Eye On Philly Sports

The Phillies really need to consider how they are employing their $50 million closer, Jonathan Papelbon.

Or should I say, how they are not using him.

So far, manager Charlie Manual has played by “the book,” only using Papelbon in save situations.

Their best reliever has not thrown a pitch in 5 games in which the Phillies have lost in a last at-bat.

Granted, “the book” says not to use your closer in a tie game on the road.

I say, forget “the book.”

The Phillies are paying Papelbon a ton of money and he is their best pitcher in the bullpen.

Who cares if he gets a save?  He needs to be out there at the most important part of the game.

I understand he cannot pitch every night, but consider that the Phillies lost an important division game to the first place Washington Nationals last night with Papelbon on the bench and Michael Schwimer laboring through three innings and over 50 pitches.

Why not throw Papelbon out there in the 11th inning and then take another shot at winning the game in the 12th.

I give credit to Schwimer giving the Phillies innings that they need it, but when the guy is clearly having trouble throwing strikes, it is time to get him out of there.

There was a missed call in which Carlos Ruiz hit a ball down the line that was clearly fair yet called foul and another missed call in which Shane Victorino was called out on a steal of third in which he was clearly safe.  But these two things are out of the Phillies control.

When to use Papelbon is something Manual has control over.  And for crying out loud, it is time to throw out “the book.”

Claude Giroux and Danny Briere said all of the right things after a Game 3 loss to the New Jersey Devils, which put the bad-guys ahead 2-1 in the series.

“The pressure is on us and no guy on this team is going to quit,” Giroux said.  It’s going to be a wake-up call.  We’ve got a good series now.  They’re a good team, they score goals and they play good defensively.  We need to wake up a bit.”

“The last two games, the overall effort on the power play just was not good enough,” Briere said.  “It seems like we just think they’re going to let us do whatever we want.”

I like the fact that Giroux and Briere are calling out their team. The problem is that the Flyers did not play with any sense of urgency in Game 2 and went through stretches of Game 3 with a lackluster performance.

At times, it has looked like the Devils have had 10 guys on the ice at a time to the Flyers five.

They have out-hustled the Flyers.  Their fore-check has been unbelievable.  Getting out of their own zone has been an adventure for the Flyers.

Photo from yahoo.com

On top of that, the Devils have had a lot of success cycling the puck in the offensive zone.  I’ve forgotten many times during the last two games that the Flyers do in fact have five guys on the ice just like the Devils.

The Flyers need to get back to being aggressive.  They need to hit and be physical.  They need to stop just chasing the Devils.

Another issue is that the Flyers are trying to set themselves up for a perfect goal.  In two power plays in overtime, they managed just one shot.

Just shoot the puck!

The Flyers backs are to the wall now.  A loss in game 4 would put them down 3-1 in the series, a place they cannot be.

Not too many days ago, after the Flyers had dismantled Cup favorite Pittsburgh and took a 1-0 lead on New Jersey, a trip to the Stanley Cup finals seemed inevitable.

Now, not so much.

With that being said, this is still a winnable series.

The Flyers just need to wake up and answer the call.

I guess the so-called experts were dead wrong.

Picked my many to win the Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the NHL playoffs today.

Nobody gave the Flyers a chance in this series.  But they showed resiliency, coming back from two and three goal deficits early in the series and then playing a solid 60 minutes in game six to eliminate their cross-town rivals.

There is nothing like eliminating your rival from the playoffs, especially when they are the favorites and will be headed to the golf course after one round.

Claude Giroux, who amazing is not recognized by many as one of the top players in the league, carried the Flyers on his back today.

Within 32 seconds he had decked Pens captain Cindy Crosby and staked the Flyers to a one-goal lead.

Prior to the start of the game Giroux approached Flyers coach Peter Laviolette and said, “I don’t know who you’re planning on starting, but I want that first shift.”

Now that is a guy I want on my team.

Giroux set the tone and the Flyers went on to a 5-1 win.

The Flyers superstar finished the series with six goals and eight assists.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous coming into this game.  The Pens had won two in a row and had the momentum.  Win in game six and then both teams were in an “anything can happen” game.

Giroux’s early goal settled the nerves quite a bit for both myself and the sellout crowd.

It was great to see the Flyers play a complete game, both offensively and defensively, for the first time this series.

And with that, it is on to the second round.  See ya Penguins.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are an absolute embarrassment.

During a series in which they have been outplayed and now trail three games to none, the Pens took to taking cheap shots on the Flyers yesterday.

Led by the so-called NHL poster boy, Cindy Crosby started both of the games major scrums.   In the first period, he hacked at Flyers goalie Illya Bryzgalov’s glove when he clearly had control of the puck.  Then, as Jakub Voracek went to pick up his glove off of the ice, Crosby flicked it away with his stick.  The Flyers went after Crosby and Kris Letang came to his rescue.  Letang and Kimmo Timonen fought and both were given game-misconducts.

Crosby and Giroux wrestled to the ice, and as Giroux was on the ground, Crosby continued throwing punches.

“I don’t like any guy on their team. So [Voracek's] glove was near me, he went to pick up and I pushed it,” Crosby said.

When asked why he does not like them, Crosby said, “Because I don’t like them. I don’t like any guy on their team.” … “Was I supposed to sit there and pick up his glove for him? What was I supposed to do?”

Huh?

How about just leave his glove alone?

Aaron Asham also took to the cheap shots in the first, cross-checking Brayden Schenn in the throat and then punching his face into the ice as he lay there defenseless.

James Neal took a run at Sean Couturier in the third, leaving his feel and leveling him when the puck was not even around.  He also took a run at Giroux.

Of course, the Flyers went after Neal.  As everything was settling down, Crosby grabbed Scott Hartnell by the back of the jersey and attempted to take him down.  Of course, Craig Adams came to the defense of the crybaby and then tussled with Hartnell.  Again, someone else had to take care of the mess Crosby started.

So with that, I was curious to see not only what the national media had to say but also some Penguins fans.  To my surprise, the NHL’s darlings were actually ripped by both.  It’s about time the Penguins are seen for who they really are – a bunch of cheap shot, whining babies.

• Pittsburgh Tribune

Don’t come back here.  Not until you`re ready to use — and keep — your heads. Not until you’re prepared to take the ice with some semblance of dignity, discipline and, yeah, maybe even a shift or two of defense.

Want to send a busload of call-ups from Wilkes-Barre?

Go nuts. It`s right up the road.

Those kids, even the full-time knuckle-draggers, wouldn`t soil the franchise`s reputation like Arron Asham did with his disgraceful stick assault on Brayden Schenn, that before jabbing Schenn while face-down on the ice. The NHL`s suspension should be fierce.

Those Wilkes-Barre kids wouldn`t waste half the afternoon petulantly chasing personal grudges, either. Kris Letang killed the Penguins` early momentum with his stupid, selfish cross-check, then saw fit to get tossed for fighting while another fight was going on. Chris Kunitz was no sharper when slashing a Flyer in the attacking zone when the Penguins again had something going in the third. James Neal`s later hit that wiped out Sean Couturier wasn`t nearly as bad as folks here fussed about, but it was well away from the puck.

Even Sidney Crosby lost his cool, inexplicably risking his health by fighting Claude Giroux — though Crosby assured me nothing landed — and whacking his way all over the rink.

• Fans in reply to Pittsburgh Post Gazette story

He’s an excellent player, no doubt the most skilled player on the ice, but he’s a weasel.

Been a pens fan my entire life yesterday was first time I was ashamed of the franchise.

I’m embarrassed to be a pens fan.

I am a Pens season ticket holder and I think I am done with this team. The way they’ve played the last 3 games, all they are doing is cheap shots and gooning.

• Sports Illustrated.com

I can’t believe a team as clean as the Mario Lemieux-owned Pittsburgh Penguins could resort to garage-league hockey in a playoff game.

But no longer can Lemieux’s Penguins pretend to play the role of innocent bystanders in a league of ruffians after Sunday’s WrestleMania Game 3 between the Flyers and Pens.

Not only did the Penguins lose decidedly on the scoreboard in Game 3, they lost some face as an organization.

Fact is, Pittsburgh looked like an opponent of Hulk Hogan’s in a 1980s WWF match. They got in a bunch of cheap shots but nonetheless were waved out of the building as vanquished losers by the “na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye” Philly crowd.

I have never liked the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They are a bunch of cheap shot artists, led by their whiny baby captain Cindy Crosby.

The national media loves the Pens.  In fact, most picked them to win the Stanley Cup.

Well, I only have one thing to say after the Flyers took a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-7 first round series with an 8-4 win on Sunday – take that you dirty, instigating cry babies.

Game 3 was every bit as physical as I expected this entire series to be.

At the same time, what the Penguins pulled on Sunday was an absolute disgrace.

Of course, it all started with Crosby.  During a stoppage in the first period, Jakub Voracek was bending down to pick up his glove off of the ice.  Crosby flicked his glove away with his stick, which led to a melee.  Crosby and Claude Giroux dropped the gloves and then Flyers defensemen Kimmo Timonen tangled with Kris Letang.  Both were given game misconducts.

When asked after the game about hitting Voracek’s glove, Crosby stated that he does not like the Flyers “because I don’t like any guy on their team,.”  Ok, I am cool with that.  But when he said next was absolutely ridiculous.  He then said, “what am I supposed to do, pick it up for him?”  No, but how about being a good sport and just not touching it at all?

Late in the period, Penguins forward Aaron Asham was given a 5-minute major and tossed from the game after cross-checking Brayden Scheen in the throat and then punching his face into the ice.

What a coward.  He better get suspended for that.

There were 72 penalty minutes in the first period alone.

Later in the game, James Neal became public enemy number one.  He took a run at Sean Couturier, leaving his feet and drilling the Flyers rookie who has shut down star Evgeni Malkin this series.  Later, Neal took a run at Giroux.

The NHL has to do something about this.  The question is, will they penalize their darling Penguins?  Probably not.

In all, there were 158 penalty minutes in the game.

Oh yeah, there was some hockey played too.

There was not much in terms of defense or goal tending, but the offense sure was exciting.

As has been the case in all three games, the Penguins took an early lead.  The Flyers stormed back with the next three goals, two by Danny Briere.

The Flyers had a 4-2 lead by the end of the first period and led 6-4 after two.

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled at the end of the second.  Backup goalie Brent Johnson did not fare much better, allowing Giroux to score on the first shot of the period.

Briere, Matt Read, and Max Talbot all had two goals for the Flyers.  But this game was a lot more about the Penguins cheap shots and the physical play.

There are scores to settle, but what ultimately matters, Flyers fan chanted perfectly at the end of the game – “You can’t beat us.”

All along I have been of the opinion that the Phillies need to resign Jimmy Rollins.

Yes, his skills are diminishing and likely will continue to head south, but he is their leader.

Rollins means much more to the Phillies swagger than his bat does to their lineup.

But maybe, just maybe, the better thing to do would be to let Rollins walk.  After all, something has got to change.

The Flyers were in a similar position this past off-season.  A year after losing in the Cup finals, they took a step backwards, losing to the Boston Bruins in the second round of the playoffs.  They needed something to change.

GM Paul Holmgren made some very difficult decisions, trading two of their best players in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, while freeing up money to sign Illya Bryzgalov to play goalie.

Yes, the Flyers lost two very good players.  But they needed to change the dynamic.

In the same sense, the Phillies need to change their dynamic.

While they have been dynamic in the regular season (they have been the best team in the majors the past two seasons), the Phillies have taken a step backwards in each of the last three seasons.

After winning the World Series in 2008, the Phils lost in the World Series in 2009, lost in the NLCS in 2010, and lost in the NLDS in 2011.

While they have continued to add pieces to their pitching staff, they continue to struggle at the plate in key situations.

Changing the dynamic by letting Rollins walk is extremely risky.  This is why I have been more on the side of the fence of signing Rollins for another three years.

But if they do, what changes?

The answer is nothing.

Yes, they will have a new left fielder.  They likely will also have a new closer.

But more needs to change.

I don’t have the solution to how to fill the hole Rollins would leave.  Maybe it is a short one year deal for an older player until Freddy Galvis is ready to play in the majors.  Maybe they give Galvis a chance to play.

I’m still not so sure letting Rollins go is the best idea.  But what I am sure of is that something needs to change.  This seems to be the one area where the Phils have the biggest opportunity to do just that.

I don’t know what to do with myself.  Christmas morning twice in one day?

A little bit before 7 pm tonight I checked csnphilly.com on my phone, seeing the headline Nnamdi!!

Wow – the Eagles got the prized free agent of this years class. 

Really?

It was a stunner.  Asomugha was certain to go to the Jets, right?

Wrong.

Asomugha is so good that he only had 33 passes thrown his way last season, when he was a member of the Oakland Raiders.  That is unbelievable.

The Eagles now have three shut-down corners in Asomugha, Antonio Rodgers-Cramarte, and Asante Samuel.  Good luck beating them in the air.

This was not the only exciting move of the day in Philadelphia.

The Phillies, already World Series favorites, made yet another major trade.

One again, Ruben Amaro got his guy, bringing Hunter Pence to the Phils from the Houston Astros.

Pence, a right-handed bat, will fit right into the five-hole for the Phils.  And thanfully, the Phils did not have to give up Domonic Brown or Vance Worley.

Gone are top prospects Jared Cosart and Jonathan Singleton, as well as two lower tiered prospects.

Who cares.  The Phillies are built to win now, and they are in a better position to do that.

I’m not even sure which I’m more excited about.

Phillies manager Charlie Manual is asking for a right handed bat, and rightfully so.  The Phillies need a power bat behind Ryan Howard to protect him and split up all of the lefty hitters.

The only problem is that there is not a guy out there who is a major upgrade over what they already have.

Carolos Beltran is not coming over from the Mets.  His salary is too high and the Mets will ask for a kings ransom to trade him to a division rival.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham is hitting .249 with 12 home runs.  San Diego Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick is hitting .243 with 11 home runs.  Neither is an upgrade over Raul Ibanez, who is hitting .244 with 13 home runs.

The Phillies best option is to make a move where they can have the biggest impact.

Enter Padres closer Heath Bell.

Bell is a stud closer who has 26 saves and sports an ERA of 2.61.

Some will make the argument that the Phillies don’t need another reliever because Halladay, Lee, Hamels (and maybe Oswalt if he comes back healthy) consistently go deep in games.

True, but when it comes to close games in the playoffs, which the Phillies are bound to have with their sometimes anemic offense, there are going to be times when they need to pinch hit for their starting pitcher to try and scratch out a run.

Currently, the Phillies only have three reliabble arms out of the bullpen.

Ryan Madson, back from injury, will settle back into the closers role. 

Antonio Bastardo has arguably been one of the best relievers in baseball.  He  has only allowed three runs in 34 innings and has done an admirable job in the closer rill while Madson was out.

Michael Stutes has been very good with a 3.45 ERA in 31 innings.

Juan Perez has been decent since being called up from Triple A, but is not a proven pitcher yet as he has only pitched in four innings.  He may be a good situational pitcher in the playoffs, who is called in to get one left handed hitter out.

Besides that, does anyone trust Kyle Kendrick, David Herndon, Danys Baez, Mike Zagurski, or Andrew Carpenter?

This is where Bell comes in.

Like it or not, getting a mid-level right handed bat is not going to vault the Phillies lineup into another atmosphere.  The Philies are going to need to continue to scratch out wins and come out on the right end of close games.

They have the starting pitching to keep them in games.  But, they are going to need to rely on their bullpen to do the same.  They need another guy.

I would certainly feel comfortable with the late innings being covered by Madson, Bastardo, Stutes, and Bell.

Relief pitching is the way to go for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro at this trade deadline.  This is where the biggest impact can be made.  Amaro has always valued arms.  He needs to stay on the same path.

Heath Bell is the guy.

Boy is it nice to have Cliff Lee back in a Phillies uniform.

In what many consider a preview of this years World Series, Cliff Lee dominated the best offense in baseball on the way to a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night.

It was Lee’s third straight shutout.  He finished the month of June allowing only one run in 42 innings.

Wow.

Domonic Brown had the big blow for the Phillies with a two run shot in the second.

Lee also produced at the plate, receiving a standing ovation for a sac fly in the fifth inning.

Not that Lee needed it, but Shane Victorino gave the Phillies even more breathing room with a two run homer in the sixth inning.

Boston’s mighty offense managed only two hits against Lee, with their first hit not coming until the sixth inning.

Lee’s ERA for the month was .21.  Say that again – .21.

And just think, if they meet in the World Series, Lee would not pitch until game 2.

The NHL is about to take on a whole new look.

According to reports, the NHL has plans to make major changes to its conference and division alignment.

The report states that the league would have four divisions, two with eight teams and two with seven teams.

This would be a major change from the current format, which has six divisions of five teams each.

It will be interesting to see the layout of the divisions.