LATEST STORIES FROM CRASHBURN ALLEY
Jeff Pearlman Hates Baseball
October 30, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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Is your Friday evening feeling empty without World Series baseball? Turn that frown upside down — have I got the cure for you!
No, but seriously, this article by SI.com’s Jeff Pearlman really needs a good FJM’ing. Since those guys are off being all successful and...
Called Third Strike
October 29, 2009 by
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The theme of A.J. Burnett’s start was the strikeout, particularly the called third strike with his curveball towards the end of his outing. His last three strikeouts were of the backwards-K variety.
All we could talk about before the series was how each team packed an explosive...
BDD: What If It Isn’t Real?
October 29, 2009 by
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At Baseball Daily Digest, I wonder what we would do if it turns out MLB is just as corrupt as the NBA.
We will still watch, from Game 1 to Game 162, and the post-season. We will talk about the “hot stove” when it’s all done, then we’ll argue about trades that should and should not [...]
Cliff Lee Is Mr. October
October 28, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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It is usually the hitters who become ingrained in our collective memory when it comes to post-season heroics. Cue montages of Reggie Jackson, Carlton Fisk, and Kirk Gibson. Even for the Phillies, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz have been receiving most of the kudos for the deep run into...
A World Series Preview with Lisa Swan
October 28, 2009 by
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We are just about twelve hours away from game time, and if you’re a fan of either team, you probably have the jitters. That is not to be confused with the shivers, which everyone in the northeast has after all of this recent bone-chilling cold, rainy weather. You can always use...
World Series Scouting Reports
October 27, 2009 by
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As promised yesterday, we’ll take a look at the World Series starters. Despite the Phillies naming Pedro Martinez the Game 2 starter, there is still a lot of uncertainty around both teams’ rotations:
Will the Phillies use a four-man rotation?
If so, will Charlie Manuel...
Meet the New York Yankees
October 26, 2009 by
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The 2009 season is down to its last four-to-seven games. One squad of 25 men will attempt to wrest control of the final series from the other for the right to call themselves “World Champions,” or in the Phillies’ case, “back-to-back World Champions”....
The World Series Rotation
October 25, 2009 by
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Todd Zolecki of MLB.com posted a couple days ago that the Phillies hadn’t set their rotation aside from Cliff Lee in Game One, mostly because they still don’t know who they will be opposing in the World Series. That, of course, has led to speculation and debate, so I’...
Drunk Jays Fans Podcast
October 24, 2009 by
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On the heels of my Pro Baseball Central chat, Drunk Jays Fans now would also like to allot me airtime to gloat about the soon-to-be back-to-back World F’in Champions. Stop by The Score tomorrow night between 7:30 and 8:30 PM EST if you’d like to listen to me humor their...
BDD: AL and NL MVP
October 24, 2009 by
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At Baseball Daily Digest, I cast my twenty ballots for the ten Most Valuable Players in each league.
Oh, you thought I was going to pick Joe Mauer. He’s a justifiable candidate, of course, but there’s a more deserving player out there who will be overshadowed […]
Looking Back on the Brett Myers Era
October 23, 2009 by
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Brett Myers was the odd man out when the Phillies set their NLCS roster. Myers was infuriated — or, in his words, “ticked”. There is a chance he makes the World Series roster, but even if he does, it is likely that the next 4-to-7 games are the last we’ll see...
Pro Baseball Central
October 22, 2009 by
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I will be appearing in the 9:30-10 PM EST slot on Pro Baseball Central to talk about the Phillies and the World Series with Steve Keane and Joe MacDonald. Be sure to tune in — you can even call in (646-595-4462) if you have a comment you’d like to share.
NLCS in Review
October 22, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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Four Phillies regulars hit for an OPS of 1.000 or better: Ryan Howard (1.457), Shane Victorino (1.320), Carlos Ruiz (1.271), and Jayson Werth (1.022). James Loney (1.127) was the only Dodger to cross that threshold.
The Phillies had 19 extra-base hits in the series to the Dodgers...
Almost There!
October 21, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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The Phillies officially started their quest to repeat as World Series champions in mid-February when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. On April 5, the regular season began anew, and the Phillies would once again have to deal with oh-fers, blown saves, injuries, and...
Shane Victorino on FOX Business
October 21, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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The Flyin’ Hawaiian appeared on FOX Business yesterday evening. Shane gave an interesting interview — at one point, he talks about how he almost quit playing when he was in AA-ball several years ago. Wow.
Watch the latest business video at FOXBusiness.com
Buzz Words
October 20, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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I interrupt your regularly scheduled Phillies coverage here for some Buzz Words. Yes, Buzz Bissinger — the one who got really angry at Will Leitch on HBO — is back to get really angry at Billy Beane and Michael Lewis and Moneyball. I’m a bit late, as the article was...
Jaffe’s Phun Phillie Phacts
October 20, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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The venerable Chris Jaffe has a Phun Phillie Phacts piece up at The Hardball Times. It’s a great read. A snippet:
The team’s starting eight position players accounted for 79.7% of the franchise’s plate appearances in 2009. That is the most by any team in the 21st...
An Outside Perspective
October 20, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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With last night’s incredible come-from-behind win, it’s easy to get caught up in the euphoria. Phillies fans are grinning ear-to-ear, walking on clouds. At the other end of the spectrum, Dodger fans are driving to a nearby bridge, or they’re out buying an extension...
How Do They Do It?
October 19, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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The graph to the right says it all, folks.
Down and never out. Bend but never break.
The Phillies had an 18% chance to win the game after Greg Dobbs made the second out in the bottom of the ninth. But when have the Phillies ever submitted themselves to the laws of probability? What...
A Lesson Learned
October 19, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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The following chart shows the location of all the pitches that Phillies hitters made contact with during Game Three against starter Hiroki Kuroda of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(From the catcher’s perspective)
The only pitch of Kuroda’s that the Phillies bothered to swing...
BDD: Cy Young Winners
October 19, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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At Baseball Daily Digest, I make the final judgment on each league’s best pitchers.
In the last twenty years, only six pitchers have finished a season in which they made at least 25 starts with an ERA+ over 200. Greinke is one of those six. The other five: Pedro Martinez (1997...
One for the Ages
October 18, 2009 by
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Curt Schilling, October 21, 1993.
Cole Hamels, October 1, 2008.
Who are the only pitchers to throw at least eight innings and allow zero runs in a post-season game for the Philadelphia Phillies?
Add Cliff Lee to that list. Going by game score, and assuming my calculations are correct...
Chase Knoblauch
October 16, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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Two throwing errors (one justified) in two NLCS games from the right arm of Chase Utley, the best defensive second baseman in all of Major League Baseball. Fortunately, the late Mrs. Olbermann was not in the crowd at Dodger Stadium today. Or, even if she was, ghosts can’t get...
Why Blame Anyone but Hamels?
October 16, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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Typically, sportswriters tend to save their hyperbolic assertions for after the post-season, on subjects like possible locales for free agents, or necessary trades. Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News, however, isn’t waiting around with the local baseball team on a path...
Game One in the Bag
October 16, 2009 by
Crashburn Alley
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Three big hits, eight runs.
Throughout the NLDS, the Phillies showed they can score runs without the use of the home run. Tonight against the Dodgers, they scored 75% of their runs via the long ball.
So much for small ball. Just typical Phillies baseball. You hang ‘em, they bang...
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