Friday, January 25, 2013

On Second Thought....

Considering everything Ruben Amaro has said and done in the last few seasons, he ought to do Domonic Brown a favor and trade the lad.  If anyone needed a fresh start, it's Dom.  The Phillies went from anointing him the crown jewel of the organization's youngsters to a guy who needed more seasoning, to a guy who had to earn the job to a guy who, well, what...?  A platoon player at best before the season gets underway?

Listen, I'm unimpressed with Dom's defense and we all can see he hasn't delivered the power numbers expected.  Those things said, does any young player maintain his confidence when the alleged brain trust never misses an opportunity to degrade him publicly?

So, do him a favor, Rube; trade him away.  After all, the Phils are simply trying to hold onto third place before the season gets underway.  Why not start rebuilding now?  The window of opportunity closed a year ago, Rube.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Mid-Winter Musings

I can only assume Domonic Brown's inbox is full because the Phillies' alleged brain trust keeps sending him the same message over and over again, i.e., "Dom, the ____field job is yours...sort of.  We're gonna' bring in another guy, though, just in case you can't hack it."

So, who is the "other guy" of the month this time?  None other than an anti-Semitic, out-of-control, overweight designated hitter who hasn't played defense for nearly five years.  Can you hear them now, Dom?

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Three games into the "season" and the Flyers already know one thing:  Ilya Bryzgalov is not the answer.  He is the question, however.

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Throughout their recently expired golden years (2007-2011), the Phillies almost made some people in town believe they were everyone's favorite sports team.  The firing of Andy Reid and hiring of Chip Kelly set the record straight.  The obsession not only over Reid's firing, but his hiring in Kansas City reached a fever pitch.  Even the Weather Channel provided updates.

Never was someone shown the door with such fanfare and preoccupation.  Lost in the shuffle is the fact that the Eagles really needed to hire a quarterback, two offensive linemen, one linebacker, a defensive tackle, two defensive backs, and a defensive coordinator.

Welcome to Philadelphia, Chip.  Eugene is going to look pretty good come, say, mid-October.

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Has anyone seen Andrew Bynum?

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Absolutely Not!!

The Baseball Writers' Association of America has spoken, sort of, failing to vote in a single candidate to the Hall of Fame for the first time in nearly four decades.

The resounding withholding of votes for first-time candidates Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, among others, can be roughly translated this way:  "No way we're voting for you creeps this year, but don't worry, we will get over it (or retire and be replaced by younger scribes who don't know you are creeps) and vote you in after a short hissy fit."

There are many writers who staked out the high moral ground and declared candidates like Bonds and Clemens to be cheaters who didn't qualify for the Hall on "character".  These voters are well aware of the avowed racists, drunks and cheaters already enshrined.

Local writer Matt Gelb, who doesn't have a vote and who generally is insightful, argued the Hall is just a museum, after all, not Mt. Olympus.  Sorry, Matt, but the Hall really is about immortality.

Still others argue there is no way the writers should keep the all-time home run king and one of the greatest pitchers ever out of the Hall.  This group probably includes more than a few who still feel Pete Rose should be admitted.  (Enough on that subject...for now.)

In the end, the nay-sayers were bent on punishment for a number of transgressions, including their own failure to blow the whistle.  Holier-than-thou-ism is among the first places of refuge for cowards.