Philly Friday — Typically Toying With Your Emotions
June 15, 2007 by Run Up The Score!
Two games? Two freaking games? Surely, these National League East standings are incorrect. The Philles are in second place, thanks to a recent string of victories and the wheels absolutely falling off in New York and Atlanta. The Mutts are 1-9 in their last 10, and face the streaking Yankees this weekend. Atlanta (3-9 in their last 12) won’t have an easy time this weekend, either — they’re visiting first place Cleveland for a weekend series.
Unfortunately for the Phils, they’re playing the Detroit Tigers. At least they’re at home. Here are the pitching matchups:
Tonight: J. Bonderman (6-0) v. J. Lieber (3-4)
Tomorrow: A. Miller (2-0) v. J. Moyer (5-5)
Sunday: J. Verlander (7-2) v. A. Eaton (7-4)
Given the matchups, I would not be completely crushed if the home team only won one of these games. The Phillies play Cleveland next, but the schedule softens up substantially after that (@ STL, CIN, NYM, @ HOU, @ COL).
The big news out of Eagles camp this week was Donovan McNabb jogging around and throwing a few passes. I don’t particularly care one way or another. The weird, passive-aggressive spat between McNabb and the Eagles hangs over all that happens with the team. As a result, every little thing — even if it’s just McNabb tossing a few passes and letting everyone know that he’s doing fine — raises suspicions of a public relations ploy, even if it’s the most innocuous thing possible.
That would be fine if the Eagles weren’t the clear team to beat in the NFC East, but they are. The Giants are going to stink. So will the Redskins. The Cowboys? Ehhh. If Bill Parcells can’t get anything substantial out of the group, do you really think Wade Phillips will? My only hope is that the circus in Philadelphia doesn’t tear the team down from within. There’s no reason they can’t have a ten or eleven win season.
Blog links:
Buoyant Phillies Giving Fans Bounty Of Summer Ball [Beerleaguer]
Shane Victorino…More Effective Than Bobby Abreu? [Balls, Sticks, and Stuff]
Should The Birds Be Interested In Donvan Darius? [Bleeding Green Nation]
Ryan Howard Is Alive And Well [I've Made A Huge Tiny Mistake]
Sal Fasano’s Sweet Goodbye [The 700 Level]
Newspaper links:
McNabb Dials Down The Hype A Bit [philly.com]
Five Things We Learned At Minicamp [philly.com]
Wishing We Were A.J. Feeley [philly.com]
Sean Considine Bulks Up For 2007 [philly.com]
