PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

Philly sports as we ease into a busy May..

PHILLIES-

Manager Pete Mackanin is slowly making a case for the Phillies front office not to extend his contract. The team is on a 1-5 road trip, getting swept last weekend by the Dodgers and losing 2 of 3 so far to the world champion Cubs, with today's finale in Chicago. Playing two of the National league's tougher teams on the road was going to be a huge task, even coming off a six-game winning streak, but the Phils are playing stupid, uninspired ball.


They have been ahead in each game, yet have blown leads, continue to fail to hit in the clutch, and make dumb mistakes- both physical and mental- in the field.

Mackinin makes excuses for his club, claiming they are still fighting. Yet mental lapses continue, and episodes of laziness and not hustling exist. Yet Mackanin won't crack the whip and bench players when they don't run out a ball, which gives the notion that it's OK to get paid millions of dollars and not try. There are no consequences for actions on this team.

That's surprising, since Larry Bowa is one of the coaches. But Bowa is just that- a coach, not the manager.

Mackanin is a lame duck. It says a lot that the front office hasn't extended his contract, which expires after this season. Not only has Mackanin  been lackadaisical with his discipline for lackadaisical play, he has made questionable decisions lately, most notably, not going with his starting pitchers longer, and instead turning to a bullpen that stinks.

Gomex is a shell or himself, basically a mop-up guy after saving 38 games last season. Neris gave up back-to-back-to back home runs in the 9th inning last Saturday nigh tin LA in an epic meltdown, and he's still not right. Ramos continues to be shaky. Rodriguez is the only lefty on the staff, so he gets a pass but struggles and is inconsistent. Leshak is a situational-type reliever vs. right-handed batters, but may need a longer look as a closer.

I blame GM Matt Kentak for not addressing the bullpen more during the off-season. It's devastating, especially for a young team like the Phillies, to build a lead, only to see the bullpen always blow it.The ERA for  Phillies pitchers in the 9th inning is over 8.00.

The team gets down and shows no heart to catch up. Witness the fact that the team has not come from behind even once this year when down in the 9th inning.

Much of this stems from the players, who, in a rebuilding year, are showing to the front office and to the fans, who can play, who can't play and who WANTS to play.

Cameron Rupp and Tommy Joseph are perfect examples. Rupp feels the heat of hot-prospect Jorge Alfaro in Lehigh Valley, who is off to a solid start. Rupp knows that Alfaro most likely won't be called up to Philadelphia until mid-summer at the earliest, as once he comes up, he can't be sent down. It's Rupps' chance to seize the job and he is failing.

Likewise Joseph. After a good yea rin 2016, when he finally wrestled the first base job form the slumping Ryan Howard, Joseph is hitting below .200. Meanwhile, one of the Phillies' top prospects, Rhys Hoskins, is red-hot for the Iron Pigs, clubbing 7 homers so far and hitting over .350.

Critics said Hoskins wouldn't keep the torrid pace he set last season at Reading when he hit 38 home runs. It was thought he may not hit as well due to a bigger ballpark at Lehigh Valley and better pitching in Tripe-A.

Instead, Hoskins is even better and show make an appearance in Philly during the summer.

Mikael Franco remains wildly inconsistent. He is 5th in the league in RBIs, yet most of his run batted in have come in chunks, including two grand slams. He needs to wake up, as the 4-5-6 hitters in the Phillies line-up are last in baseball with on-base percentage.

Orioles Manny Machado is a free agent after the 2018 season. Hr will still be only 25 years old. The Phillies will have plenty of money to get Machado. There is no prospect in the farm system to fill in for  Franco if he fails this year and next Franco's future with the Phillies depends on how well he plays this summer.

With all that said, the Phils are hovering around .500, still 5 1/2 games off the pace in NL East. No one expected them to win the division this year, but progress and improved play was required. So far, the team is not playing better, instead making stupid mistakes and worst of all, at times not hustling.

The fans deserve better. Again, the front office needs to bring up the kids and let them play. Give the fans some hope. Let this summer be a preview of good times ahead.

Speaking of which, it seems like a mixed bag in the minors. Top prospect J. P. Crawford contunes to struggle. He's only 21, so he deserves time. But he has a poor second half in 2016, and has not started off well this year. Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens are playing better, as is Roman Quinn. The surging stars seem to be Hoskins and Alfaro, and the kids to see Citizens Bank Park sooner than later.

After today, the Phils come home with the nationals again, and a chance to make up some ground in the division. Then comes inter-league play vs. the Seattle Mariners and Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies have been playing well at home this early season,

Another concern is Aaron Nola, who is on the 10-day DL currently with back problems. It's not getting any better, so he is scheduled for an MRI today. Nola is only 24, but health concerns are beghinning to dog his young career, and you gotta wonder if he will ever be worth the overall number 7 pick in the draft a few years ago.

EAGLES-

Despite getting relatively good marks for their recent draft, I'm still not sold on the Eagles secondary. They really only drafted one corner back last week. The other, Sidney Jones, may not play at all for the team in the fall, as he is recovering form injury. The offense may be better ( although I think Carson Wentz still needs more weapons), but I shudder when I think of the current defensive backs trying to cover a Dez Bryant or an Odell Beckham Jr. in the NFC East. The Birds need more help, and trades to bolster the secondary in the coming months may be on the horizon, as is a trade for another running back.

SIXERS-

Looks like the Sixers will play on a new court this year. Now if we can only find talented and healthy players for that new court. The NBA draft lottery is in a few weeks, a key date for the Sixers' future hopes. The actually draft itself takes place in mid-June. Free agency will begin after the playoffs end. Trades are also a possibility. Most of all, the 76'ers need to pray that their own young stars such as Joel Embiid and Ben Simmonds are healing this summer.

FLYERS-

The Flyers were lucky to get the overall no. 2 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, moving from position 13. They should get a much-needed high-scoring center. That helps, and the goal tending situation needs to become less cloudy. Will the team try to trade older players like Claude Giroux? It should be interesting to see what GM Ron Hextall does, as no one can be happy that the Flyers missed the playoffs after last season's surprise .

PLAYOFFS-

Speaking of playoffs, I still think the NBA will end up Cavaliers-Warriors  in the championship final round. I say Warriors would win in six games.

Likewise the NHL playoffs. Pittsburgh looked like they were rolling to a second Stanley Cup in a row, but superstar Sidney Crosby looks to be lost with a concussion.

I like the New York rangers playing the Anaheim Ducks in the finals, with ( as sad as this may be) the Rangers winning it all in seven tough games.

Also this month..the Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500 and much more. My favorite time in sports!

Finally, Philadelphia looks like it's going to make a big pitch to be a "host city" in 2026 for America's 250th birthday celebration. The city would like to get the Super Bowl, the Baseball All-Star Game, and other sporting events come to Philly in 2026. Look for a push for the NCAA Final Four as well.

New York got the Super Bowl years ago, so a cold weather city like Philadelphia has a chance. I would think the baseball all-star game would come here, since we are long overdue for the Mid-summer Classic to return.Citizens Bank park is only one ina handful of stadiums never to host an all-star game, and 2026 is still nine years away.

Still, if many of those sporting events did come to Philly, imagine the excitement, as it would be the greatest overall year in Philly sports.