2008 Philadelphia Phillies Season/Playoff Thread (Die Mets Die)

[SunMo]

why would you not squeeze with Vic on 3rd and Hamels up?

nevermind, Feliz bailed the clueless one out

[SD_Eagle5]

Feliz Navidad

[PhillyPhreak54]

Umpire at home called Manny out when Coste stepped on the plate, even though it was a force play. How can a society function when it's authority figures don't know what they are authoritizing over?

Just like the ball Rollins hit to 1st. It was foul and the HP ump should have made the call because the 1B ump's view was blocked.

[PhillyPhreak54]

why would you not squeeze with Vic on 3rd and Hamels up?

nevermind, Feliz bailed the clueless one out

Because it would be dumb. If he whiffs at the bunt then you lose Victorino...too many bad things could happen there. I feel better letting him swing away; Hamels usually makes decent contact.

Victorino has been the MVP lately. I love the way he's playing.

And Feliz was a pimp tonight.

[MDS]

Victorino is just a complete dick and a stupid person and player but damn is he playing out of his mind now.

[hbionic]

The whole Dodgers Bullpen should be taken to the parking lot, lined up and shot...starting with Broxton and Kuo.

I hate this farging team sometimes. 

[BigEd76]

they have the top bullpen in the league and should've won

oh well....revenge for last week.  Beat the DBags next week if you want the division title....

on that Manny play in the 10th......Coste tagged Manny out for the 2nd out.  Did the home plate ump call him out without looking down to 3rd first?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Victorino is just a complete dick and a stupid person and player but damn is he playing out of his mind now.

DId he shoot down your request to interview him while he was posing like Joselio Hanson?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Randy Miller has sand in his vadge...

Pat the Bat turned into Pat the Scat after the Phillies' 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

I blogged the two previous days about what it's like to be working media in the Phillies clubhouse, and Pat Burrell's antics made it an easy decision to share the latest.

Burrell had a great day Saturday - three-run homer in the first inning, RBI double on a flyball lost in the sun in the fifth, run-scoring single in the sixth. The five ribbies tied his career-high, moving him past Bobby Abreu into seventh place on the Phils' career list. The homer gave him 30 for the fourth time and left him two shy of 250 for his career.

And this big day for Pat happened in a game nationally televised by FOX.

Afterward, Burrell did an interview for the network. I saw some of it waiting for an elevator ride from the press box to the clubhouse. He was in a good mood talking with Ken Rosenthal.

And then came the old disappearing act.

While waiting for manager Charlie Manuel to speak, I asked another reporter how long he thought we'd have to wait for Burrell.

"I bet it'll be 40 minutes," I said.

"Twenty minutes from the time Charlie is done talking," the reporter countered.

"Twenty minutes after Charlie?" I said. "That'll be 40 minutes after the game."

Another reporter chimed in:

"I say he won't talk at all"

Reporter No. 3 wins the prize.

When Charlie was done talking, we all headed to the clubhouse, and unlike the two previous nights, we pretty much had the pick of the litter on Saturday.

On Thursday, Jamie Moyer was the only Phillies player available in the first 35 minutes after a loss to Washington, and at that point many of the on-deadline scribes gave up and left to finish their stories. On Friday night, Kyle Kendrick and Chris Coste were the lone Phillies available for interviews in the first 40 minutes following a blowout win over Los Angeles.

But on Saturday, with the media not on deadline due to the 4:05 p.m., start time, and players wanting to leave the ballpark in a hurry, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Coste, Shane Victorino and others were around almost immediately after the media entered the clubhouse.

When those players were done talking, the Burrell wait was on ... and then off.

One reporter noticed Burrell at his locker briefly, approached, then was told, "Gotta go, bro."

No Burrell on Saturday.

When I asked Phillies Public Relations official Greg Casterioto if this true and was Burrell wouldn't return, he confirmed the blowoff.

We shouldn't be surprised.

Earlier this year, a Phillies player approached me about this topic.

"How long has this been going on around here?" he asked. "This ain't right."

"For a few years, and it's getting worse," I responded.

I asked the player if he could do anything to help fix things. He shook his head no, then looked to Burrell's locker.

When Burrell talks to the media, he's cooperative and friendly for about two minutes, then he almost always abruptly ends the interview with a "Thanks, guys."

Burrell is in the final year of a $50-million contract. He's had good times and bad times in Philly, good seasons and bad seasons. He's earning his $14 million this year, as he's arguably been the Phillies' MVP. (I brought this up to Manuel on Saturday and he agreed).

But with a big paycheck comes responsibility and expectation to represent the organization in a positive way off the field. I'm not totally sure about on this, but I don't think Burrell ever has shown up for one of the Phillies' offseason functions, which includes a media luncheon and visit to area malls to sign autographs. And in the clubhouse, he's never been someone the media can count on, sometimes even after games where his comments are warranted. This may be overlooked by Phillies fans because Burrell is friendly with one of the Comcast SportsNet sportscasters and frequently grants that station interviews.

I think I have a pretty good feel for Burrell. We've been around each other since his rookie season in 2000 and have known each other since the Phillies drafted him first overall in 1998. We've had some good talks over the years, and he almost always makes a little time for me when I need him for a few questions.

But Burrell has gotten on me for being a tough reporter, sometimes in front of others. We never talked about it, but I heard he was really ticked when I took Billy Wagner's side in their feud.

Wagner was out to dinner with myself and a couple other reporters in spring training one year when Burrell walked into Villa Gallace. The next day, Wagner told me he was called a "rat" by Burrell for hanging out with writers. Wagner told me he responded by saying, "Maybe you should get to know these guys a little and they won't get on you as much."

Wagner also told me that Burrell was the reason so few Phillies players were available after games during his two years in Philadelphia. When a PR person would go to a backroom that was off-limits to the media and ask for someone to make themselves available, Burrell often would instruct the player to stay put, Wagner told me on many occasions

[MDS]

Randy Miller is a farging bitch.

Wahh wahh Pat is mean to me. Look, Burrell is a corksucker. He doesn't want to waste his time with the media. The Phillies either let him get away with it or fine him and he doesn't care. If I were him, I'd do the same.

It's the Phillies job to make their employees talk to the media, most guys aren't going to go do it on their own. Burrell clearly doesn't want to his waste his time talking to some fat, balding sportswriter when he could be out banging hot chicks and doing loads of blow. Good for him.

Generally athletes are just awful to interview. They tell you very little. Yes, it should be a responsibility for them, especially the good ones, to be accountable and talk after every game. But it's up to ownership is enforce it and make Burrell, Utley, Howard and Rollins stand by their lockers every game and answer question for 10-15 minutes. No doubt. 

@ ed, the ump called Manny out when Coste stepped on the plate. Perhaps he didn't see Feliz tag third, or perhaps it was an instinct call to say he was out. How often do you see that play anyway?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Miller has always been a confrontational douche. He was the one who almost goaded Lofton into that fight a few years back. Lofton is a tool but so in Miller. And Marcus Hayes. He's friends with Billy Wagner.

It was good that Coste knew what was up and didn't throw down to 1st thinking it was a force at home or else Manny being Manny scores.

[ice grillin you]

phillies organization is bush league from top to bottom...and like romey said the other day things will never change until some responsible visible ownership takes over

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I turned the game off and went to sleep after Werth K'd in the 9th, thinking that if the Phillies pulled it out, I would have a nice surprise in the morning.  Go team.

Wasn't Andy Tracy coming to bat?  Did he draw a walk or something?

[SD_Eagle5]

Wasn't Andy Tracy coming to bat?  Did he draw a walk or something?

They walked him on 4 pitches, it was basically intentional so they could go righty/righty with Feliz coming to the plate

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Ha!  Good call, Torre.