IronPigs To Don Bacon-Themed Uniforms

This story came from USA Today earlier today. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, are going to wear a “Bacon-Themed” uniform in games this year. Check out the “For The Win” column. I feel like I need one of these caps for the collection. One question: Is it “Scratch-and-Sniff?”

Utley Returns in a Major Way, Howard Getting Closer

Philadelphia fans have been anxiously awaiting good news concerning two of the team’s biggest stars and power brokers, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, as the team floundered at the bottom of the NL East standings. But, sitting just 8 1/2 games out despite the absence of their ace, Roy Halladay, and these two behemoths, there […]

Rookies on Your Mind: Harper Gets to Hamels, Middlebrooks Dominates

The boos from the Los Angeles crowd one week ago trumpeted the arrival of a new villain in Major League Baseball, someone to move the needle and pique the interest of casual fans. On Sunday night, Bryce Harper was on display for the national audience in a home tilt. He wasted no time getting the […]

Phillies DL Switch: Polanco Out, Madson Back

The Phillies activated reliever Ryan Madson from the disabled list on Friday for the weekend series against the Mets. Madson had been sidelined with a hand injury since mid-June. He was recalled following a one-inning rehab outing at Class-A Clearwater. Madson reclaims the closer role for the first-place Phillies. Antonio Bastardo returns to the setup […]

On the Comeback Trail: Brad Lidge Pitches at Double-A

Brad Lidge started his rehab assignment on Monday night for Double-A Reading. Lidge retired the side in order and his velocity reached the low-90s. For the time being, Antonio Bastardo remains the closer in Philadelphia while Lidge, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras are on the mend. Madson will begin his rehabilitation assignment on Wednesday.

Many Questions in 2011, but Doc is the Answer

On Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox dropped their six consecutive game to open the season. Jon Lester pitched well, but he couldn’t inspire the team’s high-priced bats. The Rays’ hitting woes continued in Chicago, as Edwin Jackson mowed them down on a chilly day in Chicago. With the sky falling for a number of would-be […]

2011 MLB Playoff Predictions

I went forward with my playoff and World Series predictions in our FOXSports.com Baseball Preview Show on Wednesday night. I list them here for the record. Mock away. NL West — Colorado NL Central — Milwaukee NL East — Philadelphia NL Wild Card — San Francisco ————————————— AL West — Oakland AL Central — Chicago […]

The Fourth Horseman Deals: Hamels Owns Sox

We’ve spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of the Philadelphia rotation this off-season. Joe Blanton has been the afterthought of the quintet, with former World Series hero Hamels not receiving much more attention. Cliff Lee’s ridiculous numbers, pinpoint control and spurning of a huge offer by the Yankees and Roy Halladay’s dominance obviously […]

Big Apple Bust: Cliff Lee Joins The Phils

It was assumed all along that Cliff Lee would be wowed by a huge contract and make the trek up to the East coast to join the Yankees. Lee will still move North for the 2011 season but, in a shocker, he returns to Philadelphia. The Phillies now boast baseball’s version of “The Four Horsemen.” […]

Game 6 Finale: Was That Enrico Palazzo?

So, the World Series is now set. Following some brilliant bullpen work, the Giants vanquished the Phillies to advance. Jonathan Sanchez fizzled as the Game 6 starter, but the bullpen shut the door. Of course, the bearded one was there in the end. Sure, he provided San Francisco fans and the FOX viewing audience some […]

Prediction Time for MLB

Well, there’s already one game in the books, so I can still do this without feeling much hate. After all, I’m still putting the Yankees in the mix for the playoffs. I’m not going to put up a 9,000-word diatribe here. We’ve been banging on the position-by-position analysis of each team for months. So, I’m […]