1993 Triple Play #129 Equipment

Starting this evening and throughout the first week of November, The Phillies Room will be temporarily closed for routine equipment maintenance and systems upgrades. Although the timing of this closure is questionable and somewhat regrettable, it is nevertheless unavoidable. We will be taking copious notes throughout the remainder of the World Series and our regularly scheduled postings will return next weekend. Rest assured, dear readers and fellow bloggers, 2009 Chachi World Series cards will be produced and shared upon our return.

In the interim, and as part of our ongoing effort to share Phillies baseball cards with the blogosphere, our IT department will be posting a single baseball card at the conclusion of each World Series game. The baseball card posted will reflect the outcome of the game and, by extension, my mood following each game. When the Phillies win, one of my favorite Phillies cards from my collection will appear. In the unlikely event of a Phillies loss, the woeful occurrence will be shamed with one of my least favorite Phillies cards.

Finally, the 2010 Chachi poll (see sidebar) is nearing its close. If you haven’t voted already, please consider voicing your opinion on this important decision.

Go Phils!

Yankees at Phillies: October 31st through November 2nd

Saturday 7:57, Sunday 8:20 & Monday 7:57

Back Home: Jimmy Rollins wasn't impressed with the ambiance of new Yankee Stadium. He was surprised at how low key the crowd seemed, noting they only momentarily came to life following a home run and then they calmed back down. A reporter asked him if the atmosphere this year was a little more akin to a World Series than last year. Jimmy, without hesitation, replied, "When we get to Philly, it will." The Phils return for three at home and hopefully there will be no need for a return train trip to New York.
Happy Halloween!: A year ago today, Philadelphia hosted the 2008 World Champions' parade down Broad Street.
Yankees Probables: Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett
Phillies Probables: Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee

2007 Chachi #12 Greg Dobbs

Other Game 2 thoughts . . .

Worked out OK in '08: The Phils won Game 1 of the World Series last year and lost Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays. They came home to sweep the Rays, taking the World Series in five games.

Golden Sombrero: Ryan Howard did not enjoy Game 2. The Big Piece went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and tipped his cap to A.J. Burnett following the game: "He had his curveball working today. It was a nasty pitch - nasty." The top four guys in the line-up combined to go 1 for 13 against the A.J. Burnett-Mariano Rivera tandem.

Get Well Soon: Greg Dobbs and Tyler Walker (not on the Postseason roster) were sent home from New York with the flu. Dobbs was slated to DH last night, but Matt Stairs got the start instead.

2009 Chachi #80 World Series Game 2/Pedro Martinez

World Series Game 2 - October 29, 2009
Yankees 3, Phillies 1
Exactly one year after the Phillies won Game 5B of the 2008 World Series, they dropped Game 2 of the 2009 World Series to the Yankees, 3-1. If you had told me going into these first two games the Phils would split before heading back to Philly for three, I would have been happy with that outcome. Still, it would have been nice to head home with a 2-0 series lead.

Pedro Martinez was back in the Bronx - the location of a few infamous incidents he'd probably prefer to forget. He and Yankees starter A.J. Burnett threw a lot of pitches early, but after 5 innings each pitcher had allowed only a run a piece.

The Phils struck first in the 2nd inning. Raul Ibañez doubled to left and came around to score when a sharp grounder from Matt Stairs eluded Alex Rodriguez' glove for a single. The Yanks tied things up in the 4th when Mark Teixeira hit a Pedro Martinez change-up for a solo home run to right-center. In the 6th, Pedro struck out Teixeria and A-Rod before Hideki Matsui lofted a home run into the short porch in right giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. By this point, A.J. Burnett had settled in and the Phillies' offense wasn't able to get anything going.

Entering the 7th, Pedro had allowed just four hits and struck out eight. He gave up a few singles to start the 7th, and his night was done. Chan Ho Park entered the game and promptly allowed an inherited runner to score, making it 3-1 Yankees. All in all, Pedro pitched a good ballgame but A.J. Burnett pitched better, and a sweep in New York was not to be. Although he allowed a few base runners, Mariano Rivera entered in the 8th for a 2-inning save and shut the door on the Phils.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for a Halloween night Game 3. Hakuna Matata.

2007 Phillies Team Issue #10 Karim Garcia

Who are you, Karim Garcia?

Go Pedro and Go Phils!

2009 Phillies Fan Appreciation Day Postcards Cliff Lee

Other Game 1 thoughts . . .

Clifton Phifer Lee is Nasty: Cliff Lee threw the first World Series complete game since Greg Maddux did it against the Indians in the 1995 World Series. In the 8th inning, he snagged a sharp grounder from Robinson Cano . . . behind his back. Cool as a cucumber, he now has the seventh best ERA (0.54) of any pitcher in Postseason history and he holds the ERA mark for pitchers throwing over 30 innings. The Yankees are a very good team, and he went through them like they were a struggling Little League team. (I think it was Darren Daulton on the Postgame show who made the Little League analogy.) Which makes me wonder - is this the best Phillies pitching performance in the franchise's history, considering the stakes and the stage?

History: Chase Utley's two home runs off CC Sabathia marked just the second time in World Series history a left-handed batter has hit two homers in a game off a left-handed pitcher. The other guy to do it? Babe Ruth in Game 4 of the 1928 World Series. That's right - Babe Ruth. Chase's walk in the first extended his streak of reaching safely in Postseason games to 26 games, breaking the record of 25 straight games set by Boog Powell between 1966 and 1971.

PSA: Already had your fill of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver? Phillies flagship radio station 1210 AM has syncronized its radio broadcast to match up to Fox's broadcast. (It takes them a few outs in the top of the 1st to sync it, but they get there.) On a clear night back in the day, I used to be able to pick up 1210 all the way in Raleigh, North Carolina. Although I do miss the dramatic Fox World Series theme song a little . . .

2009 Chachi #79 World Series Game 1/Cliff Lee & Chase Utley

World Series Game 1 - October 28, 2009
Phillies 6, Yankees 1

It took five games over a span of 59 years, but the Philadelphia Phillies have won their first World Series game against the New York Yankees. Playing in a steady drizzle, the Phillies won behind a gem from their ace Cliff Lee and two home runs from Chase Utley.

Cliff Lee was on tonight. Locating his fastball and keeping the Yankees off-balance with his off-speed pitches, he made it look easy. He struck out the side in the 4th, the heart of the Yankees order no less, giving him seven strikeouts already at that early stage the game. In the end, he finished with a complete game, allowing no earned runs, striking out ten, walking none and scattering six Yankees' hits. (He also made a few cool plays in the field!)

Through the first six, both starting pitchers had allowed just four hits. However, two of the hits allowed by Yankees starter CC Sabathia were solo home runs by Chase Utley. Chase finished off an amazing 9-pitch at-bat in the 3rd by drilling a CC fastball into the right field stands to give the Phils a 1-0 lead. He jumped in his Cadillac again in the 6th with a long home run again to right.

Raul Ibañez added two more runs in the 8th, singling home Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino to make it 4-0 Phils. Shane's RBI-single in the 9th, along with Ryan Howard's RBI-double added the final two Phillies runs. A small bump in the road in the form of a Jimmy Rollins error allowed the Yankees to score their lone run in the bottom of the 9th. But that would be the only blemish on Cliff Lee's 122-pitch masterpiece.

Best Highlight: A month and a half shy of his third birthday, our son Doug was in bed prior to the first pitch tonight. I made sure he took his rally towel with him though. I checked in on him during the 7th inning stretch and he was sound asleep, clutching his Phillies rally towel. Perfect.

Phillies at Yankees: October 28th through October 29th

Wednesday & Thursday 7:57

It's On: The 105th World Series starts tonight with the NL Champion Phillies taking on the AL Champion New York Yankees.

There's Only One October: I'm in uncharted territory here in terms of excitement and I'll admit this whole thing seems a little surreal. After so many years of watching bad Phillies teams and saying, "Maybe next year," the Phillies are in the World Series for the second year in a row. Hard to believe.

This is Beyond Baseball: Also for the second year in a row, we'll be happily Joe Buck and Tim McCarver-free for the World Series. Fox will be muted and Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen will provide us with the play-by-play on the Phillies radio broadcast.

Phillies Probables: Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez

Yankees Probables: CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett

1951 Bowman #184 Eddie Sawyer MG

1950 World Series Game 4 - October 7

Yankees 5, Phillies 2

Rookie pitcher Whitey Ford allowed just two unearned runs to a lethargic Phillies offense as the Yankees completed the World Series sweep and won their 13th World Championship. The Phillies countered with rookie starting pitcher Bob Miller who retired just one batter in the 1st inning before being replaced with Jim Konstanty.

The Phillies scored their only two runs of the game when Yankees left fielder Gene Woodling dropped a 9th inning fly ball from Andy Seminick, allowing Puddin' Head Jones and pinch-runner Ken Johnson to score. Following the sweep, Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer remarked the team "played only fair baseball."

The Phils would have to wait another 26 years until they reached the Postseason again, and their fans would have to wait exactly 30 years for the franchise to win its next World Series game - accomplished in Game 1 of the 1980 World Series.

When the 2009 Phillies take to the new Yankee Stadium field tomorrow night, they'll be looking to do something their beloved counterparts couldn't do 59 years ago. Win.

1951 Bowman #148 Granny Hamner

1950 World Series Game 3 - October 6
Yankees 3, Phillies 2

The Phillies dropped their third straight 1-run game as the 1950 World Series shifted to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Despite having won only three games all season, lefty Ken Heintzelman was selected to start Game 3 for the Whiz Kids. He pitched into the 8th inning, allowing one earned run. Unfortunately, and before it was fashionable to call it a "walk-off," Yankees second baseman Jerry Coleman drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th with a fly ball hit over the head of outfielder Richie Ashburn. Phillies pitcher Russ Meyer, normally a starter, took the loss in relief.

Granny Hamner showed the first signs of life within the Phillies' line-up, going 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. However it was Granny's glove that was a crucial factor in this loss and not his bat. The Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the 8th when the Phillies shortstop couldn't handle an easy ground ball, allowing Jerry Coleman to score the tying run. Had Granny been able to make the play, the Phillies would have been out of the inning, maintaining a 1-run lead. As it was, the crucial error led to a 3-0 Yankees lead in the series.

Random Aside: In reading about the 1950 World Series, I'm seeing Jerry Coleman's name all over the place. On a Yankees team dominated by big-name players such as DiMaggio, Berra, Mize, Ford, Rizzuto and Bauer, it's Jerry Coleman whose name comes up time and time again in the game summaries.

1951 Bowman #186 Richie Ashburn

1950 World Series Game 2 - October 5

Yankees 2, Phillies 1

The Phillies dropped another close one, as Joe DiMaggio hit a solo home run off Robin Roberts in the top of the 10th to break a 1-1 tie and give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the 1950 World Series. Roberts scattered ten hits over his 10 innings of work, walking three and striking out five.

The Whiz Kids' lone run came on a Richie Ashburn sacrifice fly in the 5th inning, scoring Mike Goliat from third. They squandered runners in scoring position in the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th innings. Allie Reynolds pitched a 10-inning complete game, earning the victory for the Yankees.

Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer observed after the game, "You still can't win without hits and runs."

Game information and quotes for these posts are from the incredibly valuable resource, The Phillies Encyclopedia by Rich Westcott and Frank Bilovsky.

1951 Bowman #27 Jim Konstanty

1950 World Series Game 1 - October 4

Yankees 1, Phillies 0

Relief ace and 1950 National League MVP Jim Konstanty started Game 1, as Robin Roberts had started three of the Phillies last five regular season games. (I imagine this would be comparable to Brad Lidge starting Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. Could you picture that?) Without starting a game, Konstanty compiled a 16-7 record and a 2.66 ERA in 1950, while saving 22 games.

In Game 1 at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, Konstanty pitched eight strong innings, allowing just a lone 4th inning run to the Yankees. Yankees starting pitcher Vic Raschi (21-8 in the regular season) allowed just two 5th inning singles to Puddin' Head Jones and Andy Seminick, and that was the extent of the Phillies offense for the day.

Other Game 1 notes: Game time was 1pm, and no one was exhausted at work the next day. (Unlike what will most likely be the case this coming Thursday morning.) The Phillies were without star starting pitcher Curt Simmons for this series. Simmons was called into active U.S. military duty on September 10th. He used his 10-day pass from the Army to attend the World Series games as a spectator only.

1951 Bowman #3 Robin Roberts

The last and only other time the Phillies and Yankees faced each other in the World Series was in 1950. The Whiz Kids advanced to the 1950 World Series by defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on the final day of the season. The Phillies' starting pitcher in that game was Robin Roberts, who in the heat of the pennant race had started four of the Phillies' previous eight games. (Take that, CC.)

On October 1, 1950, entering the final game of the season, the Phils' lead over the Dodgers was down to just one game. A win, and the Phillies would advance to the World Series for the first time since 1915. A loss, and a tie-breaking game to determine the National League championship would be required. And of course, the Phillies wouldn't make it easy.

Heading into the bottom of the 9th that day, the score was tied 1-1. In easily what is one of the most famous outfield assists in Phillies history, Richie Ashburn threw out Cal Abrams at the plate to preserve the tie and send the game into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, with Whitey at first and Eddie Waitkus at second, Dick Sisler hit a 3-run home run against Don Newcombe to give the Phils a 4-1 lead. Roberts pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th, and it was on to the World Series.

Of course, the 2009 Phillies hope to fare better than the 1950 Phillies against the Yankees.

2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #106 Ryan Howard

Bring on the Yankees. Ryan Howard is waiting.

1970 Topps #90 Tim McCarver

While watching ALCS Game 5 and catching up with some of my favorite baseball card blogs, I came across something horrifying. Tim McCarver has released a CD featuring his personal renditions of Songs from the Great American Songbook. To make matters worse, Amazon is currently running a special which gives buyers a discount when Tim McCarver's new CD is purchased together with Chris Wheeler's new book.

Before any friends or family reading this blog get any crazy ideas, let me make this clear: Please don't buy this CD for me for Christmas, even as a gag gift. Seriously. Don't do it.

2009 Chachi #78 Ryan Howard HL

Ryan Howard's .333 batting average, 2 home runs and 8 RBIs earned him the 2009 NLCS MVP honors. Since the League Championship series began in 1969, Ryan became just the third player to win Rookie of the Year honors, regular season Most Valuable Player honors and be named an LCS MVP. Albert Pujols and Fred Lynn are the only other players to pull off that feat.

Ryan joins a list of four other Phillies NLCS MVPs:

1980 - Manny Trillo

1983 - Gary Matthews

1993 - Curt Schilling

2008 - Cole Hamels

2009 Chachi #64 Strikeout Leaders - Cole Hamels & Joe Blanton

He's only pitched in parts of four seasons so far, but when Cole Hamels reaches 95 strikeouts in 2010, he'll crack the list of all-time Top 10 Phillies strikeout leaders. Granted, his 800+ strikeouts will still be slightly behind Steve Carlton's Phillies mark of 3,031, but his total will still be fairly impressive. This is the third year in a row Cole has led this category for the Phillies, although his leading total of 168 is the lowest leading total since Eric Milton's 161 strikeouts in 2004.

The rest of the 2009 Phillies Top 10 in strikeouts: Joe Blanton (163), J.A. Happ (119), Jamie Moyer (94), Ryan Madson (78), Cliff Lee (74), Chan Ho Park (73), Chad Durbin (62), Brad Lidge (61) and Brett Myers (50).

2009 Chachi #63 Victory Leaders - Blanton, Happ & Moyer

With the team's success this year, it's hard to believe no pitcher had more than 12 wins in 2009. After the trio featured on this team leader card, the rest of the Top 10 Phillies victory leaders were: Cole Hamels (10), Cliff Lee (7), Clay Condrey (6), Ryan Madson (5), Pedro Martinez (5) and Brett Myers (4). Tied for tenth on the team with 3 wins this year were Kyle Kendrick, Rodrigo Lopez and Chan Ho Park. Nothing against Rodrigo, but talk about getting lost in the shuffle after the Pedro and Cliff Lee acquisitions!

Other starting pitcher and victory stuff:

- The Phillies haven't had a 20-game winner since Steve Carlton won 23 games in 1982.

- Recently, the Phils have had their share of years when the team leader in this category had 12 or fewer wins, including: Brett Myers in 2006 (12), Randy Wolf in 2000 (11) and Curt Schilling in 1996 (9). The '96 Phillies were a very bad team.

- The Phillies used 12 starting pitchers in 2009, compared with just 7 in 2008.

2009 Chachi #62 Stolen Base Leaders - Jimmy Rollins & Shane Victorino

All credit goes to Phillies coach Davey Lopes for improving the team's running game over the past several years. For the fifth year in a row, Jimmy Rollins stole over 30 bases. Additionally, Jimmy joined Chase Utley (23) and Jayson Werth (20) in the 20-20 club (at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) - the first time more than one Phillie has reached those marks in the same season. Four of Jayson's stolen bases came in the same game back in May.

Also swiping bases this year, rounding out the Top 10: Ryan Howard (8), Raul Ibañez (4), Carlos Ruiz (3) and Eric Bruntlett (2). Greg Dobbs, Ben Francisco and the speedy Cole Hamels all had exactly one stolen base.

2009 Chachi #59 Batting Leaders - Shane Victorino & Chase Utley

The long lay-off until the start of the 2009 World Series will give me an opportunity to post the remaining 2009 Chachi Team Leader cards.

To qualify for a season's batting championship, a player needs 502 or more plate appearances. Unfortunately, this rules out Paul Hoover (3 for 4 with a .750 average) and Andy Tracy (5 for 12 with a .417 average) for the Phillies' 2009 batting title. A situation could arise where a player has less than 502 plate appearances but still wins the batting championship. However, those rules involve too much math and this situation doesn't apply to the Phillies this year.

Shane Victorino takes the honors this year with his .292 average, followed by Chase Utley (.282), Ryan Howard (.279), Raul Ibañez (.272), Jayson Werth (.268), Pedro Feliz (.266) and Jimmy Rollins (.250). This is the second season in a row the Phils haven't had someone crack the .300 plateau. Shane dropped below .300 after September 15th and Chase hadn't been above the mark since September 2nd.