Can You Over-hype the Nationals?

Bryce Harper has put on 10 pounds to hike his playing weight for 2013 to 230.  I remember Jim Callis at Baseball America coming on our podcast a few years ago and quoting some scouts who believe Harper will one day have more of an Adam Dunn footprint than a Mickey Mantle one.  I don’t […]

The Kid from the Old School

Whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies rebound from their slow start to the 2012 season, remains to be seen. But if we are watching the changing of the guard in the NL East, then the May 6 evening that Cole Hamels plunked Bryce Harper, claiming it was “Old School,” will certainly be seen as a […]

Clearing The Bases

Major League Baseball teams for the most part use the first third of the season (April, May) to evaluate their team, the middle third (June, July) to make acquisitions to help the team, and the last third (August, September) to fight for a playoff run.  Now trading won’t really pick up for another month or […]

Someone Please Tell Cole Hamels Older Isn’t Necessarily Better

With one pitch and a few poorly chosen words, Cole Hamels proved two things on Sunday; older is not necessarily better, and there are no intelligence requirements to make $15 million a year. As reported in a story by ESPN, Hamels hit Washington Nationals super rookie Bryce Harper with a pitch and then proudly told […]

Harper Means Hustle and the Giant Combo Size

Bryce Harper is only a few days into his major league career. It is like a movie and the credits are still playing over the first few frames as we are introduced to the action. And maybe it is too early for the critics to assess what they are seeing, but there can be little […]

Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw Named Walter Johnson Award Winners by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance

You can debate whether Justin Verlander should be win the “best player in the league” award.  There was no debate on if he’d win the “best pitcher” version. The Detroit Tiger ace was an unanimous selection for the Walter Johnson Award, given out by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  Verlander was the top name on all […]

Los Piratas estan dando la campanada (The Pirates are giving the bell)

Llegamos a la primera mitad de la temporada 2011. se hace una pausa para realizar el juego de las estrellas. Vamos a realizar lo que a mi juicio y entendimiento ha sido lo mas resaltante de esta primera mitad en las grandes Ligas. En primer lugar , la gran sorpresa de los Indios de Cleveland, […]

Phils to Have Best Rotation of the Live Ball Era?

On my way in to work last evening, one of the talking heads on local sports talk radio insisted the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies have the best rotation he’s ever seen, and this before they’ve even thrown a pitch as a unit. Bringing Cliff Lee back to a threesome that includes two-time Cy Young Award winner […]

The Philly Phan’s Guide to the Playoffs

October baseball is now a rite of passage in Philadelphia. No longer are Phillies fans left to wonder about “next year” or suppose “what if” or try to convince themselves that they had better appreciate fall baseball because they may not see it again for awhile. No, not for the foreseeable future in this town. […]

NL East Preview

Who can beat the Phillies?  The Braves have some of the best young talent in the game, but no one will catch them.  The arrival in 2010 of young phenoms Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward will be highlights in the NL East.  The ultimate story will be Roy Halladay as he carries the Phillies back […]

How to Get Your Phillies Phix

Hardcore Phillies Phan? Looking to take your Phandom to a new level? Want to be the Phillies Guru at work? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions then the Maple Street Press 2010 Phillies Annual is a must have. The kind people at MSP provided me with a complimentary copy of their publication […]