Beat It! (The Heat, That Is)

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

As the Phillies are gearing up for 80’s Retro Night at Citizens Bank Park Friday evening, ballpark attendees only have their mind on one thing: how will they survive the heat?

Roy Halladay certainly felt the heat Monday evening in Chicago as he took himself out of the game in the fifth inning suffering from noticeable heat exhaustion and dehydration. Many news articles and blog posts reminisce about the game with notes that perhaps Halladay is human, and not a machine after all.

Last time I checked, machines tend to malfunction in extreme heat and humidity.

Halladay is known as one of the most well-conditioned players in Major League Baseball – arriving for Spring Training workouts hours ahead of time, hitting the weight room after his perfect game, always seen running up and down the stairs at the ballpark between starts.  He is the model athlete, hydrating before, during and after workouts and games with water, Gatorade and Pedialyte. But when temperatures are planted firmly in the triple digits, and heat advisories are popping up all over the country as the system holds more than half of the country hostage, even the best of the best need a break now and then.

ESPN investigated into Halladay’s white-hot statistics and found that since 2004, when the temperature is at least 90 degrees, Doc’s ERA rises with the mercury, averaging over a full run higher. He also gives up at least one extra home run per scorching hot game. One Monday, he allowed three runs on seven hits including a home run to Armaris Ramirez in four innings of work.

Headed to the ballpark this evening? Here are some tips from the Red Cross to keep you in your seat and away from the emergency room:
 

• Stay hydrated – And no, not by drinking more beer (sorry, beer guys!). Try to steer clear of any diuretics such as alcohol, iced teas and coffees, and sodas. Bring a backpack full of ice water (unopened) to save some money, or if you buy from the vendors, be sure to tip generously – the guys in yellow are going to be working hard tonight!

• Wear light clothing – Unless you have shelled out the money for an authentic Cool Base jersey, skip the polyester replicas tonight and opt for a shirsey instead. Wearing your best 80’s gear to the game? Don’t forget the sweatbands!

• Stay in the shade – Citizens Bank Park is heralded for its open concept design, and there’s hardly a spot on the concourse you can’t see the game from. If you’re sitting on the first base side of the park or in the front rows of the terrace decks especially, try to stay under cover until the later innings.

• Be aware of your surroundings – Be a good Samaritan and keep an eye on the fans around you. If anyone starts to exhibit severe signs of heat stroke, contact an usher, text for help (text “PHILLIES” followed by the issue and location to 69050), call Guest Services at 215-218-5469, or, if able, help get them to a first aid station immediately (behind sections 105 and 318).

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Vote for Vic!

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The 2011 All-Star Teams have been unveiled, with Placido Polanco, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee all earning spots on the National League roster, but there’s always room for one more Phillie.

For the tenth straight year, fans can vote for one final player to make it to the 33-man roster, and one of the candidates is Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino. Victorino attended his first All-Star Game thanks to the Final Vote in 2009, making him the first Hawaiian-born position player to go to the mid-summer classic.

The "Vote for Vic" campaign urges fans to pick the Flyin’ Hawaiian over L.A.'s Andre Ethier, Colorado's Todd Helton, Arizona's Ian Kennedy and Washington's Michael Morse.

On Monday the Phillies announced that Shane had the early lead in the voting. But that doesn't mean Phillies fans should gear back their voting. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday to vote as often as they like and send a fifth Phillie to Arizona for the game.

Click here to do your part. Pin It Now!

Polanco on Brink of All-Star Nod

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

Only one Phillies hitter is likely to start the All-Star Game in Phoenix next month and the answer might surprise you.

As the voting for the 2011 All-Star Game draws to a close, Placido Polanco leads perennial fan-favorite and future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones by over 1.2 million votes to lead third base for the National League with just hours left to vote.

A career .302 hitter, it may appear that Polanco is struggling, batting “only” .289 after 77 games. However, as compared to his fellow Phillies, he is second only to Ryan Howard in RBIs and Shane Victorino in batting average and (of course) leads the Phightins with 87 hits.

But how does he fair against other National League third basemen?

The short answer is “not bad.”

The more complicated answer is that perhaps Chase Headley (San Diego) or Amaris Ramirez (Chicago) deserve the All-Star nod just a little bit more.

Polanco certainly has high marks when stacked against his competition. When Albert Pujols (who only played a few games at the hot corner this season) is removed from consideration -- Pujols is out 4 to 6 weeks with a fractured forearm and would be unable to participate -- Polanco is fifth in hits, third in RBIs, batting average, and on-base percentage. He leads NL third basemen in hits, but either Ramirez and/or Headley outrank him in nearly every other category.



Polanco has only been voted onto an All-Star team one other time -- in 2007 as a second baseman for the Detroit Tigers. It was hands down the best season of his 14-season MLB career as he finished with 200 hits, 67 RBIs, and a remarkable .341 batting average in 142 games, earning a Silver Slugger and one of his two Gold Gloves. Polly could potentially flirt with some of those stats in 2011, especially hits and RBIs.

So what gives Polly an edge over Ramirez and Headley in the voting?

The best fans in baseball, that’s what.

Whether you have voted once, 100 times, or not at all, you have until midnight Thursday to head over to Phillies.com or MLB.com to ensure Polanco's spot in the Mid-Summer Classic. Pin It Now!

Fave Phillies Moment So Far - Mayberry's Game-Winner

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

With the Phillies about a third of the way through the 2011 season Philthy Stuff will look back at our favorite moments from a memorable season so far.

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He may be racking up almost as many frequent flyer miles as Vance Worley lately, but there’s one thing John Mayberry, Jr. has on his resume that the Phillies can’t take away from him.

On Opening Day, Phils fans stood on their feet as Mayberry walked up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out as a tie game was in the bottom of the ninth. The Astros’ Brandon Lyon threw an 89 mph fastball for a ball. Then another that was fouled off. An 88 mph cutter was called a ball. Another 89 mph fastball was fouled away.

Then, on the fourth fastball of the series, the ball floated to center field and landed just past the reach of Michael Bourn. Ben Francisco scored as the team swarmed Mayberry at first base for bringing them their first victory of the season, and in walk-off fashion none the less.

The Phillies are no stranger to high-anxiety games and heart-stopping finishes, but it was Mayberry’s first ever walk-off hit and one he’s not likely to forget any time soon.

Mayberry has been part of the Phillies organization since 2009 and made his first post-season roster in 2010. This is the first year he had made the Opening Day 25-man roster after an impressive showing in Spring Training after picking up some extra innings following Domonic Brown’s hand injury.

But lately he has been shuffled between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the Phightins.

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Victorino's Return -- Who Goes to Make Room?

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Phillies will be almost whole again as they kickoff a weekend series in Pittsburgh Friday night. When Shane Victorino was not in the Reading Phillies’ lineup Thursday morning, it was speculated and later reported that he would likely be activated from the disabled list on Friday and join the team on the last leg of their road trip this weekend.

After being plagued by early season injuries, Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge remain the only staff regulars left on the disabled list.

With Victorino back in center field, the club has to decide who goes and who stays on the 25-man roster, and the decision won't be easy.

The Candidates:

• Domonic Brown
• John Mayberry, Jr.
• Ross Gload
• Michael Martinez
• Ben Francisco

It’s probably safe to assume that Brown and Mayberry will remain with the team upon Victorino’s return. Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Charlie Manuel were heavily criticized for the use of top prospect Brown in 2010 heading into the post season, and after a long Triple-A tune-up following his hand surgery, Amaro was leery to bring him back up to the majors stating that "he wasn’t ready."

Since becoming a (mostly) regular fixture in the outfield, Brown has batted.324 OBP/.368 OBP/.898 OPS in 11 games. Chase Utley is .194/.324/.647 over nine games. A small sample size, yes, but Dom's been impressive nonetheless.

Mayberry is no stranger to the big club, having played 95 games since his debut with the team in 2009. So far this season he is batting a less impressive .231/.316/.682, but provides some hard to come by right-handed power off the bench. Keeping both Brown and Mayberry in the wings also allows for an easier platoon with Ben Francisco -- who has options but it would be hard to see him being sent down -- and Raul Ibanez throughout the season.

Ross Gload is a conundrum. He has a tear in his hip that has Charlie’s hands tied. Putting him on the 15, 30, or even 60-day DL won’t help anything. Surgery will end his season. But he’s the best pinch hitter the Phillies have on their bench. Kyle Kendrick even pinch ran for him on Tuesday night just because the team doesn’t know how far they can push Gload without injuring him further. However, he is unlikely to cover first base should Ryan Howard need a day off if he can’t run the bases without worrying the coaching staff.

At the end of the day Gload’s a lefty bat, batting .275/.275/.550 in 40 plate appearances. Perhaps deactivating him and getting him the surgery he needs makes sense if he’s going to be walking on eggshells the entire season anyway.

Michael Martinez provides a different scenario should the Phillies choose to cut him on Friday. Being a Rule-5 Draft pick, he isn’t eligible to be sent to the minors. The Phils would have to offer him back to the Nationals along with $25,000. 2010’s Rule-5 experiment, David Herndon, hung on all season but was optioned to Lehigh Valley during the ongoing game of bullpen musical chairs this year.

Martinez seemed like a lock to make the big club out of spring training as his versatility gave the Phillies some much needed depth in the infield and outfield. If he fails to make the cut this time around, however, Wilson Valdez would be left as the sole backup infielder (and outfielder, and catcher, and pitcher, and Phanatic...).

Hitting a measly .184/.212/.416, Martinez stands to be the opposite of Gload -- he can bat, he can field, and he ca run. Would he be merely a pawn? Just a run-of-the-mill pinch hitter for a pitcher when the game isn’t on the line? I can’t imagine anyone finds him terribly vital at the moment.

If I were a betting girl, I would guess that Martinez will be wearing a Nationals uniform as the Phillies take the field at PNC Park Friday evening, but crazier things have happened.

Cliff Lee, anyone?

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Lee Fans 16, Phils Score Zero

Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.

The Atlanta Braves put another notch in their now six-game winning streak as they shut out the Phillies 5-0 Friday night.

No. 2 ace Cliff Lee was brilliant as he struck out 16 batters over seven innings -- tying Steve Carlton’s record for most strikeouts by a left-handed Phillies pitcher. It was also the most K’s in a game since Curt Schilling struck out 16 Yankees in 1997 and the most in any single game of Lee’s career. He tossed 117 pitches, 87 of which were strikes.

Nine hits and three runs were also scattered amongst the masterpiece Lee brought to the mound. After allowing the Braves to lead off the game with a pair of hits, he retired the next seven batters in a row before getting into trouble in the third inning. Lee (2-3) allowed three doubles and a single, resulting in three runs that the Phils just weren’t able to get back.

Lee’s final line: 7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 16 K. His ERA is currently at 3.69 for the season.

Lee's counterpart Derek Lowe (3-3), fresh from having a hand in the MLB’s latest DUI scandal, seemed to be matching Lee pitch for pitch as he no-hit the Phils for six innings before allowing a single and a ground-rule double to Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco respectively. They would be the only hits the Phillies would have all evening.

JC Romero and Danys Baez pitched one inning each in relief. Baez gave up three hits and allowed two runs before striking out Chipper Jones to end the top of the ninth.

Some other notes:

Polanco left the game after his hit in the seventh. He had fouled a ball off his foot during the at-bat and was noticeably in pain after running the bases. Todd Zolecki reported that he has a bruised big right toe and that the X-rays were negative.

Roy Oswalt will not pitch as scheduled in Saturday’s game due to back soreness and is headed for the disabled list. Kyle Kendrick will start in his place. Kendrick is 5-1 in his career against the Braves with a 2.55 ERA. He enters the game 1-2 on the season with a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings pitched.

The Braves are calling up their top pitching prospect Julio Teheran to make his Major League debut against the Phillies on Saturday in lieu of using Time Hudson or Tommy Hanson on short rest. The 20-year-old Teheran is 3-0 in five Triple-A starts with a 1.80 ERA, ranking third in the National League. He will head back to AAA-Gwinnett regardless of his performance.

Game time Saturday is 7:05 PM ET on CSN.

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Plagued early by injury, how much depth do the Phillies have?

Nick Laham/Getty Images

This morning, we learned that Chase Utley had a cortisone injection in his knee on Friday after an MRI showed patellar tendinitis. Next, Domonic Brown left today's game against Pittsburgh (which they subsequently lost 4-3) with the trainer at his side. It was later reported that Brown has fractured a bone in his hand and will more than likely require surgery therefore sidelineing him for approximately 3-6 weeks. Immediately after the news spread, you could almost smell the stench of tear-stained jerseys being packed away for the season as the high hopes of some Phillies fans were being doused in kerosene and lit aflame.

Let's start from the top: Chase Utley.


Chase has always been a rough and tough kind of player - the kind where it eventually catches up with you and something is always hurt. First it was his wrist in 2007, then his hip in '08, and then his thumb just last summer. He's had three surgeries in the last four years and now there's something else that could potentially be added to the list: his knee. The team says they haven't explored the option of surgery just yet, but truth be told, it may only be a matter of time.

So where does that leave the Phillies if the start second baseman winds up having to go under the knife? Last year, Utley only played 115 games due to his thumb injury. In his place, Placido Polanco (who is a Gold Glove second baseman) and the ever versatile Wilson Valdez primarily stood the watch until Utley was able to come back full-time. So far this spring we've seen Valdez, Pete Orr, Josh Barfield, and Delwyn Young start at second, with Young spending the majority of the time there. We've also seen flashes of Jeff Larish starting at third sprinkled into the mix.

It's entirely too early in the spring to speculate on any of this, but if in the event that Utley is not ready come opening day, we could very well see a mix of Valdez and Young at second, with a very rare instance of Polanco at second and perhaps Valdez at third. This of course all depends on how Charlie feels about the depth charts in the coming weeks when cuts begin.
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