Get Your Wrap Ups Elsewhere

No game wrap here. Instead....


The Twins blew a ten run lead in losing to Oakland. ESPN noted [former Phillie prospect] Gio Gonzalez allowed 11 ER in 2 2/3 IP. Since the A's moved to Oakland in 1968, he's the third A's pitcher to allow 11 ER in a start. However, he's the first pitcher in the major leagues since Zack Greinke in June 2005 to give up 11 ER and get a no-decision. Ouch.

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Jimmy may be back but he isn't talking to the press about it. Hard to imagine how one of the most talkative guys in MLB can stop talking to anyone, but Jimmy must be harboring some resentment to have cut off the press.

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I wouldn't be so fast to drop Rodrigo Lopez from the rotation, Pedro Martinez notwithstanding. Lopez has done a very credible job in his three starts with the Phils. If they try to send him down he is going to have to clear waivers first and that simply ain't gonna' happen.

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Bill Conlin wrote a column on Pete Rose yesterday suggesting that the Commissioner should allow his name to appear on the HOF ballot this coming year in order to allow writers to snub him. Disengenuous of One Chair to say the least. Once Rose's ban is lifted anything can happen including induction to the Hall. I don't trust the writers to do the right thing. Sure, the Hall is filled with all sorts of outside-the-lines riff-raff and worse, but Rose committed one of THE cardinal sins and then spent years lying about it. He should never appear on the ballot.

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Much has been written about the rising Baltimore Orioles, who in their most recent local appearance swept the home team. The O's have a lot of young promising position players to go along with some productive veterans. Up until now the big problem has been pitching and now that, too, looks more hopeful. But if they run the bases like they did last night, having two consecutive batters thrown out at home plate in a 1-1 game with the Yankees, their rise is going to be shortcircuited. Frankly, I blame the coaching staff for the poor base-running.

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To trade or not to trade for Matt Halladay, that is the burning question locally and around MLB. In the end, if the Phils package the kind of prospects and current major league players the Blue Jays want, the trade is going to happen because Halladay wants to pitch for a real contender and the Phils, already a contender without him, will be a serious threat to go deep into the playoffs if the big righthander comes here. The other big factor that will motivate the Phillies is the conviction that winning now will always trump hoping for the future.