PSoTD gave everyone in their blogroll this little question…so I’m going to respond. What does Labor Day mean to me? Well, considering I am scheduled to work on Monday, not much at all. I view it as a celebration of manufacturing and other such jobs, as very few places in the service industry give their employees the day off.
And that’s what it truly means to me, a celebration of blue-collar work and little else.
Here’s a straight cut and paste from a Sixers.com email I recieved in the mail yesterday. Some interesting things are going to be implemented next season…Chris Webber Mughead?! I’m in! The email:
It's a Philly Thing!
The 76ers released their Marketing Campaign for the 2006-07 Season on
Monday. "It's a Philly Thing" aims to link the Sixers to the City of
Brotherly Love based on the rich history of both the city and the
franchise.
Along with the new marketing campaign, the Sixers included the
promotions schedule for the upcoming season. Starting with a magnetic schedule giveaway at the 76ers Home Opener against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 1,
the Sixers will give away eight different items during the season
including a fleece blanket, a Samuel Dalembert Bobblehead, a Kyle Korver statue, an Allen Iverson jersey, an Andre Iguodala bank, a "Hip-Hop in the Box," and a Chris Webber mughead.
It was the top of the 8th inning. The Phillies were cruising by the Nationals behind the left arm of King Cole Hamels, winning 4-0. There were 2 outs and Jeff Conine was standing at second base. Up strolled Abraham Nunez to the plate with an 0-3 collar around his neck. His 198 batting average and 522 OPS has become a sort of odd wonder, such that Sportszilla has chronicled his assault on the 500 OPS mark. His designation as starting third baseman defies any sort of logic, and yet the words Scott Graham, Phillies broadcaster, was about to utter would shake the ground that I stood upon:
“Well, with two outs and the pitcher behind him, the Nationals are going to intentionally walk Abraham Nunez to get to Cole Hamels.”
Yes. That’s right. Abraham Nunez was intentionally walked as though he were the Ryan Howard of 8 hole hitters. With 2 outs and the worst starting major leaguer in the past 6 seasons up at the plate, Frank Robinson had the stellar idea of letting that guy get on base to, as the illustrious Chris Wheeler would say, ‘turn the lineup over’. Instead of the pitcher’s spot leading off the top of the 9th, Jimmy Rollins led off the 9th.
Now, it ‘worked’ in that Cole Hamels struck out to end the inning. But three straight hits were given up in the 9th inning, and the Phillies were able to score a run on a sacrifice fly that might not have been set up if a pinch hitter came in to lead off the inning. The simple fact that the worst starting player in the Majors was GIVEN a base is simply mindboggling. To give Abe Nunez ANYTHING is just…wow.
Last night Ryan Howard tied Mike Schmidt for the Phillies single-season record for dingers. Little more needs to be written about how great this accomplishment is, and also how Howard has evolved into a monster at the plate. The comparisons have mostly floated towards David Ortiz and Willie Stargell, but I tend to view Howard as a young Jim Thome. Both hit to all fields, both hit for a good average, and both have had 40 homer seasons for the Phillies.
Perhaps the Phils can ride Howard to the playoffs. The NL is completely watered down and horrible this year, so maybe 84 wins nabs a Wild Card. Oh joy?
Not really, since they can just lose a couple for her. Media Bistro has a side-by-side of two publicity photos of Couric, one from May and one that is going to be in the September issue of Watch Magazine:
Her arms and waist were slimmed down and her color was lightened. Apparently viewers of the CBS Evening News want their news anchors to be slim and trim.
Lost in all the talk about the burgeoning team chemistry was this little nugget buried at the bottom of Yahoo’s recap of Monday’s 8-3 loss to the Mets:
The Phillies have hit 38 homers this month. The team record for August is 39, set in 2004. Howard tied Mike Schmidt for the club record for homers in August with his 12th this month. Schmidt hit 12 in August 1975.
Who’d have thunk it, huh? All this team chemistry, small-ball and willing to victory has produced probably the best power output for the Phillies of all-time, for both an individual (Howard) and the team. Somehow this has gotten such esteemed experts as John Marzano, who continues to beat on ‘the little things’ night after night from his cozy chair at Comcast Sportsnet’s studios.
But let’s not all turn into little Johnny Marz’s…spread the word about the Phillies power, as I have done. Take note that our MVP-candidate is Ryan Howard, and not little-ball master Abe Nunez. Take note that our leadoff hitter doesn’t have to steal first, or second, when he hits a double. And in fact, he can just jog around the bases when he hits a homer. Pat Burrell may take a lot of called thirds, but the many does belt some over the fence, and also gets on base at a healthy clip. Our second baseman is thought of as the best in the league not for his ‘grit’, but for the way he hits. People just like him more because his jersey gets dirty. David Dellucci has provided a healthy batting average, a healthy eye, and a helping of doubles and homers.
This is the Phillies’ bread and butter folks. Power. Pure, uncompromising power. Learn to love it. Leading the Majors in runs since the all-star break takes a bit more than bunting guys over and stealing bases.
- Also posted on The Good Phight -
At least that’s what he said to John McEnroe after he he defeated Andrei Pavel in 4 sets. He won the last set in a rather decisive manner. His next challenge is 8th seeded Marcos Baghdatis, who is sure to give him a tough match (and probably will roll over him). However, let’s all root for Agassi, simply so I can see more of the pure joy that he emitted after beating Pavel tonight. Almost everyone can tell he wants to keep playing, even though his body won’t really let him do what he once did. One thing’s for sure, after the U.S. Open, the field is pretty wide open for Roger Federer unless one of the younger guys steps up to rival him (such as 21 yr old Baghdatis).One other thing, the fans at Arthur Ashe were fairly quiet throughout the first set (understandable, Agassi lost it) but really started to pop after Agassi won the second set. If Agassi is going to upset Baghdatis he’s going to need that support twofold.
The final line: 6-7 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (6), 6-2
Yep, it’s all over for my man Fabio Castro. We have to send him down. Trade him. Cut him. Something. Anything. What changed from just a few days ago when I had hoped that he would be on the roster in 2007, and given a primary role in the bullpen? Well, dude gave up a run, ending his 17.1 inning scoreless streak! And he didn’t JUST give up a run, he gave up a double to Carlos Beltran and a walk to Carlos Delgado! His ERA ballooned to 0.49. This young punk needs to learn that he has to be perfect, or else he’s going to find himself the odd man out in this bullpen. We’re getting old dude after old dude in this place, and I’m sure we’re setting our sights on some veteranosity for the bullpen. Maybe we should just let Jeff Conine close out games, if that man knows one thing, it’s playoff baseball!
I’m watching you Fabio, you’re on notice!
Barbaro: Deadspin HOF Nominee.
Remember when I was all for the 7-foot fence that is to be erected around Independence Hall? Well, I’m not sure if you knew it or not, but I was kidding around! I don’t actually want to fence up a symbol of our freedom! And this anti-fence feeling is really picking legs across the internets. First Gort went on the offensive, and now Phillyskyline is actually promoting that people ACT on their feelings about it! Doesn’t this guy know that it’s better to do nothing and complain about it, because then you can always blame someone else!!
Is Ryan Howard the National League MVP? Perhaps, quite possibly, yes. A Citizen’s Blog is on the case.
Stephen Colbert is all over this ‘making up new words’ shit.
Apparently, despite hate mail to the contrary, a sex column in the Inky will NOT cause the decline of Western civilization. Maybe just Eastern civilization. (Philadelphia Will Do)
The Pennsylvania Progressive revisits Hurricane Katrina.
Wait…people take the Left Behind books and games and such serious? They’re not jokes? (Huffington Post)
Andre Agassi’s last stand at the US Open begins tonight, as he takes on Andrei Pavel.
And finally: Abraham Nunez just sucks. He’s the worst regular in Major League Baseball. He’s just bad at his job. And the funny thing about this is that he was INSERTED into the lineup after 4 months of wretched ‘play’. (Sportszilla)
The Minnesota Vikings have been having a tough time with media relations over the past year, largelly due to off the field incidents involving players. First it was the infamous sex boat party (with hookers). Then it was Onterio Smith’s Whizzinator. Former head coach Mike Tice was caught selling his Super Bowl tickets (which everybody does). Then Koren Robinson, who had a decent year at wideout last year, was released a day ago because he was caught driving drunk and tried to flee the police. So imagine everyone’s surprise when newly signed Dwight Smith was just arrested early Saturday morning:
This time, it was Smith, signed last month to start next to Pro Bowler Darren Sharper in the secondary. Smith received a misdemeanor citation from Minneapolis police early Saturday for alleged indecent conduct with a 24-year-old woman in a stairwell near a downtown night club.
Coach Brad Childress expressed his disappointment and said he would discipline Smith, though he did not specify the punishment. The league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union limits teams’ disciplinary powers.
DAMN! This was only hours after the Vikings beat the Baltimore Ravens that same night. He didn’t take too long at all to get it on. Apparently the guy just can’t wait long enough to wait to rent a hotel room. How drunk was this son of a bitch that his judgement was that lax? And don’t you feel for Brad Childress, just a little bit? He gets his big coaching break after several years as the Eagles offensive coordinator, and then he has to try and play babysitter to a bunch of grown men. It’s tough to blame the head coach for any sort of lax ‘culture’, because these ARE adults and there are 53 players on a team. 4-5 players acting in an inappropriate manner from the same team pretty much fits in line with how many people screw up in other jobs. Someone’s not going to blame the boss of a paper company for what his employees do outside the job.
Short and sweet on here…Fabio Castro, the glorious dictator of the Phillies bullpen, should be a Phillie in 2007. This does not mean he should only be in the organization, he should be on the 25 man major league roster. The numbers since the Phillies got him speak for themselves:
Yeah, uh, wow. Is there any legitimate reason that the guy shouldn’t be in the majors next year? Is there any reason he shouldn’t have his role expanded RIGHT NOW? Apparently Mike Arbuckle thinks that he still ‘needs seasoning’. So he’s 21 years old and has a small frame…so that makes him what? Cole Hamels? There is no real reason the guy should not be our setup man RIGHT NOW, with a guy like Geary as the closer, unless we simply don’t believe that production matters in actually evaluating a player’s worth.
What I find interesting is that Philling Station had Castro in their sights way back in December, when the Rule V draft was going on and there were rumblings about him being taken (eventually the Royals picked him):
Anyway, Squire reports that the top pick will most likely be 21-year-old Fabio Castro, a left-handed reliever in the White Sox organization. Castro is just 5-8, 157 lbs. and hasn’t yet risen above A-ball, but Jonathon Mayo of MLB.com writes of him:
Coming out of the bullpen for Winston-Salem in the Class A Carolina League, Castro posted a 2.28 ERA in 79 innings, yielding just 58 hits (for a .209 batting average against) and striking out 75. He finished the season with 11 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. For his career, including his first summer in the Dominican Summer League, Castro is 26-12 with 19 saves and a 2.28 ERA. He’s rung up 292 strikeouts in 261 innings.
Castro could fit right into a team’s bullpen, but he could have the stuff — if not the stamina — to slide into the back end of a rotation.
So it’s not like the guy has come out of nowhere…he’s been highly touted before. Am I the only one feeling a K-Rod in 2002 type vibe from this guy? Why not ride the train to its logical conclusion?
The Roots has been repping Philadelphia for years now, and their newest album is no different. Phillyskyline had a review of Game Theory on its site (scroll down to July 27th) and had this to say:
But this record is pure Roots, a pure album. It’s got that continuity, that flow-to-the-next song that made Things Fall Apart so fluid. Game Theory, it seems, is the next movement. The album is at once a bell curve and a circle; it’s a bell curve that intros softly upward with a keyboard soundcheck, before unleashing fury that peaks mid-album with “Here I Come,” the Black Thought / Malik B / Dice Raw trifecta with a Myxomatosis-fuzzbox power bassline. There’s a more obvious Radiohead reference, though, after the album comes back down and eases toward its end, in the next-to-last track “Atonement.” A female chorus of “as I wait for atonement, trapped in the heat of the moment” is sung over a background of Thom Yorke’s “you and whose army . . . you and your cronies . . . ahh-ah-ah-ah-ahh.” (Black Thought’s “OK Computer / Radiohead’s knock to the future” from Things Fall Apart’s “You Don’t See Us” was the first nod to The Greatest Band On The Planet.) The bell meets its circle at the end of the last track, a tribute to the late J-Dilla, fading to black before track one — Dillatastic Von Won(derful) — fades back up like some Alan Parsons studio trickery.
So I’d gather that Phillyskyline’s a fan. And so are we, especially this: LINK TO THE VIDEO(courtesy Philadelphia Will Do). Great video, just great. It looks like this is a winner.
Game Theory comes out August 29th…be there. Buy it. Obviously they appeal to the backpack rap crowd, but so what? They’re just good.
Now,a quick disclaimer here: I’m going to vote for Bob Casey Jr. for the US Senate, I’ve stated why I think he’s the best option(because he can win, he can get rid of Senator Rick Santorum, and he is much more representative of a fairly moderate state like Pennsylvania than either Chuck Pennachio or Santorum) but the dude is just bland. Bob is just bland, and his new commercial, set to run statewide, are as well. I’ll vote for the magic eyebrows of justice, but it’s hard to ignore the lack of any sort of charisma. But politicans don’t become better legislators when they have more charisma, they simply become better politicans. I do like that he highlights his economic approach, which is vastly different from Santorum’s. It’s the only spot where he can successfully get Democrats out to vote for him, and also some moderate Republicans who don’t like some of the political wrangling of Santorum reflecting poorly on their state. Many Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs, for example.
Here it is: LINKING IT
Yep, the Phillies just got 37 year old veteran Jose Hernandez. In a move sure to guarantee a World Series victory, Hernandez now gives skipper Chuck Manuel some versatility with his bench because he can play any infield position and corner outfield spot. He joins a bench that was primarily the starting lineup for the Scranton Red Barons to start the 2006 season: Chris Coste/Mike Lieberthal, OF Chris Roberson, OF Michael Bourn, IF Danny Sandoval, and IF Joe Thurston. That’s a youngish type bench, sans Hernandez and the catchers.
Beerleaguer calls him a ‘professional hitter‘, I call him and his 678 OPS a guaranteed World Series ticket. Cash in your paychecks and save up for those Diamond Club seats boys and girls, this is our ride to the promised land.
