Awesome Hats Not Out Until Dec.

The incredibly awesome hats (above) that some Phillies and Rays players were wearing during both days of Game 5 of the World Series are finally up for sale on the Phillies website; they’re made by New Era and come two sizes. They’re $40, which sounds like a lot but isn’t too horrible. I mean, it’s not $50.

But, a caveat: They’re not shipping ’til December! Way to drop the ball, major league baseball. We need these hats out right now, immediately, so we can wear them to Eagles games in the frigid cold and do our E-A-G-L-E-S, PHILLIES! chants and not lose our ears to frostbite.

Jimmy Rollins’ Head Swells To Unbelievable Proportions

I have no idea why, but this photo keeps making me laugh. So I’m posting it.

According to this photo on the front page of Philly.com earlier today, Jimmy Rollins’ head is roughly twice the size of either John McCain’s or Barack Obama’s. Hmm, good to know.

Phillies’ So Taguchi Beneficiary Of Famous Reverse PW Cover Jinx

How about that? After new acquisition Joe Blanton set a Phillies record on the day off (with 7 cheesesteaks eaten in one trip to Pat’s), he pitched last night in typical fashion: 6 innings, 5 runs, an impressive 1:3 strikeout:walk ratio. The Phillies, though, rallied in the ninth inning — and they weren’t even facing this year’s Least Deserving All-Star and Worst All-Star Ever, Billy Wagner.

After the Phillies loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, Carlos Ruiz was in prime position to make another rally-killing double play but managed to hit the ball high enough to make it just a fielder’s choice; he got an added bonus when Jose Reyes screwed up and got nobody out. So Taguchi, 0-for-16 as a pinch hitter this year, came up to the plate. The recent PW cover story subject hit one over the head of (who else?) Inning-Endy Chavez — who was thrown out twice at home last night — and the Phils tied the game. Jimmy Rollins doubled in two more runs and the Phillies eventually won, 8-6.

After the jump, So Taguchi’s game-tying hit. I have a request: Watch the Redlasso video (it’s crashing my Firefox 3, so standard warning applies) and listen if you hear Sarge cheering in the background during the play. It could just be a fan, but it didn’t show up on the Mets broadcast I saw in highlights.

More »

Phillies In First In NL East

Hey, how ’bout them Fightin’ Phils? It’s June 2 and they’re in first place in the NL East, albeit only a half-game up. The local nine slaughtered Florida on Friday night, lost on Saturday night but at least nobody on the Phils got hit in the groin and then rallied from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Marlins yesterday and reclaim first place.

And, Mike Lieberthal signed a one-day contract worth $4 to retire as a Phillie, plus the Reds’ Junior Griffey is in town for a four-game series with 599 homers. (Will a fan throw it back if he catches it?) Ahh, but after the jump, my favorite part of the weekend: Jimmy Rollins scores on an error after a pickoff throw attempt and Harry Kalas (and the viewing audience) is utterly confused as to what just happened.

More »

Phillies Somehow Not On TV Today

Yes, we can put a man on the moon — or we could, at one time — and we can order cable with 1000 channels but we can’t get the Phillies on TV today. Jason Weitzel notes it’s the first non-televised game since June 10, 2006; the game isn’t on TV today because it’s during the window on Saturdays when Fox has exclusive broadcast rights. Fox isn’t televising the exciting Phillies-Giants matchup, naturally, so we’re all out of luck here in Philly.

So you’ll have to kick it old school: Baseball on the radio! 1210 AM at 4 p.m. The Phils are a game back in the division still, but Jimmy Rollins returned last night. True to form, the reigning MVP hit a two-run homer and an RBI double as the Phils rallied for a 7-4 win.

Update: Ah, you didn’t want to see this one anyway.

Jimmy Rollins’ Mom A Lot Like Mine

Jimmy Rollins picked up his National League MVP award last night at the New York baseball writers’ dinner, and naturally he gave an acceptance speech. Guess what he thanked his mom for?

“I’d like to thank my parents — my dad for taking the line drives off the elbow and my mom for teaching me how to talk trash,” he said.

Aw, Mrs. Rollins totally helped out her son the same way my mom helped out me. Unfortunately for me, I happened to be good at cross country, a sport where you have to talk trash while breathing heavily. It’s just not the same.

Damon honored by writers group for work with wounded soldiers [AP/ESPN.com]

ROLLINS IS MVP

Hooray!

Update: Phillies.com article here.

D-Day For Jimmy Rollins

Today at 2 p.m., the National League MVP will be announced. Can Jimmy Rollins actually win the MVP?

This is a good time to discuss Philadelphia sports fans. On our fantasy football mailing list, we’ve already discussed the chances of the Phillies winning three straight MVPs with three different players (i.e. Rollins wins it this year, Chase Utley wins it next year).

After the Eagles beat Washington, we discussed the chances of the Eagles making the playoffs. In that discussion, if the Eagles could sneak in to a playoff spot, the possibility of them beating the division champ they play, then upsetting cancer- and addiction-beating St. Brett Favre in Green Bay to make it to the NFC Championship. There was even talk of “nobody in the NFC” being unbeatable. So, yeah, Eagles in the Super Bowl.

I guess it’s sports in general that makes a person go from completely pessimistic in one week to completely optimistic the next, but I like to think it has a particular irony (possibly, nobody knows what this word means really) in Philadelphia, where nobody’s won a title since 1983. But, hey, who knows?

NL MVP announced today [Inquirer]
[Photo via Flickr user sparklemotion315. I love Flickr.]

Breaking: Phillies On Cover Of ‘SI’

Repeat after me: There is no such thing as the SI cover jinx. There is no such thing as the SI cover jinx.

John Street Booed At Rally Monday™!

Near the end of the ridiculously-attended Rally Monday™ outside City Hall at noon, Phillies PR guy Scott Palmer said the had checked the statistics and it was the largest rally in the history of Dilworth Plaza. While I’m not quite sure they actually keep statistics on things like that, but it was a pretty good crowd. I’m no good at estimating crowds, but let’s say there were thousands of people there.

The highlight of the day was the lusty boo Mayor John Street received when he went up to give some sort of Phillies speech. Sadly, he cut it short. Also booed: Adam Eaton and, to a lesser extent, Rod Barajas. And Bill Giles and David Montgomery by the more knowledgeable, angrier fans.

More »