-Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez will miss his first chance to prove to Phillies fans that he can actually throw a baseball. Citing an illness (already), MAG won’t pitch on Thursday in the Phillies/Blue Jays match up. It appears he’ll instead go on Saturday.
Kind of odd that he already has been pushed back because of an illness, but I guess the Phils aren’t taking any chances? Who knows. Regardless, the reviews have not been strong on MAG thus far.
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-Chris Wheeler says it’s been different. He’s not gearing up for another season behind the microphone, something he’d done for a long, long time.
“The last time I didn’t go on the road was 1976. I’ve been on every road trip from ’77 on, which basically means that I’ve pretty much seen every game.”
I feel for Wheels, whom I got to know over the last few years covering the team. We’d shoot the crap in the press box on most nights as he would sit directly behind me during Sarge’s innings.
What’s even more sad is that he knew before the end of last season that he wasn’t going to be back.
“I did the last nine games knowing I was a lame duck. And that was a little difficult. It was difficult leaving that Sunday, the second game that I did. That Saturday night, it rained with the Mets. He told me before that game. So leaving the booth that Sunday, I caught myself looking around as I walked to the bus. We went to Miami and Atlanta, so I did the games down there. (Tom McCarthy had to go home for personal reasons) and I wound up doing play-by-play for two or three games. Just me and Sarge, two lame ducks sitting there.So that was a little bit difficult.”
I for one will miss Wheels in the booth, although I am looking forward to the new guys taking over.
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-Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs spoke with the media for the first time today and Moyer had this to say.
“I’m not going to be Harry Kalas. But I’d like to be a good broadcaster like Harry Kalas was.”
That is a man that knows his place in Philadelphia. Also, Stairs dropped this baby, saying he’ll be going where Jonathan Broxton is as the two broadcasters split duties on the road trips.
“I go to Cincinnati because of Broxton.”
Looking forward to it, Matty.
