‘Philly Live’ is a Go!

Going Live! A hotel will take the Spectrum’s place as details of the retail/dining/entertainment district to come are unveiled.  Nine months after the press conference announcing the fate of the Spectrum, the future has gotten much clearer.

Artist’s renderings earlier this year left the 41-year-old venue being connected to the 300,000-square-foot retail/ dining/entertainment district Philly Live! or razed to make way for a 300-room hotel as part of the development by Baltimore-based The Cordish Co.

The hotel is a go.

The Spectrum, a goodbye.

“Philly Live! is progressing exactly as planned,” Cordish Co. Chairman David Cordish said in an e-mail earlier this week. “Tenant response to Philly Live! has been overwhelming and we are in the fortunate position of having a choice of excellent operators in every category. Philly Live! will include a major hotel as planned.”

As of now, no date has been given for demolition of the Spectrum. Comcast Spectacor, owners of the Spectrum, Wachovia Center and the 76ers and Flyers, only released a date for the arena’s final concert: Sept. 30. The performer has yet to be named.

Construction will begin shortly after the razing, Cordish said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider called the venue his “baby” in January. Although saying goodbye is bittersweet, these days he’s more fired up about what’s coming.

“I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be an exciting addition to South Philadelphia,” he said. “I think we’re taking advantage of a great location. It will be more choices for all the residents of the city, and in particular, of South Philadelphia.”

Before the walls come down and the new ones go up, the venue is in the middle of an ongoing party.

“We’re the first building to really celebrate our closing with a special year. Other arenas, when they decided to take them down, didn’t do all of this special celebrating. We want this to [be] special for everyone,” Comcast- Spectacor President/COO Peter Luukko said. “We’re working hard to bring back some of the acts who once played the Spectrum stage. We were very successful with two Philadelphia Flyers preseason games here, already this year, and we’re anticipating a terrific Sixers regular-season game here in March.”

Once Philly Live! is built, those involved think it will become a place residents and out-of-towners will want to visit regardless of the event or venue.

“We believe that it will be a destination and people will come down even when there is a game, during the game, not for the game, to enjoy everything else that’s down there,” Snider said. “In other words, it would be sort of like if the arena was in Center City; there’d be people going to the arena, but there would also be people going to the [on-site] entertainment and dining facilities. We want it to be a destination location despite the fact that events are going on.”

Philly Live! is ready to get down to business sooner rather than later.

“We are working through the design and due diligence phase of the development process and fully expect to break ground by the end of next year,” Cordish said.

The absence of the Spectrum may take awhile to get used to, but those behind the change believe what’s taking its place will create just as many happy memories.

“Philly Live! is really for everyone,” Luukko said. “It will be an amazing addition to the experience of attending sporting and entertainment events here at the complex, but better yet, it’s really going to enhance the overall experience for the entire region with entertainment, shopping and dining. I think people are really going to love Philly Live!”

World Series Game 3 Preview

8:00 PM ET from Citizens Bank Park

215 Sportsguy-

Outcome: With the World Series coming back to Philly for the first time in almost 15 years the Phils look to feed off the energy of a raucous Citizens Bank Park.  Jamie Moyer takes the hill for the Phils tonight as the Game 3 starter. Moyer has had some rough outings in this postseason but look for him to rebound tonight, and heres why.  He has never pitched three terrible games in a row, hes a savvy vet, was unfortunate in Milwaukee and LA with some fielding blunders as well as a few minor mistakes.

Matt Garza will get the nod for the Rays; Garza was named ALCS MVP and has been pitching very well of late.  One can only hope that the left handed bats of the Phils hit Garza early and often.

I look for our skippers true genius to finally shine through.  With the series now back in the NL park, Charlie will get to work his magic with pinch hitters, relief pitching and double switches.  I used to question his tactics a few years back, but he has proven time and time again to have mastered his moves and matchups.  Look for Charlie Manuel to put this team on his back and coach them to a great victory in this great city of brotherly love.

GO PHILS!

Final: TB 5   PHI 6
COACH of the Game: Charlie Manuel – 4 pitching changes, 3 pinch hitters, 1 double switch

T0bias Funke-

Outcome: The World Series moves to the 215 as the Phils and Rays Game 3 is tonight in the Illadelph.  Phils fans are a little on edge after watching the Phils struggle to drive in runners in scoring position compounded with ageless Jamie Moyer getting the start tonight after struggling in this post season.

The Phillies bats will need to come alive tonight to help support Moyer early.  The Phils have to hope to get this game to the bullpens early knocking Matt Garza out as early as possible and give Moyer as much room for error as they can.

If the Phils jump out early look for the crowd to carry Moyer and the bats, and for the Phils to take Game 3 tonight and the series lead.

Final: TB 3   PHI 6
Player of the Game: Pat Burrell – 2 for 4, HR, 2 RBIs

Chicks Dig the Long Ball

Last night in raucous South Philly, your Phightin’s put up barely enough of a fight to eek out a Game 1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Ace Cole Hamels settled into his usual dominate outing after a shaky first couple of batters and Chase Utley and Pat Burrell provided all of the offense with more home runs as the Phillies took a 1-0 series lead over LA.  Game 2 is set for this afternoon with the first pitch being tossed at 4:35pm.

With the Phillies offense looking pathetic through 5 innings, it was the flying Hawaiian sparking a rally yet again in the bottom of the 6th as he busted his hump down the line on a seemingly routine ground-out.  But Victorino’s hustle forced Furcal to rush his throw which went out of the glove and over the head of first basemen James Loney and Victorino took second on the error.

The very next pitch, Utley ripped a two run blast into the right field seats and the Bank was shaking.  Two batters later, “Bait” as we learned is what one Patrick Burrell is affectionately referred to by his teammates, we think its pretty explanatory what “Bait” is referring too, hit his 3rd home run in 2 games staking the Phillies to their first lead of the series.

Hamels and Ryan Madsen did the rest of the work setting the stage for another Lidge save, as he worked a 1-2-3 9th inning, and the Phillies improved their record to 80-0 when leading after 8 innings.  

NLCS Game 1 Preview

8:22 PM ET from Citizens Bank Park

215 Sportsguy-

Outcome: Manny Ramirez is on fire.  Rafael Furcal is back.  Joe Torre is in the playoffs again.  And Cole Hamels is LIGHTS OUT BAY BAY!  Cole will continue his dominant pitching in Game 1 and take a shutout into the seventh where I think he might get a little tired and let up a few hits, possibly a run before Charlie Manuel gives him the pull.  This will be perfectly fine, because we will have a solid lead at this point behind the timely hitting of our fearless leader Jimmy Rollins and the rest of the order.  A raucous Philly crowd who haven’t been this close to a championship since the Eagles choked in the NFC Championship will be the spark for the Phils as their bats finally get back on track in this one.

Final: LA 2   PHI 5
Player of the Game: Cole Hamels – 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 Ks, 1 BB

T0bias Funke-

Outcome: Both of these teams come in feeling good about themselves.  Game 1 is going to come down to who works out their nerves first.  Reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins does not get phased by the big stage; expect him to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 lead with back to back games with a lead off HR putting the Citizen’s Bank crowd into a frenzy.  Expect the Phillies left handed power bats of Ryan Howard when he gets his chances, but more-so Chase Utley to do a lot of damage in this series as the Dodgers have no left handed arms to combat the sluggers.  Cole put on an ace-like performance we’ve started to become accustomed too, going deep into tonight’s game keeping the Dodgers hitters looking silly with his deadly fastball and curveball combo as Citizen’s Bank Park will be never be louder tonight from start to finish. 

Final: LA 1   PHI 6
Player of the Game: Jimmy Rollins – 3 for 4, HR, 3 RS, 2 RBI, Double, Single, 2 SBs

Phillies Show Interest in Blanton

According to the Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury the Phils seem to have interest in Oakland A’s starting pitcher Joe Blanton.  This year Blanton is sporting a 5-12 record with a 4.96 ERA this season. Sounds like another crappy pitcher that’s already in our rotation.

This move does not seem to help us in any way shape or form.  Your smarter then that Mr. Gillick.  There are a lot better options out there than Blanton. He’s struggled in Oakland this year, one of the best pitchers parks in the league, please explain how’s that going to translate to Citizens Bank Park?

In other Phillie News: Brett Myers’ next minor-league start will be Friday night in Florida for single-A Clearwater at Brevard County. The plan is to have Myers join the Phillies the next day in nearby Miami and return to the starting rotation July 23 against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

Myers is the No. 1 Stunna

Welp Skipper Charlie Manager said Tuesday that Brett Myers will start on Opening Day.

 

If I remember correctly Brett was the opening day starter last year as well before being moved to the bullpen. 

“We’re trying to set up our rotation the way we want.  I did talk to Hamels; I felt like I should talk to him and he seemed like he definitely was OK with it,” Manuel said. “I told him he was our No. 1 last year and he had a big year, but that’s the way we wanted our rotation to line up.”

The Phil’s exhibition match against the Florida State Seminoles was rained out last night, but they start Grapefruit League play this afternoon at 1:05 as the take on the “The (39 year old) Kid” Ken Griffey and the Cincinnati Reds.  Jamie Moyer will get the nod. 

Should be a relaxing afternoon in the office.  Might hit up Wawa and pick some nice chow to kick back with as I listen to the game (available on 1210 AM).

Interesting fact:  Myers threw the first and the last pitch of the regular season at Citizens Bank Park in 2007 against Washington.