<p>No, Cougars are in right now!</p>
<p>I must admit I, too, love/lust after Derek Jeter, but even he is not enough for me to get past my, oh, hatred is such a strong word, but very serious dislike of the Yankees. I root root root for my home team, and the Yankees have taken our best players year in and year out.</p>
<p>MOWC…do you look anything like Demi Moore? Ahhh…young Cliffy is married with kids anyway. He selling a cute t-shirt around here…“UnbeLEEvable” and part of the proceeds go to help kids with leukemia…his 8 year old son successfully battled leukemia recently.
Seems like a great guy…and boy can he pitch!
So what will be the new creative taunt when they come to Philly? For the dodgers and manny, they did “You did Steroids” and “Take a Shower” (he retreated for a shower before the Phils took the game in the 9th). Who will they go after? I predict ARod…I say leave that cutey Jeter alone.</p>
<p>I think the NY Post should have to put a picture of A-Rod in a skirt on its cover! (For those of you not in NYC or Philadelphia, on Tuesday the Post had a back cover with the headline “Gotham Trembles, The Frillies Are Coming To Town” and a photoshopped picture of Shane Victorino in a pleated cheerleader-outfit skirt.)</p>
<p>It’s hard – unless you are a die-hard Yankee fan – not to feel some modicum of joy watching Cliff Lee and his absolutely magical night, when he could do nothing wrong, and balls just fell into his glove without his doing anything. I wish there had been some way to let him hit – the way things were going for him, he might have knocked a couple more out of the park.</p>
<p>Re Jeter, Rodriguez: Where the heck were Minka Kelly and Kate Hudson??? I thought for sure we would get to see them on TV, but if it happened I missed it. Fabulous girlfriends are part of their mystique – maybe that’s why they lost!</p>
<p>I wanted to see Minka and Kate, too.<br>
toneranger- I don’t seem to have much resemblance to Demi Moore, unfortunately. Her daughter attended Interlochen for a year while my D was there and we got to see Demi several times. I am fairly petite, but I felt like a moose next to her (except for two HUGE parts of her…). She had bodyguards. Bruce Willis is small, too (surprisingly).</p>
<p>There was one quick shot of Kate Hudson sitting next to Kurt Russell at the beginning of the game, that was it though (I was glued to the TV all night, so I know I didn’t miss it). Shane Victorino asked, when told about the skirt photo, ‘Did I look good?’</p>
<p>Let’s hope that Pedro is on tonight and can deliver another one for the Phils!</p>
<p>OK- I put WildChild on the project of getting me a Cliff Lee t-shirt. I guess the ones out there today say "BeLEEve and have the liberty bell, etc. He just texted me some pictures. I am getting the red one.</p>
<p>"I think I’m leaving my husband for Cliff Lee. Do you think I’m too old for him? "</p>
<p>hahah NO, I was thinking of adopting Jayson Werth! haha</p>
<p>UT-LEE what a combo last night!!</p>
<p>Must admit I don’t know much about the Phillies.
I now DO know about Cliff Lee. He was amazing last nite.</p>
<p>Are all the Phillies pitchers as impressive?
I hope not!</p>
<p>All the Phillies’ pitchers are not as impressive, unfortunately. (Even Lee has never been as impressive as he was last night, although he’s been pretty darn impressive since he joined the Phillies, except for a few outings in early September.) Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge (closer) were almost that impressive, but last year, not this. (Hamels is also very, very good-looking – probably better than Lee, Utley, or Werth, depending on your taste.) Pedro Martinez, of course, WAS that impressive, but not since early in the decade.</p>
<p>The reason Lee and Martinez are pitching games 1 and 2 for the Phillies is that the wheels basically came off their pitching staff this year. When the season began, the starting rotation was Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton (trade deadline trade from Oakland in 2008), and Chan-Ho Park. Hamels has been off and on. Myers self-destructed, got injured, pushed his recovery, but was never an effective pitcher. Moyer was also off and on, until he stopped ever being on, and gracefully injured himself the last weekend of the season to avoid the indignity of being in the bullpen for the playoffs. Blanton was, and is, a thoroughly competent, professional mid-tier pitcher who throws a lot of junk, gets outs, eats innings, and keeps his ERA under 4.00 most of the time. Park bombed as a starter, again, then injured himself, but blossomed late in the season as a long relief guy. For most of the year, the Phillies’ best starter was Jay Happ, a rookie whom Park initially beat out for the #5 spot, but he started having control problems late in the season (and also seen-him-more-than-once problems), and he is in the bullpen for the Series. </p>
<p>Lee was acquired at the trade deadline for mediocre prospects, and Martinez signed out of retirement in mid-August for $1 million. Those moves – and signing Raul Ibanez as a free agent – ought to make rookie Ruben Amaro, Jr. GM of the year.</p>
<p>Last year, the Phils had the best bullpen in the majors. Brad Lidge, the closer, was 43-for-43 in saves. J.C. Romero was a great set-up guy. Madsen and Eyre did R/L situational work, Condrey and Durbin did long relief. This year Lidge had 11 blown saves and 7 losses . . . and is still the closer, because no one has been any better in that role. (If Lidge had been an average decent closer this year, the Phillies would have been neck-and-neck with the Yankees for best record.) He has looked like last year’s Brad Lidge the last few weeks, though. Romero got suspended for using a supplement that he had been told was legal, then he injured himself before he ever pitched effectively. Madsen lost his confidence when he was even worse than Lidge in the closer role, but he’s the official set-up guy (and, to be fair, often good). Eyre is banged up (and 37), Condrey has been out most of the season, and Durbin is . . . an OK long-reliever. Happ and Park – who between them started 30 games this year – are the anchors of the bullpen at the moment.</p>
<p>Martinez is a crafty, competitive pitcher. He doesn’t pitch much like the dominant Cy Young fixture of a few years ago, but he is capable of looking like Andy Pettite did the other night. For six innings, maybe seven. I hope. Same with Hamels – he can look like a complete world-beater for five innings, then give up four runs in the sixth. But he also throws a lot of home-run balls. His home record is better than his away record, which is why he’s being held for a home game.</p>
<p>JHS, I need to introduce you to my ds1.</p>
<p>“Hollywood” Hamels used to have flocks of fans at the Bank - “Hamels’ Mammals,” Hamels’ Camels," and the “Cole Train.” I loved this about Philadelphia. But aside from “Howard’s Homers” (who wear Homer Simpson heads), I haven’t seen much TV coverage of groupies this year. I live away and can’t watch in person; does anyone know if there are other costumed fan groups in the stands this season?</p>
<p>Glad I don’t have work tomorrow, it’s quite late.</p>
<p>Worth staying up for the best game I’ve seen AJ pitch in forever.</p>
<p>Tied 1-1.</p>
<p>musicmom,
Sorry I’m late to this thread to “watch your back.” 
Was at the game last night chanting “Who’s your Daddy?” whenever possible. Also have tix for Game 6 and would love to see the Yanks wrap it up at home, but I’m willing to let them sweep in Philly and give up my chance to see history. 
Note to Brian Gorman, 1st base umpire for Game 2, “Hello, this is Dr. I. Site, your ophthalmologist calling. You’re overdue for your annual check up.”</p>
<p>momof3sons-
VERY jealous! I’ll think of you when the Yanks close it out in game 6 at their new home!
Soooo happy you jumped in here. I was thinking there were NO Yankee fans on CC. </p>
<p>Isn’t it incredible that the umps can make such awful calls in World Series games?</p>
<p>So, Alex lost his newly found playoff swings…no matter. Tex and Jeter and Matsui and Melky and Damon and Robbie will take it from here. It’s a TEAM.</p>
<p>musicmom,
20 seconds after that “faux” double play happened with Damon batting, my cell phone rang and it was my oldest, calling from Chicago. All I heard was, “he did NOT catch that ball.” I turned around to the people sitting behind us to relay that info to them, and the young woman told me that she had already received 3 text messages saying the same thing. The first base umpire was totally out of position to make that call. (We sit down the first base line in the second level.) The home plate ump should have been helping out on that one. </p>
<p>I had lunch with a friend today who told me that on the National broadcast on FOX the commentators were saying that the “Who’s Your Daddy?” chant had died down and wasn’t being done anymore. They must have been watching a different game because EVERYONE in the Stadium was chanting it at a propos moments. The place was really electric last night. I’m hoping that Andy assumes his usual role as locked-in, big game pitcher tomorrow night.</p>
<p>Re. the wrong call on the double play in the seventh inning;</p>
<p>I have been wanting to discuss this play. Not only was the call wrong regarding Ryan Howard catching the ball on the fly, but , based upon the actions on the field, the fact of the non fly out becomes obvious… It was disappointing that after a conference with all umpires, the wrong call remained in place.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When Ryan Howard recieved the ball, he knew it was not on the fly-
if caught on the fly he would have simply stepped on first base to double up Posada.
Instead, he threw to second attemping to get the lead runner on a forceout.</p>
<ol>
<li>A correct call would have resulted in bases loaded and 1 out, with Teixera at bat. Possibility of more runs in the inning. This would have either made Rivera’s job less tense, (as 1 runner on equaled tying run at the plate), or Burnett or another reliever could have pitched the eighth inning, saving Rivera for the ninth or another game.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<p>3.I also believe that in the eighth the “doubleplay” groundout was a makeup call, as the Philly player was clearly safe at first. Compounding one wrong call with another.</p>
<p>I am in favor of video review of foul/fair, caught/not caught. These are not judgement calls, but factual, nothing wrong with getting them right.</p>
<p>Another Yankee fan here checking in to support. Loved last night’s game but really questioned taking AJ out in the 8th when he still seemed to be on fire. Rivera has not been as lights out as he used to be and he certainly made things interesting in the 8th. I sure hope A-Rod and Tex snap out of their doldrums. Being 1 for 15 in those two positions so far is not a good prescription for victory. I hear that they are contemplating putting Matsui out in right field since he can’t be DH. That could be interesting.</p>
<p>jacdad – I agree completely with your analysis of the bad calls, but not the remedy. I don’t think you can use replay for situations like that. It’s like football – once the whistle blows, the play stops, even if the replay shows the ball came loose earlier. Once the first-base ump called Cano (I think it was) out, you can’t go back and say, well, he wasn’t really out, if the play is continuing (as it was).</p>