Phils On Wrong Kind Of Roll

The Phillies have lost two straight winnable games and, in the process, moved from wildcard frontrunners with seven games left to chasers with five games left. It would be almost too easy to blame the umpires for last night's loss, but I'm afraid There It Is. Replays of Chase Utley's pseudo-foul ball clearly showed the ball hit the right field foul pole which, last time I checked, still meant that the ball in question is ruled a home run. I've been beating this drum for a while now, but MLB MUST add instant replay for instances like this. As Tom G. at Balls, Sticks & Stuff points out -- that missed call could cost the Phillies the wildcard. (Obviously, there would be about a million other factors that may cost the Phils the wildcard, but this is one of the most glaring.) Yesterday I asked if the Phils could pick themselves up after Monday's loss and go get it. I can't believe I'm asking the same thing today.

Wildcard Tie; 6 To Go

Others have covered last night's game much better than I ever could (see here, here, here,and here, respectively). I was working last night, but followed game intermittently via radio. All I need to know about how the game went can be seen in the accompanying picture. The silver lining from last night's game is that, even with the loss, the Phillies still control their own destiny. Win 6 in a row and, at the very least, they clinch a tie for the wildcard. It's in their hands now. Will they go and get it?

Seven Days In September

Actually, it's six days in September and one day in October, but it's close enough, right? Anyway, seven days is all that separate the Phillies from their first playoff berth since 1993. With a half-game lead over Los Angeles, the Phils sport the best record in the National League since July 31 and the third best overall. That's right -- the Phillies have the third best record in the National League. Let's not think about why this may be, let's just enjoy it. After tonight, there will be no more half-games in the standings. The Phillies and Padres both play tonight, while Los Angeles watches while sitting in Denver. After tonight, the Phils will be in Washington for three and then Miami for three. San Diego plays at St. Louis and then Arizona, while the Dodgers finish in San Francisco. Seven days. Where will they finish?

On Deck

The Phils didn't play but lost ground in the wildcard pseudo-race. The Flyers beat an under-manned New Jersey squad, 2-1, last night. I have plenty of notes on the game that I'm hoping to get up later but I have a lot to do today. Please check back later for updates. If not today, I'll definitely have something up tomorrow.

Preseason Game 2

So much for being "The Best Town In Hockey." The Flyers play their preseason home opener tonight, against none other than the New Jersey Devils, and it doesn't even get a mention in any of the local papers. Not the Inquirer, not the Daily News, not even the Courier-Post. [Sigh] I'll be at the game tonight, hopefully remembering to take notes to post tomorrow. The draft for my fantasy league is on October 1, so I'll be doing some scouting, too.

Phils Win And Tie

The Phillies beat the Cubs 6-2 last night behind a sparkling effort from putative ace Brett Myers (9IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 12K). The win, combined with the streaking Pirates defeat of Los Angeles, moves the Phils into a tie with the Dodgers for the wildcard lead. Also losing last night was San Diego, meaning that the Phils are now only .5 game behind the Padres should they fall out of the West Division lead into the wildcard lead (I know, it's pretty confusing). San Diego will make up that half-game today in bringing their series with Arizona to a conclusion, while the Phillies will enjoy their last scheduled day off this season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have a chance to gain a half-game on the Phils when they finish their series with Pittsburgh tonight (LA will have their last scheduled day off on Monday while the Phils will host Houston in a makeup game). On a related note, Brian at Philling Station has made his way back to the phlogosphere and we, his readers, are the better for it. After taking some time off due to personal and professional reasons, Brian seems determined to keep at it. Welcome back, Brian. We missed you. (Thanks to Chris at I've Made a Huge Tiny Mistake for the heads-up.)

Penguins 5, Flyers 4

Not much local coverage of last night's preseason game with Pittsburgh, just this small recap from the Daily News' wire services. (For a better account, click over to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.) The CCR Line acquitted themselves nicely, accounting for three of the four Flyers' goals (Calder--3 A; Carter--1 G, 1 A; Richards--2 G). The story of the game, though, was the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin. Malkin collided with fellow Pen John LeClair behind the Flyers net early in the second period. Reports indicate he laid on the ice for several minutes before being helped off and did not return to the game. The Penguins are labeling the injury as an "upper-body injury," with the picture clearly showing what may be hurting Malkin this morning. Reports also indicate that he left the arena under his own power and did not have his arm in a sling nor did he appear to be favoring it.

Preseason Game 1

The Flyers will travel to Moncton, NB (New Brunswick, Canada) to play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The game will feature the NHL debut of Russian phenom Evgeni Malkin. The CCR Line -- Kyle Calder, Jeff Carter, and Mike Richards -- is expected to make its NHL debut tonight, as well, after being used heavily by Team Canada at the World Championships in the spring. No word on who will be in goal for the Flyers. According to The Inquirer, the game will not be on television, but 610 AM will carry the game on radio.

Phils Pick Themselves Up

There's a moment in the first Rocky that the Phils reminded me of last night. It's during the 14th round of the fight. Heavywieght champ Apollo Creed had just knocked down challenger Rocky Balboa for the umpteenth time. Balboa's manager, Mickey, is urging Rocky to stay down so as to avoid anymore of a beating. Balboa, showing that undeniable Philadelphia spirit, manages to make it to his feet yet again before the referee's 10-count. After the referee checks Balboa and tells the fights to continue, Rocky motions with his hands and says, "C'mon." Creed, visibly sighing, looks at Rocky with a look of incredulousness, stops, and shakes his head. He can't believe Balboa won't go away -- won't go down and stay down. After going into Houston -- the Phils' version of Death Valley -- and sweeping the Astros over the weekend, the Phillies had moved to within one game of the wildcard lead. Then they dropped a stinker Monday night, losing 11-6 to the worst team in the National League, while the Dodgers performed one of the single greatest comebacks in major league history. Throw in that the Phils were playing at home where they have a sub-.500 record and you have a team that has been beaten again and again, and was finally down on the mat. How would they respond? Thanks to a tremendous pitching performance by Jamie Moyer and some fine clutch hitting (and defense) by Abraham Nunez, the Phils picked themselves up and told the Dodgers -- and Padres -- "C'mon." There It Is take: Of course, the end of the story is that Rocky doens't win the title, but since that wasn't his real goal -- ". . . [I]f I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood." -- who's paying attention? I'm calling it right now, with 11 games to go and the Phillies trailing Los Angeles by one game -- they're winning the wildcard. They're slumping, they're hurt, they're tired. None of that matters. It's September. That's what matters.

The Pseudo-Race Continues

The Phils let one slip away early last night. I mean really early. I mean first three hitters equals three runs scored early. The loss drops them back to 1.5 games behind San Diego -- whose loss last night, if possible, was actually worse than the Phillies -- for the wildcard. Ageless Jamie Moyer gets the start tonight against the Cubs' Wade Miller -- assuming the game is played. (The weather report doesn't look so good.) Out West, San Diego hosts Arizona while Los Angeles welcomes Pittsburgh.

New Buffalo Logo/Jersey Unveiled

It's official -- the Buffalo Sabres now have the worst logo in the National Hockey League. Dubbed the "Buffaslug" by various bloggers and Sabres' fans, this is just plain terrible. The only saving grace this thing has is that it brings back the team's original colors. Other than that . . . . ick!! The jerseys look terrible with that . . . thing crawling across the chest. However, I do like that they've added the player's number to the front of the jersey. An interesting touch that I really like. Had they reverted to the original design, with or without adding the number to the front, I think everyone would have been happy. For more on the history of the Sabres logo change, click here. For more on ugly logos, stop by James Mirtle as he lists the 15 worst hockey logos.

Phillies Now 1 Game Out

Thanks in a very small part to There It Is' incredibly erroneous weekend predictions, the Phils have gained ground in the wildcard pseudo-race. The strangest part is that, while we went into the weekend wanting to see the Padres lose in order to catch them, we now want to see them keep winning. Thanks to a weekend series with Los Angeles, which concludes tonight, San Diego is now in first place in the NL West, dropping the Dodgers into the lead for the wildcard just one game in front of the Sillies -- who welcome the Cubs to the un-friendly confines of Citizen's Bank Park tonight. Two weeks left in the season. This is it, boys. It's time to go get it.

More on Primeau

Be sure to stop by sass-a-thon for Meredith's take on Keith Primeau's career in Philadelphia. She links to a post she previously wrote about what instantly became her favorite Primeau moment. Somehow, I had forgotten all about it. Shame on me and kudos to Meredith for remembering. Jared over at Bullies Blog notes that with Primeau's retirement and the trade of Michal Handzus to the Blackhawks the Flyers will be short on defensive centers. Primeau’s leadership will undoubtedly be missed, but the Flyers will also miss his strong defensive play down the middle. Without Primeau, and after trading Michal Handzus, the Flyers have suddenly cut a significant amount of their depth and defensive prowess from the center position. This is a point well taken that I will also be mentioning in my season preview post due out shortly.

Wildcard Weekend Primer

Here's what we're looking at this weekend in the pseudo-race for the National League wildcard spot: The Padres enter Friday as leaders in the wildcard standings,but they have their eyes on another prize. They trail the Dodgers by just a half-game in the NL West standings, and are set to visit Chavez Ravine for a four-game series beginning today. While this would seem to benefit the Phils, San Diego is 5-0 in Los Angeles this season, with a .322 batting average in those five games. The Phillies being the day in second place in the wildcard standings, 2.5 games behind San Diego. They head to Houston for a three-game set, where (a)they face Roger Clemens first, and (b)they've been swept in three of their last four series in Minute Maid Park. The Giants enter the day tied with the Phillies at 2.5 games behind San Diego in the wildcard standings and just 3 games back in the NL West standings. San Francisco will be in St. Louis for three games this weekend, and is sporting a 32-39 away record this season. Once they get past the Cardinals this weekend, the Giants have a favorable stretch with 10 straight against the Rockies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks. The Marlins begin their weekend series in Atlanta 3.5 games behind San Diego in the wildcard standings. This will be the first season since 1991 that the Braves have not made the playoffs, and they just might take pleasure in knocking someone out of the race. Florida could be a prime target as they travel to Atlanta this weekend, having lost 20 of their last 25 at Turner Field dating back to start of the 2004 season. The Reds will kick off the weekend action with an afternoon game in Chicago. 4.5 games behind San Diego in the wildcard standings, Cincinnati looks to make up a lot of ground against a "Dead Man Walking" club in the Cubs. There It Is take: I predict a split in the San Diego-Los Angeles series, with the Phils and Giants both losing 2 of 3, while the Marlins and Reds win 2 of 3.

Forsberg Named Captain

In the wake of Keith Primeau's retirement, Peter Forsberg has been named the 15th captain in Flyers history. "I am flattered and honored," Forsberg said. "It is definitely something I wanted to do and I played a long time in this league. It's going to be great. We have a great team here, and I look forward to being captain here. It's a classy organization." Simon Gagne and Derian Hatcher will serve as the team's alternate captains. While the move is not a shock, I have to admit a I'm a little surprised. Not about Peter the Great being offered the role, but about his acceptance of it. I would have figured he would have prefered to take the "A" like he had in Colorado, but not a "C." I honestly thought Gagne would wind up with it, given the new contract and the fact that he was offered the role last year when Primeau was hurt. He turned it down then out of respect to Primeau, but now I thought he'd be good to go. I really like the idea floated in the article by Tim Panaccio linked above: The Flyers plan to extend [Forsberg's] contract, which would allow a transition of his captaincy to a younger player, such as Mike Richards, in a few years. I really like Richards and then think he will be a two-way force a la Dallas' Mike Modano -- conincidentally, a player also coached by Ken Hitchcock.

Primeau Retires

It's finally official. After so many stops and starts, after pushing himself to come back and play, Keith Primeau has retired. When all is said and done, he will probably be remembered as the second-best captain in Flyers' history (behind the heart and soul of the 1980s teams, Dave Poulin). Personally, the one thing I will remember the most -- and I won't be the only one -- is his game-winning goal in the fifth overtime of Game 4 in the 2000 Eastern Conference semifinals in Pittsburgh. But that is not how he feels he will be remembered. He said his growth as a captain and leader is what he'll cherish most. "It became my identity," he said. "I was playing in the National Hockey League and there were times I was on other teams and recognized for that, but it just wasn't the same as in this city with this team." Then, choking up, he added, "That will always mean a lot." Best wishes, Keith. Here's hoping you have a long, healthy life in front of you.

Flyers Sign Kesler To offer Sheet

In a move not seen in the NHL since 1998, a Group II restricted free agent has signed an offer sheet. Ryan Kesler, a center who played with Vancouver last season, was signed to a one-year, $1.9 million offer sheet by the Flyers. Given the news that came out last night, this isn't entirely surprising. However, the Flyers are already very deep at center, so it's certainly a curiosity that they would sign another one. Given how (relatively) deep the Flyers are up front, one wonders whether the money would be better spent on trying to find a cheap, puck-moving defenseman somewhere. James Mirtle thinks it's a rather astutue move by GM Bob Clarke, given that even though the contract is only for one year, the Flyers would retain his rights for a number of years after that. On the other side of the coin is Jes Golbez, who thinks Clarke is out to screw the Canucks (again, if you can believe him about RJ Umberger). UPDATE: TSN.ca is reporting that Vancouver will match the offer.

More On DiPietro

There really isn't an easy way to wrap your head around this contract. Think about it -- even Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Steve Yzerman never got 15-year contracts in their day. What has Rick DiPietro done to justify this deal? Nothing, as far as I can see. His career numbers are 58-62-8-5, with a 2.85 GAA (Goals Against Average) and a .900 save percentage. Solid numbers, to be sure, but hardly worthy of a 15-year contract. I can't say I blame him for signing the deal, though. Take the money and run -- or so the saying goes. For more on the contract, click on TSN.ca's Bob McKenzie and ESPN.com's Scott Burnside, along with Steve Ovadia and Tom Benjamin.

Let's Play Two

The Phillies were rained out of their game in Atlanta last night. Thus, a doubleheader has been scheduled for today with the first game to begin at 4:05. Follow all the action here. With San Diego's loss last night, the Phils are now two games back in the wildcard chase, with the possibility of making up as much as a game and a half today (a doubleheader sweep and a Padres loss). Be sure to stop by I've Made A Huge Tiny Mistake, as Chris gives an outstanding summary of the wildcard situation to date.

Breaking News: Primeau To Retire

Flyers captain Keith Primeau is going to announce his retirement by the end of the week. Details to follow.

A Lot Going On Today

I'm pretty busy at work these days (and everywhere else, actually), which is good and bad. Thus, I only will be able to throw some links at you today. First, the Flyers and winger Simon Gagne agreed to a new five-year deal worth $5.25 million per year. Click here for the Flyers salary commitments for the coming season. Second, the New York Islanders have gone crazy continued their craziness by signing goaltender Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract for $67.5 million. Finally, my Toffees continued their winning ways Saturday with a 3-0 win over bitter rivals Liverpool in the 204th Merseyside derby. (Yeah, I don't know the meaning of all that, either.) The win moves Everton into third place in the Premiership standings.

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

Well, Flyers fans, our GM Extraordinaire is at it again. In response to the declaration by left wing Simon Gagne and his agent Tuesday that there was some agreement on at least the length of a contract, Bob Clarke has decided to let it all air out. For the first time since things really soured between the team and Eric Lindros, Clarke has gone public with some details of contract negotiations. "We offered Simon $5 million a year for four years and $5 million a year for five years," Clarke said. "We haven't been unfair to Simon Gagne. The statistics and everything else back it up. We didn't just pull these numbers out of the air. We did it professionally." The last time Clarke went public during a difficult contract negotiation for an unsigned player was the summer of 1998, with Eric Lindros. Sauve said Tuesday he would prefer three years and indicated there was mutual agreement there. Clarke said otherwise. "We have not talked three years," Clarke said. "Would we go three? We might but not for $5 million. If we're going to go that high [in dollars], we need to get some years out of it." This is a genius move. I mean, really, why wouldn't you air the dirty laundry between you and the agent for your team's best goal scorer? I can't see any reason not to do it. It's not like something like this hasn't already happened for Clarke to draw some experience from.

Frustrated Phaithful

I've been trying to gather my thoughts on last night's game all morning in an effort to come up with a meaningful, coherent post. To put it mildly, the result has been less than stellar. The best I can do is come up with some observances about everyone's favorite left field, Pat Burrell: This has been discussed on other blogs, but Burrell's bat speed is very slow and getting slower. Andy Pettitte threw him a 90 mph fastball and it appeared as if he didn't start swinging until after the catcher, Brad Ausmus, caught the ball. He just doesn't have "it" anymore and looks completely clueless at the plate. It's starting to look like 2003 all over again. That being said, there has never been any doubt about Burrell's arm, and he showed it off again when he almost nailed Chris Burke at the plate on an Ausmus single to left. I'm starting to become embarrassed about being a Philadelphia fan. I was hanging out down the third base line for most of the game before mving to my seat in left field for the 8th and 9th innings. Big mistake. The people that sit out there live for nothing other than to hate everything. I genuinely feel bad for Burrell. No one should have to live with the abuse he takes inning after inning, day after day. I know that I wouldn't want to have a bunch of clueless dopes screaming at me all day long. I think it's a credit to Burrell that he has never even ackowledged their existence. What are the odds that on a night when Randy Wolf is pitching -- with the Wolf Pack in attendance -- there's a full moon? Well, now it's on to Florida for a four game set with the Fish. And it case anyone missed it, one of the Marlins rookie pithcers threw the first no-hitter in better than two years last night. In so doing, the Marlins have now tied the Phils for second place in the wildcard standings, three games behind San Diego. With 23 games left in the season, the Phils will play Florida for 10 of those. One gets the feeling that they'll just beat up on each other while San Diego or Los Angeles -- who leads the NL West by only one game over the Padres -- will walk away laughing with the wildcard.

Gagne Won't Attend Camp Without Contract

The Flyers open training camp next Friday and it's probable that left winger Simon Gagne will not be there when they do. Still without a contract, Gagne says he won't show without one: "I talked with my agent, and we think it would be too dangerous to go to camp with no contract," Gagne told the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday, referring to Bob Sauve. "Basically, we want a contract before I go to camp. If not, I'm not going to go." According to his agent, Bob Sauve, the team and Gagne have agreed on the length of a deal -- three years -- but not on the monetary amount. Gagne is reportedly looking for a $5 to $6 million a year deal like the one Calgary gave to forward Alex Tangauy (coincidentally, another Sauve client). If agreed to, a deal for that much money would put the Flyers right up against the $44 million salary cap (TSN.ca has the Flyers salaries at approximately $39 million, including Keith Primeau). Looking at the Flyers lineup, I wonder if a sign-and-trade deal wouldn't be prudent here. Granted that a lot of this is contingent on Primeau returning and staying healthy, but hear me out. Look at the Flyers four lines, six defensemen, and starting goalie: LW C RW Kyle Calder Peter Forsberg Mike Knuble RJ Umberger Jeff Carter Niko Dimotrakos Geoff Sanderson Mike Richards Petr Nedved Sami Kapanen Keith Primeau Randy Robitaille   LD RD Joni Pitkanen Mike Rathje Derian Hatcher Freddie Meyer Denis Gauthier Lars Jonsson   G    Antero Niittymaki That's not a bad team, though there are still some question marks on defense. I would like to see them package goaltender Robert Esche with Gagne. This would accomplish several things in one fell swoop: a)provide needed salary cap relief if they need to make a move later in the season; b)get rid of the malcontent that is/will be Esche; c)establish that, once and for all, Niittymaki is your starting goaltender; and d)bring an incredible return in terms of youth, skill, and possibly draft picks given that Gagne and Esche are both quality players that other teams covet. While I'm wasting time looking at ways to improve the Flyers that Bob Clarke will never think of, Mike at Flyers Fan Central is a little worried about having Gagne signed in time but thinks it'll happen. He also thinks an extension for head coach Ken Hitchcock is in the not-too-distant future.

Game 139: Phillies vs Houston

With 24 games left in the season over 26 days, the Phillies look to continue their playoff push tonight against one of the albatrosses around their collective neck that is Houston (the other, of course, being Florida). Thankfully, in spite of yesterday's rainout, there will not be a double-header today (it would've been the Phils' third in five days). The game will be made up on Monday, September 25 -- a scheduled off day for both teams. A lefty-duel is set for tonight's game as Andy Pettitte will be on the mound tonight for Houston, while the Phils will hand the ball to Randy Wolf. I'll be at the game tonight and will be looking to see if Chase Utley can continue to wriggle his way out of his August slump. With two homeruns on Saturday and a game-winning homer on Monday, one gets the sense that it's only a matter of time before he breaks loose. I'll also be looking to see if Jimmy Rollins -- hitting just .250 in the first week of September -- can find some more of his end-of-the-season magic dust. And, of course, I'll be looking for Ryan Howard's at-bats. They've become an event within the game itself.

And Now For Something Completely Different . . .

I try to stick to things I can speak about intelligently on here, but I'm going to make an exception today. My friend Tom and I were e-mailing recently and he asked me what I thought of Superman Returns. Here's what I had to say: As for Supes, I was definitely disappointed. Not as far as a Superman film goes -- since you know I'm not that much into him -- but more so as a fan of Bryan Singer's films. I think this was his worst one so far. There was no chemistry between Routh and Bosworth, and they certainly didn't have screen presences the way their predecessors did. And yes, I was even disappointed with Spacey. I wouldn't go so far as to say he mailed it in, but there just wasn't that much for him to do. And how do you keep Superman and Lex Luthor apart for about 90% of the movie? These are arguably the two greatest rivals in literary -- and cinema -- history, and yet they're on screen together for what, maybe 10 minutes? And please, don't even get me started on the science of the film or Luthor's "great" plot. Anyway . . . . I liked it a lot less than you did. Even with your 7 or 7.5 out of 10, I still would have gone lower than that. It's funny, I'm reading the novel "The Death and Life of Superman" now (it's the novelization of the graphic novels "Death of Superman," "World Without A Superman," and "The Return of Superman") and I keep thinking how this would have been the better story to make. It's already setup for a three story -- or should I say movie? -- arc and Warners already had the "Death" script (I believe, anyway) from Kevin Smith. I can only imagine what the costs would have been, though, since you would have had to pay for not only Superman, but the Justice League as well, along with figuring out a way to get Doomsday on-screen. I don't know. I just keep coming back to this being the story I would rather see. I have since finished reading the novel and would definitely have rather seen that story arc than what was made. Anyway, Tom asked me to flesh out my review a little more for use on his sight. So, please click on over to The Last Reel for my very first movie review. After that, stay a little while. If you like movies, Tom's site is the place to go.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

As I mentioned yesterday, my thumb was busy on the remote control last night. Andre Agassi extended his career with a grueling five set win over eighth seed Marcos Baghdatis. The final score was 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5. That the match even went five sets is a testament to the heart of both players. Baghdatis received treatment for leg cramps -- an absolute killer for a tennis player -- several times during the match, while Agassi needed a 20 minute cortisone shot after his first round match -- just so he would be able to walk onto the court last night, let alone play a three hour and forty-five minute match. With the win, Agassi moves on to face German Benjamin Becker (ranked 112th) in the third round. The Phils, meanwhile, let one get away last night, losing to Washington in 10 innings, 6-5. The bullpen coughed up a 4-2 lead in the ninth, only to see the Phils regain the lead in the top of the 10th and lose in the bottom of the inning. The loss, which dropped the Phils a full game behind San Diego for the wildcard lead, featured a mammoth homerun from Ryan Howard (I know, what else is new?) that broke Mike Schmidt's team record for homeruns in a season -- and there are still 29 games left. Amazing. Despite being only one game out, Swing and a Miss wonders if this game will turn out to be "the only one game" just like last year.