Monday, July 05, 2010

Four Games Over Five Hundred And Falling

The most maddening thing about the Phillies is their awful inconsistency. In the final analysis their topsy turvy season will end in failure because they cannot put together a string of good games in which all cylinders are firing. Losing 3 of 4 to the lowly Pirates marks the nadir of their season and even a highly unlikely sweep of Atlanta at home these next three nights will not right their ship because a series win against the Braves would no doubt be followed by a series collapse against Cincinnati.

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Speaking of Cincinnati, Phils' skipper Charlie Manuel did a great injustice to first baseman Joey Votto by selecting Ryan Howard instead to the All Star Team. Votto deserved the nod but Manuel got the vote which just goes to show the players and managers are no better at choosing participants than the fans.

The howling over this and other selections has only begun. I hate to admit it, but MLB knew what it was doing when it allowed fans and managers to pick teams. The pregame controversy sparks far more interest than the game itself.

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