Yardbarker: Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs Is “Honoured” With His Own Street In Canada

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:41:12 -0500

Around 150 people showed up in Fredericton, New Brunswick in Canada yesterday to proclaim Friday, November 27th, “Matt Stairs Day”. The ceremony also featured the unveiling of a street sign that reads “Matt Stairs Way” (or “Matt Stairs Voie” if you speak Canadian) which will be prominently displayed on a street that intersects Royals [...]

Phillies 2009 Year in Review And a Sneak Peak at 2010

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:11:05 -0500

The Philadelphia Phillies accomplished quite a bit in 2009, despite falling just short of the coveted World Series Championship repeat. In fact, just getting back to the Fall Classic showed quite a bit of determination, and, to make it more impressive, they did it with a team that was inferior to their 2009 Championship squad. In 2008, the stars aligned for the club, as Brad Lidge reached nearly unattainable heights, and role players like Eric Bruntlett , Matt Stairs, and Greg Dobbs performed admirably when called upon. Unfortunately, this past season saw a major falloff in each of these players, and the Philly patchwork bullpen made getting through the late innings tedious at best. But even with a lackluster bench that went a staggering 1-for-31 in the playoffs, and a bullpen that remained in shambles for the entire season, this team persevered, zoned in, and found ways to win.

In the end, they lost to a better Yankee team, but there’s certainly no reason for them to hang their heads. And as disappointing as it is to be on the doorstep of another world title and be turned away, fans around the city are still very supportive and thankful for the team they have, which brings me to my next point.

Ryan Howard 14:22, 24 April 2007 . . Googie ma..." width="182" /> Image via Wikipedia

In addition to the scrappy, never-say-die attitude this team has brought to their city in the past couple of years, they also managed to pull off an equally impressive feast – they turned Philadelphia into a baseball town (again). For about as long as I can remember (I’m 27 years old), I’ve represented the minority in Philly – a Phillies fan first and an Eagles fan second. Philadelphia, until the past 2-3 years, had always been obsessed about the Eagles. The Phillies almost always took a back seat to their football counterparts. But because of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino , and company, everything has changed. The baseball season has been over for weeks now, and the Eagles are in playoff contention at the midway point, but you wouldn’t know it if you turned on the local sports radio. Fans want to know what changes are in store for the Phillies as they make a push to get back to the World Series yet again with their impressive core of talented players primed to win another title. They want to know what radio hosts think about prospective trades and how many days remain until pitchers and catchers report. And although this might seem like an insignificant change to national onlookers, let me tell you this – it’s astounding. But then again, winning changes a lot of things.

Image via Wikipedia

So, what is in store for the NL-defending champs? Will they trade Hamels for Halladay? The fan base is surprisingly split on this after a subpar year from the young southpaw, but GM Ruben Amaro assures everyone that, should the Phillies actually make a move to acquire Halladay, it won’t cost them the young lefthander. The Phillies will also be searching for bullpen help, although it seems to be too early to speculate on who is on their radar, as they are likely waiting for the market to develop. Finally, management has made it clear that they are seeking an offensive upgrade at third base after declining Pedro Feliz’s option. Early signs point to Mark DeRosa , although Chone Figgins , Adrian Beltre , Placido Polanco , and even Miguel Tejada are on their radar as well.

Expect for this team to make some necessary adjustments to set up a third consecutive World Series appearance, because Ruben Amaro, Charlie Manuel, and company are quite familiar with the phrase “strike while the iron is hot,” and that’s exactly what they intend to do.

Help support Baseball Reflections and buy me a coffee with PayPal!

The 2010 Bench

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:49:42 -0500

70% of the Phillies’ 2009 plate appearances were taken by the starting eight; only 14% were taken by bench players. With Matt Stairs and Eric Bruntlett gone, the Phillies now need to look for adequate bench players either from within or on the free agent market. I’ve perused the list of free agents at MLB Trade [...]

Four Phillies file for free agency

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:00 -0500

Thanks for the memories Matt.As reported by Todd Zolecki and a number of other outlets yesterday, Chan Ho Park, Pedro Feliz, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako have all officially filed for free agency.Of the four players listed above the one I would most like to see return would be Chan Ho Park in a relief role. My question would be if he seriously wants to pursue a starting gig somewhere else first. He came to Philadelphia with hopes of landing a starting job and although he did win the fifth starte...

Tuesday: Free agents file, Phillies formulate plans

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:29:21 -0500

Less than a week removed from the World Series and the Phillies' hot stove is heating up. Chan Ho Park, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako joined Pedro Martinez, Miguel Cairo, Pedro Feliz and Brett Myers in filing for free agency. Free agents have been assigned Type A and B designation and now the stage is set for teams to talk turkey. Only Park and Eyre will garner extra picks for the Phils. Aside from a few reported discussions about Pedro...

Jimmy!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:18:02 -0500

Matt Stairs seems to be Jonathan Broxton's kryptonite. Down to their final three outs heading into the bottom half of the ninth, the Phillies chances looked bleak. Broxton got Ibanez to ground out but then quickly walked Matt Stars and hit Carlos Ruiz. This team, never one to give up, had a fightin' chance in the bottom of the ninth with two on but Greg Dobbs lined out to put the game in the hands of Jimmy Rollins.Rollins stepped up to the plate with two on, two down, with Jonathan Br...

Playoff Diary: Sleepwalking Umpires

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:19:49 -0500

Check out the pitch locations of Matt Stairs’ at-bat last night in the eighth inning. He only swung at one of those pitches, a 2-2 pitch, yet pitches that were essentially in the same location were called strikes or balls depending on what the umpire felt like. No wonder Stairs ended up striking out on [...]

Stairs wants to return to the Phillies in 2010

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:47:04 -0500

According to Andy Martino, Phillies beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Matt Stairs wants to return to the Phillies next season for one last hurrah before retiring. “I’ll play one more year and I’m done,” Stairs told Martino. “I’d like to be back, but that’s a decision for the team. I’m inexpensive, and I don’t complain [...]

Will Matt Stairs Be Back In 2010?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:08:28 -0500

Stairs, back — get it? It’s the burning question that absolutely nobody is asking right now, but I guess Stairs brought it up so let’s give the man a chance to speak. Hipster/beatwriter Andy Martino supplies the quotes: “I’ll play one more year and I’m done,” the 17-year veteran, who will turn 42 in February, told [...]

The Right Place At The Right Time

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:26:08 -0500

For the better part of eight innings yesterday I sat in section 504, high above the grass at Citi Field. Shortly after Matt Stairs scored in the top of the eighth, however, I thought it'd be a good idea to walk around the ball park, check out different sight lines, and maybe grab a burger from Shake Shack. As much as I dislike the Mets, I don't really have anything overtly negative to say about their park. There's plenty of space to move around the buil...

What's on Matt Stairs' Mind at the Plate?

Mon, 11 May 2009 20:01:56 -0500

John Finger of CSN and Finger Food has a cool piece on the Phillies' most recent folk hero, Mr. Matt Stairs, he of the Moonshot Stairses of Canada. Stairs has been as good with dispensing the great quotes as he has clutch home runs (really unfortunate/hilarious top YouTube hit for posterity to reflect upon), and Finger includes quite a few gems. My favorite is the closer:“I always say I take one swing for the fans and the rest for my teammates.” Dude fits in well here. Like Sal Fasano did...

VIDEO: Phillies Win World Series, Vodka Bottle Makes Rays Fan Go All Jeff Hardy

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:14:00 -0500

Just because your team loses in five games to the Phillies doesn't mean you have to climb a lamppost and offer to be target practice for Gray Goose bottles...

Matt Stairs Enjoys Getting Hammered by Guys

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:27:58 -0500

You just can't make this stuff up. This is exactly why some athletes should have blogs instead of talking to reporters. That way they can at least read over their work. So they can make sure they don't do silly things like, you know, use "your" instead of "you're", mispronounce someone's last name, or accidentally say that they like to have their asses hammered by their teammates...

Stone Cold Matt Stairs

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:19:47 -0500

Dodgers fans shouldn't be sad Stairs kicked their ass. They should be glad he didn't kill them!