By GARY SIEGRIST
It’s hard to tell if Elco coach Mark Evans was stating the obvious or saying what he has really wanted to say all season long:
“So let the hype begin.”
The statement was actually two-fold, though. We have long awaited a final-game match-up between the Raiders and Lancaster Catholic for at least a share of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section III title to come to fruition. But Evans also was speaking of the two quarterbacks who will be featured in this game.
Kyle Smith and Arron Achey are reason alone to attend this baby.
Smith broke a PIAA record by throwing his 95th career touchdown pass against Annville-Cleona last week. Little Dutchmen coach Terry Lehman put it bluntly after the 49-7 Crusader win in Annville.
“That’s right up there with Montana and Namath,” said Lehman of Smith’s record.
And Lehman isn’t the only one from Lebanon County who got an up close look at what Achey has done, especially in the latter stages of his career.
Just for a reminder, Achey rushed for 243 yards and was responsible for five touchdowns in Elco’s 44-14 win over Donegal to cement a second consecutive District III playoff berth for the Raiders.
“Kyle Smith has been talked about and talked about,” Evans said. “And Arron has kind of been a little late to arrive on the scene”
As for the potential fireworks we might see on offense, check out this stat: The national average in points per game this year in high school is 25.4. Elco averages 37.2 points per game. Lancaster Catholic? Over 40.
“I knew we would be in this position, whether it was at 8-1 or 9-0, said Evans. “So this is where I expected us to be. Going into this game, we know we have at least one more opponent after this. But this one can really add to this group’s legacy. They’ve done a great job. And all I want for them is to taste this success and add to their legacy.
“The importance right now is knowing, not believing we can execute. We’re just gonna put our best foot forward and play the way we can.”
—
Game:: Elco (8-1 overall, 5-1 LL III) at Lancaster Catholic (8-1, 6-0)
Place: : Lancaster Catholic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Last Year: : Lancaster Catholic 42, Elco 7
Outlook: : This is it, the one we’ve been waiting for since the football preview came out. And while it isn’t exactly for all the marbles due to Elco’s 40-14 loss to Lampeter-Strasburg four weeks ago, it can still create a three-way championship between the three teams mentioned once it’s all over.
If you’re the Raiders: : The important thing here is the fact that this won’t be Elco’s last game no matter what. Still, it can be a great measuring stick heading into the district playoffs. And with a win, the Raiders can fully atone for that loss to L-S. “We now know that we can learn a lot from a loss,” said Mark Evans of that game. “We had our chances in that one, we just had some times when we didn’t execute.”
If you’re the Crusaders: : Lancaster Catholic is the real deal. Lancaster Catholic’s Kyle Smith is the real deal at quarterback. Lancaster Catholic’s Jordan Stewart is the real deal at running back. Lancaster Catholic’s Tyler Purvis is the real deal at wide receiver. It’s pretty blunt here. Lancaster Catholic has to be… Lancaster Catholic.
The Pick: Lancaster Catholic 42, Elco 20
– GARY SIEGRIST:
November 5, 2009
OFFENSIVE SHOWDOWN
October 29, 2009
THE NEXT DYNASTY…WHY NOT THE PHILS?
By ERIC FISHER
Why not the Phillies?
Only one team in the past 15 years has won consecutive World Series. Why not the Phillies?
A National League team hasn’t won consecutive World Series since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76. Why not the Phillies?
Why not the Phillies? That is the question I asked before this season started. It’s the same question I’m asking today.
Why can’t the Phillies repeat as World Series champions? The Phillies have already become the first NL team to make consecutive trips to the World Series since Atlanta in 1995-96. So why can’t they be the first NL team in 33 years to win the Series two straight years?
There is the fact that the Phillies are facing the New York Yankees. This is no small matter. In fact, based on pre-Series commentary, you might have thought the Yankees were the defending champions instead of the Phillies.
The Yankees happen to be the last team to win consecutive World Series, having reigned supreme from 1998-2000. But history isn’t all the Yankees have on their side. They also have a loaded lineup.
The best team money can buy features an all-star infield that includes Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Perhaps more importantly, their roster features starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, both of whom were signed to big free-agent contracts during this past offseason. If the series goes seven games, Sabathia and Burnett may pitch five times, with Sabathia likely to pitch three times.
Sabathia and Andy Pettitte are left-handed. That should be effective against the Phillies’ left-handed power trio of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez – at least according to conventional wisdom. Utley, however, turned conventional wisdom on its head Wednesday night with two solo home runs off Sabathia.
In fact, the Phillies haven’t shown any fear of Sabathia, who had just one loss since August 1. The Phillies knocked Sabathia out of the game during last year’s playoff series against Milwaukee – Shane Victorino’s grand slam was the big blow – and beat him again Wednesday even though he entered the World Series with a 3-0 record and 1.19 ERA during this year’s playoffs.
The Phillies, however, have some pretty good starting pitching of their own. Cliff Lee, a midseason acquisition, has been outstanding during his first postseason appearance. Lee picked up two victories against the Rockies, one against the Dodgers and got the Phillies off on the right foot in the World Series with a dominating Game 1 performance.
Lee did not allow an earned run during his start against the Dodgers or Wednesday’s 6-1 triumph. He struck out 10 and walked none as he calmly silenced the Yankees’ big bats.
(Imagine how Cleveland fans must feel watching former Indians stars Sabathia and Lee starting Game 1 of the World Series.)
Lee is joined in the rotation by fellow Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez, the Game 2 starter. (For those reading this column in Friday’s newspaper rather than Thursday at www.myerstownherald.com, Game 2 ended too late to be included in this column.) That duo is followed by Cole Hamels, who has struggled this season but was the standout pitcher of last season’s playoffs and the MVP of the World Series. It would be a huge boost for the Phillies if Hamels could find his old magic.
Starting pitching is almost always the crucial factor in a seven-game series. As much as the Phillies and Yankees are renowned for their powerhouse lineups, pitching will determine which team will prevail.
The performance of the Phillies’ starters is particularly important. The Yankees, with perhaps the best closer of all-time in Mariano Rivera, have the edge in the bullpen. The Phillies bullpen, despite success against the Rockies and Dodgers, is a bit more suspect.
The Phillies bullpen came through with saves in the NLDS and NLCS, but those relievers allowed an awful lot of runners to reach base. They escaped most of those jams unscathed, but the Phillies don’t want to take the same chances with the Yankees.
That is why it’s so vitally important that the Phillies’ starters pitch deep into games, as Lee did during Game 1.
Lee’s complete-game victory broke the Yankees’ World Series winning streak against the Phillies. The Yankees swept the Whiz Kids in 1950. The Phillies are seeking revenge in 2009.
The Phillies’ players, of course, weren’t even born in 1950. Some of them weren’t even born in 1980, when the Phillies won their first World Series. But these Phillies do have a sense of history.
Beating the Yankees wouldn’t merely give them two straight championships. Beating the Yankees would validate their claim to greatness.
These aren’t the Tampa Rays. These are the Yankees.
The big, bad Yankees. Jeter. A-Rod. Johnny Damon. Hideki Matsui. Sabathia. Burnett. Teixeira. Rivera.
Make no mistake about it. The Yankees were the marquee team entering the World Series.
But the Phillies entered the World Series as champions. Will they leave it as champions?
Why not?
GIVE PHILLIE FANS A BREAK
By GARY SIEGRIST
Well it’s good to see the Philadelphia Phillies have finally arrived. Of course, two straight trips to the World Series was once enough to do that for a baseball franchise.
Ahhh, but the arrival in the promised land would not have been complete until the “Phillies fans are so annoying” groups scampered out of the woodwork faster than the Hollywood actresses who suddenly relocate from Kobe-land when the biggest sporting stages set up here on the East Coast.
Thank God for cyberspace, where all the world’s a stage. That way those of us who lived and died with Mike from Manayunk, Chris from Conshocken, and all the other Philly all-sports radio crazies can now read all the subjective opinions being thrown about on Facebook.
Even our own Molly Davis took time out from covering the seemingly normal lives of Jon and Kate Gosselin to call us annoying and scold us with the click of the ever-so-demeaning “hide” button so she doesn’t have to be subjected to our nonsense.
Molly! And to think I once thought about asking you to be my Facebook buddy… It would have made little sense anyway, considering our only connection is the fact that we contribute to the same publication.
I mean, it could have served to bump up my number of friends, had you accepted my request. And isn’t that some sort of status thing on Facebook?
Nevertheless, we grew up listening to Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn talk us through losing season after losing season for the good part of 30 years. So forgive us if we think the TBS announcers SUCK, and aren’t afraid to let it be known.
In fact, we aren’t naïve enough to think that this sort of thing is going to happen again for — well maybe the rest of our lives. So hide us while we live a little.
Let’s make a deal, Molly… Hide all of us and we’ll hide everyone who can’t imagine getting through another two-hour Zumba class tonight – the second one this week!
(I’d say I’ll also hide everyone proud of reaching another level on Bejeweled Blitz or getting a Pack Rat Ribbon on Farmville but I can’t hide myself).
Don’t worry, this will pass. And so will your interest in watching Miss Kate Hudson in the stands. I mean, it’s only a matter of time until A-Rod is old news and her world can shift back to where the Lakers play.
Maybe someone can clue Kate in on the difference between baseball and basketball before then.
ELCO’S DREAM MATCHUP LOOMS
By GARY SIEGRIST
Somewhere amidst the euphoria we feel about the Phillies, I suppose we should revert back to reality and recognize exactly what is happening on the local high school football scene…
While it is not the ideal situation we hoped for once this season began, there still looms large the potential for a final-game all-for-nothing matchup in Myerstown between Elco and Lancaster Catholic one week from today.
Sure, as the Phils have shown us, anything can happen. But while it isn’t exactly what we had hoped for, the prospect still looms for a final game between Elco and Lancaster Catholic with meaning. And all it takes is for everyone to take care of business this week to set it up…
Matter-of-fact, this one could become all of what we had hoped for, provided the Raiders get a little help from their friends. Lampeter-Strasburg visits Fredericksburg this week and Lancaster Catholic travels to Annville-Cleona. And while assuming the Raiders take care of business against Donegal, all kinds of possibilities could arise heading into the final week of the regular season.
Barring a surprising turn of events, the knock-em-down, drag-it-out affair between two teams vying for the L-L Section III championship we had hoped for won‘t materialize. But the Raiders can still hope to turn this thing into a three-team tie at the top, which is better than the alternative.
And a victory over Lancaster Catholic would go a long way into putting the bad memory of the trip to Lampeter-Strasburg a couple of weeks ago behind.
We’ll get through week nine before we venture into the District III AAA playoff implications of it all…
You got to give it to Cedar Crest. Could this team be the subject of its own reality show this year or what?
The Falcons start out their season with a brand new coach and promptly blow out arch-rival Lebanon, then show flashes of brilliance but struggle through four straight L-L Section One losses.
Crest then takes the bus trip to McCaskey last Friday only to find out its game has been cancelled because of -get this – a sinkhole in the end zone.
Without head coach Tom Waranavage (illness), the Falcons dig a 22-6 second-half hole in their rescheduled game with the Red Tornado on Monday.
They then score 21 straight points to secure the win.
We suppose Waranavage ran out of Pepto.
—
Game: Lampeter-Strasburg (5-3, 4-1) at Northern Lebanon (5-3, 3-2) Lancaster-Lebanon League Section III
Place: Frederick Gahres Stadium at Northern Lebanon High School, Fredericksburg, 7 p.m.
Last Year: Lampeter-Strasburg 34, Northern Lebanon 6
Outlook: While the main potential of this match-up would be to help arch-rival Elco, you can’t ignore what a win here would do to serve as a stepping stone as the young Vikings to prepare for the future. We might be talking about the implications a quality win over a Section III opponent holds for this group a year from now.
If you’re the Eagles: The Pioneers must feel sort of in limbo. This game holds major implications for their Section III status and District III playoff hopes, but L-S has already clocked in with a win over Elco and a loss to Lancaster Catholic. It is truly take-care-of-business from here on out.
If you’re the Vikings: Again, this game is more for the future than the present for the Vikes. A win here could serve as something to look back upon in the years to come for this up-and-coming team. It’s been a touch road this year for Northern Lebanon, and we’re talking about their home schedule. All the tough ones were in Fredericksburg. This is the finale.
The Pick: Lampeter-Strasburg 21, Northern Lebanon 20
Other games:
Donegal at Elco
Lancaster Catholic at Annville-Cleona
Lebanon at Manheim Central
Reading at Cedar Crest
Trinity at Palmyra
– GARY SIEGRIST
October 22, 2009
PHILS GIVE FANS BOOST OF CONFIDENCE
By ERIC FISHER
This World Series thing is becoming addictive. And it’s a habit we’d prefer not to kick.
After going 125 years with just one World Series championship, the Phillies are in position to capture their second straight World Series title.
Remember, this is a team that had only been to five World Series before last season. The franchise hadn’t even won a playoff game for 15 years. But last year changed all that.
The Phillies are no longer the losingest team in professional sports. Well, technically, they still have the most losses of any pro sports franchise in North American history. But the 10,000-plus losses no longer define the Phillies.
Now, the Phillies are winners. They know it. Their fans know it. The opposition knows it. Everybody knows it.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the ninth inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series with a 4-3 lead and flamethrower Jonathan Broxton on the mound, the Phillies knew they had a chance. They took advantage of their opportunity with Jimmy Rollins’ clutch two-run, walk-off double, lifting the Phillies to a 5-4 triumph and changing the complexion of the series.
When the Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody in the eighth inning of Game 5, it was the Dodgers’ opportunity to alter the series. Disaster was looming. But Ryan Madson calmly retired the next three batters, just as everyone seemingly knew he would.
It’s cool to see the Phillies play with so much confidence. It’s even cooler to see a fan base genetically ingrained with cynicism and a perennial sense of impending doom transformed into a fountain of positivity.
No longer do Phillies fans expect to lose. They expect to win. At times, they almost seem to will their team to victory.
The Phillies, of course, aren’t lacking in the will-to-win department. Nor are they lacking in ways to win.
These Phillies have numerous paths to victory. They can outslug you. They can outpitch you. They can beat you with their speed. They can beat you with their defense.
The Dodgers and Colorado Rockies can attest to the Phillies’ versatility. Both teams were shut down by ace left-hander Cliff Lee. Both teams, especially the Dodgers, were beaten by the Phillies’ bats.
If they aren’t scoring many runs, the Phillies aren’t done. Their pitching can keep them in the game.
If their starting pitcher struggles, the Phillies aren’t done, either. This team is never out of the game. If the bullpen can prevent further damage, there will be plenty of time for the Phillies’ offense to get cranked up and get them back in the ballgame.
The Phillies have Ryan Howard, who drove in a run in each of the Phillies’ first eight playoff games this year. Howard is a star. His power is scary.
The Phillies have Chase Utley, who has reached base safely in a remarkable 25 straight games. Utley shook off two errors earlier in the Dodgers series, refusing to allow those mistakes to affect him at the plate.
The Phillies have Rollins, who shook off a mediocre series at the plate with the series-changing double in Game 4.
The Phillies have Jayson Werth, whose five playoff home runs will make teams think twice about pitching around Howard.
Let’s not forget Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Pedro Feliz and the overlooked Carlos Ruiz, all of whom contribute at the plate and in the field.
The offensive outbursts, however, came against average pitching. The Phillies didn’t put big offensive numbers against Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, or Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. As I wrote before the NLCS, the Dodgers’ starting rotation doesn’t scare anyone.
The Phillies will be facing a tougher task in the World Series. At press time, the Phils’ World Series opponent hadn’t been decided, although the Yankees could have wrapped up the ALCS by the time you read this column.
The Yankees’ rotation would include C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte. That’s not exactly Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf.
On the other hand, the AL representative would be facing Lee, Cole Hamels, Pedro Martinez and either J.A. Happ or Joe Blanton. A rotation featuring two Cy Young Award winners and a World Series MVP isn’t exactly chopped liver.
The Phillies are the first team to reach the World Series in consecutive years since the Yankees ended a three-year championship run in 2000.
They are the first NL team to reach the World Series in consecutive seasons since Atlanta in 1995-96.
Their crowning achievement would be to repeat as World Series champions, which hasn’t been done by an NL team since Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine turned the trick in 1975-76.
As we wait for the World Series to begin on Wednesday, let’s remember last year’s World Series celebration, at which Hamels said, “One thing that I can not wait to do is go down that Broad Street parade again … and again … and again!”
For a fan base that suffered for so many years, it’s amazing to realize that Hamels’ words may come true.
STUNNING SHOWDOWN FOR A-C, ELCO
By GARY SIEGRIST
You would think Annville-Cleona would be surprised to be playing a late-October game in Myerstown which will keep the winner in the race for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three championship.
You might even think that the Little Dutchmen might be a little in awe of the importance their meeting with Elco has taken shape.
Little could have predicted such during the early parts of this 2009 football season. Back when the relatively inexperienced A-C was struggling and Elco was seemingly preparing for one final “Dancing with the Stars” dream matchup with Lancaster Catholic on Nov. 6.
So maybe it’s good that Mother Nature threw the Dutchmen a curve ball during the week they were to prepare for a meeting between two teams trying to keep pace with Catholic and Lampeter-Strasburg.
Monday night, A-C came from behind for a 21-14 win at Columbia in a game washed out by last weekend’s rainfall.
That leaves merely three — or call it 2 ½ — days to prepare for its now biggest game of the season.
“The way it has played out,” said veteran Dutchmen coach Terry Lehman on Tuesday night, “we’re acually still a little sore from Monday night. It’s gonna be a fast week, so I don’t even know if it will sink in (how big of a game this has become). This week is really gonna be a blur.”
It won’t be a blur for the Raiders, who received a wake-up call two weeks ago courtesy of the Pioneers. Thanks to a blowout win over Pequea Valley on Friday, Elco has already begun to regroup from that initial loss of the season.
“I think that is now behind us,” said Raider coach Mark Evans of the 40-14 road loss to L-S. “And I think we have learned from it. We learned that we have to be mentally and physically ready to play each and every time we step onto the football field.”
The mental part hasn’t been a problem most of the year for the Little Dutchmen.
It’s the physical part which has been a challenge. Already very inexperienced when the season began, A-C has battled through injuries to both its starting quarterback and its best running back.
Rickey Snyder has battled a recurring ankle injury to post big numbers on the ground. Monday night, Snyder rushed for 149 yards on 34 carries.
And Tyson Hayes has become more and more comfortable replacing Jordan James at quarterback. Hayes had a both a touchdown pass and a game-winning QB sneak in the fourth quarter at Columbia.
“We played a tough non-league schedule, and basically had all new skill people except for Rickey,” said Lehman of the Dutchmen’s slow start. “Add to that the injuries and new quarterback, it has made us change our whole offensive attack.
“We didn’t just throw Tyson to the wolves. We have kind of controlled things as he has gone along. But he’s now at the point where he may be ready to let loose.”
It all blends to make an interesting dynamic for a game which Elco will honor the alumni of the 40 years Elco football has now been in existence. As if this game needed any more, Lehman is part of that group.
“We are proud to have the ‘Dean of Lebanon County coaches’ as part of the Elco football history,” said Evans with a chuckle. “He just loves when I call him that.”
Lehman didn’t mention it.
“We’ll be there, and we’ll play hard,” he said. “What happens, happens.”
—
Game: Annville-Cleona (3-4, 3-1) at Elco (6-1, 3-1)
Where: Elco High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
Last year: Elco 49, Annville-Cleona 42
If you’re A-C: As Terry Lehman has suggested, the short week caused be the Columbia postponement could be a positive. The Dutchmen played well during it’s other big Section III showdown in Lebanon County this season, before dropping a 21-7 decision at Northern Lebanon. And his surprising team doesn’t have a lot of time to contemplate the magnitude of this one. But anytime you have dealt with the injuries A-C has had, short weeks become a question mark.
If you’re Elco: After the L-S game Mark Evans put it to his team as only he could: “Pain of discipline or pain of regret? You choose. You can either move forward now or live in regret.” The Raiders moved forward last week, but against a considerably weaker opponent it will face on Friday. This will be the real test of how much the Raiders have recovered. Not to mention it is make-or-break time as far as the Section III title and District III AAA playoff implications are concerned. There has never been a greater need for that “complete game” Evans always speaks about.
The pick: Elco 38, Annville-Cleona 19
October 8, 2009
PHILS’ STARTERS MUST GO DEEP
The playoffs are all about pitching. Pitching is how the Phillies won the World Series last year. Pitching is the path the Phillies must take if they’re going to win the World Series again this year.
Hitting isn’t irrelevant. The Phillies’ big bats, featuring four members of the 30-plus home run club, are a big factor. But over time, good pitching trumps good hitting.
The Phillies didn’t bludgeon their way through the playoffs last year. They won because of terrific starting pitching, most notably Cole Hamels, and an even better bullpen, featuring Brad Lidge.
The bullpen is obviously no longer a strength. It’s a problem. Specifically, Lidge is a problem. It seemed as if Lidge was “lit up” as often as he was “lights out” this season.
Lidge isn’t the only problem in the bullpen. Brett Myers, who had hip surgery earlier this season, was hurt for much of September. Left-hander Scott Eyre is an elbow surgery waiting to happen. Chad Durbin hasn’t been very reliable. Kyle Kendrick is insurance in case a starter gets knocked out early. Antonio Bastardo is unproven, especially coming out of the bullpen.
The only reliever you can rely on right now is Ryan Madson. But Madson has struggled when moved to the closer’s role, blowing six save opportunities. In short, the bullpen is a mess.
As I wrote two weeks ago, the solution to the bullpen problems is outstanding starting pitching. The complete game by Cliff Lee in Game 1 is a perfect example.
Lee scattered six hits during the Phillies’ 5-1 Game 1 triumph over the Colorado Rockies. He didn’t allow a run until the ninth inning. At one point, Lee retired 16 consecutive batters.
Remember, the Phillies acquired Lee for the playoffs. They didn’t need him to win the National League East, although he certainly helped. They need him for the playoffs.
Hopefully, Hamels delivered a similar performance during Game 2. I am writing this column before the start of Game 2 – those reading my column at www.myerstownherald.com may be reading this while Hamels is still on the mound – so I don’t know if he turned in a complete game victory or was shelled. But either example would provide further evidence of the value of pitching.
If Hamels matched Lee’s performance, the Phillies should have a 2-0 series lead. The bullpen issues will have been rendered irrelevant – at least for the moment.
If, however, Hamels struggled, the bullpen issues will have reared their ugly head once again. Even if Hamels made it through six or seven innings and left with a lead, the bullpen issues will have returned to center stage.
If the series is tied as you read this, the pressure will be on right-hander Joe Blanton. Yes, the Phillies offense may score a ton of runs at Coors Field. But a more likely path to victory is good starting pitching.
Teams generally don’t score eight, nine or 10 runs during the playoffs. Those totals are usually piled up at the expense of bad pitchers on bad teams.
There aren’t any bad teams in the playoffs. Furthermore, teams don’t use their No. 5 starters during the playoffs. Sometimes they don’t even use their No. 4 starters.
The likelihood of scoring tons of runs against a top starter on a good team is slim. That’s why the key to playoff success is good pitching.
As we’ve discussed, the Phillies can’t rely on their bullpen. That doesn’t mean they won’t receive any good outings from their relievers. It means they can’t count on it.
The uncertainty in the bullpen makes it imperative that the starters pitch deep into games during the playoffs.
So, as the playoffs shift to Colorado this weekend, the pressure will be on Blanton and the Game 4 starter. Presumably, the Game 4 starter will be Pedro Martinez, although there’s the possibility it could be J.A. Happ or even Lee, pitching on short rest.
Martinez has not been able to pitch deep into games. At least he hasn’t been able to do that since manager Charlie Manuel let him throw 130 pitches in a decision that created short-term excitement but may have led to long-term problems.
If Martinez starts Game 4, it is likely that the bullpen will be needed. Even if Lee pitches Game 4, it’s asking a lot to have him pitch a complete game without his normal rest in between starts.
That’s why Blanton’s performance in Game 3 is so crucial. He must pitch deep into the game. Even if the Phillies lose Game 3, they can’t afford to use up their bullpen, which likely would be needed for Game 4.
The playoffs are about pitching. In the case of the Phillies, the playoffs are about starting pitching.
The performance of the Phillies’ starters is the key to their series with the Rockies. If they survive, it will be the key to the NLCS and, hopefully, the World Series.
If there is going to be another parade down Broad Street this year, the starting pitchers will have to lead the way.
September 24, 2009
BIG SHOWDOWN FOR ELCO, NORTHERN LEBANON
By GARY SIEGRIST
For one football team, it is the biggest game of many to come.
For another, it is routine. Something it has already experienced. Another challenge along the way.
For one, the first home game at an upgraded facility, during what has started as a promising season.
For another, it is old hat. Another game which has been circled on an opponent’s schedule.
Whichever point of view you find yourself on as Friday night’s showdown between Elco and Northern Lebanon approaches, know this: It says here that this is the biggest regular-season game in Lebanon County you will see this year.
“It’s a huge game,” said Northern Lebanon coach Jack Beidler, whose team enters its shot at Lebanon County’s top-ranked team with a 2-1 record. “Not only is it a county rivalry, but Elco has been Northern Lebanon’s biggest rival over the years. And it’s opening night for us. It will be good to finally play at home, with a brand-new press box and (Viking) hall of fame night going on.”
Not even to mention it is the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section III opener for both schools.
“No matter who you play in section three, it’s gonna be a battle,” Beidler said. “And with what they have been able to do last year and so far this year, Elco is very deserving of the accolades they are receiving.”
Yes, accolades come when you start the season with three straight wins, the last two by a combined 94-26 margin of victory. But for Elco, this regular season is about a group taking care of business and preparing itself for one last career berth in the postseason.
“It’s really just another game,” Raider coach Mark Evans said. “We aren’t treating it any differently. In football, you have such a short season that every game is a big one. So you try to simply get in a routine, and look at each game as nothing out of the ordinary.
Elco has done a good job of that so far, even after allowing a 99-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff last week against Lebanon. The Raiders scored 37 straight points after that bump in the road.
“As good as we are playing,” Evans said, “we really have to start to do all of the little things right now. Take that kickoff return… We had some kids out there doing their own thing, and it got us off to a bad start.”
One player you can’t say that about is four-year starting quarterback Arron Achey. Always an outstanding running quarterback, Achey has improved on his passing consistency this year, making him an even bigger threat.
“Achey is much more complete,” said Beidler, who also serves as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.
“It used to be we needed Arron to rush for over 100 yards for us to be successful,” Evans said. “We are now able to deal with only 50-60 yards on the ground because he has become much more consistent throwing the ball.”
So while we’re at it, allow us to add another element to this intriguing match-up: Experience vs. youth. Northern Lebanon’s backfield currently features three sophomores – QB Tanner Dresch and running backs Colton Ryan and Ryan Daub. The latter combined for over 450 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year.
The improvement of that sophomore backfield even had Beidler sounding more and more like Evans as the interview went on.
“Any way you look at it, you still have to strive to improve each game,” Beidler said. “We have to look at this as taking one step at a time. Is it a big game? Yes. But we are just going to come out hard and see what we can do.”
—-
GAME: Elco (3-0) at Northern Lebanon (2-1), Lancaster-Lebanon League Section III opener
WHERE: Frederick L. Gahres Stadium, Fredericksburg
LAST YEAR: Northern Lebanon 24, Elco 21
IF YOU’RE ELCO: Talk all you want about this being just another game, the reality is that it’s not. It’s Northern Lebanon. It’s the Section III opener. It’s on the road, against a team that has been solid so far this year. As far as Lebanon County is concerned, it’s the Cedar Bowl with meaning. And it is, as the way things have shaken out, Elco’s biggest test so far, by a long shot. This is the Raiders’ true chance at making an opening statement.
IF YOU’RE NORTHERN LEBANON: You have entered the season with a huge question mark when projected starting quarterback Nathan McKillop went down with a knee injury. You have hit the road and overcome with an all-sophomore backfield to enter this showdown with a 2-1 record. Realistically, you are further along this season than many people projected you to be. The pressure is off. Lace ‘em up and let ‘er rip.
THE PICK: Elco 35, Northern Lebanon 28
NO SAVING GRACE IN PHILS’ PEN
By ERIC FISHER
Paging Gene Garber! Paging Gene Garber! Please report to the Phillies bullpen.
If Garber, the sidearm-tossing farmer from Elizabethtown is too busy preparing for the fall harvest or fulfilling his duties as chairman of the Lancaster County Agricultural Preservation Board, we’ll check on Ron Reed’s availability.
Is Steve Bedrosian available? Al Holland? I know Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams would love to put his MLB Network microphone down for one final playoff experience.
The Phillies may be cruising to the playoffs – they could clinch the National League East crown this weekend – but their bullpen is in shambles.
The biggest problem is closer Brad Lidge. Lidge was Mr. Perfect in 2008, converting every save opportunity as the Phillies marched to a World Series title. This year, however, Lidge has been anything but automatic. Entering the Milwaukee series, Lidge was 0-8 with 11 blown saves and a 7.48 ERA.
To say that Lidge is having a confidence problem is akin to saying that O.J. Simpson has an image problem. Lidge professes that he’s still confident and manager Charlie Manuel is keeping the faith (barely), but when Lidge enters a game, everyone else is searching for the towel that grandstanding pitcher Curt Schilling put over his head during the 1993 playoffs when Williams starting putting men on base.
Manuel has taken great pains to rebuild Lidge’s confidence. He rarely puts him in a one-run game. Manuel’s reluctance to put Lidge in a one-run game was reinforced Wednesday when Lidge blew a one-run lead in a 7-6 loss to Florida. The perfect save situation for Lidge is preserving a three-run lead in the ninth inning against the hapless Washington Nationals.
Any save by Lidge is considered a success, even though many of these “successes” involve Lidge giving up a run or two. At this point, that’s an improvement.
It seems ludicrous to enter the postseason with Lidge as the closer. But what are Manuel’s other options?
The best option would be Ryan Madson. The ninth inning, however, hasn’t been Madson’s best companion. He excels in his eighth-inning role, but has had difficulty in the ninth. If you move Madson into the closer’s role, you risk ruining the eighth inning as well as the ninth.
There were suggestions that Brett Myers would be a possible option. After all, Myers worked as the closer in 2007. Like fine wine, memories of Myers’ performance as a closer seem to grow finer with age. The truth is Myers was a decent closer. Given a choice, you certainly would prefer not to have Myers closing out playoff games.
The Myers option may be a moot point. After returning quickly from hip surgery earlier this season, Myers suffered a strain of his right latissimus dorsi muscle below his right shoulder. He is scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. He may not be able to pitch in the playoffs, let alone be the closer.
J.C. Romero, who missed the first 50 games due to a banned substance allegedly contained in a supplement he took, is hoping to return to action soon after missing most of the season with a strained left forearm. Scott Eyre, the other left-hander in the bullpen (aside from Jamie Moyer), has bone chips in his elbow and has received a cortisone shot. Eyre hasn’t pitched since Sept. 7.
Not having a left-hander in the bullpen could be a problem in the playoffs. One other candidate to fill that void is J.A. Happ. Then again, Happ missed two starts with an oblique injury, then had to leave his “return” start after three innings.
Happ, of course, may be the No. 4 starter in the rotation if Pedro Martinez doesn’t sufficiently recover from the stiff neck that caused him to leave his last start after three innings.
Who else is in the bullpen? Clay Condrey recently returned from the injured list. Chan Ho Park is recovering from a hamstring injury. It seems unlikely that Park will pitch again before the playoffs.
The good news is that Chad Durbin is healthy. The bad news is that his ERA (4.81) is not.
Perhaps this column is a little too gloomy. The Phillies still have the best lineup in the National League, if not all of baseball. The middle of their lineup, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez all having hit more than 30 home runs, is fearsome.
In the playoffs, though, runs are sometimes difficult to generate. Teams don’t get to fatten up on No. 5 pitchers. Sometimes they don’t even get to face the No. 4 pitcher.
Pitching is at a premium during the postseason. That’s why the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. With Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and probably Martinez as their top four, the Phillies have a formidable playoff rotation.
The rotation may be the answer to many of the Phillies’ bullpen woes. If the starters pitch deep into games, there will be less work for the relievers.
If that doesn’t work, someone may have to drive out to Elizabethtown and drag Gene Garber off his farm.
September 17, 2009
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED IN THE CHASE
By ERIC FISHER
The Chase for the Sprint Cup is upon us, and the only aspect that is predictable is that this year’s Chase should be unpredictable.
This year’s Chase should be unpredictable because the whole year has been unpredictable. Who thought Brian Vickers would make the Chase? Juan Pablo Montoya? Kasey Kahne? Ryan Newman?
How many people predicted that Kyle Busch would tie for the lead in victories – and miss the Chase? How many thought Matt Kenseth, who had never missed the Chase, would miss it after winning this year’s first two races?
Despite NASCAR’s unpredictability, I will still take a stab at predicting the Chase, which begins Sunday in New Hampshire.
LONGSHOTS: Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle. I doubt any of these three veteran drivers will be celebrating when the Chase is over.
Earlier this season, Newman looked like a championship contender, putting together five top-five finishes in seven races. However, Newman hasn’t finished in the top five since June 7. Making the Chase was an accomplishment. Winning the Chase looks like an impossible dream.
Busch, the 2004 NASCAR champion, had 14 top 10 finishes this season, but it’s been a long time since his lone victory on March 8. Busch finished second at last Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400, but the impending departure of crew chief Pat Tryson for Martin Truex Jr.’s crew at the end of the year is a bad sign for Busch’s Chase prospects.
Biffle, who finished second in 2005, won the first two Chase races last year, so maybe he deserves better odds. Biffle has been consistent this season, but he only has two top-three finishes – and both of them were third. Add in Roush Fenway Racing’s problems this year, and Biffle becomes a longshot to win the Sprint Cup.
NOT-THE-USUAL SUSPECTS: Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya. These three drivers have nothing to lose. Nobody expects them to win. Then again, few people expected this trio to be in the Chase, either.
Kahne went nearly three months without a top-five finish, but he turned his season around with a victory on June 21. Kahne added a victory earlier this month at Atlanta Motor Speedway. A confidence-building victory could make Kahne a top contender.
Vickers made an amazing push, including a victory at the Carfax 400 in Michigan, to qualify for the Chase. The good news is that Vickers hasn’t finished outside the top 12 during the last nine races. The bad news is that the first Chase race is in Loudon, N.H., where Vickers finished 35th at the end of June.
Montoya is an intriguing contender. He made the Chase because he reined in his aggressive tendencies and took fewer gambles. Now that he’s in the Chase, however, Montoya can be more aggressive, making him a dark horse to win the championship.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS: Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards. Gordon and Edwards can’t be counted out, but both drivers’ championship hopes are dampened by injuries.
Gordon is no longer a regular in the top five, as he was at the start of the year. But he does have three second-place finishes in the past 12 races, and he finished third last Saturday in Richmond. Gordon could win the Chase, but nagging back problems make that task more difficult.
Edwards, my preseason choice to win the Sprint Cup, hasn’t been to victory lane this year. His winless streak may be partially due to Roush Fenway Racing’s struggles. Not helping matters is the broken foot Edwards sustained two weeks ago while playing Frisbee.
TOP CONTENDERS: Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, the three-time defending champion, is the favorite, but don’t count the others out.
Stewart has had a remarkable first season as a driver-owner, running away with the points lead. None of his three wins, however, came on Chase tracks. Furthermore, Stewart hasn’t cracked the top 10 in his last four races. He might not be able to turn it on again once the Chase begins.
In contrast to Stewart, Hamlin enters the Chase as NASCAR’s hottest driver. He’s been in the top 10 for the past six races, including victories at Pocono and last Saturday in Richmond. Hamlin finished third in the 2006 Chase as a rookie. He may finish higher this season.
The sentimental favorite is the 50-year-old Martin, who finished second overall four times, most recently in 2002. Can Martin, who won more races (four) than any of the other Chase contenders this season, shake the best-driver-never-to-win-a-championship tag? Don’t bet against him.
The Chase is Johnson’s time of year. There’s a reason he has won three straight championships. If you’re looking for a reason that Johnson won’t win, it’s that he finished outside the top 10, including a 33rd- and 36th-place finish, in five of the past six races. On the other hand, two of Johnson’s three victories this year came at Dover and Martinsville, both of which host Chase races.
PREDICTION: Johnson will hold off Martin … for second place. In this unpredictable year, I’m picking Hamlin to win it all.
