It's Pat!

I never thought Bill Conlin would go Hollywood. After reading this, I'm confident he never will.


The 2008 Phillies are a Hollywood movie set of a baseball team.

Because they have lots of stars? Two MVPs (Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins), a future MVP in Chase Utley, a future Cy Young in Cole Hamels, and a lights-out closer in Brad Lidge?


Cecil B. De Mille [sic] would have been proud of the facade they present.

Okay, nice head fake. Still, he's going with DeMille? Really? Maybe it's because you can get a guy's name wrong when his last picture premiered 50 years ago (that's right, I said 50). Geez, DeMille died almost ten years before I was born - and I'm the old Mike here. Okay, let's just slog along.


What the camera sees is the Roman Forum in all its marble-faced grandeur. Walk behind the set, however, and it is the clever handiwork of skilled carpenters, propped up by timbers, a plywood, styrofoam and plastic edifice that can be broken down in moments and configured into a gracious plantation manor.

Yeah, we get it. He could have just called the 2008 team a Potemkin Village. Sure, it's still a relatively obscure reference, but it would saved us a lot of time and trouble.


General manager Pat Gillick will understand the analogy, even if he does not agree with it.

Plus he's old enough to connect the reference, unlike most of Conlin's readers.


After all, he grew up in Southern California and knows how things work in Hollywood.

Sure, just like if you grow up in Hershey, you automatically know how things work in a chocolate factory.


This team can and should win the East. But it is a one-take team. One major setback and the Phillies are out of film.

Fuck the heck?


The reality of the economic handcuffs slapped on Pat when he was hired to replace Ed Wade by the limited partnership that runs baseball's Comfort Inn has never been any clearer than it was last Thursday. The trade deadline passed and all the Phillies had to show for the month of rumor, conjecture and wild surmise was a sideways move. Gillick acquired Oakland's Joe Blanton in hopes the hulking righthander could become what an expensive bust named Adam Eaton failed to be.

I'm not sure I understand your point [shocker - does hand signal]. Hey, I agree with questioning ownership. But I don't understand the "Comfort Inn" reference and, his last start notwithstanding, I think even the most irascible resident of Negadelphia would agree that Blanton is an upgrade over Eaton.


It was a sidestep worthy of Fred Astaire . . .

For the love . . . Astaire died more than 20 years ago and his last film was more than 30 years ago (although I must admit that I remember him in this and thought he was great). I wonder if Conlin has been exposed to any pop culture since the Phillies won the World Series in 1980.


The reality is, deadline fans, teams moving the Griffeys, Mannys and CCs, high-priced stars nearing their expiration dates, are not looking for "prospects" in the classic sense. What would a Carlos Carrasco, just promoted to Triple A with less-than-stellar Double A numbers, have done for a contender playing in the present tense? Ditto Double A all-stars Lou Marson, the Phils' catcher of the future, and Jason Donald, the Phils' Eric Bruntlett of the future. Both are playing for the U.S. Olympic team.

The sellers giving up future Hall of Famers on career down-ticks want major league-ready prospects who have survived the high-minors crucible. They want them gifted and they want to have those golden years before arbitration and free agency. That left the Phillies with one realistic, tradeable, option from the varsity - Shane Victorino. Fans, you didn't want to see a Phillies outfield next month without him in it. Nor did you want to go into a stretch drive with untested Greg Golson and his high strikeout ratio as your centerfield anchor.

I told you a stopped clock is right twice a day. So while I would have said it more concisely and I might quibble with a detail here or there, I agree with the overall logic of this point.


Pat is a brilliant baseball man who won back-to-back World Series titles in Toronto and revived moribund Baltimore and Seattle. Baseball's Great Oz has done excellent work behind the curtain. He knows talent. And when he has the money and the parts to trade, he knows how to acquire it. But that has not happened here.

Agreed. So why hasn't anyone asked him why? Is there no professional baseball reporter who will ask that question and push for an honest answer?


His masterpieces are Aaron Rowand, Jamie Moyer, Jayson Werth and Brad Lidge.

Nice list. He had foresight to bring Rowand in and the courage to let him leave, and he was right. He thought Moyer still had something to offer, and he was right. He felt if Werth could get healthy, he could contribute, and he was right. He traded for Brad Lidge, and (even though I thought he was wrong) he was right. And let's not forget the he brought us Greg Dobbs, the best pinch-hitter in baseball this year.


But you'll most likely remember Pat for Adam Eaton and Freddy Garcia, for signing Tom Gordon instead of Billy Wagner, and for not re-signing Kyle Lohse and Rowand.

Agree on Eaton, who was signed shortly after Wes Helms, and on Lohse who, credit where credit is due, he brought to Philadelphia in the first place. As for the others:

(1) I'll give him a pass on Garcia. Even if he was duped, which I'm not convinced he was, he brought in Tadahito Iguchi when Utley got hurt and there are whispers that the White Sox did that deal, in part, to make up for the Garcia bust and to ensure the two clubs could still trust each other enough to work together in the future.

(2) I'm not Tom Gordon's biggest fan, but between him and Wagner, I'll take Gordon. At this point in their careers, they aren't as far apart in talent - or durability - as you might think. Plus Gordon doesn't run his mouth like Wagner does. QED.

(3) Sorry, but I have to put letting Rowand go in the plus column. Compare his numbers from last year to this year and ask yourself if he was worth the money. I've got no beef with Aaron, but I say no.


Pat Gillick left Toronto after the 1994 season. In the next 3 years, the Blue Jays were 56 games under .500, including 56-88 in 1995, just 2 years after a world championship. Pat Gillick took the revived Orioles to the postseason, but left when his contract expired in 1998. In the next three seasons, the O's were 55 games under .500. Pat Gillick's 2001 Mariners juggernaut won a record-tying 116 regular-season games, despite trading away superstars like Ken Griffey Jr. He left his GM position after the 2003 season and stayed on as a special adviser. In the three seasons after he stepped down, the Mariners were a staggering 66 games under .500.

Yikes. Those declines were both swift and significant. I was not aware of those numbers and I'm now officially a little worried about next year. I guess what Conlin is saying is that, despite being financially hamstrung by the owners, Pat has done as good a job with this team as he has with the previous clubs.


Sounds about right for teams put together like a Hollywood movie set.

What? He's blaming Pat for what happened to teams after he left? That's insane. That would be like the Bush Administration blaming the Clinton Administration for the projected 2009 federal budget deficit. But that couldn't actually happen, could it?


Cut . . . Print . . . And, tell the set carpenters to start hammering. Cecil B. Gillick will be shooting on location back in Seattle next spring.

At least he ended as incoherently as he began. He certainly gets my Oscar vote.

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Credit where credit is due

As I have noted in the recent past, I am concerned about Tom Gordon appearing in the 8th or 9th innings of games. While I still feel this concern is justified, that does not mean I shouldn't give him credit when he pitches well (most notably his last three appearances). To wit:

3/31
0.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 20 pitches (135.00 ERA)

4/3
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 34 pitches (33.75)

4/5
0.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 5 pitches (27.00)

4/7
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 9 pitches (16.88)

4/8
1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 11 pitches (12.27) - Save

If Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, and the April Gordon can all stay healthy, it seems obvious that this bullpen will be lethal. Plus, as I've said before, the way this offense scores runs late, they will win a lot of ball games in the 7th/8th/9th innings.

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A stopped clock is right twice a day

Bill Conlin is a grumpy old man. I could probably end this post right here and the three or four people who read this will agree. But I feel compelled to offer some evidence and - in true Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids fashion - we might even learn something along the way. So I offer Exhibit A from last week, which demonstrates that a stopped clock is still right twice a day and, apparently, Mr. Conlin thinks it's good to be the king.


When I'm King of the World . . .

I'm already annoyed.


Cole Hamels will run for Phillies player representative on the platform of a chicken in every pot and two chiropractors in every clubhouse . . . Now that the Phils have added Dr. Michael Weinik to the biggest medical staff this side of the lovable "Grey's Anatomy" gang at Seattle Grace Hospital, isn't it time for somebody to step forward and admit that Tom Gordon's right shoulder is cooked?

That's textbook writing there boys and girls. Toss a bone to the old folks and give a shout out to the young hip crowd and then get right your point. By the way, "chicken in every pot" is at least 70 years old. That's just inexcusable. But Mr. Conlin does take the Phillies to task with regard to last week's interim closer. So things could be looking up.


The 19-year veteran, whose lack of stuff and command was tragically exposed in a ninth-inning, Opening Day meltdown, has pitched the past two seasons with a torn labrum. I got this e-mail yesterday from an orthopedic doctor friend who used to pitch and understands the slippery slope Gordon is trying to climb: "Why would the Phillies continue to believe that an aging reliever with a known labral injury could stay healthy for any length of time without surgery? Bad shoulders do not get healthier with age and work without getting fixed."

The use of "stuff" and a friend's e-mail notwithstanding, this is a reasonable and rational argument. Perhaps this Conlin column will be informative, interesting and - dare I dream? - coherent.


Astros general manager Ed Wade must have felt right at home when Mitchell Report star Miguel Tejada was a dead duck at second trying to stretch a leadoff single with Houston trailing, 4-0. Gee, where has the Wadester seen that kind of baseball before?

I guess not. And I swear, while I do edit items like this for length, these two sentences are the only ones on this topic in the entire column. More insanity follows.


When I'm King of the World

Please stop.


The Bank sound system will greet Phillies relievers with a stirring excerpt from the spiritual classic, "Dry Bones."

This stirring excerpt:

Your hip bone connected to your back bone,

Your back bone connected to your shoulder bone,

Now hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones

Now hear the word of the Lord!

Uh Mr. Conlin, are you feeling okay? Have you taken your medication? Maybe you should lie down. And how did we go from Ed Wade to the Phillies bullpen?


Hey, they have the sausage race in Milwaukee and the presidents race in Washington. Why not dress four contestants as an ulna, a labrum, an ACL and a rotator cuff?

Okay, so you sang the bone song because you're not done talking about Gordon and the bullpen. So why the detour through Houston? Wait. Forget I asked.


When I'm King of the World

Seriously, stop that. And apparently now we're done talking about Gordon and the bullpen.


After the Penn State trustees toss a butterfly net over Joe Paterno, the man who has been coaching since Mount Nittany was a hill will be the spokesman for Godfather's Pizza. Hey, can't a guy eat his lunch around here? You writers talkin' to me? No, then who you talkin' to? (Chomp, chomp.) Look, the day I have to worry about not having a contract, I'm in the wrong place. (Which is starting to become more and more obvious.)

Hello kettle? This is the pot. You're black. I guess it takes one grumpy old man to recognize another grumpy old man. But why is he talking about Joe Paterno in a baseball column? Why is that last sentence in parenthesis? And why cannot I not shake the mental image of Bill Conlin standing at the bow of the Titanic proclaiming, "I'm the King of the World!!!"?

Three excellent questions that may never be answered.

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Daily News Live - Week in Review - 3/31 to 4/4

Comcast Sportsnet's Daily News Live is a staple of my television diet during baseball season. The panel of sports journalists - which changes daily - engages in lively discussions focusing mainly on Philadelphia teams and their comments range from insightful and educational to insane and inane. With any luck, I'll share some of the previous week's highlights - or lowlights, depending on your point of view - every weekend. Enjoy.


April 1st

During a daily feature called the Quick Six - six questions in three minutes - the day after this, host Michael Barkann asked Rich Hoffman, "Phillies fans: Justified to overreact or just one game?"

Hoffman responded, "Justified to overreact? Justified? No... Justified to overreact... What does that... How can you be justified to overreact?"

Kudos to Mr. Hoffman because, as I'm sure he knows, overreact means "to react or respond more strongly than is necessary or appropriate."As a result, it would be difficult to justify an overreaction. Poorly worded question notwithstanding, Mr. Hoffman soldiered on:

"The fans were predictable. They booed Adam Eaton on the way in... and they booed Tom Gordon on the way out. [panel laughter] They are entirely predictable... which means the sky is falling."

Hard to argue with that. Although I don't think either Mike or I am near "sky is falling" status yet. Just for the record, I am not even near "the wheels have come off" status which precedes "sky is falling" by at least two levels.

The next question went to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, "Should J.C. Romero have pitched the 9th?"

Murphy replied, "Hindsight is 20-20... Yeah, of course, now... But if you know Flash Gordon is going to give up five runs, yeah, I mean I should have pitched the 9th. But no, J.C. Romero is just not a two inning guy. He's just not."

Mr. Murphy went an entirely different direction with that question than I would have. In 2007, Romero only pitched two innings once - on the final day of the regular season. So while Mr. Murphy is correct factually, we really don't know whether or not Romero could have pitched two innings on that day, especially with a day off Tuesday. Personally, my first reaction to that question was yes. No doubt about it. Although to be fair, I meant that in terms of the order the fellas came out of the bullpen as I described here. But even given the more literal interpretation of the question, the answer is still yes.

Lastly, Mr. Barkann turned to Marcus Hayes, a man who often makes me want to throw things at my tv when he answers a question about a team - Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers - with, "They are what they are." The question was, "Moving Brett Myers back to the rotation will [blank]."

Marcus held a long thoughtful look on his face as his time ran down. Then he said, "I don't know. It will be a bone of contention for the rest of the season. And it's not a move that I agree with. I think that Brett Myers is your closer for the next 10 years... I don't think he's your stop-gap starter for the last two years of his contract. I never agreed with it. I liked the move when it happened, moving him to the bullpen. I hate the move, moving him back to the rotation."

Consider this fair warning. Marcus Hayes and I agreeing on something may very well be a Vatican-sanctioned sign of the impending apocalypse. Well argued Marcus. Yikes, my hands nearly cramped typing that. Better move on quickly...


April 2nd

Another Quick Six question, this time to Stan Hochman, "Cole Hamels needs to [blank]."

"Be satisfied with this particular chiropractor that the Phillies have hired. The first guy that asks for a psychiatrist, that's the guy that makes history on this team. Cole Hamels needs to stay healthy and he will win 19 games this year."

Mr. Hochman, you are a curmudgeony old man, but you make me laugh. And well done with that reasonable prediction for Mr. Hamels. Now if we can just get Bill Conlin to take the same medication you are, this will be a great season.

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With the Flyers and Sixers battling for their playoff lives, there was very little Phillies conversation by comparison. But if this season is any like the last few, there will be some good stuff coming out of the DNL shows as the season progresses.

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Phillies @ Reds: Live blogging

2:14 p.m.: Adam Eaton is proving that even I could get by as a Major-League pitcher. His pitches look horrible; notwithstanding, he has only given up two runs in four innings. Mark my words: he will implode in the next two innings.

I also think the Phils have been the beneficiaries of at least three blown calls so far, including Brandon Phillips being caught stealing in the fourth frame.

Special thanks to Sarge for his lecture on the history of the Underground Tunnel, where the trains of the Underground Railroad ran.

2:31 p.m.: Chase Utley is amazing. He is now hitting .438.

Congratulations to the IronPigs, who just blew their first lead.

2:35 p.m.: Pat the Bat!

2:38 p.m.: "I like that Dick Pole"... heheheh...

2:45 p.m.: I should make bold predictions about Phillies' failures more often... Congratulations to Adam Eaton for amazingly pitching a quality start. Didn't his pitches look like they were just hanging over the plate to anyone else?

Also, Griffey seems determined to get HR #594 this weekend.

Now it's time for me to make my bold managerial decision... I'd say you bring Eaton back for the seventh, but have somebody ready to come in at the first sign of danger.

Looks like Eaton is staying, as he is now up to bat.

2:54 p.m.: Didn't the answer to the Dodge Stump the Fans trivia question feature prominently in a radio spot last season? I think it may have been a Turkey Hill Graham Slam ice cream ad or a Herr's chips ad. I definitely knew the answer because of some radio commercial.

I cannot believe Eaton has pitched seven innings.

Speaking of advertisements, I love that MW Tux commercial.

3:00 p.m.: Ryno!!!

Please, Charlie: No Tom Gordon.

3:02 p.m.: Ugh. A one-run lead is not sufficient to take Pat Burrell out of the game. And I'm not feeling too good about Eaton coming back out for the eighth.

3:06 p.m.: Good God. Now warming in the bullpen: Number 45!

3:13 p.m.: ...

3:17 p.m.: Whew.

3:40 p.m.: You just can't beat a guy wearing high red socks.

Can't really blame Chad Durbin for the loss. He couldn't buy a strike.

Not sure what Rollins was thinking...

I was really hoping the Phils would get above .500, but this isn't a terrible loss. I think it was a definite confidence builder for Eaton and Gordon. Let's hope Myers has a better start tomorrow than he had Monday.

Let's just go on the record...

...as being opposed to bringing in Tom Gordon in the ninth inning before he has even started warming up.

Not bullish on this bullpen (or the starters)

As I sit here fuming at the Harrisburg CW affiliate for not televising tonight's game, it gives me the perfect opportunity to share my thoughts on the Phillies bullpen, as promised here more than five weeks ago.

Come with me now on a trip back to November 2007 - a simple time when the Patriots were still undefeated, Rudy Giuliani was still the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination, and I was still trying to get in shape for basketball season.

Not long after the Phillies completed the trade for closer Brad Lidge (commentary on what we gave away to follow another time), I explained my concerns to Mike. Hopefully, he will confirm that what follows is a close approximation of what I said back then:

I am a little annoyed about this trade. Unless the Phillies plan to re-sign Kyle Lohse and keep Brett Myers as their closer - which appears unlikely - I just don't like it. But consider what that staff would look like:

Starters: Cole Hamels, Lohse, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Adam Eaton - of course, a priority would need to be made to juggle the rotation to maximize Eaton's starts against the Mets, plus as the #5 starter, they can and should skip his start whenever they can if it keeps the others on their normal pitching days (unless they need the rest).

The bullpen would see Myers (9th), Lidge (8th), J.C. Romero (7th), and Tom Gordon and Ryan Madson sharing duty when needed in the 6th. That would give the Phillies one of the best bullpens in the majors. If the starters can get through five or - praise the lord - six innings, Romero/Lidge/Myers would be a frightening prospect for opponents. Clay Condrey and J.D. Durbin can be those inning eaters in games where the Phils are either winning big or losing big. Either one of them could also be used as spot starters as necessary.

I realize the thinking is that picking up Lidge is like adding a quality starter (Myers), but I'm not buying what they're selling. Myers liked being the closer. Myers excelled as the closer. It suited him and his temperament. Why move him back to the rotation? He barely has the attention span to get through a two inning save - don't get me started on two inning saves - and he has shown time and time again that he cannot maintain his concentration for five, six, or seven innings without losing his temper on the mound and having it impact his pitching. With this in mind, trading for a closer when the team already has an above average one is a bad move - unless, like I said, they keep Lohse.

Only time will tell, but right now, I'm calling it a bad move.

More than five months later, I will concede that so far, I do like the upgrade from J.D. Durbin to Chad Durbin. In fact, depending on how Lidge performs, I could be convinced to feel good about Lidge (9th), Romero (8th), Durbin (7th), and Gordon/Madson sharing the 6th (in case you missed it, my feelings on Gordon are documented in the comment section here).

But I still think keeping Lohse would have been a good idea. His contract demands - or his agent's, depending on who you believe - in both dollars and years were in a free fall before he finally signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in mid-March for $4.25 million. He also pitched well in his first start against, ironically, the Colorado Rockies, throwing five shutout innings (with three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts), before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Given the addition of Chad Durbin to the bullpen, the Phillies could have still moved Myers back to the rotation. Imagine how formidable it would have looked then: Myers/Hamels/Lohse/Moyer/Kendrick. Regardless of what happens with this pitching staff as the season progresses, management's failure (or refusal) to find a way to make it work with Lohse could turn out to be the missed opportunity that defines whether or not this team makes the playoffs.

Your thoughts?

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Pot Luck - Game 1

I enjoy being an amateur media ombudsman. For that reason, while I cannot guarantee I will do this after every game, I think it would be fun to put together a grab bag of quotes and comments ranging from the stupid to the bizarre that appear in the media's recounting of the game. I shall call it, "Pot Luck" - please enjoy:


Tom Gordon said there is "only one pitch I am missing right now (fastball). You definitely don't want to start the season off that way."

I've never thrown one pitch in professional baseball. But I'm pretty sure the most important pitch to have - especially for a closer - is the fastball. Unless this quote is used out of context, shame on Charlie Manual for putting Gordon in when he is "missing" his fastball. Shame on Gordon for trying to pitch without it. And shame on the reporter for failing to ask any follow up questions on this. Inexcusable.



Gordon also said, "I've had my ups and downs. I feel good. I just want to keep going out there and trying to help this team. It's nothing I haven't been through before."

Yes, we know you've been through this before. That's why we're unhappy.




MVKrum responded to Sam Donnellon's column about missing Aaron Rowand with "The only way they will miss him is if he was going to be a set-up guy in the bullpen."

You took the words right out of my mouth.


Then there was "Sure, it was windy. Sure, it was cold."

Hmm... where have I read that before? In his defense, if that is the sportswriting equivalent of "It was a dark and stormy night," then I shouldn't have used it either. But I don't think it is.




Finally, before I take your leave, allow me to introduce to you the Washington National's version of Mike. Mike's game reviews are not as verbose, but this guy has pics. So, after one game, it's a toss-up.

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Game review: Phillies vs. Nationals, Game 1

As reported yesterday, I was on location for yesterday's season opener between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals. Of course, the Phillies' pitching staff could not hold on to leads or ties, and the Phils lost, 11-6.

What we hope to do here at Mike & Mike's Phillies blog is offer you, the reader, some thought-provoking insight into what's wrong (or right) in Phillies World. The task of opening up this round of discussion has fallen to me.

The Phillies offense did its job yesterday. Sure, there were some individual disappointments, like the Phillies debuts of 3B Pedro Feliz (0-for-4, 2K), RF/PH Geoff Jenkins (0-for-1, K), and OF/PH So Taguchi (0-for-1). CF Shane Victorino (0-for-3) and late-game 3B Greg Dobbs (0-for-1, K) were also hitless. But the season is 162 games long, and it is far too early to say that these guys will be a bust in 2008.

SS Jimmy Rollins (2-for-4, double, two-run HR) was poised at the plate, not automatically swinging at the first pitch. As he showed last year, when Rollins is patient, good things will happen.

2B Chase Utley (2-for-3, solo HR, sac-fly RBI) offered the first salvos of his latest MVP campaign. 1B Ryan Howard (1-for-4, 1K) looked solid, and LF Pat Burrell (1-for-3, RBI, BB, K) reached base in half of his plate appearances. RF Jayson Werth (1-for-3, double, BB, K) showed he was worthy of his spot in the Opening Day lineup, and C Carlos Ruiz (1-for-4, double) also made good contact.

Unfortunately, some early-season rust (Rollins' fielding error), a catcher who may be trying too hard (Ruiz's throwing error), and some atrocious pitching doomed the Phils' efforts.

Starting pitcher Brett Myers seemed to start out strong, but by his own admission, he was getting lucky on bad pitches, which eventually caught up with him.

When reliever Ryan Madson took the mound, Phillies fans' minds inevitably flashed back to last year's opener, when Madson gave up a two-run home run in the Phils' loss. True to form, Madson soon turned and watched a Lastings Milledge two-run homer sail over the Citizens' Bank Park fence. Madson needs to prove he belongs in a Major League bullpen this year, because I don't feel he has done it yet. The Phillies hailed his return from the disabled list, but I'm not sold on the added value he offers over any other Minor Leaguer.

Righty Chad Durbin pitched a solid seventh inning, but had to be lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh because the Phillies were rallying.

Tied 6-6 heading into the 8th, lefty J.C. Romero trotted out to the mound. After Romero pitched a scoreless frame, manager Charlie Manuel's stubborn adherence to his self-imposed pitching "rules" took over. Manuel showed last year that he will insist on pitching his setup man in the eighth and his closer in the ninth even if the Phillies do not have the lead. But with an 11-pitcher roster, Charlie had to know he was hemmed in. Despite the prospect of extra innings and despite Romero pitching a scoreless inning, Charlie stuck to his stubborn ways and lifted Romero for interim closer Tom Gordon in the ninth.

Charlie surely didn't play matchups by putting Gordon in. Lastings Milledge, Ryan Zimmerman, and Nick Johnson are all hitless in their careers versus Romero. (Granted, the sample size is small.) I believe the evidence is there that Charlie went to Gordon because that is just how he operates. And he paid for it.

Of course, Gordon gave up five runs in the ninth, and the Phillies could not recover. The fundamental question here is: Should Charlie have gone to Gordon in the ninth? Obviously, I say no. So what should he have done instead?

I believe he should have stayed with Romero for another inning. His only other bullpen option was new acquisition and rookie Tim Lahey, so that didn't seem to be a serviceable option. By keeping Romero in, there would still be two pitchers available for potential extra innings.

(Incidentally, from the moment it was announced, I have thought going with 11 pitchers on the active roster is an inexcusable mistake. Just release Helms already. Eat the money.)

But the bigger problem is that it has become apparent that Tom Gordon cannot be relied on to pitch in high-pressure situations anymore. I take nothing away from his achievements earlier in his career, but there comes a point where everyone loses their abilities. By now, Charlie has to see the writing on the wall. Gordon cannot handle the ninth inning.

I realize that if Romero had pitched the ninth and the game had gone to extra innings, Gordon would have had to come in eventually. But the longer that option can be delayed, the better for this team.

Do you agree? Can Tom Gordon still pitch the ninth inning? What can Charlie do instead? Will Brad Lidge be any better? Is Gordon even capable of being Lidge's setup man? Am I the only one who opposes Charlie's stubborn "rules for pitchers"?

The Other Mike's Question of the Day: More disturbing - Myers' 5th or Gordon's 9th?

Question: In the long run, which single "inning" performance was more disturbing, Myers' 5th or Gordon's 9th?

Let's review:

Myers' 5th Inning
Threw 29 pitches/21 for strikes - seven in play
Faced nine batters: L-4, Single, Single, HBP, SF-9, Walk, Double, E-6, F-4
Result: Four runs (three earned) in one inning

Gordon's 9th Inning
Threw 20 pitches/nine for strikes - four in play
Faced six batters: Infield Single, L-9, Double, Walk, Double
Result: Five runs (all earned) in 1/3 of an inning

See the comment section for my thoughts and hopefully Mike and the two or three other people who read this blog will add their own.

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Opening Day pics in real time

Courtesy of Mike, who is in attendance at today's Phillies season opener against the Washington Nationals (who made a statement that they are nobody's doormat when they beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, in dramatic fashion last night with a 9th-inning walk-off home run by Ryan Zimmerman), we will be posting pics from the ballpark in real time or as close to that as I can (all times approximate).

12:30 p.m. - With a light rain falling, here is a shot of the field:



Updated 12:40 p.m. - So Taguchi:



And Mike reports that Werth is starting in right field.

More updates as they come in...

Updated 4:30 p.m. - I can only assume a combination of the rain and Brett Myers' 5th-inning meltdown has left Mike's phone inoperable as no updates have been forthcoming in the past four hours.

Updated after the final out - I'm looking forward to hearing from Mike (a) why the updates stopped, (b) when he left the game, and (c) if Tom Gordon looked as bad as he sounded on the radio.

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