City of Pain

It was hard to quantify just exactly what that Phillies game did to me yesterday on an emotional level. I may never come to grips with what happened. It was especially nice to hear that in the majors this year, teams leading by six or more runs going into the 8^th inning were 517-0. How you can be a professional athlete and allow yourself and your team to squander late season games like this is something we may never understand. I think the worst part about it all is that I was sitting at my desk at work, watching the game on ESPN Gamecast, my head spinning watching all the little yellow base runner dots go around in circles like some twisted Ferris wheel, and all I could think about was how much money I have given to this team this year attending these games. Watching the score go final, I felt as if someone had just broken into my car and stolen my radio….while I was sitting in it. I needed to blame someone or something. I decided to go home and evaluate.

BLAME LIST

1. Chris Roberson – Ok, I know why he was in the game. He was in the game for defensive purposes (comical in retrospect). Well gee, maybe that wasn’t such a good move. He misread a ball in the ninth where he started to back up, then quickly realized he should be moving forward and not backward, allowing the ball to drop in front of him for a hit….and of course the last play of the game where Roberson, again brought into the game for his speed, let the game ending out graze off of his glove because he didn’t get a fast enough jump on the ball. To make matters worse, Roberson didn’t even have to run to the warning track to make the catch. So much for speed. It scares me that Chris Roberson is someone we have to call up year after year. You mean to tell me we have nothing better than this sub-human? Jesus Christ, call up Wes Chamberlain or something….ANYTHING.

1. Tom Gordon – I don’t even want to throw too much blame on Brett Myers, even though I am fully aware that he gave up three earned runs and killed us with three walks. He is not blameless by any means, but personally I don’t even want him as our closer anyway so I can’t get frustrated at a guy who has been decent in the role and crumbled yesterday. To me, Tom Gordon has been the biggest joke on this team the entire year. Calling him a joke is an insult to the word ‘joke’. His line yesterday: 0.1 IP, 4H, 4R, 0 Ks, upping his ERA to 6.49. Every game this guy is brought into he looks completely lost. He has no ‘out’ pitch, he has little control, and he always has this look on his face like he knows he can’t get this guy out. Every time I see him rush out of the bullpen I start having ‘ Nam flashbacks. Which brings me to my next point…..

1. Charlie Manuel – Why are you bringing your normal 8^th inning set up man into an 8-2 ballgame? Because you have the next day off? Because he needed some work? Ummm what? How about you don’t bring him in the game because Geary and Davis were throwing fine. For a manager who likes to do everything by the book, this was certainly not that. This was just another example of Uncle Charlie putting the Phillies in a position that they never should have been in in the first place. If he comes back next year I will cut off a testicle.

1. Chase Utley – I think it’s disgraceful that Chase Utley could only go 3 for 3, with two RBIs, a walk, a run, no strikeouts, upping his average to a league leading .341. He should have gone 5 for 5 and won the game by himself.

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