Categories: Podcasts

Playing the Rube: Chapter 15 – Stung by Joe Blanton

The Phillies won a world championship in 2008.

Then Ruben Amaro Jr. was named general manager.

The Phillies didn’t win another world championship.

Tim Malcolm and Dan Walsh wonder if they can do better. So, we continue “Playing the Rube,” a bi-weekly series with accompanying podcast in which Tim and Dan attempt to steer the Phillies to more victories, starting in 2009, through the deep simulation game OOTP Baseball ’18.

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CHAPTER 15: STUNG BY JOE BLANTON

Unbelievable.

Our exercise takes a turn for the worse as we visit Tampa Bay for a World Series rematch. Joe Blanton faces us in Game 1, and oh boy, does he leave his mark on the team that dealt him a month prior.

Meanwhile one of our first acquisitions, pitcher Eric Hurley, makes his debut for the Phillies and … well … that also goes spectacularly wrong.

We will get things right here, I promise. But not before we once again question the long-term stability of manager Charlie Manuel.

Listen below! And please subscribe to the Phillies Nation Podcast for more Playing the Rube!

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Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.