Regarding Halladay...It's the Right Thing to Do

Since Roy Halladay surrendered the baseball in the first inning of his last start, some of the discussion in Philadelphia has been about what the future holds for “Doc” and the Phillies.

The answer is very simple.  You pay the man the respect he deserves and you give him another chance to make it happen.  And, if it doesn't work, you give each other a big teary hug and part ways.

It’s the right thing to do.

photo www.phielderschoice.com

The guy is the ultimate competitor.  He has a work ethic like no other.  If anybody can come back from an injury like this, it’s the future Hall of Famer.

Why take the chance?  Well, first of all, you owe it to him.  The guy gave his heart and soul to your team for the past 4 seasons.  In addition, you just don’t toss a future HOF’er to the trash heap like that, especially if you’re the Phillies.  It’s not their style (thankfully).

Halladay gets along so well with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels that it will be an easy decision for Roy as to whether he wants to return to Philly.  He feels partly in debt for not being able to perform at his maximum level, so his desire to return is already evident.

Here’s what you do….you structure a minor league contract (non-guaranteed) with a major league option at the end of spring training.  You make the pay amount somewhat minimal but build in all types of great incentives based on performance.  If he hasn't been able to prove he can return to a competitive form by the end of spring training, I’m pretty sure Roy will be the first one to tear up the deal.

I seriously doubt if teams are going to be lining up to sign Halladay based on his latest performance and recent serious medical problems.  I also seriously doubt Roy is really looking to join a new franchise and start over.

The Phillies are a class organization and I’m sure the last thing they want to do here is look like the “bad guy”.  They should do everything they can to give Roy one last chance to make it happen.

It's the right thing to do.

Bill Mattis, owner AllStarInc

(c) copyright 2013 Bill Mattis  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Phils' Trades Got You Down? There's Reason for Hope!

The smoke has cleared a day later and the Phillies look at themselves and see a ball club that really isn’t a whole lot different than before the trade deadline.

The experts will tell you that the team has traded two “front line players” and now the lineup is going to be significantly different; but I’m not so sure.

The trades were very good trades for multiple reasons.

Many times, teams deal players just to relieve themselves of salary.  The Phillies accomplished this by saving a probable $15 million on Hunter Pence next year.  They also have dealt Shane Victorino, who will probably get a 3 year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million from somebody.

But here’s the best part…they got some very good players, too!  They have filled a couple of needs at the same time.  In addition to all of those positives, they have opened the door for Dominic Brown to prove whether he is the wonder child that he was touted as being as early as three years ago.

Josh Lindblom was the main ingredient the Dodgers sent back to Philly for Victorino.  The guy is exactly the type of middle reliever the Phillies have been aching for all year.  He’s young, cheap, contract tied up for about 3 years, and he actually gets batters out!  What a concept!

While (on the surface) Nate Schierholtz appears to be the main part of the Pence deal, the real key piece is the young catcher Tommy Joseph.  He’s a AA prospect who was a 2^nd round pick in 2009, who shows solid power, and could wind up being the Phils' catcher of the future.

The two other pitchers the Phils acquired in these two deals are no losers either.  Both guys are big strong right handers who are pretty highly touted.  Ethan Martin acquired in the LA deal was a first round pick in the 2008 draft while Seth Rosin (from the Giants) was a 4^th round pick in 2010.

While Martin has been used as a starter lately, you may be seeing these two guys become key components from the bullpen of 2014 in these two deals.  Rosin has the make up of a closer.

Lastly, sometimes you just need a change of pace….a change of faces…to get things moving again.

While Shane and Hunter both made up a great deal of the team’s personality and were both fan favorites, they just seemed to be stuck in a rut and were having somewhat average years for what they are capable of doing.

Maybe the change of scenery will help them and also enable the Phils to inject new players to see what they can do. 

Maybe Dom Brown is a future star?  Maybe Juan Pierre does have another year in him?  Maybe Kevin Frandson needs a shot at third base?

There will be many more changes, but the Phillies will still be considered a top contender next year, especially if they can find a few things out about certain players in August and September.

And who knows?  The inner Phillies fan inside me wants to hold on to the “if they could just go on a nice winning streak, we can get back into this thing” philosophy! 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...A Not So Instant Replay

In the absence of our Fearless Leader, who is drowning on the links at the Atlantic City Golf Club for the 28th Annual Ron Jaworski Celebrity Golf Challenge, the underling is filling in with a re-posting of story she wrote for The Daily Bark in 2010.

I walked into my friend’s house the other day and her son the cop, who’s 30-something, was watching television.  We said hello to each other and then he abruptly turned back to the TV.  I took a look-see and he was watching one of my favorite shows, “Pardon the Interruption” on ESPN.

“Uh, gee, is that Michael Wilbon?” I asked.  He slowly turned his head and just kind of stared at me.

“Yes, actually, it is,” he replied.  “I’m surprised you know that,” he said as he turned back to the TV.  The camera switched and I pounced.

“And THAT’S Tony Kornheiser!” I said.  A huge smile spread across his face…along with some shock.

“OK, now I am impressed.  I mean it.  That’s really impressive.”  He continued on to say that he never met a “girl” who knew anything about announcers, sports, etc.   Yeah right, buddy, ‘cause we’re busy reading Cosmo!  I decided to pull out my big gun.

“You know, Mike, I even play Golden Tee.”  A huge smile spread across his face.

“No way!”  It was a classic girl-beats-guy moment until my friend yelled from the other room, “Do you even know what Golden Tee is, Mike?”  There was a brief moment of solidarity as we both looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

“Of course, he does!”  I yelled to her as I shook my head.  I turned back to Mike and he was, once again, staring all glassy, pie-eyed at Kornheiser and Wilbon.  Moment passes by in a flash…

Yeah, so I am a girl.  I love to wear pretty underwear, and prefer dresses and skirts to pants.  I don’t leave the house without makeup…even when going to the beach.  I like to go out with my BFF and get a mani/pedi…right before we head to our new “go-to” place for an Irish Car Bomb, a round of Grey Goose Gimlets, and a go at the Golden Tee machine.  I prefer trivia games, cold beer, and sports bars to mah-jong, wine spritzers, and tapas bars.  I decorated our pool room:  there’s a Fenway sign; a photo of my son’s running the bases at Nationals’ Park; a photo of Wrigley Stadium I took while on a road trip with my college roommate; and about half a dozen books on baseball and stadiums.  On my bucket list:  visit the stadiums of my favorite teams and get Chase Utley to autograph one of my photographs.

Here’s the deal:  I love sports.  I love the competition.  I love the beauty of the movement; the squeak of the sneakers as my Villanova Wildcats run up and down the court; the roar of the crowd when the Eagles win and the equally loud “Boos” when our QB’s pass doesn’t complete.  I love watching the puck race over the ice and boy, oh, boy, I absolutely LOVE when the gloves go down and the Flyers fight.  The form of a pitcher throwing a ball is a thing of beauty and I am fascinated by the stance of any player at bat…I can spend an entire game photographing the pitchers and batters and then hours examining them…and I do.

Cole Hamels on the mound against the Washington Nationals 8/1/10

Stats?  Eh, yeah…no…not so much.

Sure, I love the trivia part:

Cal Ripkin, Jr. tied Lou Gehrig’s home run record one night and his consecutive game record the next.  That’s cool.

Mike Schmidt once hit a baseball off a speaker hanging over 100 feet above the field and 200 feet from home plate at the Astrodome.  Can you say HOMERUN???

Philly-born, Roy Campanella’s first major league game was also the last game ever played at the Brooklyn Dodger’s Ebbets Field.  See, to me, that’s synchronicity.

In the 1972 season, the Phillies only won 59 games, 27 of which were won for the Phils by Steve Carlton.  Where was the rest of the team that year?

In 1975 I started high school and used to watch a really cute boy play baseball, hoping he’d notice me.  He didn’t.  He went on to play with the LA Dodgers.  Who is he?  Angels manager, Mike Scioscia.  Now I watch him on TV.

January 11, 1981:  In near-Artic temperatures, my beloved Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-7 to win the NFC Championship game.  I was there and still have my ticket stub.  It was about 5 above zero, but you wouldn’t know it at the Vet!  There were guys behind us without their shirts on…I think they were the founders of “The 700 Level Club.”

Some of my all-time favorite movies are “The Natural,” “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” and “Invincible.”  Why?  Because they’re all about the little guy making it against all the odds.

Ryan Howard at bat against the Washington Nationals 4/12/11

Stats just don’t do it for me.  I couldn’t care less what Ryan Howard’s at-bat stats are (.275).  I just like to watch him hit that ball.  He is a beast at the plate and when I watch him swing, I can see the power coming off him from his head all the way to his feet.  I love photographing that.

It doesn’t matter to me if Chase Utley drops the ball (OK, well, yeah, it really does) as long as I get to watch him run, slide, whatever…he’s so damned hot to watch!

When I watch the Phils play (sadly, only from Nationals Stadium these days), I’m not watching for errors.  I’m watching form.  I’m watching for speed.  Sure, I want to know why a play fails, but I actually like watching HOW it fails more than I want to know why.

Maybe it’s another guy-girl thing.  Maybe I am a hopeless romantic and don’t even know it?  I think my best date would be sitting in a REALLY great sports bar with a guy who is willing to listen to me wax poetic on what I love about a particular sport or team AND who then – genuinely and in a fun way - helps me understand the stats, who’s a better player and why.

Here's a news flash guys:  there are lots of girls out there like me.  We love sports as much as you do...so don't count us out or roll your eyes, or even act surprised when we express an interest or show even a cursory knowledge of a sport.  Instead, embrace it and us...then take us out to the ballgame!!! 

Originally posted 6/27/2010 on The Daily Bark, owned by Bark Tees.  Visit them at www.barktees.com

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Will BoSox Fans Be Bitter This Weekend? Eh...Let 'em Eat Steak!

It's going to be a VERY busy weekend for Philly sports fans!  Besides the Sixers’ playoff games, the Phillies have a pretty important weekend of their own. 

Inter-league play begins for 2012 as the Phils host some of baseball's royalty with the Boston Red Sox visit this weekend.  Both squads have had some early-season problems and find themselves in the unlikely position of being in last place in their respective divisions, but the Phillies are showing signs of life, having won four straight headed into tonight's game against the Cubs in Chicago.  Not much has been made about the weekend series against the Red Sox, but you know that Jonathan Papelbon MUST have had these dates circled on his calendar for quite some time.

Over the years, I've spoken to many players from different sports about playing against teams they had played for previously, and what it meant to them.  The opinions are pretty diverse.  Some guys play it off as being just another game, but it seems like the stickier the exit, the more intense the return match becomes.  It's a natural way to feel, I suppose.

Despite the fact that most players understand that the world of sports is a "business,” that doesn't mean they won't take exception to their life and the lives of their families (in some cases) being uprooted and forced to change via either trade or free agency.  In Papelbon's case, he has to be the one smiling at the moment as he has enjoyed some pretty decent early success with his new team, not to mention a pretty HUGE contract.

Meanwhile, his old team (the Red Sox) have struggled with the closer role and are still wondering who might win that job.  Many of Pap's old teammates have remarked about how much they miss their old closer, on the field as well as in the clubhouse.

Early speculation was that possibly Andrew Bailey could be the team's closer, but he injured his thumb and has a long stint on the disabled list left.  At the moment, Alfredo Aceves is the reliever with the most saves so far (seven), but he also has a 5.74 ERA to go with those saves.

I'm sure CBP will have many Boston fans who made the trip to Philly in the stands.  I also have a feeling that the Phillies sweeping the BoSox and having a couple of those wins saved by Papelbon will leave a very bad taste in the Red Sox fans' mouths. 

Then again, it's not a long drive to Tony Luke's on Oregon for a cheesesteak to help the Sox fans get rid of that bitterness.  Hopefully, they have a very good GPS or are willing to ask directions! 

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In the Dirt With...Matt Stairs

On October 13th in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball club found themselves at a potential crossroads.

With the game tied in the 8th inning 5-5, they were battling the LA Dodgers for the chance to advance to the World Series.  Lose this game and the series would head back to Philly tied at two games apiece.

History will show that a veteran journeyman will march to the plate and hit a Jonathan Broxton pitch into orbit sending the Phillies on to victory that night.  It was a huge assist in the team's march to eventually be World Champs in 2008, the franchise's first title since 1980.

The 2008 season brought many home runs to Phillies fans, but many believe THAT particular home run by Matt Stairs is one of the biggest moments in Phillies history.  In fact, many Phillies faithful believe the ball that Stairs hit is STILL circling the earth somewhere and it’s become a bit of a fun "old wives tale" in that respect.

Matt's career amazingly spanned from his rookie season in 1992 to when he finally announced his retirement this past off-season after spending the 2011 year with the Washington Nationals.  He played for an incredible 13 different teams over the 19 year career. 

Talk about a guy who gets around?

I actually feel partly responsible for getting him that last year with the Nationals.

I had booked Matt at a show in Valley Forge during the off-season following the 2010 year.  The Padres had just released Matt and it looked like his career might be over.

That day we had all heard the incredible news about Jayson Werth being signed to his mega-millions contract by the Nats.   Many people don't know this, but Werth used to regularly turn to Matt whenever his swing wasn't quite right, asking for advice as to what he was doing wrong.

Also attending the show that day was Nationals assistant to the GM and ex Phillies great, Bob Boone. 

I introduced myself to Bob and told him that Matt Stairs wanted to come over and say hello.  I also happened to mention how close Matt and Jayson have been over the years.

Boone looked up from signing autographs and said, "Oh really?  Matt's here?  I'd love to say hello."

A phone call by me to Bob Garber (Matt's agent at the time) telling him about the days' events, and the next thing you know, Matt's signed by the Washington Nationals!  How about that?

Well guess what?  Matt may be on the move again, and he MIGHT be headed back to Philadelphia.

Matt has done some work this season for the Boston Red Sox TV network helping out with postgame and pregame coverage.  He's also been appearing on the MLB radio network fairly regularly as a correspondent adding his expert opinion about the state of baseball today.

Next week, Stairs returns to Philly for a VERY busy weekend.  On Friday 5/18, he is tentatively scheduled to be sitting in for a couple of hours with Glen Macnow and Anthony Gargano on WIP radio from their Chickie’s and Pete's location in South Philly. 

Could this be an audition? How would the sports fans of the city feel about one of its 2008 championship baseball heroes back in town doing radio?

Obviously there would be lots needed to make that a reality, but you never know. 

On Saturday, May 19^th, Matt is headed to a return engagement at one of AllStarInc's favorite venues, Carl's Cards & Collectables, 22 West Eagle Rd. in Havertown PA.  Stairs appears at CCC from Noon to 1:30 P.M.   Long time Phillies player, Terry Harmon (2B/SS) will also be there from Noon to 2:00 P.M.  You can go to www.carlscards.com or call 610-789-4996 for more information and to order autograph tickets.

On Sunday, May 20^th and Monday, May 21st, Matt will be taking part in Ron Jaworski's Celebrity Golf Challenge in Atlantic City.  All the proceeds from this charity event benefit the Jaws Youth Playbook.  Their mission is to “improve the overall health and wellness of at-risk youth in the Philadelphia region.”  A big fan of charity, Matt helps a great deal with the SPCA of Canada.  Helping Jaws (another AllStarInc client, of course) raise money for kids was a "no brainer" AND he gets to play some golf, too!  For more information on Jaworski’s charity event, you can visit the website at www.jawscelebritygolf.com.

Since his retirement, Stairs has been bitten by the golfing bug and now plays whenever and wherever possible.  Between hitting the links and still playing ice hockey at 6 AM daily, one might wonder how he has time for anything else...or how he can even walk the next morning!

In a ceremony on June 9, Matt will be inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.  When I heard about the honor, I told Matt that I didn't even know he was a bowler (Brunswick^® is one of the leading makers of bowling balls)! 

Matt replied "It's NEW Brunswick and it's a province in Canada, you dope."

I actually knew that, but I enjoy the chance to kid him whenever possible.  It's Matt's sense of humor that makes him a really fun guy to be around and it's that personality that I think will make him a very successful media personality.

I once asked Matt which team was his favorite to play for, and he surprisingly answered "It has to be the Oakland A's..... because that's when I was actually good."

He followed that with, "But the year or so in Philly was awesome!  You can't beat the feeling winning a championship gives you.  And, the fans have never let me forget how thankful they are.  Phillies fans are really great fans."

Remember that Matt only played two other post season series during the rest of his entire career; once in 1995 with the Red Sox, and then again in 2001 with the A's.  Both times his team was bounced immediately.

A year and three months in Philly and he got the chance to play in TWO World Series, including the winner in 2008.

If you get a chance to see Matt next weekend, please be sure say hello and let him know what that home run means to you.  I know he hears it all the time, but I also know he never gets tired of it.

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Reason to Be Concerned About the Phils? HECK YEAH!!

Those who know me know that I'm one of the most optimistic people around.  This is especially true when it comes to the prospects of Philadelphia sports teams (and the Pitt Panthers!).

So the question today..."Is there any reason to be scared by the Phillies recent performance?"

The answer is...YES, be VERY afraid!  It may not be something that can change any time soon.

It's definitely not time to panic and make vacation plans for October quite yet.  As long as the Phillies continue to have hope that Utley and Howard will indeed return, there is great hope. But, it might be a good idea to try to fix things now before it gets too out of hand!

There is good news.  Despite the horrific start and recent severe failures, the home town boys only find themselves 5 games back of first place.  The teams above them in the standings are not anything you might confuse with the 1927 Yankees, so it's not like this is an insurmountable deficit to recover from.

And you would THINK that with a starting pitching rotation featuring Halladay, Lee, and Hamels it would be very difficult to screw things up, right?  Yeah, you would think.  But, man, oh man, the guys in the red pinstripes are doing their best to give us concern!

Obviously, the bullpen has been a HUGE problem that needs to be fixed ASAP; but with Papelbon, Bastardo, Herndon, Qualls and the other cast of characters, you'd think it would be better than it has been.  I have a feeling you'll see better days from the bullpen as the season goes on and the pitchers have more than 10 innings under their belts.

The bigger issues to me are the other guys around the team who are not playing up to their abilities.

If you could morph Galvis and Orr together, you MIGHT get a second baseman than can hit AND field.  As of now, you have two guys that simply CANNOT do one or the other.

The Jim Thome experiment has been a pretty bad idea so far; it might be a good time to cut bait and make better use of that roster spot.  Like somebody who can do....ANYTHING?

Rollins, Victorino, and Mayberry are roughly hitting a combined .235.  To me, here lies the biggest problem.  With guys named Howard and Utley not in the lineup it's up to these 3 (among the others) to come through.

They have not.

Just hit .260 for goodness sake!  Unless you're Freddy Galvis, it's not THAT hard to do, is it?

Of the three named above, the guy I have the most confidence in rebounding is Mayberry.  He showed he can be clutch and fairly consistent last season down the stretch. 

With Rollins, I'm pretty much ok with him just catching the ball, which he is still one of the best at doing.  But, if he could contribute offensively at all, it would make a huge difference.  When you already have a second baseman who is a "glove only guy" you can't afford to have a second one in the lineup unless the rest of the team is cranking out runs like they're going out of style....and that ain't happening.

That leaves us Vic.  I'm sorry, but maybe it's time to part with our beloved Hawaiian.  He is a commodity the Phillies could dangle for trade bait and possibly sure up the bullpen a little bit.  Given he will be a free agent soon, you probably won't get a ton for him; but you might get something, and then you can use Juan Pierre in CF every day.

When Chase and Ryan come back, the team can hit the pavement running instead of flat on their face.

And let's give some credit where credit is due....Kudos to dudes named Pence, Ruiz, Polanco, and "The Three Aces" for carrying the team so far.  Without them, things could be MUCH worse.

My guess is that the Phils will sit tight and try to correct from within and they will probably be able to make that happen.  But…is there a reason to be concerned?  Uhhhh yeah, there is....even I admit that.