Results tagged ‘ trade deadline ’
How to Win Brunch for 6 with Mike Schmidt & Garry Maddox
The Youth Golf & Academics Program, a nonprofit organization founded by Garry Maddox, is sponsoring a raffle to win brunch for 6 with Garry & Mike Schmidt. 
The brunch will take place on August 11th at 10:30am, right before that afternoon’s Stephen Starr-Garry Maddox Barbecue Challenge. Tickets are $10 apiece, and all proceeds benefit the Youth Golf & Academics Program.
Visit Garry’s BBQ Challenge web site for details and a link to purchase tickets.
And in case you missed it (and be glad if you did), the Phillies got swept by the Braves today :O( No need to dwell on that right now, so go buy some tickets for a chance to meet Mike Schmidt & Garry Maddox instead! That is a much happier thought, don’t you agree?
The Phillies are off tomorrow and then on to Washington on Tuesday. In the meantime, keep your ears open as the trade deadline looms…
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Phillies Go From Minor Problems to Major Ones
In yesterday’s 2-1 loss, the Phillies looked either unable or unwilling to deal with Braves pitcher Mike Minor. The only Phillies run was a solo shot from Chase Utley. They also committed 2 errors in yet another game.
The near-comatose effort, careless swings and lack of hustle have gone from being a minor issue to a major one.
Just ask manager Charlie Manuel. He told reporters, “Our team, we used to – and I hate to say ‘used to’ – we did things different,” Manuel said. “A lot of that contributed to our success. People do change. Success changes people. Money definitely changes people. You have to be able to see those things, too. I’m not singling out one person. I’m talking about a team.”
It is interesting to finally hear the manager say what the rest of us have been thinking all season long. This is also why many doubted whether getting injured players back, like Utley and Ryan Howard, would make any real difference. Because if the good attitude and the hustle are not there, it doesn’t matter who they throw out onto the field. And that is exactly what we are witnessing now.
These 2 losses against the Braves are probably going to push GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to pull the trigger on some trades in the next few days. The Phillies are too far behind to catch up now as they sit 11.5 games out of the 2nd Wild Card spot and 15.5 out of 1st with 61 games to go.
If that happens and the team really shuts down, it will be a truly sad sight to behold. Because even if they have nothing else to play for, you would hope they might have enough pride left to at least attempt to finish strong. All we can do is hope that they choose the high road and try to improve for next season.
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Player photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Can the Phillies Save Themselves?
There is a lot of chatter and trade rumors creeping around the Phillies right now. Who will stay and who will go? And, do they even have any real choices here?
One of the predominant theories says that if the Phillies make a strong run in the 2nd half, they may be able to keep guys like Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino. But to do so would mean winning a LOT of games.
Last night’s win over the Dodgers gave the Phillies a 3-game winning streak. That is nice, but not exactly a season-saving run just yet. Yet there were reasons to hope; Joe Blanton pitched extremely well, allowing just 2 runs in 8 innings, keeping the unreliable bullpen at bay. Ryan Howard hit his first home run of the year. And Victorino had 3 hits in the game.
But even if this short streak of better baseball continues, is it enough to keep the team together beyond the trade deadline?
Sadly, I believe the answer is no.
The Phillies bullpen needs serious help and a guy like Victorino is exactly what many teams will want in exchange for a solid pitcher or two. Even a player like Juan Pierre could help out a team ready to make a run at the playoffs. With Domonic Brown healthy again in Triple-A, the possibility of trading an outfielder greatly increases. Plus, both Pierre and Victorino have contracts that expire after this season.
And then there is the sad tale of Cole Hamels. The Phillies failed to get a long-term contract done last year, leaving Hamels close enough to free-agency for him to get a really big whiff of the huge piles of money waiting for him. If they cannot come to terms, Hamels will be traded before the deadline.
The Phillies really have little choice. If they know that Hamels will test free agency, the odds of retaining him are slim to none. Other teams who are not on the brink of the luxury tax and whose teams did not suck this year will be gunning for Hamels. And if you are going to lose him, you might as well get something for him in exchange.
I am not happy about this and I am sure many of you feel the same way. But the cold, hard truth is that a very large, steaming pile of poo is about to hit the fan. I hope I am wrong, but brace yourselves, just in case I am not.
The good news is that Roy Halladay returns to the mound tonight! In his first start off the DL, Halladay will face the Dodgers at 10:10pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
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