Screen Shot 2012-05-03 at 10.24.47 AMDoc, you don't look so good

Bit of a late start this morning. Apparently, drinking half a bottle of vodka isn’t conducive to getting up early and blogging. Who knew?! 

Had a bit of a crazy day yesterday thanks to some feminist nuts, who had a problem with a picture of a reader’s television screen, which revealed an innocuous, far-away, non-revealing, anonymous, hardly graphic, more-funny-than-it-was-sexual freeze frame of one fan in Atlanta on Tuesday night who had pulled her too-short-to-be-sitting-like-that skirt up nearly over her head as she crossed her legs, showing her skivvies. A few dozen or so zealots on Twitter objected so vociferously that they took the time to spam every business partner and advertiser on this site, along with every media outlet that has ever quoted me, including ESPN.com and The New York Times, to tell them that the guy who runs Crossing Broad is a misogynistic pig who promotes rape culture.

Yeah, that's rational.

[Meanwhile, CSN uncreatively and lazily Photoshopped a Flyers hat on Kate Upton's head].

Those bitches need something better to do with their time. And I don’t want to waste any more of yours. Let’s Wood! 

Last night’s game almost – almost – felt like a Phillies game from seasons past… except, you know, last year the Braves would have lost that game in a somewhat hilarious and embarrassing fashion. Instead, the Phillies lost 15-13 on a walk-off home run by Chipper Jones, who was playing the role of Kirk Gibson on this eve.

The takeaway story, however, was Roy Halladay. He was given a four-run lead early on, which led to the Phillies broadcast busting out every possible jinx.

Halladay is 107-0 when given a four-run lead.

Halladay hasn’t given up a home run in 41 innings, the longest stretch in his career.

The next inning, after the Phillies tacked on two more runs: Halladay gave up six runs, including a grand slam.

Tie game. Thanks, booth.

Truth is, the jinx had nothing to do with anything (I know– crazy, right?!). Halladay told reporters after the game that he felt good. But video tells a different story. Halladay was red – really red – and appeared to be suffering from the same type of exhaustion he had last year in Chicago. He denied that was the case, but again, I’m not so sure.

[UPDATE: Halladay left the team this morning to tend to a "personal family issue."]

The other issue is his velocity. It’s that elephant sitting over there in the corner. Here, let’s approach him:

A few weeks ago, we, like everyone else, noted that Halladay’s velocity was down nearly 2 mph from early-season starts last year (~92 mph vs. 90 mph).  

That was again the case last night.

Comparing it to his start in Atlanta on May 15 of last year, Halladay’s velocity was down significantly. He also didn’t throw as many fastballs last night. 

Last year he threw 54 fastballs (four and two-seam). Last night? 12 (Brooks Baseball, a website for pitch tracking and other geekery, says that he didn’t throw any four-seam fastballs last night, though distinguishing between different types of fastballs and cutters is sometimes difficult, especially when velocity is down). Whatever the case, Halladay relied on more off-speed pitches this time around, and perhaps that’s because, as mentioned, his velocity was down on his fastball. 

The 12 two-seam fastballs he threw last night averaged 91.1 mph. The 14 he threw on May 15 last year? 93.1. The max speeds (92.4 and 94.3, respectively) also differed by nearly 2 mph. Not good, folks.

Endearingly Fat Chooch did his best to save his hero, however. He drove in seven runs, including three on this bat-flipping bomb: 

ChoochPic via Zoo With Roy 

None of his efforts mattered, though, because, well, this:

Screen Shot 2012-05-03 at 10.39.43 AM

I don’t believe what I just saw.

The whole game – from Doc’s strong first few innings to the Phillies actually scoring runs – turned out to be one. big. tease.

Screen Shot 2012-05-03 at 10.40.30 AM

via (@iNibbz)

Semis:

Our D.C. Takeover trip was mentioned in this Wall Street Journal article. The New York Times, Washington Post and ESPN have all inquired about it, too. 

Zoo With Roy’s post-Doc jams are always a good read

Video of Doc speaking post-game is after the jump.

via Ryan Lawrence of the Delco Times