By ERIC FISHER
Maybe we all got ahead of ourselves. Including me.
Two weeks ago, while praising the Phillies for acquiring left-hander Cliff Lee, I emphasized how much the trade would help them during the postseason. But I didn’t spend one sentence pondering whether the Phillies would make the playoffs. Even without Lee, I wrote, the Phillies probably would have won the National League East.
That was then. This is now.
Losing three out of four games against the Giants in the first full series after acquiring Lee (who had the lone win), then getting swept at home by Florida last weekend changed things in a hurry. Winning the series against the Marlins would have left the Fish at least eight games out of first place, but getting swept allowed the Marlins to jump right back into the playoff picture.
Even worse, Atlanta is back in the picture as well. Entering Thursday’s action, the Braves and Marlins were both four-and-a-half games behind the Phillies.
I don’t want to overstate the case. The Phillies are still in the driver’s seat. They should still win the division.
But certainty has been pushed aside to make room for doubt. All of a sudden, the playoffs don’t look like such a sure thing after all. The postseason certainly doesn’t seem to be the Phillies’ inevitable destination, as it was just two short weeks ago.
Keeping one team at bay is a simpler task. Beat that team head-to-head and it’s very likely you’ll win the division.
With both the Braves and Marlins chasing the Phillies, however, the Phils can’t extend their lead unless both challengers lose on the same night.
How did the Phillies fall into this predicament? After a robust July during which they won 14 of 15 games at one point, their potent offense wilted. The big bats in the middle of the lineup – Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez – suffered a power outage. Until Wednesday’s 12-5 victory over Chicago, none of the big three had hit a home run during August.
The big three aren’t the only culprits. Jayson Werth struggled, as did Pedro Feliz. More importantly, nearly everyone was putrid with runners in scoring position.
After getting swept by the Marlins, the Phillies rebounded nicely against the Cubs. This weekend the Phillies face a crucial test in Atlanta, where they were swept by the Braves as June turned to July. One difference from last time, and this is not good news for Phillies fans, is that the Braves are playing much better than they were six weeks ago.
The Phillies are also a different team. Their rotation now includes former Cy Young Award winners Lee and Pedro Martinez, although neither will pitch this weekend.
Martinez won his Phillies debut Wednesday night. Considering he hadn’t pitched in the majors since last September, Martinez looked pretty good. But his pitching line of five innings, seven hits and three runs doesn’t look any better than the typical outing of Jamie Moyer, the man he replaced in the rotation.
We can’t judge Martinez’s worth based on one start. It’s a lot easier to pitch when your teammates stake you to a 12-1 lead, as the Phillies did for Martinez on Wednesday.
The Phillies would probably be happy if Martinez gave them six good innings in each start. And that brings us to the next issue: the bullpen.
As wrong as I was two weeks ago when I prematurely placed the Phillies in the playoffs, that’s how correct I was seven weeks ago when I identified the bullpen as the team’s major concern.
At the time I wrote that column, the Phillies were mired in a stretch during which they lost 11 of 13 games. They aren’t slumping like that now, but the bullpen concern is just as real.
Let’s start with Brad Lidge, the key to last year’s championship. When he entered a game last year, you knew the game was over. When he enters a game today, you close your eyes and pray.
Lidge didn’t blow a save last season. This season he has blown seven, more than anyone else in the majors. He entered Thursday’s game with an 0-4 record and a horrific 7.29 ERA. If he were anyone other than the guy who had a perfect season last year, he would no longer be the closer. He might even be in the minors.
The bullpen problems don’t stop with Lidge. Ryan Madson has pitched fairly well, but, with 56 games under his belt, he’s in danger of burnout. J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey are still on the disabled list, Chad Durbin just returned, and it’s uncertain how Moyer will adjust to a bullpen role.
All you need to know about the bullpen woes is there is serious talk of Brett Myers, who had hip surgery earlier this season, helping out in the bullpen and, if Lidge continues to struggle, even becoming the closer.
Even with Lee, the Phillies’ prospects for playoff success look a bit shaky – assuming they can hold off the Marlins and Braves.
August 13, 2009
DON’T BUY PHILS’ PLAYOFF TIX YET
August 7, 2009
THE KATE WE LOVED HAS VANISHED
By MOLLY DAVIS
Two words describe Monday night’s new episodes of “Jon & Kate Plus 8.”
Damage Control.
And somehow, the “Plus 8″ have gotten lost in the shuffle amidst Mommy’s glam make-over and Daddy’s late-night dalliances with his numerous women.
TLC is trying to sway viewers that Kate is still the down-to-earth, next-door neighbor that she was when the show began.
She has long since lost that appeal.
Countless exotic vacations, book tours, new homes, plastic surgeries — the woman that once had a modest appeal in showing America the daily goings-on of a family of eight kids has disappeared.
Gone is the “reality,” as the point of the series was to show other parents how the Gosselins managed their large brood while still struggling to make ends meet.
The reality is that the Gosselins no longer need to work for a living and instead are relying on the lucrative deal they receive from TLC .
Kate is a victim of her own success, and is making those who surround her suffer as well — she revels in the countless TLC-paid amenities, not to mention the spotlight, no matter how vehemently she denies it – and is a narcissistic, self-indulgent bore.
What on earth was wrong with the kitchen in her new house?
Apparently, there was a lack of cabinet space.
It’s called a pantry, Kate.
I’m sure you have several.
And a garage, where normal people keep all their extras.
I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve to do what she wants with her own money.
But don’t expect the people who follow your show to commiserate with your problems when the biggest one you have is where to store your extra juice boxes.
So off to the beach she went, all eight kids in tow, to escape the mess of the remodel.
Rub it in, TLC, rub it in.
Most Americans have to step over the mess and continue on with their daily routine, whether they like it or not, so maybe TLC should be a little more sympathetic to its viewers who are going through financial hardship rather than flaunt the Gosselin’s lack of monetary concerns.
TLC has picked a side, and that side is Kate.
Viewers are picking sides as well, and most are on Team Kate.
I’m still on Team Jon and don’t plan on defecting any time soon.
Just when I feel a tiny twinge of empathy for Kate, she opens her mouth and belittles Jon with “What planet are you from” in that snotty tone she calls a voice.
The empathy went right out the window.
In the second episode, Kate has to set up tents for the kids to have a camp-out in the backyard.
I thought this would lead to a meltdown, as she had no idea what she was doing, and when one of the kids reminds Kate “Daddy knows everything about tents,” I actually held my breath.
But without missing a beat, Kate calmly replies in an eerily sweet tone “Well, daddy’s not here now.”
Which I took as a dig, but maybe it’s just me and my personal distaste for the woman.
She is a hypocrite, plain and simple.
Had Jon EVER spoken to or verbally humiliated Kate the way she does to him, he would be labeled as an abusive, sadistic man.
And there is plenty to call her out on — she was at least 200 pounds when they first met.
But she can berate him about his belly being fat, and no one bats an eye.
Her ridiculous hairdo.
Once again, she has poked fun at his balding mop, so glass houses, my dear Kate.
And Jon could have lobbed some huge stones – boulders, even – into her transparent abode.
If you can’t stand the heat, Kate, get out of your brand new kitchen.
OUR VIEW: KEEP ON FIGHTING!
The angry protests from voters at town hall meetings on health care hopefully will continue. Constituents have shown up at these meetings and blasted politicians such as Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and in Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. People need to keep up the pressure to defeat President Obama’s so-called health-care reform.
These politicians have drawn the most ire by stressing the need to pass the legislation quickly and providing unreasonable estimates about the legislation’s cost. Passing such far reaching legislation quickly does not make much sense. A plan and its possible effects should be well understood before legislators vote on any health-care bill.
A health-care bill that is passed just for the sake of doing something, but does not actually improve health care, is counter productive, particularly if it raises people’s taxes and adds to the ballooning deficit.
Any arguments from Obama that a health-care bill could save money were completely refuted by a Congressional Budget Office study showing that Obama’s version of health-care reform would add billions to the deficit.
Additionally, people are worried that they would be forced onto a substandard program of government run health care, and would pay more than they are paying now.
Decreased quality at a higher price is not a winning argument.
The Obama Administration seems completely flustered by the backlash from voters.
A Democratic advertisement has compared people protesting health care costs to an angry mob. These people are not part of a mob, but they are angry, and they should be. Obama is trying to rush through an unworkable bill, and he does not seem to care what is in it.
Far from being an unruly mob, the opposition to the health-care bill is needed because Democrats control both Houses of Congress by sizeable majorities. Many of these Democrats ran as being more moderate or conservative, but they are being pulled in the other direction simultaneously by the liberal party leadership. If these Democrats are not pressured, they may just support some type of wasteful compromise measure. They likely will claim that they saved some money, in an attempt to please their constituents. They also can use a compromise to stay on the good side of party leaders.
To prevent these malleable Democrats from caving to the liberals who run their party, voter protests at town hall meetings and other venues are absolutely necessary.
A tea party protest is being planned in Lebanon that hopefully will address the concerns about the health-care proposals. Everyone who is opposed to so-called health-care reform should attend.
SIZZLING TAYLOR, ‘TWILIGHT’ HOTTIE TO HOOK UP
By MOLLY DAVIS
It’s the tale of two Taylors.
Taylor Swift and “Twilight” star and cutie Taylor Lautner are slated to star on the big screen together in 2010.
It’s a match made in heaven.
And one that I hope will translate off screen, as I deemed Lautner to be Swift-worthy earlier this year after her breakup with the dorky Joe Jonas.
The film, called “Valentine’s Day,” is to hit theaters on Feb. 12, just in time for the much-dreaded “Hallmark Holiday.”
MTV.com and Swift’s reps reported that she signed on for the flick, but they’re tight-lipped about the character she’ll portray.
But take heart, Swift junkies — the Web site JustJaredJr.com has nearly three-dozen pictures that were said to be taken on the film set last last week.
The site also dishes a little more info than MTV.com, saying that the two Taylors “play a high school prom king and queen and share a kissing scene. ‘Valentine’s Day’ follows both singles and couples in Los Angeles as they deal with the expectations that come with the February 14th holiday.
Here’s hoping the kiss they share isn’t as tight-lipped as Swift’s reps.
‘ULTIMATE’ WARRIORS CAN’T BE IGNORED
By ERIC FISHER
BJ Penn. Kenny Florian. Anderson Silva. Forrest Griffin.
Do these names mean anything to you?
Some of you are scratching your head and thinking, “Silva is a middle reliever … I’m pretty sure Florian is a utility infielder … Penn sounds familiar, but I can’t place him. I’ve never heard of that Griffin guy.”
Others immediately became wide-eyed with excitement – all right, semi-excitement – and thought, “I can’t believe Fisher is finally writing a column on UFC!”
UFC, for the uninitiated, means Ultimate Fighting Championship. The four names listed in the beginning of this column are involved in the co-main events in UFC 101: Declaration, a live pay-per-view event Saturday night emanating from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
Some of you must be thinking, “UFC 101? When did they hold the first 100?” Well, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the UFC phenomenon, here’s a crash course. UFC is a mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that has become the hottest property on pay-per-view.
It appears that UFC 100, featuring Brock Lesnar successfully defending his heavyweight crown and avenging his only defeat, may have been the most-watched pay-per-view since Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. squared off in 2007 (2.15 million buys).
Official numbers have not been released, but the well-respected Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Web site cites sources indicating that the estimated number of buys is an astounding 1.72 million! By the way, seven of the top 10 2008 pay-per-views in North America were produced by UFC.
UFC also fills major arenas. An online check Wednesday night revealed that the only remaining seats for Saturday’s show are in the $400-$600 range. The upper level of the Wachovia Center ($50-$100) is sold out, as are the $200-$300 lower-level and club box seats.
As is evident by ticket sales and pay-per-view purchases, UFC has a loyal and growing audience. Readers who are part of UFC’s growing fan base not only recognized the four names at the top of this column right away as the headliners of UFC 101, but they could also tell you that Penn is defending the UFC lightweight championship against Florian and that UFC middleweight (170-185 pounds) champion Silva is stepping up to light heavyweight (185-205 pounds) to face Griffin.
Ardent UFC fans could also tell you that although Penn lost in January to UFC welterweight (155-170 pounds) champion Georges St. Pierre, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in UFC, Penn is undefeated at lightweight (145-155 pounds).
They could also tell you that Silva and Griffin are both big-time “strikers,” and that their fight is likely to end with a knockout.
There was a time when many dismissed UFC and the entire MMA genre as a glorified toughman competition. There was a freak show element to it, with huge sumo wrestlers facing Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists. It was almost like a real-life cross between Spike TV’s “Deadliest Warrior” and the “Man vs. Beast” shows that used to populate the airwaves.
That image started to change when UFC, which was founded in 1993, was taken over by new management in 2001. Weight classes were established, rules were standardized and the entire organization was given an overhaul.
Today’s fighters are in excellent physical condition, as one must be to last even one five-minute round. They also are generally well-rounded fighters. A fighter who relies on one discipline (wrestling, judo, karate, etc.) isn’t likely to find much success.
Even so, state athletic commissions have been reluctant to license UFC. Some still view UFC as “human cockfighting,” as Sen. John McCain infamously called it during the 1990s.
The battle to get sanctioned in Pennsylvania was a long one and UFC still isn’t sanctioned in many states, so Saturday’s event in Philadelphia, UFC’s first fight card in any of the major Northeast cities, is important to its future. If Philadelphia is a success, expect future events in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Those cities, as well as most media, are already late to the party. Despite very little mainstream press or television, UFC already has developed a rabid fan base and created stars. The next step is to cross over into the mainstream.
The UFC received a boost in reaching a larger audience when Lesnar entered the octagon (an eight-sided cage that forms the perimeter of the ring.) Lesnar, an NCAA wrestling champion, built name recognition by excelling in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Because of his pro wrestling background, many MMA purists rooted for Lesnar to fall flat on his face. In fact, many of them still do.
But UFC realizes it has pure gold in Lesnar, an incredible physical specimen and charismatic individual who has dominated all five of his MMA opponents, including Frank Mir during Lesnar’s one defeat. Lesnar learned from his submission defeat and hammered Mir to register a TKO in UFC 100’s main event.
Given the enormous success of UFC 100, both Lesnar and UFC are difficult to ignore. In other words, it won’t be long before more of you recognize names like Penn, Florian, Silva and Griffin.
