Burrell Heading to Tampa

 

Pat Burrell is leaving the World Series champion Phils for the runner-up Tampa Bay Rays.

Burrell has agreed in principle to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Rays. Burrell who was the Phils regular left fielder would DH in Tampa.

Ibanez is Phils New LF

The Phillies have agreed to a three-year contract with former Mariners outfielder Raul Ibanez. The deal is believed to be worth $30 million over three years.

Ibanez will become the Phillies’ new everyday leftfielder, and his signing means the Phillies no longer will pursue their longtime leftfielder, Pat “The Bat” Burrell.  Adios Patrick, you will be missed.

Ibanez hit .293 this season, with 23 homers, 110 RBIs, a .358 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage. He is one of just five outfielders who have driven in at least 100 runs in each of the past three seasons.

Not too sure how I feel about this deal.  Ibanez is a great hitter, but he turns 37 next June and we signed him until he’s 40.  Not to mention another left handed bat.  Hmm..

So Long Patrick

Just in to the 215,  we’ve got word that a recent Philly fan favorite Patrick “Bait” Burrell will not be the Phillies left fielder for the first time since 1999.  We’ve all had our ups and downs with Burrell with his frustrating .257 batting average, but he was always good for a solid 20-30 HRs and 90+ RBIs and that production will be hard to replace.

Burrell reportedly turned down a 2 year $22 million dollar offer and will file for free agency.  That money combined with other departing free agents, could open up the dollars for the Phillies to throw their cap in the Ramirez, Holliday and/or Sabathia sweepstakes?  More to come….

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

World Series Game 1 Preview

8:00 PM ET from Tropicana Field

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Outcome: The day this city has been waiting for for 15 years is upon us.  Game time is only a few hours away.  Cole Hamels once again takes the mound for the Phils as Scott Kazmir gets the ball for the Rays.  Cole is 3-0 in this here postseason and look for him to continue his dominace as he takes the Phils deep into the game and keep the hot bats of Rays offguard.  Cole is one of the few pitchers who continually gets better against batters as he faces them two and three times around during the course of the game.  The stats prove it over the course of the regular season and I see no reason as to why that would change now.

A lot of folks are bringing up the added rest as a possible downfall for the Phils, but this team is as gritty as they get and look for them to come out swinging.  I foresee the Flyin’ Hawaiian Shane Victorino and Pat ‘The Bat’ Burrell to get the juices pumping early and spark the bats of the rest of the lineup.

Charlie Manuel is keeping it quiet as to who will be the DH for this game, but to be honest, I really dont care, whoever he plugs in will most certainly get the job done.  Whether it be the best PH in the majors in Greg Dobbs, the savvy Canuck Matt Stairs or the grizzled vet in Chris Coste, look for all to be swinging for the fences.  Let’s get an early one in Tampa guys.  GO PHILS!

Final: PHI 7   TB 3
Player of the Game: Cole Hamels – 7.2 IP, 5 Hs, 2 ER, 8 Ks

T0bias Funke-

Outcome: FINALLY, we are on gameday of Game 1 of the World Series.  After a week off, the Phightins start the World Series tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays.  A lot has been said leading up to the start of this series regarding the long layoff and how it will negatively affect the Phils, and it could.  But I just don’t see that happening tonight.  I think the Phils are a big stage team and are primed for this opportunity.

Cole Hamels takes the mound for the Phils facing off against another young ace Scott Kazmir.  This is obviously the first time both of these teams have faced either pitcher this year, so look for the pitchers to have the early advantage, and the beginning innings to be quick and strike out filled.  Look for the offenses to pick it up a little more into the 2nd and more so the 3rd time through the lineups.

I see the Phils bats striking the big blow first but the Rays will battle and keep it close. Then, what the Phillies really hope the entire series comes down too, the battle of the bullpens to begin.  The Phils have a decisive advantage in this department, one of their biggest going into the series, and look for that to be displayed in Game 1.  The Phillies pen goes an inning and two thirds of no hit ball as the Phillies take game one and home field advantage in game one.

Final: PHI  4    TB  2
Player of the Game: Jimmy Rollins – 2 for 3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI, RS

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.  

National League Championship Series Bound

Pat “The Bat” Burrell.  This is my call to re-sign him RIGHT NOW.  Patrick Brian Burrell, in a contract, performed bigger then any Phillie in the biggest game of the season to date.

After struggling to swing the bats through the first three games of the NL division series, Philadelphia’s offense broke out in a big way against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS series.  Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run and Pat Burrell connected twice to break out of his postseason slump and Jayson Werth added a solo shot to seal the deal and move the Phils one step closer to a World Series run.

Let’s not forget about Joe Blanton who had possibly his best outing in a Phillies uniform since coming over in the deal with the Oakland A’s earlier this season.  He threw six innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven to get the victory.

After the game Charlie Manuel spoke about how proud he was of this team and also added how he feels about the Phils chances against the upcoming Los Angeles Dodgers:

I think we can hold our own with them. Actually, I think we can beat anybody in the National League, really.

Some Fast Facts (courtesy of ESPN.com):

• The Phillies, who won a postseason series for the first time since the 1993 NLCS, set a postseason team record with four home runs.
• Jimmy Rollins started the game with the Phillies’ second postseason leadoff homer in team history. Rollins belted the other in Game 2 of the 2007 NLDS.
• Prince Fielder’s homer was the first by a Brewer in the postseason since Ben Oglivie’s in Game 7 of the 1982 World Series. It was the Brewers’ only extra-base hit of the game.
• The Phillies recorded 17 extra-base hits in the four-game series. The Brewers, who hit .206 in the set, had four.

Magic Number = 4

Determined to stay on top, the Phils are playing their best baseball at the right time.

Pat Burrell hit a three-run homer in the eighth and the NL East-leading Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 Monday night for their 10th win in 11 games.

The Phillies reduced their magic number for clinching their second straight division title to four after the New York Mets lost 9-5 to the Cubs to fall 2½ games back. Philadelphia’s magic number for clinching a playoff berth is three.

Phils Win Despite Quiet Bats

Cole Hamels once again received very little run support but managed to get the victory.  Cole pitched eight sharp innings to snap a seven-start winless drought in front of his parents (who happened to attend the game in San Diego).

Hamels ( 10 -8 ) limited the Padres to one run on seven hits as he won for the first time since a 4-1 victory at Atlanta on July 3 and helped the Phillies stay two games back of the Mets in the NL East.

The Phillies who had one less hit then the Padres, still managed to win. Pat the Bat hit his 29th homer of the season, a solo shot with one out in the sixth that proved to be the difference. Burrell also homered on Friday night in the Phillies’ 1-0 win over San Diego.

Burrell Dislikes Late Game Benching

Pat Burrell is not happy with manager Charlie Manuel’s decision to bench ‘the Bat’ late in close games in which the Phils have the lead.

“I’m upset, absolutely,” Burrell said. “I’m upset, and I have been for a long time. It’s not personal. I don’t want to ever come out of close games.”

Manuel routinely replaces his leftfielder with a speedier defender when the Phillies have leads late in games.  Yesterday, Burrell was replaced by Eric Bruntlett in the bottom of the eighth with the Phils ahead, 2-1. Cole Hamels then gave up the game tying run, on a homerun by Cody Ross.

I understand Charlies logic here, but Burrell’s offense needs to be in the game especially one that goes into extra innings.  What happens comes playoff time, the same rotation?  I say ya gotta give the guy a chance to try and play in that situation.  How is he ever going to get better, knowing he is not trusted late in games?  It makes a player start to think too much, and we all know how Pat is capable of playing when that happens.