Crossing Broad

Your Ruben Amaro and Howie Roseman Photoshops

Morning Wood: Hunting Hard

Imagine my delight, your delight, when CSN opened with footage of Hunter Pence arriving in a black Escalade, which rolled beneath the bowels of CBP in a scene that you would have expected to see across the street for the snoochy-flashing arrival of Britney Spears, who was also in town on this Saturday in late July. The Hunter hath arrived.

Couple of things: He was safe at first, you know that. His broken-bat fly out probably would have been a double (or home run) if his wood held up. And, whether it was Pence's presence in the five-hole or some sort of strange coincidence, Ryan Howard had his best game of the year last night, going 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, a single, and a walk. All of a sudden, no one in the lineup is hitting out of place.

On that note, I’m convinced that this team is better with Victorino in the two-spot. Even though Polanco is an uber contact hitter, he’s old, potentially damaged goods (those bulging discs have a habit of lingering), and adds nothing on the base-paths. I’m a firm believer in having two speedsters at the top of the lineup, and since J-Roll™ isn’t exactly your prototypical leadoff hitter, Victo makes all the more sense hitting second... especially when your projected two-hole hitter is strolling through the locker room with heat packs on his back: 

Speaking of backs, Jules....... can we mention Pence’s lats? Good Lord, you winged Angel, you. No wonder why he was putting balls in the second deck in left field during batting practice. He sort of has the general posture of an alien from Independence Day, which is a good thing. I think.

In case you haven’t seen it six times yet, here he is talking about his first night as a Phillie. I’m not sure if it’s the mohawks or goofiness, but I’m convinced he and Worley are going to be buds.

Fun with New York continues: check out this article in yesterday’s New York Post (thanks to Nate and Jenna for sending). Respect.

Now Philadelphia is Michael Corleone, underestimated for so long, who in December came out of the bathroom blasting away and hustled Cliff Lee away from the Yankees, who yesterday announced it had “settled all family business” by getting Nnamdi Asomugha to sign his mellifluous collection of vowels and consonants to the bottom of a contract, stealing him clear away from the Jets.

It caps four years of relentless smackdowns and beatdowns (save for the Yankees’ defiant refusal to let the Phillies repeat in 2009), which began in ’07 when the Phillies erased a 71⁄2-game Mets lead in the NL East in the bare space of 17 days, which continued on the last day of the 2010 NHL season when the Flyers beat the Rangers for the last spot in that season’s playoffs, which raged out of control when the Eagles made that impossible comeback on the Giants last season at the Meadowlands. 

 

The Braves traded for Michael Bourn. Ed Wade continues to purge all evidence of a baseball franchise in Houston, while the Phillies and Braves just got much better.

Finally, perhaps because I’m immature, here’s video of the Pirates’ announcers talking about our pitching staff’s balls... Further proving that if you mention Cliff Lee’s genitalia, in any taken-out-of-context way, you will make Morning Wood:

Yeah, we’re reaching.

Make sure to check out HunterPenceBaseball.com.

Plaxico to the Jets, Eagles Sign Evan Mathis

It continues... sort of.

Despite a ton of speculation (and Phillies hats), Adam Shefter reports Plaxico Burress will sign with the Jets. I suppose there's some sort of weird, hybrid shot myself in the foot joke here, but I'm way too exhausted to find it.

Also, earlier this morning, the Eagles announced the signing of G Evan Mathis. Carry on...

Howie Roseman Sees Your Hunter Pence and Raises You a Cullen Jenkins

The Eagles announced the signing of DT Cullen Jenkins to a five-year, $25 million contract. Boss.

Philly Sports Daily has the story. Your move, Amaro.

UPDATE: The Eagles also traded Brodrick Bunkley to the Browns for a 5th round pick. I can't keep up.

UPDATE: The Hunter Hath Arrived

The award for best creepy beat writer Twitter photo goes to... Todd Zolecki. Nice shot, Todd.

He will be playing right field and batting fifth tonight. Hunter, that is. Not Todd. 

UPDATE: Video of Pence meeting with the media, via the Delco Times, after the jump.

Phillies Might Not Be Done

And the show goes on...

As we had mentioned back in June, the Phillies may be in on Jim Thome. Here's what I had written:

Even though this is nothing more than hearsay at this point, acquiring Thome would have Disney-like undertones: Aging star returns to former team to play for beloved mentor and helps team win World Series. Of course, there's also the M. Night Shyamalan version, which tells us that Thome has really been dead since 2006 (no seasons since with over 100 RBI, and a 4-for-29, 1 RBI performance in last three postseasons combined). 

I like the Disney angle better, however.

Rube is in take mode right now.

Hunter Pence Talks to 97.5 The Fanatic

Poor Hunter just wanted to get through and speak to the Philly fans...

Here's a link to the interview with our friends from 97.5, Jon Marks and Sean Brace. Good get, guys.

"It's thrilling. I'm joining the team that's got the best record in all of baseball. Ya know, what can I say? You never know what you're going to get when you play in that ballpark. Every time I've gone there, I've loved it. The Phanatic's unbelieveable. The fans, they know baseball, they're crazy, they throw hot dogs at you. You never know what's going to happen and frigging Roy Oswalt might be in left field. So, it's been a lot of fun."

 

I told you that you were going to like this guy.

NY Daily News Back Page: Drop Dead

And the Post...

I just love sticking it to this town. Just love it.

Morning Wood: Rock Hard, Cross-Sport, NC 17 Rated Excitement

Gangsta.

After three days of relative silence on the free agent front, Howie Roseman pulled a Ruben Amaro on the NFL: He swooped in at the last second and stole the best free agent available, Nnamdi Asomugha, who appeared to only be in the grasps of teams from New York and Texas.

Briefly, momentarily, those of us who gathered around the table of phallicular weights and measurements - if such a table exists - to choose a winner between Roseman and Amaro, had to give the nod to the Eagles’ GM. After all, not since December 14th had we seen such substantial, yet subtle, balls.

Ruben no like.

Just hours later, but without the quiet deception (this week, Amaro operated with the subtlety of an injured deer engulfed in flames), Big Rube laid his down on the table. Gasp. An elongated silence befell the room. We might have a tie, folks.

Here are the details, in case you are unawares:

The Phillies sent Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later to the Astros. In return, they got Hunter Pence, who will be in Philadelphia tonight, and $2 million in cash, which will help keep them under the luxury tax threshold (thanks, Ed).

It’s a decent trade for both teams: the Astros cut salary and get top prospects, the Phillies become the favorites to win the World Series. But, according to a number of reports, Rube, once again, walked off like Keyser Soze leaving the police station in Usual Suspects. 

Beat writer Randy Miller says Wade could have had Domonic Brown in the trade.... instead, in what was most likely a cost cutting measure, he opted for Josh Zeid, a 10th round draft pick with a 5.65 ERA in Double-A. And, as if the images of Wade with a gag in his mouth aren’t already present, Jayson Stark reports the Astros had originally insisted the Phillies include two more top prospects, in addition to Cosart and Singleton, to complete the deal. That didn’t happen.

Jesus. By the time Pence was taken out of the game in Houston, I’m surprised Rube wasn’t in a full gallop and hopping into Kobayashi’s awaiting luxury sedan while Wade was left in horror, trying to figure out who the hell Redfoot and this rookie from Skokie, Illinois were.

That may seem harsh, but in his four years in Houston, Ed Wade has taken an average, respectable team and turned them into one of the worst in the history of baseball. Trading Pence, a necessary evil, will most likely be the final nail in his coffin.

Conversely, this is the third straight year Rube has delivered on July 29th. In 2009, he traded for Cliff Lee. Last year, Roy Oswalt. And now Pence. Unreal.

Here he is talking about it. Video via the Delco Times. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he isn't partially nude and surrounded by three coeds here:

Doc liked the move, as well. He had earlier campaigned for the Phillies to make a move and even spoke with Pence at the All-Star Game, the place where Phillies hang out: [CSN Philly]

“I believe he did ask me how I liked it,” said Halladay. “Of course for me it’s been everything I thought it would be, so I think he’s going to be excited to come here and play. 

We talked about some of the players we have, the Chase Utleys, the guys he tried to model himself [after]. Some of the stuff we talked about, I think he will be a great fit here.

I told him how much I enjoyed it here. But at that point, it didn’t even come up that he would have a chance to come here. We were kind of talking in passing. I'm glad it worked out.

I didn’t even think about it at the time as a sales pitch. But I think I did a pretty good job if it was.”

 

Here’s more from Doc:

The Phillies will only have to pay Pence $2.3 million for the rest of the season. That’s 1/3 of his $6.9 million contract. He will be under the Phillies’ control for the next two seasons, though he will be arbitration eligible in both of them.

There are a number of reports that Placido Polanco will be joining Pence in Philly tonight, which means Brown could be sent to AAA to continue his development. That’s probably the best move for everybody right now. If he sits on the bench for the next two months, he will - yet again - be useless come October.

Turning attention to the Eagles... Peter King reports that Asomugha just wanted to be here and took less money to do so: [SI.com]

And one league source just told me something that surprised me. “Nnamdi wanted to play in Philadelphia,” the source said. More than New York, where Rex Ryan was planning to make Asomugha and Revis his defensive centerpieces? Yes, the source said.

The contract is stunning — just $12 million a year for a player who made $28 million over the last two years and was the hottest player on the free agent market. So the source appears to be spot on: Clearly Asomugha would have been offered more by at least one other team. The $12 million annual figure is what the Panthers paid defensive end Charles Johnson this week. Clearly there was something enticing about this Eagles bid, possibly the ability to go to a team with the chance to win the Super Bowl from the NFC.

 

He pulled a Cliff Lee. That's a Cliff Lee right there!

But wait, there’s more!

According to ESPN New York and others, Plaxico Burress still has his sights set on the Eagles and may meet with the team. This line from the story is just great:

The general manager also said he would not let the Eagles' signing of the top free agent on the market, Asomugha, dictate his decision-making with Burress. The Giants can certainly use another weapon like Burress to combat the Eagles, who have beaten the Giants six straight times, including their 2008 postseason encounter and last season's devastating come-from-behind 38-31 win at the Meadowlands.

 

That was just days after the Phillies signed Lee.

Their tactics may have been different, but both Howie Roseman and Ruben Amaro - the Phillies and the Eagles - went all in, bringing us another Christmas... this time in July.

Welcome to Pencelvania, folks.

H/T to Jimmy for the Photoshop

Hunter Pence Talks About Leaving Houston and Coming to Philadelphia

Video is via Astros beat writer Alyson Footer, who has more from the Astros' side of things.

You are going to LOVE this guy.

Here's a link to the full press conference with Pence and video of him being taken out of the game in Houston. Ed Wade, who has destroyed the Astros franchise over the last five years, talks about the trade.

UPDATE: Phillies Trade For Hunter Pence

Rube strikes again.

Jon Heyman confirms it. The Phillies just traded for Hunter Pence. They will send Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and one other player (not Domonic Brown or Vance Worley) to Houston in exchange for Pence. Apparently, Ed Wade flinched: he also sent the Phillies money. No, really, he did. According to multiple reports, it will allow the Phillies to stay under the luxury tax.

What a Friday, folks. That sound you hear is Ruben Amaro and Howie Roseman pouring champagne on each other in gleeful - yet somewhat disturbing - euphoria.

We'll have more when the other player is announced. For now, go celebrate.

We're accepting any and all Photoshops of Amaro and Roseman in ridiculous scenarios (include Holmgren too, if you want). Send to crossingbroad [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Apparently, ESPN couldn't handle Philly:

H/T to (@gabe615) for the grab

UPDATE: Deal Almost Done

This is getting out of control. Ruben Amaro will not be outdone.

Rosenthal also reports the deal will not be a three-team deal, it will be a two-team deal between the Phillies and Astros, obviously.

UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal now reports a deal will get done tonight. Jon Morosi says both Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton are in the deal.

Singleton has been removed from the game in Clearwater, as per Phuture Phillies.

Jayson Stark says it is a four-player deal and Domonic Brown and Vance Worley are not in it. Amazing.