- The Phillies lost their 5th game in a row last night in Colorado, a 10-1 thrashing. Who cares/ They are now at .500. They must win 4 of their last 6 games to finish with a winning record. They still have 3 with the Rockies, and then meaningless games at home with NL East champs Atlanta.
- Zach Eflin only pitched 2 innings. Seems like he went downhill ( like the rest of the team), after the team screwed him out of $20,000 by sending him to Lehigh Valley for a week.
- The free agent signings- Arrieta, Santana, Hunter, and the pick-ups at the trade deadline- Cabrera, Loup, Bour, didn't work out. Ramos was a welcome addition but Klentak failed to get Cole Hamels, who has helped the Cubs.
Howard Eskin had a great point on the morning Show today. Top free agents are reluctant to come to Philadelphia now and play for goofy Gabe Kapler. Combined with the total meltdown, don't be surprised if both Kapler and Klentak are in trouble. Meanwhile,e owner John Middleton remains deadly silence. No endorsements. He is watching and waiting.
So instead of rehashing meaningless games the rest of the week, let's talk about players and coaches- a review and preview of their fate, with a season grade.
- Mychal Franco- Inconsistent as always. Had a decent year once he hit his stride, then tailed off in August before he got hurt. he's still young (only 25- seems like he's been around forever0, but I think the Phillies have given up on him and will try to deal him in the off-season. C
- Scott Kingery- Given a big contract before the season began. A debate whether he should start the year at Lehigh Valley or come north with the big club. never hit his stride, playing out of position, rarely playing second base, in which he is Gold Glove caliber. He went from super utility guy to shortstop to not playing much at all. He needs to play second base full time next season C
Aaron Nola- Had a Cy Young worthy great year. Became the team ace.Should be great for years to come. One of the few building blocks on the club. Imagine what he could do with a stable manager and decent pitching coach.
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- Gritty is the new Flyers mascot. A big orange fluff ball. A combination of Donald Trump and Howard Eskin. He was introduced yesterday and promptly fell on his face on the ice at last night's home exhibition game. Gritty ( spelled with a G, not a S) is already an internet sensation- for better or for worse.
It may do well with the kids, otherwise it's a joke. The eyes look crazed. Not a furry cuddly, huggable creature. Will Gritty survive or fail like Big Shot, the Sixers mascot, or the stupid rabbit, or even Swoop, the Eagles' lame mascot. I'm sure the Flyers' promotion department is already hard at work, making Gritty shirts, dolls, you name it. Gritty will be forced down our throats this season.
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My condolences to the family of the great eagles' wide receiver Tommy McDonald,w ho died yesterday at age 84. My sympathies to his good friend Ray Didinger, wrote a play about his relationship with McDonald called Tommy & Me.
Thank you Mr. McDonald for your football talents and your great personality. Thank you Ray for writing the play, and letting the fans see the real Tommy. Thank you for helping Tommy finally get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after 30 years of waiting.
No player or human deserved it as much as Tommy. RIP Tommy....
All the more reason for bringing back Tommy & Me next year, for for years to come.
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Pittsburgh squeezed by Tampa Bay last night on Monday Night Football. The Steelers move to 1-1-1, while the Bucs fall to 2-1, into a tie with New Orleans and Carolina in NFC South. The Steelers, despite the win, just aren't the same team, with discourse in their locker room. Pittsburgh goes home on Sunday for a huge division rivalry game with Baltimore while the buccaneers go to Chicago to play the surprising Bears.
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Outside of sports, Bill Cosby gets sentenced today. Hopefully he gets jail time, not only for crimes committed against women but for violating the trust he built with his fans , the public who looked up to him for so many years.
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