Posts for phillies

From Youtube to the Philadelphia Phillies

Coggin Toboggan - May 23, 2018

Shawn Senior is the newest left-handed batting practice pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Last night I almost hit Herrera,” Shawn Senior, 46, the newest member of the Phillies organization told me less than 24-hours after making his debut as the team’s new left-handed batting practice pitcher.

Beaning Odubel Herrera in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park the first day of your newest position would not be the best way to start your career with a major league franchise.

“The ball clipped the L-Screen as I was throwing past it, It was going towards him and it actually went behind him. I would hope I won’t hit anyone, but I’m sure if I throw enough one or two will fly. I’m sure I won’t be the first or the last person to do it,” he said.

And so went Senior’s debut at the big league level, albeit a different one he likely dreamed of when he graduated from Cherry Hill West in 1990 and N.C. State in 1993 as a star pitcher.

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Lenny Dykstra Was Arrested For Threatening To Kill an Uber Driver

Kyle Scott - May 23, 2018

That mugshot is IMPRESSIVE. The perfect combination of unkempt former athlete and psycho murderer.

From NJ.com:

Former Mets and Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra was arrested in front of the Linden police station on Wednesday morning on charges he threatened an Uber driver while in possession of drugs, authorities say.

The driver, a 47-year-old Roselle man, told police he picked up Dyksta in Linden, police said. When Dykstra’s request to change his destination was turned down, the ex-major league player allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened to kill the driver.

The driver got the attention of police by speeding into a parking garage next to the police station and repeatedly honking his horn before stopping at headquarters, police said. The Uber driver then ran from his car, according to police.

Cops didn’t find a weapon, but Dykstra had cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy on him when police took him into custody around 3:30 a.m., police said.

Oh Nails.

I’m now wondering what may have happened to the weapon, if indeed there was one. What are the chances Lenny went with the ol’ hand-in-pocket gun routine without actually having a gun? Look like that and it’s totally a plausible bluff that I certainly wouldn’t call at 3:30 a.m. in Linden, New Jersey.

Other questions I have:

Where was his original destination?

Where did he want to change it to?

Will his court appearance next month be general admission?

A fun twist would be if Rick Dempsey was the driver.

Phillies Select Fan from Cherry Hill as Batting Practice Pitcher

Coggin Toboggan - May 22, 2018

At the start of the season, the Phillies put out an interesting call on their social media platforms, asking for YouTube-submitted applications from left-handed fans who were interested in tossing batting practice during home games this season.

The Phillies found their man and he’s starting his job tonight, according to Bonnie Clark, vice president of communications with the team.

Shawn Senior, a resident of Cherry Hill, will toss left-handed batting practice before tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves and will be on hand this season to throw before every home game.

The Phillies had over 400 applicants for the position and narrowed it down to seven finalists, Clark confirmed, before selecting Senior.

Senior has professional baseball experience, as he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1993 and played for four seasons in their minor league system.

Over four seasons he won 38 games, lost 33, and had a 3.99 ERA, according to The Baseball Cube.

You can buy his minor league card for $1 on Amazon as we speak.

Win 7 Field-Level Phillies Tickets Courtesy of AmeriGas

JoyOnBroad - May 22, 2018

Our friends at AmeriGas have done it again. If you’ve been looking for the perfect night out or an excuse to get out to Citizen’s Bank Park, look no further. AmeriGas wants to get you closer to the action than you’ve ever been before.

Enter now to win 7 tickets to Phillies-Nationals on Saturday, June 30th (6:00!). After the game, you’ll have incredible seats for the XFINITY Fireworks Show #2.

How good are the seats, you ask?

 

That’s right, 7 seats in Section 110, Row 3, Seats 1-7. Did we mention that parking is included? It is. This package, valued at over $600, could be yours by entering the contest below.

Contest Rules/Details:

We will randomly draw the lucky winner on Wednesday, June 27th, based on all the registration submissions received. Please, only one email per person. Contest has no affiliation and is not endorsed by the Phillies, Major League Baseball, or Xfinity. By entering your email, you agree to receive emails from Crossing Broad, AmeriGas and its partners.

Pro Tip: Testing Jorge Alfaro’s Arm is a Bad Idea

BWanksCB - May 22, 2018

PHOTO CREDIT: BILL STREICHER-USA TODAY SPORTS

Jorge Alfaro has entered the batter’s box 115 times this season. On 47 of those occasions, he returned to the dugout after striking out. That’s 40.9% of his plate appearances. That is an exorbitant strikeout rate, and, typically, that type of performance isn’t going to earn my adoration. Yet, and I’ll say this plainly—I do not care. I am in love with Jorge Alfaro.

His offensive numbers are rather mundane. A .255/.313/.387 slash line isn’t going to make it move, and he needs to continue refining his receiving and game-calling skills, but the allure of Alfaro is rooted more in his fascinating raw ability and imagining the possibilities of what he could possibly become. He’s currently pretty damn good, too, but watch the plays he made in last night’s game and it’s easy to get carried away.

Look at this play.

Look at it.

I command you to do so:

Absurd. Everyone is talking about the ridiculous throw that somehow beat Ender Inciarte to end the game, and I totally get why, but the way he explodes out from behind the plate to even put himself in position to make a throw is the true marvel of this particular play. His manager was certainly impressed:

I don’t know if there’s another catcher that I’ve ever seen — and I played with Pudge — that makes that play in the ninth inning. He is spectacularly talented, spectacularly athletic, incredibly durable. He’s starting to look like a guy who is going to be a fixture in our lineup for a long time.

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The Phillies Need To Punch Back Against The Braves

BWanksCB - May 21, 2018

PHOTO CREDIT: DALE ZANINE-USA TODAY SPORTS

Last month, after Atlanta polished off its third series win over the Phillies in as many tries, I wrote:

The bottom line is this: The Phillies, if nothing else, have made themselves relevant after one month of baseball, but if they wish to remain that way beyond the Sixers’ playoff run and into the summer months, the offense needs to wake up and they need to start handling their shit against teams like the Braves.

At the time, “teams like the Braves” meant average ones that possess less talent than the Phillies. Atlanta was a surprising 16-11 and a team seemingly playing above its head. Fast forward three weeks to this morning ahead of what is arguably the most meaningful series played at Citizens Bank Park in nearly seven years, and, well, it appears the Braves are very much for real. They are good, and they are feeling it right now:

They enter tonight’s series opener between the current top two teams in the NL East with a 28-17 record, a plus-65 run differential, and having already spent 20 days this season atop the division.

What I wrote back in April still technically remains true—the Phillies do need to starting handling their shit against teams like the Braves. It’s just for a very different reason. Atlanta is not the hapless opponent that I initially suspected would willingly help pad the Phillies’ win total. They are instead a team that has, to this point, outpaced the Phillies while mastering them in the process. Will the Braves ultimately prove to be the 100-win juggernaut that they are currently on pace to become? That seems ambitious, but they are most certainly not a cute ,early-season feel good story that will slowly drift into irrelevance by summer’s end.

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A Phillies Trade For Manny Machado Makes No Sense

BWanksCB - May 18, 2018

PHOTO CREDIT: WINSLOW TOWNSON-USA TODAY SPORTS

The Inquirer’s Bob Brookover explored the possibility of the Phillies adding Manny Machado in a piece published Thursday.

My reaction?

Manny Machado… Phillies… Stimulation…

It’s hard not to get worked up over the thought of the Phillies adding Machado, who has a 1.079 OPS with 14 homers and 40 RBI, to replace the crop of current shortstops who have collectively posted a .690 OPS with only four homers and 12 RBI. Brookover, too, is clearly hot and bothered by the idea:

Sometimes the stars align just right and the thing you need the most is the thing that is most available. This is one of those times for the Phillies, and they must seize the moment. Now, not next winter, is the time to pursue Baltimore superstar Manny Machado.

Really? Now is the time?

Yes, the price is going to be high in terms of players and dollars? The good news for the Phillies is they have both. The better news is that Machado’s move to shortstop is perfect timing for the Phillies.

All I can say is that sometimes the heat of the moment can make a man get a little carried away.

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Were the 2009 Yankees Filthy Cheaters? – Part Two

Kevin Kinkead - May 18, 2018

Photo Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

I wrote earlier this week about Robinson Cano’s 80-game suspension and the group of 2009 Yankees that were linked to banned substances.

“There are new developments” with this story, as they like to say on television.

Cano’s ex-teammate Mark Teixeira was a guest on the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 ESPN New York on Thursday. He said he wasn’t surprised to hear about the suspension:

“Yeah, I don’t really want to get into too much detail. I love Robbie. I’m just not surprised,” said Teixeira, a baseball analyst for ESPN since retiring after the 2016 season. “I don’t really want to go too much further, but I think a lot of people are kind of saying the same thing.”

……

Teixeira said he considered Cano’s associations in his New York days when formulating his suspicions about him.

“Let’s just use this situation here. Robbie Cano’s assistant was on the list for Biogenesis,” Teixeira said, referring to the clinic at the center of MLB’s 2013 PED scandal. “Now, of course, [he] had an assistant, you know, buy stuff for him. Alex Rodriguez got popped by Biogenesis, and [former Yankees outfielder] Melky [Cabrera] got popped. They were best friends. When someone gets lumped into that group, it’s because there’s evidence. There’s a paper trail. There’s a smoke trail.”

Interesting.

Teixeira played 1st base on the 2009 World Series squad and was Cano’s teammate for five seasons before the latter left New York for Seattle.

I think it’s pretty obvious, based on those quotes above, that the 2009 Yankees were vile cheats. THEREFORE – the Phillies are back-to-back World Series champions.