Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Phillies-Nationals Tonight

Observations:

1. All 25 player on the Nats do belong in the Majors. They just don't belong on the same team.

2. The baseball writers' nation still puts access above tough questioning (the way they did when they somehow missed the steroids era while it was happening). Case in point, the Nats' Jayson Werth. Why hasn't a Philly writer asked him the following question: "Hey, Jayson, how does it feel to have signed a lucrative contract with a perennial loser that looks like it will continue to lose for years?" Perhaps even with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.

3. Out of town broadcasters might have said something to the effect of, "well, it's the middle of the game in Philadelphia, and they're pitching another shutout. Who's going for them tonight? Roy Halladay? Cliff Lee?" Nope, it as 23 year-old Vance Worley, who's pitched 12 shutout innings in his first two starts in place of Joe Blanton. Baseball Prospectus projects him as a #4 starter with a better upside than Kyle Kendrick. If Worley keeps on pitching like this, the Phillies will have a high-class problem when Blanton returns.

4. It was $&*@~# freezing at the ballpark tonight, in the low 50's, winds whipping, winds blowing at you, just a cold night at the ballpark. We wore middle-weight jackets, gloves, put our hoods over our heads and used the warmers that they sell at places like Dick's. Still, it's warming to see the 139th straight sellout (albeit with a lot of no-shows) and to participate in an electric atmosphere.

Phillies are 20-9 -- without Chase Utley, without Domonic Brown, without Brad Lidge, all while playing a relatively weak schedule. Then again, you play who you play, and the Phillies have been taking it to 'em.

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