Last night during the Phillies/Marlins game, Alex Sanabia did something that is no-way, no-how acceptable.
The Marlins were winning 1-0 in the second, when Domonic Brown decided to show his power. Right after the pitch, the Phillies video feed showed, (and Crashburn Alley caught on a screengrab), Sanabia clearly spitting on a baseball.
I’m pretty sure that has been illegal in the baseball world for quite awhile. I could be wrong, but I’m not.
Last night, the Cliff Lee pitched a gem of a game. Basically, Cliff Lee was Cliff Lee. He even showed the bat by hitting a double that was about 6 inches from going deep. He thought he had it too and was quite upset that he only managed a double out of it.
Pitching wise, he scattered singles throughout the 7 innings he pitched and made only one mistake to Jay Bruce. A mistake that would cut the Phillies lead to one.
Cliff Lee would go on to get a no-decision, because of Antonio Bastardo and Joey Votto. Now, as much as I want to get mad at Bastardo, but, well, Joey Votto. The good side of that home run was Cliff Lee’s reaction.
Cliff Lee is NOT impressed.
Now, luckily for the Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds have Jonathan Broxton in their bullpen. The Phillies LOVE Broxton and he, well, can’t seem to pitch against the Phillies. Like not at all. And with him pitching, the Phillies scored 2 runs to take, and keep the lead.
Now, I often think that it’s my imagination about how good or bad a player plays against the Phillies, but apparently I’m not wrong about Broxton:
Jonathan Broxton has blown all five of his career save opportunities at Citizens Bank Park
— David Murphy (@HighCheese) May 18, 2013
I love Broxton. Hey Dusty, please let him pitch again today, and tomorrow. PLEASE! Philadelphia will love you if you do!
Over the last few years, Roy Halladay has become one of my favorite players on the Phillies. (Ok, so I’m not nearly in the same league as Zoo With Roy, but, well, he’s special.)
Earlier this week, Doc announced that he was on his way to having surgery to get bone spurs out of his shoulder. There is a chance that we will see him pitch again this year.
I was at last Sunday’s game when he looked off from the first pitch and proved it with the way that the Marlins were able to square him up.
The Phillies are playing a series down in Arizona when he walked out and gathered the beat writers for a quick press conference.
Unprompted, Roy Halladay just spoke for eight minutes because he wanted to “apologize” to fans upset that he kept pitching. Very heartfelt.
— Matt Gelb (@magelb) May 10, 2013
Roy Halladay just came out and issued an apology to the fans for his injury, performance etc. Was not expecting that.
— Chris Branch (@ChrisBranchTNJ) May 10, 2013
Called an impromptu press conference. Said if he paid $60 for that last game and Phils were down 9-0 in the 2nd, he’d be angry.
— Chris Branch (@ChrisBranchTNJ) May 10, 2013
I could be wrong, but I don’t know if that has ever happened before. The man has class.
Hey Doc, I know you will never read this, but I appreciate the apology and I accept. Please come back, but only if you are healthy!
J.A. Happ – Wikipedia.org
Last night against the Tampa Bay Rays, former Phillie pitcher and current Toronto Blue Jay, J.A. Happ took a line drive to the head. He was carted off the field and diagnosed with a concussion and laceration on his left ear. He’s stable and in the hospital, but could be released later today. Which is great news.
ESPN – J.A. Happ (Hit in head by line drive)
I know he’s not the first pitcher to take a full on hit like that, but as a mother of a 13 year-old son who pitches, seeing this scares me. Let me state, that watching him pitch, especially now that he plays at the Babe Ruth level (a 60/90 field) is quite rewarding. He loves pitching and getting better all the time. That said, he’s also the most vulnerable on the field when that ball pops off a hitter’s bat.
And the older he gets, the bigger and stronger the players get as well. There have been close calls but usually he manages to snag the line drive that’s coming right at him. However, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to react. Last year, when he was still playing 46/60 he took a line drive off the side of his knee. He was able to finish pitching the inning and ended up with just a huge bruise, no serious injury. But thankfully, it was just his leg.
Rawlings Compression Shirt
We already make him wear a Rawlings heartguard (compression shirt) underneath his baseball uniform to help protect against a line drive hitting the chest area.
But apparently MLB has been mulling the idea of adding a Kevlar liner to pitchers’ hats, which would help lessen the blow of a line drive to the head. One would assume that if MLB players agree to something like that, it would eventually trickle down into Babe Ruth and possibly Little Leagues as well. But who knows if it will ever come to fruition.
As a parent, protecting my child is my number one priority. So I’m all for better ways of keeping him safe, especially on the baseball field.
I wish Happ well and hope he will be fine.
Heather Carnassale is a contributing Phillies Writer for Aerys Sports. You can follow her on twitter @heatherc531
On Sunday, much to the excitement of Philadelphia, Carlos Ruiz was reinstated from the restricted list. He was suspended for 25 games for taking an amphetamine. (Adderall, seriously Chooch, ADDERALL!)
I do not believe that anyone is more excited about Chooch’s suspension is up then Roy Halladay. Not because he didn’t like Quintero (Kratz may be a different story,) but because he LOVES Carlos Ruiz. These two have a huge bro-mance going on.
Halladay trusts Ruiz above any other battery mate that the Phillies have brought in. It was Chooch behind the plate when Doc threw his perfect game. And then again when he threw the second Post-season no-hitter in baseball history.
» Continue reading “Doc and Chooch: Together At Last”
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