World Series Champs! Amazing!
This has been quite a climb for a team that wallowed in obscurity in the late 90s and suffered frustrating underachievement in the 2000s. Fortunately that's all behind us now and we can celebrate the Phils' big victory in the WORLD SERIES.
Perhaps most amazing is to take a look at the individuals on this team. Considering all of the following backgrounds, whoda thunk we'd win it all?
-Cole Hamels: a long-time rising star who, in 2005 broke his hand in a bar fight, is now World Series MVP and a candidate for Cy Young award
-Ryan Howard: the all time leader with the most strikeouts in a season, is also the 2006 MVP and a candidate for winning that award again this year
-Pat Burrell: booed heavily for years for not living up to expectations of being a #1 pick, won the World Series on a monstrous double
-JC Romero: the eventual 2007 World Series champions Boston Red Sox cut him, and now he is an ace setup man
-Carlos Ruiz: could barely buy a hit during the regular season, all of the sudden turns out to be one of the most productive offensive players in the World Series
-Jamie Moyer: we all know the drill... 45 and still pitching, say no more
-Matt Stairs: was basically ignored when the Phillies picked him up at the trade deadline, wound up having one massive home run that may have turned the momentum in Philly's favor for the rest of the World Series
-Brett Myers: involved in an assault case for beating up his girlfriend, a couple years ago, and then this year struggled to throw a strike in the beginning of the season, was subsequently sent down to the minors, and then came back with a vengeance for much of the season, and performed admirably in the playoffs (particularly with the bat in hand!)
-Joe Blanton: people yawned when the Phillies got him before the trade deadline because his last name wasn't "Sabathia", but guess what? Blanton more than held his own and even socked a home run in the World Series
-Shane Victorino: picked up by the Phillies from the Dodgers from the Rule 5 draft; Philly tried to give him back, LA didn't want him, and he wound up being an incredible force in the Phils lineup many times this season
-Charlie Manuel: the ultimate underdog... ragged on by fans for being a country bumpkin, he's now the toast of the town. I can't say I've always been in favor of him, but at long last he pulled it together and led the Phils to the Holy Land
And I could probably go on, but hey, you get the drill! This was a team that surprised me and surprised a lot of other teams out there. Congrats to the 2008 Phillies for proving that the past is past and a World Series ring can erase all of those memories! (Except on stupid blogs like this one!)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Ahh, How Far We've Come
Ok, so the Phils have a leg up on winning the 2008 World Series as they are just one game from winning it all (wow-- is this for real???). Just think about how far this team has come from just a few years ago. And just think about how far this team has come from the mid-1980s when it was a perennial basement dweller.
Now, watch this clip and you'll see how far this team has come since 1986 in so many ways. As a marketer by trade, it kind of hurts to watch this series of commercials from the 1986 Philadelphia Phillies, because they're just so bad. Yet I couldn't take my eyes off of it...
So, without further ado...
The 1986 Philadelphia Phillies "It Only Happens When You're Here" commercials...
Now, watch this clip and you'll see how far this team has come since 1986 in so many ways. As a marketer by trade, it kind of hurts to watch this series of commercials from the 1986 Philadelphia Phillies, because they're just so bad. Yet I couldn't take my eyes off of it...
So, without further ado...
The 1986 Philadelphia Phillies "It Only Happens When You're Here" commercials...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sarah Palin Hockey Jinx
(Editor's Note: What I am about to write is merely a recap of the facts and should not be construed as a political bias in any way, shape, or form!)
My suggestion to NHL teams: DO NOT allow Republican Vice Presidential nominee and professed "hockey mom" Sarah Palin to drop the first puck at any of your upcoming home games.
Here are the facts:
-Palin dropped the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers opening game to a mixed chorus of boos, cheers, and blaring music. Thanks to my friend Ryan for pointing out that the Flyers not only lost that game, but then remained winless over the next five games, until last night when...
-Palin dropped the first puck in St. Louis before the Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings game. The Blues, a respectable 4-2 coming into this game, got blown out 4-0.
-Meanwhile, the Flyers broke the Palin Jinx last night and beat the archrival New Jersey Devils 6-3.
-Oh, and one more thing... the Blues' goaltender, Manny Legace, tripped over the carpet laid out for Palin, and injured his hip, causing him to have to leave the game early.
It will be interesting to see if a winless streak starts for the Blues as well.
My personal suggestion: keep Palin as far away from your home ice rink as possible and let her stick to making jokes on SNL.
My suggestion to NHL teams: DO NOT allow Republican Vice Presidential nominee and professed "hockey mom" Sarah Palin to drop the first puck at any of your upcoming home games.
Here are the facts:
-Palin dropped the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers opening game to a mixed chorus of boos, cheers, and blaring music. Thanks to my friend Ryan for pointing out that the Flyers not only lost that game, but then remained winless over the next five games, until last night when...
-Palin dropped the first puck in St. Louis before the Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings game. The Blues, a respectable 4-2 coming into this game, got blown out 4-0.
-Meanwhile, the Flyers broke the Palin Jinx last night and beat the archrival New Jersey Devils 6-3.
-Oh, and one more thing... the Blues' goaltender, Manny Legace, tripped over the carpet laid out for Palin, and injured his hip, causing him to have to leave the game early.
It will be interesting to see if a winless streak starts for the Blues as well.
My personal suggestion: keep Palin as far away from your home ice rink as possible and let her stick to making jokes on SNL.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Whatever Happened to Andy Musser?
From 1976 to 2001, Andy Musser was a mainstay of the Philadelphia Phillies broadcast team, sitting in the booth alongside the famed Harry Kalas, immortal Richie Ashburn, and the Penn State alum Chris Wheeler. During that span, Musser missed only two games, both due to laryngitis. And prior to that, he could be heard calling Eagles and Sixers games, according to baseball-reference.com. He retired from the Phils in '01 and has subsequently, seemingly disappeared.
I did some internet trolling and had a hard time finding good stuff on Musser or any real updates. But here are some things I did find:
-Check out the three calls by Musser on this 1980 Philadelphia Phillies World Series tribute page
-Unbelievably funky photo of the Phils 1980 broadcast team on the same 1980 Phillies World Series tribute site
-And unfortunately other than a few wry comments on random blogs and articles about Musser's apparent love for beer, philosophical chatter, and dry conversation during games, I didn't find much else online. Anybody else got anything to contribute???
If you're out there Andy, drop us a line and give us an update... and go Phils!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Some R and R for the Phillies
Well folks, it's World Series time, and guess what? The Philadelphia Phillies are 4 wins away from bringing home some hardware. Whoda thunkit??
Having clinched a World Series berth last week, they will have had about a week of R & R to get ready for Wednesday's Game 1 battle against the Tampa Bay ("Don't Call Me Devil") Rays. That rest and relaxation should help, and hopefully it will get them off to a hot start compared to the Rays who have ridden an emotional roller coaster of late.
But the other R & R that I felt like blogging about today was the one and only Randy Ready. Yes, you remember Randy Max Ready, the quintessential utility position player for the Phillies in 1989-1991 and then again in 1994 and 1995.
Having bounced around from team to team with six different stints from 1983-1995, Randy unfortunately wound up on some bad squads and only played in one single playoff game during his career (he struck out to Tom Henke in his only at bat, unfortunately). This playoff appearance was during his days of playing for the Oakland A's who went up against the infamous Toronto Blue Jays in the 1992 ALCS. The A's lost and the Jays went on to win the World Series, and then, as all Phillies fans know, went on to win the World Series again in 1993.
Otherwise, Ready was a pretty reliable guy to have off the bench. During his career, in fact, he played every single position except catcher, pitcher, and shortstop. He played 234 games at second base, followed by 203 at third base, and scattered his time across the field, as well as DH, throughout his career.
Another fact of note... in 1989, Ready was traded along with the quintessential '93 Phillies fan favorite, John Kruk, to the San Diego Padres for Chris James. His best season was actually in 1987 for the Padres when he hit .309 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 124 games. Unfortunately it was pretty much all downhill from there as his playing time steadily dropped.
Today, at age 47, Randy Ready manages the Portland Beavers, the triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. In his first season, the team finished fourth with a 70-74 record. Now for some fun facts... are you Ready for this one... Randy (whose middle name is Max) is flanked by Max Venable, hitting coach, and John Maxwell, trainer. Oh and one more doozy for ya about the Beavers: from the span of 1983 to 1987, the Beavers had four managers over five seasons, starting with John Felske (who later managed the Phils), Lee Elia (who later managed the Phils), and yes, the legendary Charlie Manuel, current manager of the Phils. Now THAT'S six degrees of baseball separation right there. Go sleep on those gems for a little bit... just make sure you wake up by Wednesday night...
Having clinched a World Series berth last week, they will have had about a week of R & R to get ready for Wednesday's Game 1 battle against the Tampa Bay ("Don't Call Me Devil") Rays. That rest and relaxation should help, and hopefully it will get them off to a hot start compared to the Rays who have ridden an emotional roller coaster of late.
But the other R & R that I felt like blogging about today was the one and only Randy Ready. Yes, you remember Randy Max Ready, the quintessential utility position player for the Phillies in 1989-1991 and then again in 1994 and 1995.
Having bounced around from team to team with six different stints from 1983-1995, Randy unfortunately wound up on some bad squads and only played in one single playoff game during his career (he struck out to Tom Henke in his only at bat, unfortunately). This playoff appearance was during his days of playing for the Oakland A's who went up against the infamous Toronto Blue Jays in the 1992 ALCS. The A's lost and the Jays went on to win the World Series, and then, as all Phillies fans know, went on to win the World Series again in 1993.
Otherwise, Ready was a pretty reliable guy to have off the bench. During his career, in fact, he played every single position except catcher, pitcher, and shortstop. He played 234 games at second base, followed by 203 at third base, and scattered his time across the field, as well as DH, throughout his career.
Another fact of note... in 1989, Ready was traded along with the quintessential '93 Phillies fan favorite, John Kruk, to the San Diego Padres for Chris James. His best season was actually in 1987 for the Padres when he hit .309 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 124 games. Unfortunately it was pretty much all downhill from there as his playing time steadily dropped.
Today, at age 47, Randy Ready manages the Portland Beavers, the triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. In his first season, the team finished fourth with a 70-74 record. Now for some fun facts... are you Ready for this one... Randy (whose middle name is Max) is flanked by Max Venable, hitting coach, and John Maxwell, trainer. Oh and one more doozy for ya about the Beavers: from the span of 1983 to 1987, the Beavers had four managers over five seasons, starting with John Felske (who later managed the Phils), Lee Elia (who later managed the Phils), and yes, the legendary Charlie Manuel, current manager of the Phils. Now THAT'S six degrees of baseball separation right there. Go sleep on those gems for a little bit... just make sure you wake up by Wednesday night...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Craving Creativity in Chants and Cheers
Last night I revelled in the revelry that was reveling on the streets of Philadelphia as the Phightin' Phils wrapped up the National League Championship Series by humiliating the Los Angeles Dodgers in stunned Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. It's great to see Philly fans having a good time celebrating the win and I'm glad that there were no reports of people getting hurt, doing stupid stuff, or generally misbehaving. It was a memorable night for Philly.
But I couldn't help but notice how weak we are when it comes to chanting for the team we embrace so strongly. The best that fans can come up with, be it at a game or at the intersection of Frankford and Cottman, is "Let's Go Phillies" (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap). Or "Beat L.A." And of course the ever-popular derrogatory yell of "(Fill in an opposing player's or team's name) sucks!" That's basically it. Where's the creativity?
In soccer- (football-) loving nations the world over, each team has its own distinct chants that are belted out, songs that are sung, or rhythms that are pounded out. But for some reason in Philly, like every other American city I suppose, the best we can do is three words at a time and a couple of claps on occasion.
At least in football (American football), the Eagles have a fight song, though that has gotten played out more than any MC Hammer hit ever was, likewise to the "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" chant.
Yes Phillies fans and Philly fans in general are passionate about their teams, but I find it hard to believe that we can't raise the bar in terms of creative chant choreographing. And come to think of it, ever since our teams left the Spectrum and Veterans Stadium, the signs have become a lot lamer and less frequent too.
My message in all this to fellow Philly fans is... keep up the intense passion for your teams, but how 'bout we scream out something new for a change?
But I couldn't help but notice how weak we are when it comes to chanting for the team we embrace so strongly. The best that fans can come up with, be it at a game or at the intersection of Frankford and Cottman, is "Let's Go Phillies" (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap). Or "Beat L.A." And of course the ever-popular derrogatory yell of "(Fill in an opposing player's or team's name) sucks!" That's basically it. Where's the creativity?
In soccer- (football-) loving nations the world over, each team has its own distinct chants that are belted out, songs that are sung, or rhythms that are pounded out. But for some reason in Philly, like every other American city I suppose, the best we can do is three words at a time and a couple of claps on occasion.
At least in football (American football), the Eagles have a fight song, though that has gotten played out more than any MC Hammer hit ever was, likewise to the "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" chant.
Yes Phillies fans and Philly fans in general are passionate about their teams, but I find it hard to believe that we can't raise the bar in terms of creative chant choreographing. And come to think of it, ever since our teams left the Spectrum and Veterans Stadium, the signs have become a lot lamer and less frequent too.
My message in all this to fellow Philly fans is... keep up the intense passion for your teams, but how 'bout we scream out something new for a change?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A Thought on Home Plate Umpires
Whilst watching the Phillies lead the Dodgers in game 1 of the National League Championship Series, I had a thought about home plate umpires who are charged with the unthankful task of calling balls and strikes.
As anybody who has watched baseball can attest, the best umpires are those that can make accurate calls on balls and strikes the vast majority of the time, and do it quickly.
Well what if we gave the umps a half second extra or so to just pause and think about the pitch and make sure it was a ball or strike? During the course of a game there are dozens of pitches that will be right on the borderline, but it is expected that the ump make the call immediately after it hits the catcher's glove, causing the ump to make a judgment based on instinct rather than analysis. Would fans be willing to allow a momentary pause to think about what he just saw and make sure his initial instinct is accurate? I would think this would increase the accuracy of the calls over the course of the game.
One of the allures of baseball is the quick action the bang-bang of the ball hitting glove, umpire pumping his fist or calling a ball instantly afterwards. And perhaps the heated debates that ensue after a controversial call is made is also part of the allure of baseball. As is the catcher slinging the ball down to third base after the ump calls strike 3.
But perhaps every now and then it wouldn't be a bad thing if the ump took a quick mental pause to ensure the accuracy of the call. Just a thought.
Strike three on a swing and a miss, Phils win game 1. Who cares about the umps! Go Phils!
As anybody who has watched baseball can attest, the best umpires are those that can make accurate calls on balls and strikes the vast majority of the time, and do it quickly.
Well what if we gave the umps a half second extra or so to just pause and think about the pitch and make sure it was a ball or strike? During the course of a game there are dozens of pitches that will be right on the borderline, but it is expected that the ump make the call immediately after it hits the catcher's glove, causing the ump to make a judgment based on instinct rather than analysis. Would fans be willing to allow a momentary pause to think about what he just saw and make sure his initial instinct is accurate? I would think this would increase the accuracy of the calls over the course of the game.
One of the allures of baseball is the quick action the bang-bang of the ball hitting glove, umpire pumping his fist or calling a ball instantly afterwards. And perhaps the heated debates that ensue after a controversial call is made is also part of the allure of baseball. As is the catcher slinging the ball down to third base after the ump calls strike 3.
But perhaps every now and then it wouldn't be a bad thing if the ump took a quick mental pause to ensure the accuracy of the call. Just a thought.
Strike three on a swing and a miss, Phils win game 1. Who cares about the umps! Go Phils!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Small Request to Charlie Manuel
Ok, this has been bugging me since Charlie Manuel first became manager of the Phillies.
Scenario:
It's time for a pitching change in the middle of an inning.
Coach Manuel walks to the mound.
And walks.
And keeps walking.
And what does he forget?
Oh yeah-- to signal to the bullpen to send the pitcher in.
Just a thought, Charlie... when first stepping onto the field from the dugout, wave to the bullpen right away so you don't forget. It's a long walk out to that mound and anything can happen from start to finish.
In today's playoff game against the Brewers, he walked all the way out to the mound and then finally waved in the middle of conversation with the players who had convened together. Oy.
It's a simple matter, really. Just wave.
Scenario:
It's time for a pitching change in the middle of an inning.
Coach Manuel walks to the mound.
And walks.
And keeps walking.
And what does he forget?
Oh yeah-- to signal to the bullpen to send the pitcher in.
Just a thought, Charlie... when first stepping onto the field from the dugout, wave to the bullpen right away so you don't forget. It's a long walk out to that mound and anything can happen from start to finish.
In today's playoff game against the Brewers, he walked all the way out to the mound and then finally waved in the middle of conversation with the players who had convened together. Oy.
It's a simple matter, really. Just wave.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Go Phils! Yo! Down in Front!
Great first game in the National League Division Series between the Phils and Brewers last night. And thus far in game 2, things are even better. The way the Phils are getting things done this could be a quick series, but that's another matter.
While at yesterday's first playoff win for the Phils since 1993, I celebrated with 45,000+ Phillies fans and had a great time at Citizens Bank Park in chilly Philly. My seat, which was given courtesy of a friend, was pretty decent... clear view of everything, small section, aisle seat, easy in/easy out... it was all good.
But you know what was really annoying? People walking through the aisles during the game! How much more frustrating does that get? When people are in their seats watching the game, the last thing they want to do is stand up so some yutz can squirm by you and then you miss a double in the gap because he couldn't wait a minute. It's a matter of etiquette: wait till a stoppage in play, THEN go to your seat. Have respect for others, that's the name of the game. Perhaps the section attendant should have regulated as well, asking people to wait until they head back to their seat. I don't know.
So anyway, it was a great win for the Phils over the Brew Crew and hopefully the Phightins will pull out another victory tonight. And I'll watch the rest of this game from the comfort of my own chaise lounge without anybody walking in front of me!
Go Phils!
While at yesterday's first playoff win for the Phils since 1993, I celebrated with 45,000+ Phillies fans and had a great time at Citizens Bank Park in chilly Philly. My seat, which was given courtesy of a friend, was pretty decent... clear view of everything, small section, aisle seat, easy in/easy out... it was all good.
But you know what was really annoying? People walking through the aisles during the game! How much more frustrating does that get? When people are in their seats watching the game, the last thing they want to do is stand up so some yutz can squirm by you and then you miss a double in the gap because he couldn't wait a minute. It's a matter of etiquette: wait till a stoppage in play, THEN go to your seat. Have respect for others, that's the name of the game. Perhaps the section attendant should have regulated as well, asking people to wait until they head back to their seat. I don't know.
So anyway, it was a great win for the Phils over the Brew Crew and hopefully the Phightins will pull out another victory tonight. And I'll watch the rest of this game from the comfort of my own chaise lounge without anybody walking in front of me!
Go Phils!
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