L 3-6 IN 12 INNINGS
with Sam Fields and Ellie Levitt
Most Phillies nights I go to have some sort of significance. Either its a free give-away, a party, mother's or father's day, fireworks, or some kind of meet and greet. Then, there's that special time of the season. Yes, that's right. Dollar dog night! Hotdogs for a dollar instead of $3.50. They limit you to four at a time, but I like to call that dinner (or at least a warmup).
I have a UPenn student, Ellie, doing a paper on me (Am I interesting enough to do a paper profile on? How'd I give off that impression?) So she accompanied me down the Walk Of Victory up Broad Street, asking me questions along the way. She grew up a Royals fan, well past the last time they were relevant, being born in the early '90s. I understand, being being in 1982, two years after the Phillies won their first title. But I got to talk about being an extreme sports nerd. Can't beat that.
Something I finally figured out at last year's two dollar dog nights I went to is that a fast way to an upset stomach is to eat a bunch of real meat hot dogs, the worst of the worst of a pig's body. I remember going to a game with Matt Dineen and getting a girgely belly pretty quickly. The only way to settle it was by eating a pint of Turkey Hill "Graham Slam" ice cream. (Go figure.) But the next game, in late September versus the Braves with a big crew of people, I decided to eat the veggie dogs instead since a lot of people in the crew were vegetarians. No problem! I ate like 8 of them, and I felt totally fine. Okay, that's the lesson here folks... don't trust ballpark meat. $7 coors lites and sweaty hotdogs are a bad bad combination. Luckily, the Phillies ballpark has a lot of delicious veggie options.
Just ask Prince Fielder, the Brewers' all-star slugger first baseman. He's a really big guy. And a vegan. (full disclosure, I was a vegetarian for seven years, but these days I don't have any restrictions, so I don't have an agenda here.) I got to see him that night, mostly striking out and once arguing with the ump, which I looove when players or managers do.
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| Sam looking sharp, after arriving any damn well time he pleases |
Sam, who never writes in this blog and I fully plan on immanent domaining this blog from him if I do another four posts and he does none, arrived like he usually does, fashionably late, in the 2nd Inning. I am pretty into getting to games early, so you're not in a rush to your seat and you can watch players warm up and take in the spectacle of weirdness/awesomeness of masses of people coming together for the same thing. For instance, you can spot the Fan Groups. In the past, there was the original Wolf Pack, a group of fans who liked Randy Wolf when he pitched for the Phils and dressed up like werewolves. As the Phillies got popular, they seemed to disappear as getting tickets got harder. Luckily, fan groups seem to also be making a comeback, as I've seen them re-appear late last year and this year. For instance, Howard's Homers, who never really went away, have made some appearances (they dress like Homer Simpson). I've also seen Doc's Patients (dressed in medical gowns), and this game I saw Chooch's Conductors (I'm assuming dressed in train gear, but I was too far away to see.)
It also lets me goof around on my phone for a little bit. Some cool news; I'm helping put together a softball team of punks, radicals, and nerds, with the help of the infamous West Philly Waste (thanks Katie Jacoby! She suggested South Philly Scum, though we'll have to vote democratically)
During the game, Ellie tried to move over to where we were sitting. Normally the ushers are pretty chill about people moving around in the cheap seats, and they are only strict about people trying to upgrade to the 100 section. (it was nice back when I knew a security guard who'd tell the usher to go away). However, tonight a real nazi fascist stalinist jerko was working as an usher, telling people not to put their feet on the seats, actually kicking out people who tried to move after the 4th inning, and yelling at people who put their beer in weird places. Screw that usher.
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| Jerk in a staff jacket |
The game itself started as another pitchers duel between the Brewers Marcum and Joe Blanton. Poor old Joe. He's been deridden as the 5th pitcher all offseason. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed to see Joe. Saturday's game versus the Marlins had been rained out, so all of the Phil's starting pitchers got moved up a day in schedule. Originally I would of seen Roy Halladay, the machine. Instead, I saw Fat Joe the pitcher. Okay, that's mean. Joe pitched pretty well, going 7 innings. The Brewers went ahead a run on a Madsen turn, and then tied it up in the bottom of the 9th on a Shane Victorino sacrifice bunt. Before the game, Ellie had asked me how long it would go. I told her, "It could be as short as two and a half hours if its well pitched. But if it goes to extra innings, who knows..." It went an extra hour and a half into the 12th inning, before Kyle Kendrick (who I had cheered after booing Hamels a few weeks ago) unraveled and gave up 3 runs in the 12th inning.
It's only April, thankfully.
In the 8th Inning, the Phillie Phanatic did one of the common hijinks of shooting hotdogs into the stands with a cannon. Somethink got messed up in it, and it started shredding the hotdogs. You'd see the wrappers go flying one way, and the buns and dog fly separately two ways into the stands. Beautiful. Since we don't get any freebies up in the 400 section, I'm okay with people in the expensive seats getting hit by a weiner. (I prefer calling hotdogs "weiners" because it makes a large amount of people noticeably uncomfortable.)
I was alone at the end of the game, as Ellie and Sam had grown tired and I'm the bum on unemployment who would stay until 4am if it indeed went to the 22nd inning. Its kind of an empty feeling walking home after a loss, even more when alone.
Stats under the break
PHI
Pitching:
Starter: RHP Joe Blanton (98 Pitches, 67 Strikes, 7 Innings, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 Strikeouts, 7.27 ERA)
Relief: RHP Ryan Madsen (19 Pitches, 10 Strikes, 1 Inning, 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 Strikeout, 1.50 ERA)
Relief: LHP JC Romero (7 Pitches, 4 Strikes, .2 Inning, 1 Hit, 3.86 ERA)
Relief: RHP David Herndon (8 Pitches, 5 Strikes, .1 Inning, 5.14 ERA)
Relief: RHP Jose Contreras (9 Pitches, 6 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 Strikeout, 0.00 ERA)
Relief: LHP Antonio Bastardo (13 Pitches, 7 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA)
Closing: RHP Kyle Kendrick (27 Pitches, 9 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 Hit, 3 Runs, 1 ER, 1 Wild Pitch, 1 Error on throw, 1 Hit Batter, 3 BB, 3.00 ERA) L (0-1)
Lineup:
1. CF Shane Victorino (6 At-bats, 1 Hit, 1 RBI, 2 Strikeouts, 2 Left on base, .311 AVG)
2. 3B Placido Polanco (5 At-bats, 1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 3 Left on base, .375 AVG)
3. SS Jimmy Rollins (5 At-bats, 1 BB, 1 Error, 4 Left on base, .274 AVG)
4. 1B Ryan Howard (6 At-bats, 2 Hits, 1 RBI, 1 Strikeout, 3 Left on base, .293 AVG)
5. RF Ben Francisco (6 At-bats, 2 Strikeouts, 5 Left on base, .246 AVG)
6. LF Raul Ibanez (5 At-bats, 1 Hit, 2 Strikeouts, 3 Left on base, .233 AVG)
7. C Carlos Ruiz (4 At-bats, 1 Run, 1 BB, 1 Left on base, .292 AVG)
8. 2B Wilson Valdez (4 At-bats, 1 Run, 1 Hit, .318 AVG)
9. SP Joe Blanton (2 At-bats, 2 Left on base, .200 AVG)
--- PH Ross Gload (1 At-bat, 1 Hit, .273 AVG)
--- PR Michael Martinez (0 At-bats, .222 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Madsen)
--- Relief Pitcher (Romero)
--- Relief Pitcher (Herndon)
--- PH Pete Orr (1 At-bat, 1 Hit, 1 RBI, .455 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Contreras)
--- Relief Pitcher (Bastardo)
--- PH John Mayberry, Jr. (1 At-bat, .444 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Kendrick)
MIL
Pitching:
Starter: RHP Shaun Marcum (102 Pitches, 67 Strikes, 6 Innings, 5 Hits, 1 Run, 5 Strikeouts, 1.90 ERA)
Relief: RHP Sean Green (13 Pitches, 8 Strikes, .1 Inning, 1 Hit, 1 Run, 3.00 ERA) H (1)
Relief: RHP Sergio Mitre (5 Pitches, 3 Strikes, .2 Inning, 0.00) BS (1)
Relief: RHP Kameron Loe (19 Pitches, 14 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 Hit, 3.86 ERA) H (5)
Relief: RHP John Axford (24 Pitches, 9 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 Strikeout, 8.53 ERA) BS (2)
Relief: LHP Mitch Stetter (10 Pitches, 6 Strikes, 1 Inning, 1 Strikeout, 2.08 ERA)
Closer: RHP Brandon Kintzler (29 Pitches, 17 Strikes, 2 Innings, 1 Hit, 1 BB, 3.38 ERA) W (1-0)
Lineup:
1. 2B Rickie Weeks (5 At-bats, 1 Run, 1 BB, 3 Left on base, 1 Error, .269 AVG)
2. CF Carlos Gomez (5 At-bats, 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 RBI, 1 Stolen Base, 1 Strikeout, 2 Left on base, .214 AVG)
3. LF Ryan Braun (4 At-bats, 1 Run, 3 Hits, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 Left on base, .357 AVG)
4. 1B Prince Fielder (5 At-bats, 1 Run, 1 Hit, 1 Double, 3 Strikeouts, 4 Left on base, .311 AVG)
5. 3B Casey McGehee (5 At-bats, 1 Hit, 1 Double, 1 BB, 2 Left on base, 1 Error, .267 AVG)
6. SS Yuniesky Betancourt (5 At-bats, 2 RBI, 3 Left on base, .189 AVG)
7. RF Mark Kotsay (4 At-bats, 2 BB, 1 Strikeout, 1 Left on base, .214 AVG)
8. C Jonathan Lucroy (5 At-bats, 1 Run, 3 Hits, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 Strikeout, 3 Left on base, .368 AVG)
9. SP Shaun Marcum (1 At-bat, 1 Hit, .250 AVG)
9. SP Shaun Marcum (1 At-bat, 1 Hit, .250 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Green)
--- Relief Pitcher (Mitre)
--- Relief Pitcher (Loe)
--- PH Erick Almonte (1 At-bat, .095 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Axford)
--- Relief Pitcher (Stetter)
--- PH Wil Nieves (1 At-bat, 1 Left on base, .235 AVG)
--- Relief Pitcher (Kintzler)
James's 2011 Baseball Season Statistics
Starting Pitchers:
RHP Roy Oswalt 1
LHP Cole Hamels 1
LHP Ryan Edell (AA) 1
RHP Joe Blanton 1
Total Games: 4
Minor League: 0-1
Phillies: 1-2
Overall: 1-3
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