Thursday, May 24, 2012

Phillies at Cardinals: May 24th to May 27th

Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO
Thursday and Friday 8:15, Saturday 7:15 and Sunday 2:15

Phillies 22-23, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 4 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Cardinals 25-19, 1st Place in the N.L. Central, 1/2 game ahead of the Reds

Phillies Probables:  Joe Blanton (4-4, 3.74), Cliff Lee (0-2, 2.66), Kyle Kendrick (0-4, 5.23), Roy Halladay (4-4, 3.58)
Cardinals Probables:  Jake Westbrook (4-3, 2.41), Kyle Lohse (5-1, 2.91), Jaime Garcia (3-2, 3.55), Adam Wainwright (3-5, 4.78)

At the Ballpark:  Do the Cardinals give away this much swag on a regular basis?  Fans will receive a drawstring bag tonight and a Championship beer stein tomorrow night.  There's a Cardinals hat being given away at Saturday's game and a World Champions poster give-away on Sunday afternoon.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Carlos Ruiz - .357
Runs:  Hunter Pence - 28
Home Runs:  Hunter Pence - 10 
RBIs:  Carlos Ruiz - 29
Stolen Bases:  Shane Victorino - 13

Wins:  Cole Hamels - 7
ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.17
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 66
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 12

1979 Topps #25 and #59
1979 Topps Flashback:  The two best pitchers in the Phillies rotation in 1983 were Steve Carlton and John Denny.  The '83 Phillies defeated the Dodgers in the N.L.C.S., but lost to the Orioles in the Fall Classic.  Carlton went 15-16 with a 3.11 ERA and 275 strikeouts, while Denny went 19-6 with a 2.37 ERA and was awarded for his efforts with the National League Cy Young award.

Denny came up through the Cardinals system and he made his Major League debut on September 12, 1974, two and a half years after the Cards had shipped Carlton to Philadelphia for Rick Wise.  Denny pitched  relatively well during his years in St. Louis, compiling a 51-46 record and a 3.67 ERA over 147 games.  In 1976, he led the National League with a 2.52 ERA.  Following the 1979 season, Denny was traded to the Indians with Jerry Mumphrey for Bobby Bonds.

He remained in Cleveland until they traded him to the Phillies in mid-September 1982 for Wil Culmer, Jerry Reed and Roy Smith.  After his career year in 1983, Denny cooled down, going 18-21 with the Phils in 1984 and 1985 in 55 starts.  He was traded to the Reds following the '85 season and he'd pitch one year in Cincinnati before calling it a career.



1 comment:

Jim from Downingtown said...


He remained in Cleveland until they traded him to the Phillies in mid-September 1982 for Wil Culmer, Jerry Reed and Roy Smith.


I had forgotten who the Phillies traded to get Denny. The fact that it was 3 stiffs kind of dulls the painful fact that they also traded Julio Franco and FOUR OTHERS to the Indians for Von Hayes.