Theo Ratliff Will Be Back Swatting Flies Away From The Net

This time it’s from the bench though:

Theo Ratliff, passing on more lucrative offers from two other teams, has rejoined the 76ers, signing a 1-year contract.

Ratliff accepted the veterans’ minimum for players with at least 10 seasons of experience, meaning he will be paid $1,262,275, with a portion of that coming from an NBA pool.

“He is a consummate professional, both on the court and off, who will provide us with additional depth in the frontcourt while also serving as a mentor to some of our younger players,” Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said in a statement.

The Sixers initially reached out to Ratliff, 35, after second-year big man Jason Smith went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a league-sanctioned skills camp in Las Vegas.

IS ANYONE ELSE AS PUMPED AS ME?!  Sure, he’s not Theo Ratliff circa 2000-2001 when the Sixers were 41-14 before he was injured and traded.  I doubt he’ll swat damn near 4 shots a game, or bring down 8 rebounds off the glass, but he’ll bring some good depth to the team behind Sammy Dalembert.  He was one of my all-time favorite Sixers for what he brought to the defensive end of the court and also because of his amazing hops.  He’s one of the best shot-blockers of all-time (literally, 18th on the all-time list and he’s been hurt a lot and has been a bench player for three years now).  What can go wrong other than Father Time having his say and letting us all know that maybe Ratliff has just gotten old.

Brett Myers Is Showing Everyone, We’ll See!

Everybody’s favorite starting pitcher threw a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, going the distance while giving up 9 hits, one walk, and fanning 9 batters. After a shaky first inning where a Pat Burrell strike from left field to home plate prevented a runner from crossing, Myers took it to the Nationals with authority. He’s now shaved an entire run off his ERA since returning to the majors, with it dropping to 4.71 (the lowest point since May 3rd). Myers has been flashing control and efficiently using his pitches. Sure, he did it against a Nationals club which was last in the league in scoring runs, but a win is a win.

Myers’ resurgence comes at a critical time for the Phillies. As they enter the home stretch of the 162 game campaign, the kitchen sink method of winning ballgames is going to start to be applied. This seems have started already, judging by Myers finishing a game where he had already reached 100 pitches by the end of the 8th inning and two defensive replacements being brought in at the end of the game. These decisions may start to become more frequent as manager Charlie Manuel notices the calendar turn over to September.

The Phillies continue to sit 1.5 games behind the NL East-leading New York Metropolitans, while the Florida Marlins seem to have cooled off as they now sit 4.5 games out of first place. The race for first is once again becoming a two team sprint. While six games remain against the Mets, games against teams like the Nationals matter. It’s good to see the Phillies come around after a horrible West Coast swing.

Almost forgot…Myers didn’t curse out his manager tonight either! Double win!