The Phillies Girl Says Goodbye… For Now
Hello friends and baseball lovers. This is a bittersweet moment for me, in which I announce that The Phillies Girl Tells All is being placed on hold, possibly for good. Many if not most of you know that I’m starting a new journey, one that until now, I could have only ever DREAMED of.
And for my last Phillies Girl post, I’m going to talk about how excited I am for baseball, and tell you why you should be too.
In two days, Spring Training is going to be in full swing (Ha, already with the puns). Normally, this is exciting.
Period.
Something about this year, however, is going to be extra special. When the 2011 season ended, I had no solid plan for my post college life. Yet who knew that mere weeks later, I’d be staring out at an empty field, waiting for an interview to work with a Major League Baseball team.
Who knew that I’d actually land it.
Fast forward two months. I’ve moved to a new city, where hundreds of players just HAPPEN to flock each Spring (total coincidence, right?) to go back to work, back to baseball. It’s almost like you can feel the buzz here, something in the air just changes.
Like the weather, Spring Training is a transition, preparing baseball players and lovers alike for a new season. The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and we trade our sweatshirts and long T’s for cutoffs and shirseys. This month long baseball frenzy brings so much hope and excitement, so many possibilities. What happened last year, it happened last year. Each team starts their journey to either climb their way to the top or fight to stay above the rest.
And before we know it, 2012 Opening Day will be here.
Nothing makes my heart race like seeing a baseball diamond, smelling the freshly cut grass (then sneezing because I’m allergic), and breaking out the new team paraphanalia. How baseball as a whole is losing fans, I’ll never understand. So, it’s not football, or hockey. Less contact… less fighting, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting.
If you only take one thing away from reading my blog, let it be this.
Loving baseball is more than just about loving the sport. It’s about loving summer, being happy, being free.
Everyone gets a little tanner, stays out a little later, laughs a little harder. Now you TELL me that baseball isn’t a huge part of what makes summer so great. Just try.
No. You can’t.
At first, I thought The Phillies Girl Tells All was a destination for my writing, when really, it was just the jumping off point to hopefully follow my dreams (getting mushy here). Baseball will forever remain number 1 in my heart, and while my blog may be going on hiatus, I won’t soon forget it, or you all for reading it.
Saying goodbye isn’t always bad. I’m proud of the fact that I’m moving on to bigger and better things, and I know that The Phillies Girl will live on as long as baseball continues to return to me, year after year.
Thanks, everyone.
Go summer.
Go fun.
Go baseball.
This post is dedicated to my grandmother, who loved the Phillies <3
I Love Spring Training
Feburary 12th. Does this date have a significant meaning, other than it was one of your last chances to buy your sweetie a gift for Valentine’s Day? No? WELL IT SHOULD.
Sunday was Phillies Truck Day, when the team packs up and escapes the frigid North East winter to sunny Florida for the duration of Spring Training. Not often do images of cranes and taped up cardboard boxes excite me to any extent, but Truck Day is special.
To make it easier to understand for any non-baseball fans (which would confuse me as to why you are reading this), Truck Day is like the Thanksgiving of baseball. Besides Turkey Day, when we eat more food than anyone ever should, Thanksgiving and Truck Day are similar in that they both kick off a season that for the most part involves much joy, however someone always ends up crying because things didn’t go go their way.
I digress.
For the record, baseball season > holiday season. Yup. I said it.
Let’s take a look at SOME of what the team brought to training in their 53 foot truck to Bright House Field in Clearwater, shall we?
15,000 baseballs
2,000 T-shirts
1,500 bats
600 pairs of pants
600 hats
350 pairs of shorts
300 helmets
150 pairs of batting gloves
15 cases of gum
12 cases of sunflower seeds
1 kick ass team (I had to)
Keep in mind this is sans any personal items from the players. And I thought I packed a lot…
By the way, is it any coincidence that Valentine’s Day is the same week that pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training?
Answer: NO.
I’ll tell you why I love Spring Training so much, and why you should too. Loving baseball is about more than just loving the sport. It’s a symbol of summer, of longer days and warmer nights. No school, no jackets, no worries, no problems. It’s about being happy, being free. And Spring Training is where it all starts.
Kinda poetic, isn’t it?
So on this Valentine’s Day, if the most exciting thing you have planned is buying discounted candy on the 15th, remember that you’re not alone.
Baseball is back.
Let the Countdown to Spring Training Begin
A couple of days ago, I something on TV so incredible, so amazing and so beautiful, I wanted to cry. Well, OK, maybe not CRY, but I got pretty excited.
The very first Spring Training commercial on MLB Network.
That peppy music and the shot of the players hopping around (you know what I’m talking about) is pretty much MLB’s way of telling us ‘Get ready, it’s coming’. And thank God, because off season is long enough, and if it were up to me, there would be NO off season. Just a little vacation break. 2 weeks, tops.
But I digress.
This post is nothing official, I won’t be picking apart who is going to play left field or who’s going to be at first base on Opening Day…. yet. I just wanted to add a quick update and let you know I’m still alive.
For everyone that checks The Phillies Girl Tells All every day, I truly appreciate it, and your views are the kick in butt I needed to get going again. Much like everyone has surely fallen off the Tim Tebow bandwagon, I fell off the blogging bandwagon. Never again.
The Superbowl is in one week, and then its just a hop, skip and a jump until pitchers and catchers report to Arizona and Florida. What are you looking forward to most this Spring Training, for any team?? Leave your comment below!
Which reminds me…. 21 days.
Let the countdown begin.
Winter Meetings Hysteria
It’s an ailment that baseball fans suffer from during the cold winter months. We become agitated, fidgety, and many often find that they cannot get a peaceful night’s sleep. There is no known cure, as the cause of this short-lived, yet debilitating disease occurs yearly when December arrives and every MLB team meets for off-season talks.
Winter Meetings Hysteria.
It’s rare that my TV is tuned to MLB Network 24/7 in the off-season, simply because there isn’t enough news to keep my ADD brain amused. But when winter meetings come around, it almost feels like baseball season again, just without any actual baseball games.
Eh… details. We’re barely a day and a half into the meetings, but it certainly feels like no less than a week.
First of all, I’m pretty sure only a few teams ACTUALLY showed up to winter meetings: Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins, and I think the Milwaukee Brewers are hanging out somewhere near the hotel bar. Everyone else is completely MIA.
Second of all, the question that is slowly eating away at EVERYBODY’S mind… what gold mine did the Marlins hit to be able to afford players like Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, and possibly Albert Pujols? Are you missing any money right now? Seriously, look around. If you can’t find that crisp 20 dollar bill you stashed in your wallet, you aren’t crazy. Their front office has to be collecting spare change from the couch, because otherwise I’m going to have to assume they’re printing their own money in some hidden underground factory.
Sidebar: Don’t believe anyone who says Albert is at home sleeping. Do not fall for this trap. The moment you go to sleep, Ken Rosenthal is going to tweet that the Angels or Rangers or whoever just signed him for 25 years and 800 million dollars.
Seriously, if the Fish filled a seat for every time someone said ‘making a splash this off-season’, they’d definitely break their franchise record of how many fans attended a game. I mean, they’d only need like 100 people.
What would King Albert signing with the Marlins mean for the NL East? Besides 18 games a year of terror and nerve-wracking at-bats for the Phillies pitching staff, essentially it could set off a chain reaction. The Cardinals will look for another marquee-type player, but since they already have Lance Berkman who can play 1st base and he’s already locked up, Jimmy Rollins could pop up on their radar. Then the Phillies will need to pull Plan B out of their pocket…
You see where I’m going here.
All of the free agent madness is coming to a head this week, there’s no doubt about it. Not everyone is going to get signed during winter meetings, and with a surprise offer from mystery team Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to fuel the Pujols fire, I’ll be surprised if MLB Network even announces any other moves.
Sorry this post was so long, but it’s not like you’re going to sleep anyway. You’ve been infected with Winter Meetings Hysteria. What else do you think will go down this week? Comment below! Keep the TV on, the Twitter open, and the coffee pot stocked.
Let’s sign some ballplayers.
The Phillies Girl Is Thankful For You
So this post isn’t really about baseball. It may not even be about sports at all, but since it’s Thanksgiving, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a post I’ve been wanting to write for quite a while now. Today I want to thank everyone for helping bring The Phillies Girl to life. Adorable, right?
When I started this blog, I wasn’t really sure what, if anything, would come of it. The only thing I was sure about was the fact that I needed an outlet to talk about baseball and the Phillies as much as I wanted to without my friends hating me and avoiding me at all costs. And deleting me on Facebook. Clearly the most important reason.
I’ll start with Facebook, where The Phillies Girl was born. I can probably count on less than one hand how many of my actual friends are Phillies fans, which is why I’m so happy knowing many of you read my blog. Even some Giants fans… yup, I’m talking about you, but it’s ok, I won’t tell anyone. Yeah, the site stats that MLB provides me are a LITTLE creepy, telling me how many people view my posts from Facebook, but whatever. That’s what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it… stalking? No? Just me?
Awkward.
This will not be me on Thanksgiving.
Well anyway, moving on to Twitter, where The Phillies Girl is being raised and will one day own a condo (penthouse, of course). I can’t say enough thanks to my tweeps (yeah I said tweeps, don’t judge me), mostly East Coasters and Philly fans. You’ve added me to your blog rolls, sent my posts to your friends, subscribed to The Phillies Girl Tells All… you truly appreciate what The Phillies Girl has to say.
This will be.
About baseball at least. The rest of the time you’re mostly making fun of me, but it’s ok. You know who you are…
And this. But, you know, as a girl. And I don't look quite as sexy as Doc when lounging on couches. I can try, but it won't happen.
Writing is the best way to talk without getting interrupted, and if you know me at all, you know I have a lot to say. About everything. All the time. Even in my sleep. And I don’t even think I need to mention that I love the Phillies. It would be like saying how Albert Pujols is like, sort of good at baseball. Understatement of the history of Time itself.
Combing my passion for both and knowing people want to read what I have to say (because obviously you’re reading this right now) is what keeps me going. There’s no greater feeling than when people ask me for a series preview or tell me how hard they laughed at some random post about the Mets being the worst team on Earth.
Speaking of which, just like the President saves a turkey every year, I’m following through with that crisis hotline for baseball’s lesser NY fans who have realized that their team is going to be screwed without Jose Reyes.
So, yes, this Thanksgiving, The Phillies Girl is thankful for you. If you’re my best friend, part of my family, someone I haven’t spoken to since middle school or have never even met, I just want you to know I appreciate the time you take when you read my writing.
Thanks 
The Phillies Girl Returns From Hiatus
Hey people, it’s only about 110 days until Spring Training starts. I think we can make it.
I’m not going to lie, it feels a little bit like I got stabbed in the heart. And watching the Cardinals play the Rangers in the World Series feels like someone is twisting the knife.
But I’m not going to talk about the World Series. We’ve all picked, prodded, extracted, thrown around, tossed upside down, examined and tore apart everything that went wrong, everything that could have made the difference in losing the postseason. Truth is, we’re a little spoiled right now. Our team has been pretty great for the past few years, one that has high expectations. Since the first pitch of Spring Training 2011, everyone had set high goals for the Phillies.
World Series or bust.
But honestly, I feel like that’s a little unfair. The team won 102 games this season. 102 games. Baseball isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and while the guys didn’t finish first, they certainly beat their personal best. And if you look at it that way, it doesn’t seem that bad at all. And if you look at how the Giants, Braves, and Red Sox’ seasons ended, it REALLY doesn’t seem that bad at all.
Of course, I’m highly disappointed that I can’t use those really great jokes about who Brian Cashman was going to cheer for in the Philly v. Boston Fall Classic, but I guess I can’t nit-pick.
Sidebar: Thank you to everyone who left me alone the night…. it happened. I got 3 condolence texts and a phone call. And one very RUDE Facebook post from person who shall remain nameless. You can thank me for that… you know who you are…
This may or may not have been what I looked like after Game 5 of the NLDS. Hint: it was.
A lot of people are wondering what the off-season is going to be like for the Phillies. Baseball fans everywhere are going to be keeping an eye on the Phils’ winter meetings, but I urge the players and fans to use the few months until Spring Training wisely and focus on things that really matter.
For example, I’m doing some charity work by setting up a crisis hotline for Mets fans to call after each game. Cliff Lee has more time to practice hitting home runs, and Doc is staying in beastmode by hand crafting stuffed Chooches for Phillies fans all across the nation. I’m also pretty sure I heard that Hunter Pence is offering discounted runway lessons for aspiring models, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
No matter what goes down this winter, there’s a wind blowing. And it’s going to bring some major changes for the Fightins in 2012. I’ll be right here, keeping up with everything that happens. Count on it.
For now, I’m sticking to what I know. And I know my team. Live. Love. Phillies.
Umm…. when does Hot Stove start??
Ben Francisco, Game 3 Hero
I may only be 23 years old and clearly far younger than the Phillies franchise, but I’m pretty sure the first 6 innings of Game 3 were the most tense in known team history.
This game had all the elements of a box-office suspense hit, but better, because I didn’t have to pay 12 dollars for someone to kick the back of my chair. And it was baseball. I can only speak for myself, but I’m sure most fans were just as anxious as I, perched on the edges of their seats, pacing around the room, pulling their hair out… oh wait, just me?
The game was nothing less than the pitchers’ duel it was predicted to be between ace Cole Hamels and Jaime Garcia, who has been shutting the Phillies down this season. While neither team scored until the 7th inning, they seemed to be on completely separate levels. The Cards may not have been able to score off Cole Hamels, but they made him work for each out. He ran up his pitch count to over 100 in 6 innings and couldn’t manage to pull together a string of 1-2-3 innings. Garcia, on the other hand, seemed as if he was on pace to pitch the entire game without a problem.
But while it may have looked like Jaime Garcia was the “better pitcher”, he only struck out 3 batters in 7 innings. Cole, on the other hand, pitching 6 innings. He struck out 8.
The 7th inning was the game changer. And because of, wouldn’t you have guessed it, Ben Francisco. Shane Victorino lead the inning off with a single, and with two outs, Tony LaRussa made the decision to walk Carlos Ruiz for Francisco. I mean, can you blame him? Not a shocking move.
Bad fan alert: It may have started raining in San Diego at the very moment Ben stepped up to the plate. And I may have momentarily found it sightly more worth my attention. I decided to enjoy a few moments on my balcony when IT happened.
It was like slow motion. I reached for the door handle. Heard the crack of the bat. Turned around just in time to see Francisco’s bomb land smack in the middle of the visiting bullpen, giving the Phils a 3-run lead.
The eighth inning wasn’t as clean as Cole’s first 6, I’ll just say. Charlie brought in Vance Worley who allowed 1 run, Antonio Bastardo, and then Brad “Lets Hits In” Lidge, who loaded the bases. OF COURSE. He was promptly removed for Ryan Madson, who finished the game, allowing 1 run in the 9th. Just like they’ve been doing all year, even if they can’t score more than 3 or 4 runs, the Phils’ stellar defense is there to make sure the opponent can’t score more.
It’s safe to say that Ben Francisco is the reason the Phillies won this game. Without him, it could have been a very disappointing and panic-inducing loss. He hadn’t had a home run since May 25 of this season. Talk about fate.
As far for the rest of the hitting, Carlos Ruiz and Placido Polance have been in offensive droughts since the division series started. They both got hits today, which may be a sign that Chooch is about to come back, but it is important to remember Polanco is still battling a sports hernia. He’s not the monster of the postseason, but as long as he can hit, we know he’ll push himself to help the team win.
Winning game 3 was pivotal. Now the Cardinals are in a must-win situation. Nothing like some playoff elimination to press your backs up against the wall, eh?
Game 3 Preview: Welcome to St. Louis
Don’t panic. I got this. I have my lucky Cole Hamels shirt right here. DO NOT PANIC.
I’m just going to say it. 24 hours of no baseball is far too long to over analyze and potentially freak out (if you’re anything like me).
On Sunday, also known as the worst day ever for sports in Philadelphia, the St. Louis Cardinals tied the division series up with the Phillies 1-1, a turn that most Phils fans were not happy to see. Heading out to St. Louis for the next 2 games, both teams are looking to push for a lead in Game 3.
Cole Hamels (14-9) will be starting for the Fightins. He’s coming off of his worst month of the season in September, allowing 9 home runs and reached a 3.79 ERA, but isn’t worried about this pivotal start. Like most of the veterans on the Phillies, Hamels appears calm, collected and ready to pitch. This is exactly what the fans need to calm themselves down about Sunday’s loss. If the 5-4 loss wasn’t enough to upset fans, Jimmy Rollins came under fire after a comment he made about the tense atmosphere and the fans not being as loud as they could be.
Jimmy knows what the fans in Philadelphia are like. They throw their hearts into every game and want the Phillies to play like it’s their last. One loss can break our hearts and terrify us, especially in a 5 game series. The loss was a bad end to a bad day. Fans needed someone to take their frustrations out on, and in my mind, Jimmy became the scapegoat. That’s all I’m going to say about it.
Jaime Garcia (13-7) will be pitching for the redbirds in Game 3. Opposite of Cole, he is coming off of a stellar September in which he went 3-0. He has only allowed 1 earned run in two starts against the Phillies this season. In his career he is 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA against them. It’s no secret that the Phillies are going to need to hit to win. A lot.
Notes for Game 3:
Injuries on both sides: Matt Holliday is still not available to play in the lineup due to a finger injury. La Russa said he will be available to pinch hit, however it was clear that even this task causes the outfielder great pain. Albert Pujols is now battling an ankle issue, and while he’s shrugged it off as not being serious, it could be something the Phillies might be able to take advantage of. Charlie Manual has revealed that Phillies 3rd baseman Placido Polanco’s sports hernia that he has been fighting this season could be affecting his play.
Don’t strand players: The Phillies need to hit against Garcia, but more importantly, they need to drive in runs. Stranding base runners is not going to win the game, we learned that from the 2010 postseason. The defense is reliable, the offense just needs to get there and they’re back to being unbeatable.
John Mayberry Jr. takes the field: JMJ will be playing left-field in place for Raul Ibanez. Hoping to shake things up a bit, Mayberry is 3-for-6 with one double and one RBI in his career against Garcia.
The Phillies won 102 games this year, they are a great team with great talent. All we can do is sit back, watch, and let the Fightins do the fightin’.
No matter what happens in this game, I’m sure of one thing. LaRussa will be out on that field every single chance he gets. You know it’s true.
Welcome To The Postseason
Oh hi, remember me? The Phillies Girl? Over the past week I’ve been as MIA as a home run during the Phillies depressing 8 game losing streak. Not anymore, though. Just like the Fightins, I’m back.
And just in time for the playoffs. I have such good timing
Wild Card Wednesday was one of the best nights in baseball history. I’d even go so far to say one of the best in sports history. In the final game of the 2011 season, the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox were knocked from their seemingly locked up playoff spots, sent to the clubhouse to pack their bags and go home without a title. Taking their places will be the hot St. Louis Cardinals in the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League.
This night will be remembered for a really, really really long time. If you haven’t seen the video of Harold Reynolds and Dan Plesac freaking out over the shocking ending, here it is:
To make it up to Red Sox fans for losing out on pre-promised postseason glory, ESPN awarded Boston with the “Biggest Collapse Of All Time” Award.
But don’t feel too bad, fans. Remember, you still won the winter meetings competition when you nabbed Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. Wait, what? Cliff Lee surprised planet Earth and re-signed with the Phillies? Ouch. Tough break.
With a few curveballs thrown in for fun, this is going to be one great postseason run. Take a look at how the divisions stack up for the 1st round.
The NLDS matchup:
St. Louis v. Philadelphia*
Arizona v. Milwuakee*
The ALDS matchup:
Tampa Bay v. Texas*
Detroit v. New York*
*Home Field Advantage
The playoffs officially kick off tomorrow, but the Phillies won’t be playing the St. Louis Cardinals until Saturday. Come back tomorrow for a series preview of the teams. The Phillies Girl is all over it like girlfans on Hunter Pence’s spray painted cleats.
Rookie Peacock, Nats, Look to Sweep Phils
Hey phans, how about a quick preview before game time?
Rookie Brad Peacock is starting for the Washington Nationals this evening. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He debuted in the majors on September as a reliever on September 6 when he blew a save. He his first win when starting against the Mets last Wednesday.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the Phillies have veteran Roy Oswalt taking the mound. He’s had a tough road this season and his 8-9 record clearly doesn’t reflect what he could have done if he’d been healthy all year. Although his ERA is 3.66, he is coming off a strong previous start and has all but made his case to be the 4th starter in the playoffs. Oswalt is 7-4 in his career against the Nats.
The Phils are playing tonight to avoid their first sweep with only 7 games left to play in the regular season. While on paper they SHOULD win this game, who knows right now. Of course, with the division already won, it doesn’t matter as much as if say they were, say, the Braves. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all.
Of course, getting to 100 games would be nice.
The Fightins are continuing to play backups, giving starters a chance to rest. Tonight they will have Ross Gload at 2st base, John Bowker in right field and Pete Orr at 3rd base.
The Phillies Girl
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