Ryan Howard and history

In what can best be described as not a moment too late, Ryan Howard will make his much anticipated return to the Phillies line-up tonight. The real question is, not will Howard lead the Phillies on a second half run back into the playoff race, but will his extended absence lead Phillie fans to be more appreciative of his big bat? Does absence truly make the heart grow fonder?

Yes, Ryan Howard strikes out. Sometimes with men in scoring position. Sometimes with the game on the line. But the powerful slugger also hits home runs and drives in runners at a historic rate. Unsure of Howard's place among the game's great sluggers? Chew on the following stats.
Howard is one of four players to hit 45 or more home runs and drive in at least 135 RBI in four consecutive seasons. The other three? A legend by the name of Babe Ruth, a future Hall of Famer in Ken Griffey Jr. and a cork bat swinging, steroid user in Sammy Sosa. Pretty decent company.

Yes, Howard's stats have declined in 2010-2011. But so have all of baseball's power numbers. These were also the first two seasons when Howard missed any real time due to injuries. Still, the Big Piece managed to set a club record by bashing over 30 home runs and 100 RBI in his fifth and sixth consecutive seasons. Howard also holds the major league record for quickest to reach 100, 150, 200 and 250 home runs.

Does Howard strike out too much? Sure. But what power hitter doesn't? Would his batting average be higher if he made more contact? Of course, but it would also be higher if not for the dreaded shift employed whenever he bats.  Could Howard lay down a bunt down the third base line and get an occasional infield single? Sure, but how many HRs would he sacrifice doing that? Besides if Howard hit over .300 with record breaking power, he wouldn't just be the greatest power hitter of his generation, but he'd be in the conversation as one of the top players of all time. Is it truly fair to criticize a player 'cause he's not quite one of the Greatest of All Time?

Does Howard hold the record for strike outs in a World Series? Yes. Does he also hold the record for most consecutive games in a single postseason with an RBI? Yes. Is Ryan Howard a player without flaws? Of course not. But the closest thing to a flawless player we've seen is a big-headed, steroid using snarly fellow by the name of Barry Bonds. What Ryan Howard is is a player who strikes fear in the hearts of pitchers and makes managers alike, stabilizes a line-up, and just maybe, one day could make a stop at Cooperstown.

Cliffmas in July

Since Cliff Lee's last win, the world around us has changed. Some notable occurences:

• Jeff Carter and Mike Richards won a Stanley Cup...for the LA Kings.
• LeBron James went from Le"Choke" to one of the most dominating playoffs of all time, finals and 4th quarter included.
• Jamie Moyer won two more games than Cliff.
• Joe Banner left the Eagles.
• Knuckleballer R. A. Dickey transformed from career journeyman to Cy Young favorite. Lee trails Dickey by a mere 11 wins this year.
• Cliff Lee hit a home run.
• Usain Bolt lost two Jamaican National Championships.
• Jim Thome returned to the Phillies. Then left again.
• The Sixers won a playoff series and nearly won a second.
• Galen Rupp ended his winless streak vs Bernard Lagat.
• Another horse didn't win the Triple Crown. (Actually many other horses didn't win the Triple Crown.)
• Joey Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs in ten minutes. Most doctors recommend less than that for a lifetime.
• A record number of record highs were recorded.
• A silent movie starring a dog won the Oscar for Best Picture.
• Kyle Kendrick won two games.
• The Sixers drafted another swing man.
• The Washington Nationals became the new "Beast of the NL East."

Feel free to add to the list and congrats to Cliff Lee on his first win of 2012!

Thank you Philadelphia Phillies!

Happy 4th of July to all of our readers around the world. A special thanks to the men and women who make the sacrifices needed to safeguard our independence.

On this special day, let us give a heartfelt thank you to our Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have kept our intersts into the fall each year since 2001, winning the NL East Division Title the past five years.. And all hope is not lost; this year's squad may yet make a run and challenge for a playoff berth. Currently, however, the Phillies sit ten games below .500, twelve games behind the division leading Nationals, and nine games back in the wild card hunt with no less than eight teams ahead of them. So in the midst of their worst season since the 20th century-when players like Ricky Otero and Steve Lake roamed Veterans Stadium-, why should we thank the Phillies? For nothing less than our independence. Rather than sitting around our living rooms, hoping not to burn out the air conditioner cause it's been running non-stop for a week's worth of 90 plus days, waiting to watch the Phillies, we can leave. We can go to the mall, where someone else can foot the cooling bill. Instead of watching Comcast Sportsnet, waiting for the highlights of the game, we can go to a movie, an ice cream parlour, or an all-night Wallmart. The options are endless with our new found freedoms....On Sunday afternoons, we have more time to garden, run, and get our hair done. So the next time someone you know complains about the Phillies ruining their summer, make sure you correct them. The Phillies are not ruining our summers. No the Phillies have freed us to spend our time chasing the American dream. Ben Franklin and his fellow Founding Fathers would be proud.

Olympic Trials "recap"

Now that Jeneba Tarmoh has withdrawn from the 100 Meter run off, the Olympic Trials are officially over. Team USA appears to be stacked and poised to bring home a pirate’s booty worth of medals from London. As a sports and running dedicated, blog, we probably should have posted on the trials before, but we’re still in our infancy here at Philly Sports and Running.

Rather than do a full recap-I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding one if that’s what you’re looking for-we want to know what races did you find the most exciting?

The easy answer for the most exciting race is the women’s 100 Meter Dash where Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tormah tied for the final qualifying spot. While there’s obviously no wrong answer, there may have been a few even more exciting races. We had a pair of superman style finishes in the men’s hurdle races. Jeff Porter’s snagged him the final qualifying spot in the 110s while Bershawn “Batman” Jackson’s left him a couple hundreths short of London in the 400 Hurdles. There is no spot worse in sports than 4th at the US Olympic Trials, especially in an event like the 400 Hurdles where a potential Olympic Gold Medalist stays home.

But probably the greatest example of the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory-or more precisely 3rd place with an “A” standard-is the Women’s 5000. Julie Lucas, already with an “A” standard, held a substantial lead going into the bell lap. With the fourth and fifth place runners both in need of not only a top three finish, but an “A” standard, she looked to have her ticket to London punched. Lucas began to labor, however and eventual winner Julie Culley and American record holder Molly Huddle both went by her, but she still held onto third…..until the final stride of the race where Kim Conley passed her, and in the process dipped under the “A” standard of 15:20 with a 15:19.79 to beat Lucas’ 15:19.83. Lucas tied up badly in the final stretch where it appeared she was running in quicksand, a feeling I’ve felt before, but never with such harsh consequences. If second place is like kissing your sister, I can’t imagine what 4th place is.

So give us your thoughts......

We miss ya Torp

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of LaSalle Track and Cross Country Coach Charles Torpey. Here is a link to an article I wrote last year for www.penntrackxc.com about Torp.

http://pa.milesplit.com/articles/70349

The Curse of Utley's Bomb...

After watching our beloved Phils fall a season worst 11 games behind the powerhouse Washington Nationals in the east, I have a confession to make. I know when this mess all started. It was much longer ago than most people think, but I've been noticing a trend for a while, and hoped to be wrong. Unfortunately, I'm rarely wrong, and this is no exception. For years, Boston suffered from the curse of the Bambino, The Sports Illustrated and Madden curses are well known, the Sixers suffered from the curse of Shawn Bradley every time he stepped on the court, and the curse of the Billy goat has been haunting the poor Chicago Cubs for far too long. In October of 2008, the Fightin Phils finally dismissed the curse of Billy Penn winning the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays. However, it wouldn't be long before Billy Penn's curse was replaced by a new curse.... The curse of Utley's Bomb. Not one of his [post season included] 199 career bombs, no this was the most infamous bomb dropped in Citizens Bank Park history. The World Series parade ended in Citizens Bank park and before 65,000+ fans, many children included, Chase took to the mic and proudly proclaimed "World $&@%in Champions!" It drew some attention, but Chase didn't take much grief. In the three years before the bomb, the Phils finished each season great. They finished every season better than the one before, culminating in a World .... Championship. In the three years since, they dropped the Series to the Yankees, and bowed out rather ungraciously to the eventual World Champion Giants and Cards. What's more, Utley as an individual has really suffered since his infamous speech. In his three preceding seasons Utley averaged .310 with 116 runs scored,29 homers and 103 RBI over 150 games played. Since, he has hit .273 scoring an average of 80 runs with 19 regular bombs and 67 batted in over 125 games per season with this season marking his most time missed. The bullpen stinks, there is no timely hitting, Cliff Lee hasn't won a game, but let's face it.... It's the curse of Utley's bomb.

What happens now?

My friends and family will tell you that I'm just about the most optimistic person around. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade challenge me and a friend to a game of back yard two-on-two, winners get Scarlett Johannson and Megan Fox's undying love. Losers are exciled to Alcatraz. I'll come up with a plan of how if we play in our back yard, we can use our home court advantage and take them. So it pains me that the overriding turn of our opening week of blog posts has been somewhat negative. Anti-wave, questions about the draft, the Bullpen game..... and now on the heels of trading Jim Thome for slightly more than a bucket of tobacco spit, the Phillies have lost five games in a row, are now a season's worst nine games under .500 and sit eight games back from the second wild card. So we are left with the questions "Is the firesale about to begin? Have we seen the end of the current crop of Phillies run of success?"

I want to say no, want to believe that hope remains. But with each week that goes by without a turn around, with each lost series, with every blown lead and man left in scoring position, my resolve weakens. I don't believe Ruben Amaro is yet ready to wave the white flag and sell Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, and other veterans to the highest bidder. I do, however, think he might be taking bids. What about you? Is the fire sale on the way? Can the calvary of Utley, Howard, and Halladay find a way to lead the Phillies back to contention? Stay tuned....