PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

My thoughts on Philly sports for this Thursday morning..

PHILLIES-

* Thanks Cameron Rupp.

After beating the Braves Monday night for the 12th time out of 14 games this season, the Phillies' catcher made a really stupid remark, quipping  "I wish we could play these guys everyday."

Even if you mean it, don't be such a moron to say it.

The Braves were pissed and beat the Phils in a doubleheader yesterday afternoon. This is the same guy who has handled the young, often struggling pitchers this ugly summer. Same with bad pitching coach Bob McClure, who should be fired immediately after the season mercifully ends.

The team now has 83 losses on the season with all of September to go Four games await with the hot Dodgers, seven more with the division-leading Nationals. That's eight or nine defeats right there. 100 losses is almost certain, the first 100-loss season for a Philadelphia Phillies organization since 1961.

The team has exactly 30 games left. They need t win 14 of those games to avoid 100 losses. With a depleted pitching staff and chaos with the position players moving around ( more on that) and the September call-ups, I would bet on 100 losses for sure.

Embarrassing.

* What the hell is the front office thinking? They are playing musical chairs with their position players, both in Philadelphia and in Lehigh Valley.

The worst move was moving a Gold Glove shortstop in Freddie Galvis to center field in yesterday's second game of  the doubleheader.

That move smacks o goofy GM Matt Klentak, who had a meeting earlier in the week with Galvis and manager Pete Mackanin. If it was Mackanin's idea he would've trued Freddie in center long ago. This is Klentak with no plan, no experience, winging it. I can't stand the guy.

Altherr and Herrera will be back soon fron the disabled list. Prospect J.P. Crawford may be up with the big club as soon as Tuesday in New York. The Iron Pigs season end son Monday. So why not just leave Freddie at shortstop, and lay Crawford several times a week?  I get it the Galvis wants to play all 162 games (why? I'm not sure). But that can be achieved without moving Galvis to a position which he has never played before.

It's stupid, just like most of the idiotic ideas the Phillies' front office- especially geeky Klentak- has cooked up this season. They justify the moves by saying it gives the club more options and flexibility. In other words, in case we screw-up, there's a Plan B and C.

* Jared Eichoff left  the first game of the doubleheader in the 3rd inning with "nerve irritation" in his pitching hand. Not good.

I have never seen why the coaches, front office and even the media have swooned over Eichoff. He's a workhorse and has tremendous potential, etc. In other words, he hasn't done a damn thing yet. To me, he is just another young pitcher who has failed so far. That's the bottom line.

* Hard to believe that Ender Inciartewas once a Phillie. The Atlanta center fielder had an astounding eight hits in yesterday's doubleheader. one shy of the major league record. Inciarte is hitting .310 and is near the top of the league in hits. He leads the National League in singles and plays a tremendous center field.

So, how did the Phillies let him go during spring training a few years ago? Another poor player evaluation instance of this woeful organization.

EAGLES-

* The Eagles decided to take a pass on CB Joe Hayden, the same Haden that starred for the Cleveland Browns. Hayden, less than a day after being released by the Browns, signed a 3-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I still expect the Birds to upgrade their secondary situation before the season begins. Cuts have to be made by Saturday afternoon. The team juggled their roster last year, and I would look for them to do the same thing this year, perhaps even signing a running back or more depth for the offensive and defensive lines.

* Will Nick Foles play tonight in the final pre-season game against the Jets in New York? I would feel better if he did. He hasn't played in a real game because of a sore right elbow. His practice time has been limited as well.Rumors are that the Eagles will roll the dice and only keep two quarterbacks on the roster, Wentz and Foles. That's OK with me, as I'm not a McGloin fan nor do I want them to sign a QB off the waiver wire.

Again, even though the starters won't play, no injuries will be key.

* I have registered for Glen Macnow's Last Fan Standing pool again for 2017. I made it to week 11 last year, so I'm giving it another try. It's a fun thing, and who knows?

If you want to join the pool, go to www.cbsphilly/lastfanstanding. com

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-

Former Villanova basketball coach Rollie Massimino died yesterday, after a battle with cancer.

Daddy Mass, as he was known, was the coach of the underdog 1985 national championship Wildcat squad which upset Georgetown- and Patrick Ewing- for the crown.

All due respects to Massimino, but I'll also remember Rollie as the  guy who ended the Big Five as we know it for a while. Villanova was becoming elite, wanted to branch-out on its own leaving the iconic Palestra to play it's home games on the Villanova campus. They no longer wanted to play the other  Big Five city teams, no more City Series, no more palestra doubleheaders. Instead of embracing the traditions Villanova, led by Massimino,were drifting away.

Now with Jay Wright as coach, the Big Five traditions are somewhat back. Not all Big Five games are held at the Palestra. And doubleheaders don't exist anymore. But at least the 4 teams ( along witgh Drexel) do play each other once a season.

In my opinion, John Chaney and Jack Ramsey were better  Big Five coaches than Massimino. but Rollie did win the big one, so you gotta give him his due.