The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae

Briere Shreds Isles in Shootout

A beautiful goal by Danny Briere ensured the Flyers wouldn't be the victims of a second consecutive shootout loss Saturday night, winning 4-3 on Long Island. For the second straight night, the Flyers found themselves down in the third period, but Mike Richards rammed home the equalizer to send it to overtime. A last minute penalty had them down a man for the first 2 minutes of OT, and when another penalty immediately followed, it looked like the Flyers might be in line for another sympathy point. But tenacious play stifled the Isles' power play, and once again the Flyers headed to the dreaded shootout.

Tonight's round was just the opposite of last night's, in which only one save was made in six attempts; Antero Niittymaki was perfect on the three attempts he faced, and Wade Dubielewicz stopped the first two Flyers shots, but couldn't answer Briere's multi-deke backhander. Briere scored in regulation as well, and his hot streak continues. Joffrey Lupul added the Flyers other goal, lighting the lamp for the first time since returning to injury.

Dubielewicz and Niitty both played great games in net, with a total of 83 shots between the teams. The Flyers' 54 marked a season high, and tonight's game was the sixth time in the past 10 games the Flyers have gone to overtime or beyond. Video highlights after the jump.

Women's Hoops First Dynasty!

I like to think I'm a fairly open sports fan. Whether it be MLS or the NHL, I like to give the lesser leagues a chance.  That said, one sport I don't think I've ever wanted to watch is women's basketball.

ESPN, however,  had an interesting piece today on the first powerhouse in the world of women's college basketball. It's a local school that will likely surprise you.  Look for St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli's wife as one of the former star hoopsters in the video below.

Cheer Up, Nova Nation

So you got smoked by Kansas last night. Who didn't know that was coming? The good news is, Tyreke Evans is said to be split between Villanova and John Calipari's squad in Memphis, with Seton Hall and Texas also in the mix. Dig:

Sean Avery May Not Be High Class, But His Hookers Are

Rangers antagonist Sean Avery has been named as a paying client of Kristin Davis, New York's other famous hooker. Avery, who's bedded such belles as Elisha Cuthbert and Rachel Hunter, denies that he's visited Davis or any other prostitute, but when the New York Daily News called the number listed next to his name on Davis's client sheet, he answered.

Avery, who will be a free agent in the off-season, isn't known as a great scorer, but the Rangers are a far better team with him in the lineup than without. He's the kind of player many Flyers fans liken Steve Downie to, as both like to mix it up and get under the opposing team's skin, but can also light the lamp. There's a lesson in all of this, Steve... Don't use your real name.

Rangerland reacts accordingly.

At Least Cole Looked Good

The Phils dropped the first game of the On-Deck Series last night, falling 3-1 to the Blue Jays. I don't know about you, but I got offered three different tickets to this one, and from the sounds of it, I'm glad I didn't head down (please continue to offer us tickets though). Cole Hamels had a good line, giving up 2 earned on 5 hits over 5 innings, striking out 3, and walking none. We'll take a 1.00 WHIP in Cole's final tune-up before it counts.

Wes "trade bait but no one's biting" Helms was on display, and he knocked in So Taguchi for the Phillies lone run. Jamie Moyer faces off against the Jays' John Parrish at 1:05 today. Gametime temp expected to be about 52º and sunny.

Mike Richards Has Eyes in the Back of His Head

The Flyers ran into their two arch nemeses on Friday night, the Devils and the shootout. After a strong third period that saw the Flyers come back to tie the Devils, both team "earned" a point by heading to a fruitless overtime. Two Flyers managed to beat Marty Brodeur twice in penalty kicks, with Jeff Carter again going backhand and Danny Briere putting a slick move on to get Marty moving. But Mike Richards' failed attempt on the first Flyers chance meant Martin Biron had to make at least one save, and on this night, he couldn't, and the Flyers lost 5-4.

I've about had it with the shootout business. I've never been a fan, viewing it as settling one game by playing another, and now I'm just sour because the Flyers have been terrible at it. At least they get another matchup with the Islanders tonight. Those usually go well.

Richie did have the highlight of the night though, a behind the back, no-look pass to Mike Knuble for a goal.

Macnow Back at Middays, Ike to Evenings

We previously reported on the rumor that Glen Macnow would be moving from evenings to middays on 610 WIP, and that part of the story has been confirmed. Glen will be opposite his former co-host, 950's Jody Macdonald, who moves from drive time to middays starting on Tuesday. Midday sports talk radio has a lot of class and talent with these two gentlemen. Former Eagles special teamer Ike Reese will be taking Glen's evening slot.

One twist we heard yesterday, which is not yet confirmed, is that Anthony Gargano will join Glen from 2 to 3, then share the 3 to 7 slot with Howard Eskin. Again, this part has not been confirmed, and Laura Nachman says it's only for next week.

SABR Experts Weigh in on Phillies in '08

The following is a guest post from James Beale of Philadelphia's City Paper.  He wrote the CP's Phillies Preview which you can check out here. This post summarizes his preview while providing some additional outtakes for us.  

We decided to put together a non-traditional preview – instead of basic sportswriter analysis, we went to the writers of Baseball Prospectus and The Bill James Handbook, the Wharton Professors who refuted Clemens’ steroid denial, and the author who literally wrote the book on late-season collapses.  Believe it or not, the guys who published “BioOptimizer: Improving Models for Discovery of Transcription Factor Binding Motifs” are the new authority on baseball.

What we found was that Johan Santana makes the Mets clear favorites - unless he doesn’t. Moving Myers to the rotation is both common sense and a daring move, Rowand won’t be missed – except for the significant offensive and defensive decline, and the Mets will not be affected at all by last season – until it ruins this one. Basically we have an upcoming season so close that even the numbers do not fully agree.

For what they have to say about the impact of the Santana trade, the Myers move, the Rowand loss, and the effects of the collapse hit the link above, for their thoughts on everything from the importance of clubhouse leadership to one reserve who could be a diamond in the rough (hint: your guess is wrong), hit the jump:

PSA: There Will Be Traffic

Tonight: Beware of high traffic levels in South Philadelphia as there are three sporting events taking place.  The Sixers take on the Suns at the Wach while the Phillies battle Toronto at CBP in "On deck" action.  And lastly, the Phantoms take on the Nobodies at the Spectrum.  SEPTA is your friend and is running express trains. (Unless of course you run into hoodlums.)

Yeah, But He Could Have Dunked It

Check out this sick alley-oop finish by J.R. Smith on a lob pass from former Sixer Allen Iverson.

Manuel: Eaton Not A Lock For Fifth Starter

The pitching situation didn't exactly sort itself out down in Clearwater this spring.  Those invited to camp appear to have left more questions than answers.  As many have pointed out, after Myers and Hamels, it's pretty much a crap shoot.  Apart from having a shaky fourth and fifth starter, the pen seems to be a few men short as well.

Adam Eaton got *roughed* up yesterday in his final spring tune up.  Charlie "Washee Washee" Manuel didn't seem certain of Eaton's status as the starter in the fifth game of the season, "I don't know.  We'll see when we get there. We've got plenty of time. [Next] Saturday's a long way off. Hell, I might be dead by then."

Dear Charlie, please don't die by Saturday.  Thanks.

Bill Conlin's Aim Is Still Dead-On

Just as Philadelphia is getting into a full-on frenzy for Monday's Opening Day game, Bill Conlin's column brings a forecast as rainy as the one the Weather Channel has for tonight's first On-Deck Series game. If you haven't been reading much Phils coverage during the off-season, Conlin's been in great Clearwater form, but unfortunately, he feels the Phils are not. Sure, their strengths are still strong, but their weaknesses haven't shown any March improvement, and as per usual, Bill hasn't been pulling any punches in his Clearwater summaries. After reading this morning's assessment of the rotation, I'm not sure I need the La Colombe I'm brewing.

Today ol' 1 Chair makes sure we're all aware of the precipitous drop after the Phillies top two starters. Of course, we're all aware of this already, but somehow after reading Bill's barrage, I actually have less confidence in Moyer, Kendrick, and Eaton than I did yesterday, and he barely even discussed them. Great. At this point, you may be wondering why a blogger is extolling the virtues of Bill Conlin, who may have lost some favor with the Net generation over his comments on bloggers and blogging. Fact is, I actually like him more now.

PW Interviews Philly's Favorite Minor League Wife: Anna Benson

On the heels of RHP Kris Benson being reassigned to minor league camp, Philadelphia Weekly's cover is (finally) adorned with Kris's more famous half, Anna. The feature on Mrs. Benson isn't as seductive as her old days on the pole might have been, but it highlights many of Anna's ambitions and newsworthy moments, including a brief mention of her infamous ultimatum. We all knew about that little promise already, so there's not much need to go into all that, but wouldn't it be great if we were posting about her promising to eff Kris's Phillies teammates if he strayed?

>>"I may get a wild hair": The many sides of baseball wife Anna Benson [Philadelphia Weekly]

Aldridge On Thaddeus Young: Proving Everyone Wrong

It's safe to say the majority of people who even cared who the Sixers took in last year's draft thought getting Thaddeus Young with the 12th pick was a horrible move.  In the past few months, Young-- helped by Mo Cheeks lengthening his bench -- has been proving he was a great pick for the Sixers.

+1 Billy King.

The Inquirer's David Aldridge writes about Thaddeus' athleticism, size, humility, and work ethic.  The biggest problem Young brings to the Sixers is that he's a natural three, a position currently occupied by Andre Iguodala.  Coach Cheeks on the issue, "He's going to be able to play wherever you put him out on the floor.  He finds a way to find the ball. He's always around the rim. He defends threes and fours, and obviously fours can't run with him. They can't guard him. But I think his best position is three [small forward]."

Too much talent at one position.  Not exactly the worst problem in the world.

The Dude's Child (Coitus?) is Quite The Ballplayer

Lenny Dykstra has a son -- named Cutter! -- who is a star high school ballplayer.  He's played shortstop but recently moved to the outfield.  Scouts aren't quite sure where he fits best.  It appears his play picks up where Nails left off but his mother adds an important note saying Cutter is "not a pigpen away from baseball, like Lenny. He's more refined."

Cutter Dykstra, 18, is one of the nation’s finest high school baseball prospects and a possible first-round pick in the June draft. While many major league sons feel confined by their father’s legacy, the younger Dykstra revels in it. He is a brad off the old Nails.
...
Cutter Dykstra, merely one inch taller than his 5-foot-10 father, carries the same speedy, hard-nosed hyperactivity to the game. (And the recognizable Dykstra, well, posterior.) Scouts adore his fiery makeup and envision him as a top-of-the-order hitter similar to his father ...

Well if he has an as like the Dude, he's sure to make it in the bigs.

Related: Lenny was also profiled in a lengthy piece in the New Yorker a week or so back.  It's a fascinating look at the quirky former outfielder who is now chums with Mad Money's Jim Cramer as opposed to, say, Dave Hollins.

The Most Cursed Sports City: Philly or Cleveland

When we were approached by the fine folks at BallHype to participate in a "Spotlight Series: Fightin' Words" debate over which sports city was more cursed, Philly or Cleveland, the first question that came to mind was, "Which side do you want me to take?" Usually, when I'm in a debate regarding Philly sports, I'm defending our virtues and pointing out the flaws of the other team. In this debate, I would be doing the opposite—making the case for our unparalleled futility.

My worthy adversary was Scott Sargent of Waiting for Next Year fame. WFNY is a great Cleveland sports blog, and I joked with Scott that if it were started by Philadelphians, it might be called "Pissed Off About Last Year." Cleveland's suckitude is well documented, particularly in its amazing championship drought and its temporary loss of its football franchise, which promptly won a Super Bowl in Baltimore, so my task wasn't going to be easy. We had a nice tête à tête, but in the end, I fear the Roots vs. Bone Thugs N Harmony might have tipped the scales in Cleveland's favor.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend signing up for BallHype. It's a great source of interesting stories from both sports blogs and the MSM. Thanks to Jason and Erin from BallHype, and Tom from Sactown Royalty for the invitation.

The debate.

Charlie Manuel's Memoirs of Geisha Girls

Philadelphia Magazine's Matthew Teague has put together a really interesting feature on Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, entitled, "Charlie Manuel: Inside the Mind of a ... Genius?" There's a preview up at their Web site, but we heard Teague on the WIP Morning Show, and they got into some great stories about Uncle Charlie.

The first was about his keen ability as a hitting instructor. Teague said Charlie took him out onto the empty field, a cup of coffee in one hand, and a plate of biscuits and gravy in the other, and proceeded to give him a lesson in the finer points of the swing. Angelo could barely contain himself in getting to the next topic of interest in the article: Charlie's run in with Japanese comfort women during his time in the Land of the Rising Sun. A clipping from the Philly Mag article detailing what happened during Charlie's first trip to the bath house after the jump.

Weather Report: Five Day Outlook

Weather.com: Monday, March 31: Partly cloudy with a 10% chance of precipitation, high of 50 degrees.

McNabb's Picking Upsets in Tourny

In case you were wondering who Donovan McNabb is picking in the sweet 16: NOT Villanova! He likes Davidson over Wisconsin and Louisville over Tennessee.  Donovan calls these upset specials but really they're both very capable of happening.[Yardbarker]

Andre Miller Drops 18 Assists in Blowout Over Bulls

The Eastern Conference is taking notice of the Sixers, who are actually looking like a team that might cause some trouble in a first-round series in the playoffs. The Bulls are the latest victim, getting bombed out by the Sixers, 121-99, in South Philly. Andre Young Miller messed around and damn near had a triple-double, with 18 assists, 8 boards, and 9 points. Andre Iguodala put up 21 points and 9 dimes, and the Sixers jumped up a half game (and one seeding) in the standings. Michael Barkann tells us that since February 5, they're an astonishing 19-5, and if they can stay anywhere near this hot, some higher seed will have its hands full come playoff time. At only 3 games out of fourth in the conference, if they get hotter, they could end up the higher seed in that matchup.

Gagne Could Play if Flyers Make Cup Finals

The increasingly sad story that is Simon Gagne's '07-'08 season may yet have a happy ending, but only if the team makes it to the Stanley Cup finals. 

"If we go all the way this year, you might see me skating again and getting ready again," Gagne said Wednesday. "But, no, I'm not coming back."

Personally, I think if they get that far without him, and his concussion issues have been bad enough to shelve him for the season, then it's just not worth the risk to have him take the ice, regardless of what's at stake. But ya know, ask me again in the event the Flyers pull off a miracle and actually get to the finals and I might have a different answer.

I Know What You Did Last Spring Break

As some of you may or may not have noticed, I was not writing on the site last week.  Rob, Meech, and Matt did just fine without me.  In unrelated news, I have about a two month old MacBook that has iMovie on it and I wanted to give it a test drive before the Phillies season comes around.  After the jump, my first foray into iMovie making.

Richie Ashburn Documentary Trailer

Like most people in their twenties, my memories of Richie Ashburn are of him going back and forth in the booth with Harry Kalas.  We hear he was a heck of a ball player in his day.

A new documentary about Whitey titled Richie Ashburn: A Baseball Life is being released and prominently features the voice of Philadelphia.  Just a few short days before the first Phillies game of the season, this Harry heavy clip should get you pumped for a long summer.  More details about the movie after the jump.

Benson Wants to Stick Around, Blackley Released

Although the Phillies did not add Kris Benson to their 40-man roster, the pitcher did not opt out of his contract during his 24-hour window to do so. Todd Zolecki quotes Benson as follows:

"I'm feeling good with the clubhouse and the pitching coach and the manager," Benson said. "The winning attitude here, the excitement going into the season, it's all a win-win situation from my standpoint. From their standpoint, they have another starting pitcher they can count on down the road."

We're glad to see Benson is staying despite a likely contract restructuring. If Adam Eaton doesn't work out (imagine that), Benson may be recovered by then and ready to throw again. It's not like the Phillies have much of a backup plan at present.

Travis Blackley also didn't make the club, and Paul Hagen reports that his locker was mysteriously cleared out without any announcement of his release.

Blackley's locker was cleared out yesterday morning, but no announcement was made on the status of the Rule 5 draft choice. According to sources, he has cleared waivers.

All the Phillies would say is that, if he has cleared waivers, he now has the choice of accepting assignment to their Triple A Lehigh Valley farm team or to Fresno, the Triple A affiliate of the Giants, the team the Phillies selected him from. Or he can choose to become a free agent.

The Phillies hope they can keep Blackley and speculate that the Giants would choose not to keep him if he is offered back to them. "I'd like to see anybody stay who can get outs," Manuel said.

We've been Blackley fans ever since reading this, but now we mostly know him as the guy who broke Curtis Granderson's finger last week.

Henson on 950 Shakeup: I Sooo Called This and Deserve All the Credit

News of the lineup and schedule changes at 950 WPEN/ESPN have been met with mixed reviews so far, which is about as good as anyone can hope for when it comes to the sports talk radio business. One person who's never shy about voicing his opinion is Gregg Henson, 950's former former morning show host and PD. In a recent blog post, Henson states that he'd suggested these changes when he was with the station, and that they may even be why he was canned. (Having only experienced Triple-G on the airwaves, we have a different opinion, but that's neither here nor there.)

This week WPEN picked up ESPN, moved Jody MacDonald to Midday and hired a Philly sports talk veteran, Mike Missnelli to host afternoon drive. Odd, these were exactly the changes I outlined and fought for while I was the PD and in the end it cost me my job.  When I went to my bosses with this exact plan, I was seen as a malcontent who wasn't willing to work with the staff I had inherited.  I was told to shut up and give the current station a "positive spin."

After the jump, Henson takes aim at his former bosses, throwing gasoline and lit cigs all over any bridge that might have been in place.

Finally, a Hoops Video Game That Emphasizes the Fundamentals

(Thanks to reader Will for sending this in, via The Big Lead)

Audio: The700Level.com Guest Segment With WIP's Brian Startare

For the select few of you who were not up early this morning listening to 610 WIP's show with Brian Startare at 1:15 AM, I've gone and posted the audio below.  I was on discussing a few of the posts that appeared on The700Level.com yesterday.  So if you feel like listening to me ramble, jump away.

Um, and whatnot.

Barack Obama Can Save The NBA

NBA guru Tom Ziller over at FanHouse makes the argument that Barack Obama can save the NBA.  TZ writes:

After Obama's speech last Tuesday [Ed. note: In Philadelphia!], Americans experienced one of those rare-as-Clippers-in-the-playoffs moments to discuss race issues -- in the media, at the water cooler, around the dinner table -- with something approaching civility. Sports fans haven't dealt with the issue in a big way since Jackie Robinson and Texas Western. Things have changed since the '60s, obviously. But racism is still around us. Heck, look at last year's Jazz-Warriors series.

The whole thing is an interesting read.  I don't think he gives Sir Charles enough credit in terms of electability, however.

Here's another interesting read, which also mentions the above Obama speech, by The Sporting News' Bethlehem Shoals Nathaniel Friedman about the world warming up to Allen Iverson.  Personally, we've been warm for quite a while.

Die Braves! But Jeff Francoeur's Alright.

If you've ever sat in right field for a Braves game in Philly, you've heard some fun back and forth between the fans and the outfielder with quite the cannon.  Over at the Daily News, Francoeur talks of his affection for Philly fans and a tale of him flapping the Eagle wings after the Falcons beat the Birds a few years back.

"They thought it was funny," he said. "Every time we go there, they're all over me. But I interact with them. I think they enjoy that and have fun with it. It's just a fun place to play. It's a place that I think I would have fun playing. Because if you play hard, the fans will love you. That's all they want.

"It's a fun time. I love it. I eat cheesesteaks all the time, love to walk the streets and enjoy my time up there."

One particular impression of Philly: "All I know is that the little kids get started early yelling at you," he said with a laugh. "I remember turning around and seeing 5- and 6-year-old kids screaming at me and thinking, 'Wow, they teach 'em young up here.' " *

We teach 'em young indeed.

Lists! Neyer's 50 Best Disses Howard

Lists are obviously a subjective thing but they're also good conversation starters.  ESPN's Rob Neyer ranks his 50 best MLB players in terms of the next 5 years.  Chase Utley is the highest Phillie at number 8 and Young James comes in at 16th.  Perhaps the biggest surprise was his valuation of Ryan Howard who came in at 45th.

He's obviously a devastating hitter, but he has virtually no value when he's not in the batter's box and may average more than 200 strikeouts per season over the next five years. And at 28, he may already have played his best.

And Cole Hamels? Nowhere to be found.  Right.

Jay Wright: College Basketball Is a Religion in Philly

With Villanova headed to the Sweet 16 and Temple and St. Joe's looking toward next year, the local spotlight is squarely on Jay Wright and the Wildcats. And what better regional and national representative for a program is there than Wright? He says all the um... correct things, he coaches with intensity, and his team has won at least two games in the NCAA tournament three times in his seven seasons as Nova's head coach.

Rooting for another Big 5 team can be tricky business for the countless alums of Philly schools living in the area. Some treat it as a never-ending war and refuse to support anyone but their alma mater. Others drop the face paint once their team is out and support the guys left standing because they're Philly sports fans no matter what. However, although Villanova and St. Joe's have passionate fanbases, but they also seem to draw the ire of opposing teams' supporters more than the other local programs. There are a few reasons for this, but for Villanova, the most significant may that under the previous regime, they backed out of Big 5 play for a while in the hopes of avoiding the inevitable loss or two that comes along with intense rivalries. As kids, many of us became 'Nova fans when they stunned the nation in 1985, but some of that support gradually diminished when Steve Lappas was in town.

Wright brought a lot of local fans back into 'Nova Nation when he rekindled the local series and in a short time took the program back to national prominence. He showed loyalty to the program and the city when he turned down offers offers for more "prominent" coaching jobs, like Kentucky, to stay in Philly. After the jump, there's some great audio of Wright on yesterday's 950 morning show talking about the Big 5 and the passion this city has for basketball.

'Nova Will Have to Face Kansas Without Drummond

Team doctors have recommended no further dancing for Villanova center Casiem Drummond, who has been diagnosed with a broken ankle. Drummond will undergo surgery today, and his season is unfortunately over.

The daunting task of taking down 1-seed Kansas just got a whole lot tougher.

Video: Sixers Over Celtics Highlights

The Sixers beating the Celtics last night was so enjoyable, we thought we'd do another post about it.  C's coach Doc Rivers spoke highly of the young Sixer squad.

"[The Sixers] just play hard. They don't do any tricks or anything like that. They just are aggressive, athletic; they play hard, and if you let them hang around they'll beat you because they are a team, a young team. When it gets close, they start seeing the finish line, and then you have to deal with that energy and that athleticism. And we didn't do a very good job of that.''

Sounds about right.  Highlights after the jump.

Sixers Come From Behind to Stun Celtics

After trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, the Sixers stormed back in Boston to beat the mighty Celtics 95-90.  Andre Iguodala led the way with 28 points while Andre Miller added 20, 6, and 6.  The Sixers added 30 points from the charity stripe and are one game over five hundred for the first time all season.

This Sixers win is just the latest in an impressive late season stretch during which they've beaten the defending champion Spurs and now this season's best Eastern team, the Boston Celtics.

It looks like the Sixers will in fact be a playoff team and with the way they're playing, they could really give a high seed a head ache.  The Sixers now have one more win than their entire 2006-2007 campaign.

Loyal reader, Goot, says Andre Iguodala played with confidence and added some of his authority slams that we've come to love him for.

The Sixers!  They're good, people.

Upon Watching Bull Durham...

I'm faced with this question: At what point was Susan Sarandon (A) young or (B) attractive? She's supposed to be the sexpot in this flick, and she looks like the Crypt Keeper. 

At least today, the minor league phenoms are doing better.

In related news, we're now a few hours less than 1 week away from Opening Day.

Lidge to Start Season on DL

Awesome news today out of Clearwater: Phillies closer Brad Lidge has been placed on the 15 day disabled list and will not be available a week from today when the Phils open their season up at Citizens Bank Park.

Pitching issues have been the main concern this spring and word that Lidge won't be ready to go on opening day is certainly discouraging.   Since the Phillies, historically, have been such a great team out of the gate, I'm not too worried about the absence of Lidge.  Plus, they have Tom Gordon to fill right in.

This bit from the ESPN posting makes me giggle: "In other news, there is no timetable for when Kris Benson, who is coming back from rotator cuff surgery, will throw off a mound. The right-hander has been playing catch."

Shane Victorino is Not a Bibliophile, Into Snuff Films?

I, like most Phillies fans, love Shane Victorino.  It's with that fact stated that I can question a number of his responses in this video of him on Philly.com.  When asked what the last book he read was, Shane draws a blank, "can't remember."  Fair enough, you're a busy guy playing centerfield, stealing bases and all.  But what do you do on all those long plane rides out to the west coast?  Poker with the boys has to get old, no?  I'd at least make something up to save some face with the FreeDarko types.

Quick aside: the last book I read was my own autographed copy -- "Love 700 Level lots!" in illegible penmanship -- of Will Leitch's God Save the Fan while on vacation last week.  Not exactly heavy lifting.  A fun read, good for the beach, but not as much new material as I was hoping for.  I definitely had a couple of those moments when you're reading something and nodding your head thinking, "Yes! He gets it."  One minor thing I disagreed with was Will's opinion that beat reporters serve no purpose.  I think it would make fans have to work a lot harder to keep abreast of everything without beat guys.

Where was I?  Oh, and Shane's favorite movie?  The Passion of the Christ.  Really, Shane?  We'll give you a pass cause you loved Bob Marley's lifestyle.

Reviewing The Abreu Trade

The Hardball Times takes in in depth look at the Bobby Abreu trade.  At the time, the Yankees appeared to get a steal in terms of talent while the Phillies got rid of that mammoth contract.  In my opinion, it seemed to work out pretty evenly.  The Hardball Times agrees, calling the deal a "tie."

Inquirer Chronicles the Superlative Phillies Outfielders

In the midst of the spring training wasteland of exciting Phillies fodder, Don McKee's list of the "best's" and "most's" among Phillies all-time outfielders is definitely worth a read. He didn't pull any