresh again. Last night was a perfect opportunity to give a weary 38-year-old a rest after a road trip. But Charlie’s going into his “This is my lineup, and I’m sticking to it” mode, even though the team did extraordinarily well in August with what seemed like a different lineup every day.

Gee in the last few weeks the Braves fans have gone from “We are the best” to “We didnt expect to win” that game against a team barely over .500. How about Hudson losing to the Mets…BELOW .500. The excuses about the Rockies series were funny, “Everyone loses in Colorado”, except the Phillies. LOL. The difference is, as the division comes to the wire, Braves fans are making excuses like that, while the Phillies Fans dont make excuses for PATHETIC outings like that against the freakin Astros. All the Phillies had to do was win game 1 in that series, and the Phillies and Braves are tied. LOL. What happens in the Phils win tonight and Braves lose “we let you take first to feel good about yourselves” LOL. Come people really need to stop and think. The Phillies fans are NOT the ones crown our teams Champs, you idiots crowned the Braves Champs over a month ago. LOL. So as you have already and continue to crown the Braves Champs, we will keep it real, and hope the Phillies keep it real. DUH.

Bravoman…. did I hear you correctly that the Phillies and Braves are equal and that your starters when on are better?

WOW YOU ARE JUST IGNORANT!

Halladay> Hudson
Hamels> Hanson
Oswalt> Jurrjens
Blanton?

If you even think that any of those top 3 you have beat our top 3 then you basically are a homer and have no clue about pitching, baseball or anything else.

Yes your pen has been better but Wagner has blown several games that luckily your team was able to come back from… that will end when you play a more solid team.

1-8 The Phillies when healthy… wait they are healthy now are better period… if they were not they would not have 3 division titles and 2 NL titles and a WS under their belt! Braves this group has 00000000

What should scare most teams is that the Phillies are healty and hitting again with a potent staff!

Minor is better than Blanton will give you that Kendrick is better than your next Minor leaguer to come up

PLUS YOU HAVE TO FACE THE REAL JJ TONIGHT BRAVOMAN!DONT THINK THEY WILL MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE AND TAKE HIM OUT IN THE 6TH……..THATS THE ONLY REASON YALL CAME BACK TO WIN LAST TIME!

Bravoman LOL- LOL -LMAO-
“Don’t expect me to come on here if your team happens to take over the lead in this division either and say, “ok, your team did it and I was wrong”.

There it is. You just gave us what we knew all along, your a little pu$$y boy.

Hard to believe you root for a team named “Brave”s, you just proved your far from being that.

Come on Jeff of NoVa, I’m sure the Tomhacks have at least 100 fans…I think. LOL

okay 20 fans

Under Manny – I don’t see him letting up. He has either 5 or 6 more starts and is currently 9-10.

Over/under 13 wins? If the Phils had scored 2 runs in the following games Cole would have victories:
5/01 – he gave up 1 run had a ND
7/17 – he gave up 1 run had a ND
8/07 – he gave up 1 run had an L
8/13 – he gave up 1 run had an L
7/22 – he gave up 0 runs had a ND

Alright that is 5 wins take away 3 losses we are at 14-7.

If you look at the games where Cole gave up 2 runs:
4/18 – 2 runs and an L
6/07 – 2 runs and an L
8/24 – 2 runs and a ND

So lets go out on a limb (really) and say the Phils scored all of 3 runs in the above games. That would be 3 more wins, 1 less loss so now we’re at 17-6.

He would be in serious consideration for the CY in the NL if the Phils could have mustered SOME runs. Anyone feel me here?

If he has 6 more starts (looks highly likely), he’ll have to put up a 2.16 ERA in the remaining games to have a FINAL ERA of 3.00… that would be pretty damn impressive.. I think he can do it. Interestingly, his ERA in July WAS 2.16 in 6 starts…. he’ll have to replicate that.

If he wants his FINAL ERA to be 3.05 (what I suggested), he’ll have to put up a 2.44 ERA in the remaining 6 games.

GO KING COLE!

At some point in his career Cole Hamels WILL be a Cy Young winner….AT LEAST once.

Better question: If you could sign either Roy Halladay OR Cole Hamels to a 4 year deal RIGHT NOW (as of today), for the same amount of money, who would you sign??

I’d sign Halladay if I could only sign one. But I’d get excellent market value for Cole, I wouldn’t just let him walk for draft picks.

Halladay is the best pitcher in the world. you take him. Question is who is game 2 of a playoff series Hamels or oswalt?

The Braves have a 4 game lead in the Wild card is how I see it. they have 0 chance to take the division. the truth is that the Braves are the weakest team that can still make the playoffs. So phillies fans should want to see them hang on for the Wild card. Sadly I dont think they have enough bullets in the gun to hang on. If Lincecum is himself this year (he was in his last start) they would be ahead of the Braves for the wild card. The Phils and Reds are a lock division wise. I think the other 2 teams come from the west. Padres and probably Giants maybe Rockies.

Manny that’s why I said I’d get plenty of excellent future value for him. Remember you forced the decision on us, I wouldn’t let either of them go under normal circumstances!