Philadelphia-Phillies

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“The MLB Playoffs continue. While most of my weekend was spent watching baseball, I also got tons of other stuff in.”] [/caption] Movies Hesher - When I saw the trailer for this Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie I thought it would be a weird character study. I was pretty much right about that, but it’s simultaneously weirder and crasser than you’d think without really being comedic. Hesher is a truly bizarre character, the likes of which I’ve never seen in movies before, but he’s still very interesting. Not worth going out of your way to see, but it’s pretty good. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Part of our woes come from this man hitting the DL (and his lack of performance)”] [/caption] The Marlins have dropped seven straight games, dropping them five games behind the Phillies and now two behind the Atlanta Braves and it’s been agony to experience. Losing Josh Johnson was a problem, but we’ve even had great pitching performances from our starters (including one of his replacements) that the Fish have botched. The loss of Hanley Ramirez also doesn’t help things, although his presence has yet to really be felt at the plate. I’m hoping that this DL stint will fix whatever’s been ailing him. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Baseball is BACK!”] [/caption] Games start at 1300 today, so I’m still pre-season. This is also a much shorter prediction post than years past, but that’s what you’re getting. NL Playoffs: East: Braves Central: Reds West: Giants Wild Card: Dodgers I love Philadelphia’s rotation, but their offense has too many holes. No Utley, no RF, Ibañez is not great, Howard is getting figured out and has no protection…it just leads me to the Braves because they don’t have any huge issues, but are solid. ...

Wrigley Field is baseball. No other ballpark I’ve ever been to has exuded quite so much of that je ne sais quoi that makes baseball so great. You know, I think I do know what makes Wrigley so great for baseball. It’s the fact that no matter what year it is, no matter how many garish Toyota signs are up in the outfield, or how the game of baseball has changed since its inception, the Cubs show up in a Wrigley laid out almost identically to its opening day in 1914, complete with a manual scoreboard and ivy walls, and play ball in a park that has become one with Chicago. Wrigley Field is a constant. No matter what you do to it, watching a ball game feels like you’re back in the 1950s. Wrigley is comforting in that way. It immediately makes you feel like you’ve been watching baseball there forever, even during your first visit. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“375” caption=“It’s only been done once before in MLB Playoff History”] [/caption] Roy “Doc” Halladay joins Don Larson as the second pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter in MLB postseason history. Halladay’s 104-pitch outing featured only one walk and eight strikeouts and a lot of intimidation. If you’re Cincinnati how the hell do you come back from this? ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Time to check out my prediction score”] [/caption] Another season is now behind us and the playoffs begin this afternoon at 1330 EST in Tampa Bay. How did I do in my projections? Who do I predict for the World Series? Let’s check it out! ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“It’s not over yet, but we’re getting close”] [/caption] It seems that fall is rapidly approaching, despite my fiendish plot to seize control of the planet’s weather with my mind. With the change in the climate comes a change in sports programming. Back for two weeks is college football while the NFL opener was played over the past few days as well. Baseball no longer holds the brunt of the spotlight, but I guess that’s not all bad. ...

It’s All-Star game time again! This year the game is being played in sunny Southern California, down in Anaheim. Thanks to the peculiarities of baseball scheduling and the east coast focus of television, the game is actually being started in daylight hours, 1700 PST. The liveblogging experience of the year is about to begin yet again! Expect updates throughout the evening and night. Time: 1944 My cable woes are keeping me from watching the MLB Network this year (I hate you Comcast!), so instead I’m watching ESPN’s coverage, which has been somewhat interrupted with news about George Steinbrenner’s death by massive heart attack. It’s an odd thing to not have him around the Yankees anymore, even if he hasn’t really running things for two or three years. Despite my dislike for the Yankees, he will be missed as a figure in baseball. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Last night’s attendance was less than half. I guess that’s what happens when Strasburg’s not pitching.”] [/caption] Pittsburgh debuted some rookies last night too. The Nationals crowd of about 18,000 was not impressed. 10 June NPB Chunichi Dragons (7) at Rakuten Eagles (2). Wei-Yin Chen Tossed six scoreless with five strikeouts as the Dragons got revenge. Rakuten’s record slides to 29-31-1 in fifth. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“375” caption=““Honest” Abe and I fist bumping”] [/caption] For some reason Abe has become my favorite of the racing presidents. Maybe it’s his arrogant stride or maybe it’s the way he’s a sore loser when he doesn’t win, but I just love everything about the persona they’ve crafted for #16. 09 June NPB Chunichi Dragons (1) at Rakuten Eagles (4). Satoshi Nagai hurls eight innings of eight hit ball, miraculously only giving up one run. Nice work, Nagai. Rakuten’s record improves to 29-30-1, tied for fourth. ...