Is Shawn Chacon Gonna Have to Choke a Bitch???

According to The Sporting News, Houston Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon has been indefinitely suspended for choking Astros General Manager Ed Wade and throwing him to the ground following an argument. Let me send a message to you Mr. Chacon, and I’m pretty sure I speak for Phillies fans everywhere when I say this - THANK YOU.

Ed Wade was the General Manager of the Phillies from 1998-2005 and some of the legendary moves pulled off during this wee little man’s tenure include:

1.) Drafting J.D. Drew with the #2 overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft even though the Phillies knew he would not sign for MLB’s recommended slot money (about 2.3 million). Scott Boras, J.D. Drew’s agent, lowered his bonus demands from 10 million to 5 million in the last hour (just before the 1998 June Draft), but Ed Wade would not budge from his brand-new imaginary throne and the Phillies lost out on a tremendous (albeit injury-prone) player. Sorry Phillies fans, this was NOT J.D. Drew’s fault. Ed Wade tried to push J.D. Drew in a corner and Drew pushed back.

2.) Trading Curt Schilling to the Arizona Diamondbacks in mid-2000 for the pooh-pooh platter of Vicente Padilla, Travis Lee and Omar Daal. Although Padilla turned out to be a serviceable starter, Lee couldn’t hit at all, Daal was a bust and Schilling only finished his career with a 111-57 record and three World Series rings. Hey, you think the Phillies would have still barley missed out on the playoffs in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 if they had Schilling anchoring the rotation? I didn’t think so either.

3.) Firing Terry Francona for Larry Bowa in 2000. Not only did “Tito” go on to lead the Boston Red Sox to two World Series Championships, but Bowa was an emotional disaster, so much so that this move directly led to Scott Rolen refusing to resign with the Phillies. Rolen was an ELITE player back then and he would go on to help St. Louis capture two National League Pennants and the 2006 World Series championship.

These are just a few of the many brilliant decisions orchestrated by Ed Wade as the wizard behind the Phillies curtain. I shudder to think how the Phillies would have done in the first half of this decade, when they perennially missed the playoffs by 1-5 games per season, if they had Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling and J.D. Drew on those teams. Now that I think about it, fuck you Shawn Chacon. Fuck you for getting to Ed Wade first.

Easy There Champ, Why Don't You Just Sit Down For A While....

Thank You Girls of Philly

I’d like to extend a big thank you to the fine people over at Girls of Philly (NSFW) for linking I Own Lots Of Tyler Green Rookie Cards to their phenomenal site. As a self-proclaimed adult entertainment connoisseur of sorts, I have to say they do some fine work.

Remember that stupid survey conducted last year, ranking Philadelphia as the least attractive city in the country? They have obviously never met the hometown honeys featured on Girls of Philly. Who takes those fucking surveys anyway? Definitely not the kind of people who meet Philly’s Phinest ladies pouring into G Lounge, Pearl, or Denim every weekend.

The absolute sexiest ladies in Philadelphia can be found wearing their birthday suits on Girls of Philly, so check it out sometime. Having girls send you pictures and video of themselves is not bad work if you can get it. Well done, gentlemen. Well done.

So Long Curt

Curt Schilling is done. Schill has announced on his blog that he will undergo shoulder surgery and at 41 there's no way he's going to pop any 95 mph high and tight fastballs anymore.

I always respected Schill because no matter what people said about him (he's a blow hart, fat, classless piece of shit, etc), he never backed down from his comments. That's a lot more than you can say about the typical Derek Jeter "We played hard as a team and lost a tough one" bullshit rhetoric. He said what he meant and he meant what he said. And he backed up all that talk on the mound, finishing his career with a 216-146 record, 3,116 strikeouts and three World Series rings. His performance for the Phillies in the 1993 postseason is legendary.

Curt's last start of his career was in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series. He gutted out 5 1/3 innings despite injury, yielding just 1 run and registering 4 K's in a 2-1 win for the BoSox. It was par for the course, as Schilling boasts an 11-2 record and 2.23 ERA during the postseason. Not a bad way to end a career. Too bad it wasn't with the Phillies.

Pat Burrell, Man or Machine?

I read a great article on Pat Burrell by Rich Hoffman in yesterday’s Philadelphia Daily News. Hoffman notes that “Pat the Bat” is one of just 23 players to hit 200 homeruns and 750 RBI since 2000 – a list that includes Chipper Jones, Manny Ramirez and Albert Pujols, among others.

Burrell has been unfairly maligned by Phillies fans throughout his career for a number of reasons, including his once prodigious man-whore exploits, but the naysayers main problem with Pat is that they don’t think he ever lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him when he was the #1 overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft. I mean, he should have like 500 homeruns and a .300 career batting average, right? The city of Philadelphia has lost some world class talent in the past (Charles Barkley, Scott Rolen, Randall Cunningham anyone?) due to ridiculous expectations from moronic fans, and when Pat’s contract runs out at the end of the season, here’s hoping management ignores the haters and signs him to a four or five-year deal. Now back to those expectations. Was Pat Burrell really a bust as the #1 overall pick?

Not even close. When Pat hangs up his cleats, he will likely be the 7^th best #1 overall pick in the history of the June Amateur Baseball Draft (which began in 1965). Taking a look at every first-overall pick from 1965-1998, Pat currently ranks 14^th in career “Wins Above Replacement Player,” or WARP. By using WARP, which takes into account hitting, fielding, running and pitching when evaluating a player, I can easily compare pitchers and hitters, and adjust for their defensive prowess (or lack thereof) and the era they played in. Here are the top 15 first-overall draft picks according to their career WARP (Current players stats are through June 18, 2008) -

RANK	PLAYER	DRAFTED	WARP
1	Alex Rodriguez*	1993	109.6
2	Ken Griffey Jr.*	1987	109.4
3	Chipper Jones*	1990	91.7
4	Harold Baines	1977	82.0
5	Darryl Strawberry	1980	71.5
6	Rick Monday	1965	70.1
7	Mike Moore	1981	61.2
8	Floyd Bannister	1976	56.7
9	B.J. Surhoff	1985	56.2
10	Andy Benes	1988	54.1
11	Tim Belcher	1983	50.9
12	Jeff Burroughs	1969	42.8
13	Darin Erstad*	1995	42.8
14	Pat Burrell*	1998	42.5
15	Bob Horner	1978	41.6

*Current Player

Conservatively, let’s say Pat is two-thirds done with his career. When his playing days are over, Pat will have accumulated at least 60-65 career WARP, placing him around 7^th all-time among #1 overall draft picks. Pat Burrell is decidedly not a bust, and if Phillies fans think they can replace 35+ homeruns, 100+ RBI, and 100+ walks in left field next year without Pat the Bat, they are sorely mistaken.

If America Would Do This, Soccer Would Be HUGE

If David and Victoria Beckham can't make Americans give a shit about soccer, then nothing will, right? I say wrong! Austria and Germany competed in a topless women's soccer match on Monday, June 16. The ladies "wore" body paint that mirrored their country's jerseys and sported thongs with their bottoms painted to resemble shorts. Austria won 10-5, but come on, everyone was a winner at this fine sporting event. Here is an outstanding photo gallery of the match (NSFW).

HEY LADIES!!! Freddie Mitchell Would Like to Take All 17 of You Back to His Hotel Room

This picture is courtesy of the 700 Level. Priceless. They spoke with one of the ladies in this picture (taken in Las Vegas) and apparently FredEx still has some game left in him -

"FredEx was chatting it up with one of her ladies and invited all 17 of them up to his suite for champagne and room service. They ate, drank, and hung out for 3-4 hours and had nothing but positive things to say about The People's Champ."

I had the opportunity to meet Freddie about two years ago at the College Football Hall of Fame, where I worked as the PR guy. FredEx was a substitute teacher at a local high school school in Mishawaka, IN, where one of his daughters lives, I believe. We talked briefly as he walked through the museum. "The People's Champ" was very low key. We mainly talked about how shitty living in Indiana was and I thanked him for 4th and 26. Freddie may have been a bust, but that singular play made up for a lot of disappointments. Here's to you FredEx. Nice to see you're still putting those legendary hands to good use.

2008 Phillies MLB Draft Review

So this draft review is about 5 days overdue, but better late than never.

On the day of the MLB Draft, Phillies ace lefthander Cole Hamels tossed a shutout. Hamels, the 17th overall pick in 2002, was an advanced high school talent with control and a great feel for a changeup and curve, but he fell in the draft because of some character concerns stemming from a fight during his junior year that resulted in a broken arm. Hamels recovered from his injury and had a brilliant senior year, posting a 10-0 record with 108 strikeouts in 57 innings and flashed a 91-94 mph fastball to compliment his devastating array of secondary pitches. In hindsight, the Phillies gamble on Hamels was a stroke of genius and, hopefully, their top selections in the 2008 Draft work out as well as Hamels did because they are all raw high school players who could either flourish or fold. Here's hoping they turn out to be the next Hamels or Jimmy Rollins and not the next Jeff Jackson or Greg Golson.

Without further adieu, here are my scouting reports on the Phillies top four selections in this year's draft -

Anthony Hewitt, 6-1, 195 (Round 1, 24th overall)

SS, Salisbury HS (CT)

Hewitt looks like he plays wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles (actually, he couldn't do any worse for the Birds than the guys they currently have). Unfortunately, Hewitt might look like Tarzan and play like Jane. His swing is max-effort. I mean he goes all out every time and looks foolish against high school pitching sometimes. He needs a lot of work, but he is a premiere athlete with blazing foot speed, huge power potential and a cannon for an arm. Best case scenario is an Eric Davis-like career with annual numbers boasting a .280 average, 35 homeruns, 50 stolen bases and Gold Glove defense in centerfield.

Zach Collier, 6-2, 185 (Supplemental Round 1, 34th overall)

OF, Cino Hills HS (CA)

Collier has a classic lefthanded uppercut stroke at the plate that should project for plus power, especially when he learns to bend his back knee and maximize his extension. In the film I saw, he has a mediocre arm that projects to leftfield. An athlete who can run, Collier has a huge potential upside, which could amount to nothing, but I can't stress how natural and pretty his stroke looks. I'd bet on him making it.

Anthony Gose, 6-1, 190 (Round 2, 51st overall)

OF/RHP, Bellflower HS (CA)

Gose has said that he wants to be an outfielder, not a pitcher, but almost every scout loves his potential on the mound and is not sold on his bat. Look for the Phillies to try him briefly as an everyday player to get him signed, and then quickly shift him to the mound when he falters at the plate. Gose throws up to 96 mph and is a good athlete who can repeat his delivery. He has a very thin frame, so unless he becomes the next Tim Hudson or Roy Oswalt, I'd profile him more as a reliever. In the outfield, he looks and runs like a centerfielder with a cannon for an arm. Think Corey Patterson without the pop.

Jason Knapp, 6-5, 225 (Round 3, 71st overall)

RHP, North Hunterdon Regional HS (NJ)

Knapp is a big-bodied pitcher. Big ass, thick legs, looks like a pear. The video I saw was from his junior year of HS and he was throwing 88-91 mph, but he was said to be throwing 94 mph leading up to the draft. Knapp has a slow, low maintenance delivery that is followed by violent arm action. This could be beneficial in disrupting hitter's timing, making his fastball seem even faster, ala Sid Fernandez, whom he shares a similar build. His curveball is loopy and slurvy and needs work.

And The Phillies Select.............

High School (Salisbury HS, CT) shortstop Anthony Hewitt with the 24th overall pick. Here is Anthony's scouting report from ESPN draft guru Keith Law:

"Hewitt looks as good as anyone in a uniform in this year's draft. He's a five-tool package. He will put on a show in batting practice, but he's struggled in game situations against tough competition, like at the Area Code Games last summer. He projects more as a center fielder than as a shortstop. If everything clicks, he's a potential superstar. The problem is that he's about 4-6 years away unless he developmentally makes a quantum leap forward. He's high risk, potential high reward."

More on the MLB Draft later today.

MLB Draft Today!!!

I'm taking a late lunch to watch the MLB Draft at 2pm today. A big F-You to Bud Selig for scheduling the MLB Draft in the middle of a work day. And hardcore baseball fans like me wonder why the NFL is kicking the shit out of baseball as America's favorite sport. Anyway, I'll recap the 1st Round later tonight. The Phillies have the 24th Overall Pick and they will most likely stick to the recommended slot, eliminating the possibility of them selecting a Top-5 pick who plummets because of signability concerns (see: Rick Porcello, 2007). I'm hoping the Phils select a big-time college closer who can contribute in the pen this September when Flash Gordon's arm falls off. Here are my top three college closers, all of whom could contribute this season if they are signed right away:

1.) Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia, 6-0, 178
2008 Statistics: 2-2, 2.27 ERA, 30 GP, 31.2 IP, 12 H, 18 BB, 56 K, 16 SV
Scouting Report: 95-97 mph fastball, devastating power curve, 2-pitch pitcher, average control

2.) Andrew Cashner, RHP, TCU, 6-6, 180
2008 Statistics: 9-4, 2.32 ERA, 30 GP, 54.1 IP, 21 H, 27 BB, 80 K, 9 SV
Scouting Report: 95-98 mph fastball (Best in 2008 Draft), 84-88 mph slider, decent changeup for a relief pitcher, shaky control

3.) Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Arizona, 6-1, 210
2008 Statistics: 2-0, 1.81 ERA, 34 GP, 54.2 IP, 30 H, 20 BB, 76 K, 1 SV
Scouting Report: 93-96 mph fastball, two-plane 85-87 mph slider that is unhittable, shaky control

NFL Draft Recap

I know, I know, the NFL Draft happened like 12 years ago (April 26-27), but I didn't have a blog then and I put together a spreadsheet (see below) that some people (freaks who live in their parents basement) might be interested in.

About a dozen of my buddies and fellow Eagles fans came up from Philly to NYC for the Draft and we reserved a plush room here. To our absolute horror, the Eagles traded out of the 1st round (again), when every wide receiver, a position almost completely ignored by the Birds, was still available. Unbelievably, Desean Jackson, who most of us hoped the Eagles would take with the 19th overall pick, was still available in the 2nd round and even more shockingly, the Eagles selected him. As ESPN cut to a stylish Jackson at home wearing a ridiculous suit and shades that looked more like goggles, our little crowd at The Blue Seats went bonkers. Many chest bumps and beer showers ensued. Mark my words, 31 teams will rue the day they passed on Jackson as he becomes the next Devin Hester.

Behold this SPREADSHEET I created during and after the Draft. I am truly an uber dork. Enjoy.