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Weekly web wrap: Sports stories for Philly fans

By Jon Burkett | November 29, 2008 | Passion and Pride

Welcome to the first Weekly web wrap, a summary of sports stories on the web for Philly fans. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving. The Eagles capped off the day by beating the Cardinals at the Linc. Let's check out the scene around the Internet... FLYERS BuyNHLjerseys.com asks, "Just how hot is Jeff Carter right now?" With his league-leading 16 goals, including three game winners, the Flyers have turned things around with clutch performances from Carter and Simon Gagne. They won six in a row before losing to the Canes on Friday. A Flyers jersey makes a great holiday gift, especially with free shipping until December 1st. Philly Sports Pride answered the question, saying "Jeff Carter is hot like fire..." Yes, but how hot is that? PSP explains, "Every time he gets it he is firing at the net and its nice to see a forward on this team...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Joseph's, Temple, Villanova

Phillies sign a reliever, still searching for left field and Utley's temporary replacement

By Jon Burkett | November 29, 2008 | Passion and Pride

-The player I want the Phils to add to the OF corps, photo via Jibby7's flickr photostream Creative Commons LicenseWhile the Phillies continue to explore their options in the free agent market to fill the vacancies in their outfield, they announced the signing of a free agent pitcher. The Phillies signed Mike Koplove to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Koplove has major league experience and pitched for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate last season. From 2001-2003, Koplove was an up and coming talent in the Diamondbacks bullpen. He posted a 9-2 record in 95 games over that three year span, with 35 earned runs in 109 and a third innings for an ERA of 2.88. In 2004, Koplove appeared in 76 games and was 4-4 with a 4.05 ERA. His ERA rose to 5.07 in 44 appearances in 2005. Since then, he's only appeared in seven...

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World Famous StatSpeak Roundtable: November 26

By Pizza Cutter | November 26, 2008 | Statistically Speaking

Today, the roundtable shares some turkey with the usual StatSpeakers and Victor Wang, of The Hardball TImes. Victor is the recipient of SABR's Jack Kavanaugh Memorial Award given each year for the best baseball research by someone who isn't old enough to vote. Victor chimes in on his thoughts about Chase Utley, the Seattle Mariners embracing the dark side, the World Baseball Classic, the world in general, and women! And since it's Thanksgiving (in the U.S.), on behalf of Colin, Brian, and Eric, we are thankful to all of you out there who read StatSpeak. The two most powerful words in the English language are "Thank you." We hope that your Thanksgiving Day is filled with those two words in abundance. Question #1: The Seattle Mariners recently announced that they would be implementing an entire department for statistical analysis. Given that Jack Zduriencik is considered as more of an "old school scout" type...

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, World Baseball Classic

Phillies fans want to know: Who's going to be in left?

By Jon Burkett | November 23, 2008 | Passion and Pride

-Pat Burrell on deck, photo via Scott Ableman flickr photostream Creative Commons LicenseAt times, Pat Burrell was the best hitter in baseball. At other times, he was the worst hitter in baseball. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the career of Pat Burrell in a Phillies uniform. The question is whether that career ended on a high note or will there be a new chapter?The Phillies are forming contingency plans if Pat the Bat does not return. Reasons he may not be worth the price is his inconsistency at the plate, his baserunning resembling a construction worker with cement in his boots, and his poor defense in left field leading to his replacement in the 6th and 7th innings. He had a great arm and was decent for a stretch in the outfield this year, but when his confidence goes then his...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: MLB, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Phillies

Hot Stove Dishes - November 22, 2008

By Brian Joseph | November 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The latest buzz served up from baseball's Hot Stove League. Ten of the hottest stories, moves and rumors from the past week: The Giants are the dark horse to be big time players this offseason.Out of nowhere, rumors swirled that the Giants would be inserting themselves into the CC Sabathia chase. San Francisco already went out and signed one of the better lefty relievers on the market. Besides Sabathia, the Giants are after Edgar Renteria and might jump into the fray on another higher end infielder to fill their middle infield needs. If the Giants land Sabathia, they would instantly be contenders in the National League West. Mike Mussina retires!We can move on from the discussion of will Mike Mussina return to the Yankees or not for 2009 since he officially announced his retirement this week. The 270-game winner now will be discussed based on his merits for Hall of...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, CC Sabathia, Chase Utley, Edgar Renteria, Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Beimel, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mike Hampton, Mike Mussina, MLB, MLB Playoffs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Ramon Vazquez, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Trever Miller

Phillies Trade a 5 Dollar Bill for 6 Dollar Bills

By Justin "BabyFace" Harris | November 21, 2008 | Passion and Pride

Well, the old cliche is a 5 dollar bill for 5 one dollar bills, but I'm one of the few who actually thinks the Phils came out on the winning end here.The Phillies, Thursday afternoon, traded Greg Golson and his potential "tools" for John Mayberry Jr. and his one extremely developed tool. Anyone who had been holding their breath for Golson to get a good chunk of playing time with the Phils can breathe now. Golson never truly panned out, thus not living up to his first round expectations.Mayberry is also a first round pick, but he also never got the expectations that Golson received. Golson was supposed to be the next "5-Tool" star, Mayberry was just supposed to be a "power guy". While no one really believes Golson will ever live up to his billing, some believe Mayberry has the ability to hit 30-35 HRs in the Majors....

Read more | 8 Comments | Tags: MLB, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers

Passion and Pride Pulse debuts Sunday

By Jon Burkett | November 19, 2008 | Passion and Pride

After working through some technical difficulties, Passion and Pride's live radio show will debut on Sunday at 6pm. "Passion and Pride: Pulse" covers everything that is Philadelphia sports. With live callers, segments, game recaps and interviews, "Pulse" is heaven for any Philadelphia sports fan. Tune in on Sunday at 6pm for all the action via our BlogTalkRadio channel. You can leave comments here during the show.. Here's a sample: The call-in number for the show is (646) 478-0339. You can also reach us on Facebook or AIM. Our AOL Instant Messenger names are HiTitHard087 and JonMVNbasketball. Send your e-mails to jharrisnj03@gmail.com or jburkett@mvn.com. Let's get it on!...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: MLB, MVN Live, NBA, NFL, NHL, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies

The Not Necessarily Incorrect Daily Update News Vol. 15

By LDizzle | November 19, 2008 | Thoughts from the Dark Side: An independent Oakland Raiders news, commentary, and media site

Good day everyone. Old faithful LDizzle here. It is time again for my unique coverage of the news from around the sports world. I leave few stones unturned, unpassed or unthrown. Tonight! Is the McNabb, "I didn't know there could be a tie", story dead? Let's ponder that and talk about it for a week or so. Jim Fassel is refuting reports that he is interested in the Raiders head coaching job. Now we KNOW it is true. If Joey Porter trash talked in the forest and there was no one there to hear him, would he still be a douchebag? All I want is peace but I have no index finger so I am always sending the wrong message. THIS is The Not Necessarily Incorrect Daily Update News!...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Al Davis, Andy Reid, Brett Favre, CC Sabathia, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, DeAngelo Hall, Donovan McNabb, Jerry Buss, Jerry West, Jim Fassel, Jim Harbaugh, Joey Porter, Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, Mark Cuban, MLB, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Pao Gasol, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Howard, Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers, Stanford University, Tony Romo, Washington Redskins, West Texas A&M

Hot Stove Dishes - November 22, 2008

By Brian Joseph | November 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Being the GM: 2009 Philadelphia Phillies

By Evan | November 13, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Garret Anderson - Samara Pearlstein

The club is relatively set and only has one outstanding issue: that of Pat Burrell. Burrell is highly likely to leave (and does, to the Braves, in this series) so the Phillies will look for a replacement. First things first:Read more

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MVN Awards: NL Bobby Thigpen Award - Brad Lidge

By Brian Joseph | November 11, 2008 | MVN Outsider

In the American League, there was a closer who put together a special season that was statistically good but not great. In the National League, there was Brad Lidge who had a season that was not only special but amazing... perfectly amazing. Lidge's season was so good, he was awarded NL Comeback Player of the Year. His comeback was from a '07 season that saw him post 19 saves and a 3.36 ERA in his last year in Houston before being traded to the Phillies. In Philadelphia, they waited for Lidge to slip. He was a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities in April. In May, he saved 6-of-6 again and added a win. Seven more in June and seven consecutive in July had Lidge at a perfect 26-for-26 in save opportunities. After a rough All-Star loss and some concern because of the unusual amount of times he was asked to...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Awards, Brad Lidge, Closer, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies

Gillick deservedly goes out a winner

By Daniel Rathman | October 30, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Joe Blanton (phillymads63/Flickr.com)

It was 1963 when Pat Gillick began what would blossom into an illustrious and lengthy front office career, leaving his pitching days behind for a job as a farm director for the Houston Astros. Through a decade and a half of hard work, split between the Astros, Yankees, and Blue Jays organizations, Gillick ventured up the executive ranks, landing his first general managerial gig in Toronto in 1978. And after three decades of wearing that prestigious hat for several different teams, Gillick is deservedly going out a winner. Gillick's tenure as the general manager of the Blue Jays spanned 17 years. He took the reins of a team that finished an abhorrent 54-107 the previous year and, eight years later, brought an AL East division title to Toronto. From 1985 through the end of his stay in 1994, Gillick built five division winners, and two World Championship teams -- the...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Brad Lidge, Joe Blanton, MLB, Pat Gillick, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, World Series

Tonight's finish of game 5 a chess match

By Alan Smodic | October 29, 2008 | MVN Outsider

wallyg/flickr.comGame 5 of the 2008 World Series already isn't your typical baseball game. And its finish is going to be unlike anything we've ever seen.Will be interesting to watch? Yes. Is it just going to feel weird? Yes -- in a good way, and bad.Granted, it was tough to watch the World Series being played in mud on Monday. That should have just never happened. It will be even tougher to see a game decided in basically three innings. I know it's a continuation of the game, but with the score tied, it will just seem like they are starting over and only playing a 21-out game.It'll be hard to adjust -- at first. But in the end, I think I'm going to like tonight's matchup.The two managers are going to find themselves in a position where each has to manage instantly. First, do you use a starter or a...Read more

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Game 5 a must-win for both sides

By Daniel Rathman | October 27, 2008 | MVN Outsider

After steamrolling past the Red Sox on the bat of B.J. Upton and the arm of Matt Garza, the Rays seemed poised to complete their remarkable run from worst to first. But the Phillies, viewed by most -- yours truly, included -- as the underdog in the 2008 World Series, have proven much more formidable than expected. Entering Monday night's Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park, it's the Phillies who own a 3-1 series lead over the Rays. The 2-3-4 tandem of B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena, and Evan Longoria that pummeled everything thrown its way during the ALCS has been thoroughly contained by the Phillies' pitching staff, managing a paltry four hits -- all of them by Upton and all of them singles -- in 45 at-bats while whiffing a whopping 19 times. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's big boppers, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, have led their team's charge with five combined...Read more

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Are you watching the World Series?

By Alan Smodic | October 25, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Honestly, it's a legitimate question at this point. And, through two games of the 2008 Fall Classic, most people would say no.Reports late yesterday out of Philadelphia are saying that Tampa Bay's 4-2 victory over the Phillies drew an 8.1 fast national rating and a 13 share on Fox -- the second-lowest rated World Series game ever behind only the 2006 opener between St. Louis and Detroit.Compared to last year:The first two games averaged an 8.7/14, a 19 percent drop from the 10.8/18 for last year's Boston Red Sox-Colorado Rockies series. Philadelphia's 3-2 win in Wednesday's opener received a 9.2/15.Granted, last year's World Series included the Boston Red Sox. Any series combination featuring the likes of a Boston, New York and maybe Chicago Cubs team is going to have its rating boosted, but still.With numbers like these, you'd think it can't possibly be good for Fox and its crew, right? Think again..."Game...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Jamie Moyer, Matt Garza, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays

Once Again, Tampa Bay Stands Between Philadelphia and a World Championship

By Amar Panchmatia | October 21, 2008 | MVN Outsider

For the City of Brotherly Love, it just has to be this way. Oh, you remember. You remember Ronde Barber picking off Donovan McNabb in the red zone and taking it 92 yards to pay dirt to catapult the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game of 2003. You remember how the Bucs, who had each of the previous two seasons ended at the hands of your Eagles, hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy--the prize that you thought should have been yours--just two weeks later, and how that trophy has never been in the possession of your city. Then there was 2004. You remember how your hockey-crazed city with a rich hockey tradition was denied a chance to advance and win their first Stanley Cup since 1975 because a warm-weather town like Tampa Bay fielded a better team (one named the Lightning, at that). You remember...Read more

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