MTR Media» MLB – Phillies http://www.mtrmedia.com Your World...Online! Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:02:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Raul Ibanez have signed a one-year deal with the Yankees, as a DH. http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/raul-ibanez-have-signed-a-one-year-deal-with-the-yankees-as-a-dh/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/raul-ibanez-have-signed-a-one-year-deal-with-the-yankees-as-a-dh/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:26:40 +0000 Stanley Alston http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31670 The New York Yankees have announced earlier today that they have signed former Phil Raul Ibanez to a one-year, $1.1 million dollars contract, as a designated hitter.

Ibanez, who was the Phils’ left fielder for 2009-11, last year played in 144 games, hitting .245 (131 for 535), hitting 31 doubles, 1 triple and 20 home runs, knocking in 84 RBIs, while scoring 65 runs. During a 16-years career, while includes stints with the Seattle Mariners (two) and the Kansas City Royals, Ibanez would appear in 1817 games, hitting .280 (1791 for 6387), including 377 doubles, 43 triples and 252 home runs, as he knocked in 1054 runs, while scoring 928. He also has a career slugging percentage of .471 and a career on-base percentage of .342. As he joins the Yankees, Ibanez is expected to be their left-handed designated hitter, while also adding some depths to their outfield.

With the signing, as far as the Phils are concerned, it should give them a draft pick based on Ibanez’s free agent status.

Wish you luck with the Yanks, Raul.

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/raul-ibanez-have-signed-a-one-year-deal-with-the-yankees-as-a-dh/feed/ 0 Phils announce that they have given Kyle Kendrick an extension on his contract. http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phils-announce-that-they-have-given-kyle-kendrick-an-extension-on-his-contract/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phils-announce-that-they-have-given-kyle-kendrick-an-extension-on-his-contract/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:45 +0000 Stanley Alston http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31666 Yesterday, as the Phils’ pitchers and catchers begin their first official workout at Carpenter Field in Clearwater, Florida, the Phils announced that they have extended Kyle Kendrick’s contract.

Kendrick, who had about a month ago avoided arbitration by signing a one-year contract worth $3.585 million dollars, will now receive a two-year contract worth $7.5 million dollars plus incentives.

The move shows how much the Phils value his versatility as being a starter, a spot starter, and a long man out of the bullpen. Hopefully this will also mean that they have enough money to later give Cole Hamels an extension on his one-year contract. Time will tell on that one, I guess.

Glad that you’ll be sticking around, Kyle. Do not mess up.

Oh, and welcome back Baseball! Go PHILS!!!

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phils-announce-that-they-have-given-kyle-kendrick-an-extension-on-his-contract/feed/ 0 Phillies are 2012 favorites, even without Ryan Howard http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phillies-are-2012-favorites-even-without-ryan-howard/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phillies-are-2012-favorites-even-without-ryan-howard/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:42:29 +0000 Eisenhicks http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31623 Friends, fans, we embark on another baseball season, and once again, our Phillies are the odds-on favorites to win the World Series.
That is because Vegas can only use history, as can I.
I won’t have hands-on experience until the Phillies met the Pirates in Pittsburgh on opening day on April 5.
(More about that later.)
One Vegas house has the Phillies as 9/2 favorites, followed by the Yankees, who are at 6/1.
You can’t predict what St. Louis and before them, the Giants have done.
The Giants got into the playoffs with one game left and the Cardinals got into the playoffs with no games left.
All this odds-on favorite stuff is with slugging first-baseman Ryan Howard on the shelf with an Achilles injury until mid-May.
So with arguably their biggest star on the shelf, why are they the favorites to win it all?
Simple.
Look back and look forward.
Simply said, the Phillies were 102-60 in 2011, and are not throwing out Kevin Millwood and Von Hayes this season.
Nope.
Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels for starters.
Jonathan Papelbon to close.
Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and newcomers Hunter Pence and this year’s additions Laynce Nix and Ty Wiggington.
And sure Hall of Famer Jim Thome on the bench.
To be truthful, the opening of Citizens’ Bank Park has been a goldmine.
They have not finished worse than second in the park and have won the eastern division the last five years.
No reason to think they will do less in 2012.
And what a ride it will be.
(My wife and I will be going to the Phillies vs. Pirates road opener on April 5. I have knowledge of Pittsburgh, since I went to college near there).

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/phillies-are-2012-favorites-even-without-ryan-howard/feed/ 0 Spring Has Sprung: Phillies 2012 Edition http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/spring-has-sprung-phillies-2012-edition/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/spring-has-sprung-phillies-2012-edition/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:30:19 +0000 Jenn Zambri-Dickerson http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31632 The start of spring training is always an exciting time. It means a new year, new players and another shot at the World Championship. For me, the day pitcher’s and catcher’s report does not exactly conjure the urge to cheer out loud; it is more a feeling of relief. It is time to exhale…

Because all winter long, I have been holding my breath waiting for spring to arrive and it is finally here! Winter is the worst season for baseball addicts. You can try to distract yourself with the holidays, football, hockey and hoops, but it is just not the same. And there are so many down days and so much time to fill.

Now, like a child on Christmas morning, we all feel the anticipation of the new season upon us. Just as excited must be Roy Halladay, who arrived to spring training in style. This appears to be a 1932 Ford Roadster; the photo was tweeted by Matt Gelb:

As spring training rolls forward, here are a few things to keep your eyes out for:

Who’s on First? – After Achilles surgery, Ryan Howard will be out of the line-up until at least May, probably longer. Will John Mayberry take over? Or, will he start in left and leave 1st base to new Phillies Laynce Nix and Ty Wigginton? My preference is the latter.

What’s on Second? – The “who” here is Chase Utley. The “what” is what shape will he be in after nursing a bum knee throughout the 2011 season.

Juggling of the Bullpen – There are some significant changes to the pen this year starting with new closer Jonathan Papelbon. But that role is set, so what about the rest of the pen? What role will Kyle Kendrick fill? Will Dontrelle Willis be a real contributor? And can Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes move past the awful ending to an otherwise solid 2011 season? Add Chad Qualls and a possible return from Jose Contreras and this has the makings of a huge soap opera.

The Infirmary – One of the biggest question marks on an aging team is can they stay healthy? Many players had off-season surgery including Cole Hamels, Placido Polanco, Hunter Pence and, of course, Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins has only played around 1/2 of the last two seasons due to injuries. And this year, he has a brand new contract, making his continued health a real priority.

The Contract Situation – Cole Hamels is on board for the year. But unless the Phillies ink a long-term deal with him this spring, they are likely to lose him in free agency next year. The question is, how much of a distraction will this be? Personally, I think the Phillies need to cut a deal now and be done with it.

Luckily, this year fans will have more opportunities to see these dramas play out thanks to expanded TV coverage of spring training. Comcast has published a list of all 14 games that will be aired plus many news and social media events. This is the first time EVER that you can see every Phillies spring training game without travelling to Clearwater.

Of course, I would rather be in Florida. However, this is a great alternative. With the early March games being aired, you can see a lot of young guys and prospects play that without the TV coverage, you normally would not. In prior years, those players were already sent back to the minors by the time games began to air.

Changing the subject to a more personal note, many of you who follow my blog regularly know that I generally post new content frequently. However, this off-season has been a tough one for me. It seems like life keeps tossing me curve balls. I have been quite ill all off-season. Then a short time ago, my cat of 15 years passed away in my arms. I had to have surgery just 6 days after that happened and am still recovering with another surgery on the horizon.

I will live, but it has been a rough go for a while here. So I thank you all for continuing to follow my silly little blog :O) I hope to be back on track with regular postings and some fun photos real soon. And what could be a better cure for that which ails me than baseball?

Thank goodness, Spring Training has sprung!

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/spring-has-sprung-phillies-2012-edition/feed/ 0 Will Phillies let Cole Hamels twist in the wind? http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/will-phillies-let-cole-hamels-twist-in-the-wind/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/will-phillies-let-cole-hamels-twist-in-the-wind/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:44:06 +0000 Eisenhicks http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31476 Cole Hamels signed a record one-year, $15 million dollar one-year deal before the 2012 season.
The nagging question is will the Phillies sign Hamels to a long-term deal.
Will they do it?
Not likely from this end.
Everything is pointing to a one-for-all World Series push.
From Jim Thome to Jonathan Papelbon, the Phillies are going for the brass ring this year and then slowly blowing up the team.
Hamels was 14-9 last year with a 2.79 ERA last year.
Take out his 20-game over .500 record (74-54), his World Series MVP and his reducing ERA and you got a .500 pitcher.
Yeah, but he is 28, and a left hander.
And he sees the other pitchers, namely Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, making $20 a year.
Tough.
He will float out in the wind.
If I were Hamels, I would talk to the Phillies until the season’s open.
Then not again.
The problem is that the Phillies already laid out a lot for Hamels and are trying to keep under the salary cap will be difficult.
It will be the story of the season.
And deciding which way they were going to go, was difficult.
But studying the story hard, looking at his stats, the signings and the question became clear.
They really don’t have to address this situation until after the season.
And let the chips fall where they may lie.

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/will-phillies-let-cole-hamels-twist-in-the-wind/feed/ 0 MTR Baseball Beat 2-17-2012 http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-baseball-beat-2-17-2012/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-baseball-beat-2-17-2012/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:16:03 +0000 Flippinoutradio http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31592
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MTR Baseball Beat is hosted by Bill Zeltman and a variety of MTRMedia.com journalists. The show covers MLB with an emphasis on the Philadelphia Phillies. MTR Baseball Beat’s latest podcast is now available. You can listen on MTRMedia.com’s new 24/7 online radio station by clicking here, by subscribing to our Podcast in iTunes, (Search for MTRMedia.com) or by clicking on the link below!

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]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-baseball-beat-2-17-2012/feed/ 0 My Two Cents Podcast 2/16/2012 http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/my-two-cents-podcast-2162012/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/my-two-cents-podcast-2162012/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:21:37 +0000 Flippinoutradio http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31579
My_two_cents

My Two Cents new Podcast is available starring Steve and Connie Mack. The show features Philadelphia sports talk as well as special guests. Hear Steve and Connie break down the Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, and Eagles.

You can listen on MTRMedia.com’s new 24/7 online radio station by clicking here. You can also subscribe to our Podcast in iTunes. (Search for MTRMedia.com) or listen by clicking on the link below.

Listen to My Two Cents live on Thursday nights at 10:00pm EST or on replay on MTRRadio.com!

Listen to MTR Radio on your Android Device by clicking here, on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod by downloading our FREE new app from the iTunes Store (search for MTR Radio), or on your Windows Phone, Blackberry, Palm, and Samsung Bada by clicking here for the FREE app. Search for MTR Radio and add it to your presets.

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]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/my-two-cents-podcast-2162012/feed/ 0 Gary Carter played role in Phillies’ history http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/gary-carter-played-role-in-phillies-history/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/gary-carter-played-role-in-phillies-history/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:11:12 +0000 Eisenhicks http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31560 The baseball world mourned when Gary Carter died of cancer the other day.

But in a day an age when the world is five minutes ago, it is hard to personalize Carter, who retired from active baseball in 1992.

The New York Post remembered Carter in a time line and mentioned the date of Sept. 28, 1974 as his first home run as an Montreal Expo with a two-run shot, the first of his career, in a 3-1 win against Steve Carlton and the Phillies at Olympic Stadium.

But on Aug. 15, 1990, Carter played an important role in Terry Mullholland’s first no-hitter in Veteran’s Stadium.

More central to the story was third baseman Charlie Hayes.

Hayes had blown a sure out, allowing for an error and a runner on first late in the game.

The runner was erased on a double play, allowing for the minimum 27 batters.

Carter was the last batter of the game.

Carter hit a rocket, which would have broken the no-hitter, but Hayes was there to snag the line drive and preserve the no-hitter.

Carter ended his career with the Expos, but in Aug. 15, 1990, he was a central figure in only two (Kevin Millwood on April 23, 2003) no hitter thrown at Veterans’ Stadium.

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/gary-carter-played-role-in-phillies-history/feed/ 0 MTR Radio Announces a New Lineup http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-radio-announces-a-new-lineup/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-radio-announces-a-new-lineup/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:21:13 +0000 Bill Zeltman http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31541 MTRRadio.com has a new lineup and a plethora of new shows including Passed Ball, The Hot Pocket Show, The Carlucci Show, The Dovid Dobin Show, The Chris and Paul Show, Electric Sauce, The Local with Tony Scarangella, Zupan and Renner, Reality Rest Stop, and Wednesday Wrap Up.

Listen live to our shows Monday through Friday and call in at 609-9100-MTR. Listen to MTR Radio on your Android Device by clicking here, on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod by downloading our FREE new app from the iTunes Store (search for MTR Radio), or on your Windows Phone, Blackberry, Palm, and Samsung Bada by clicking here for the FREE app. Search for MTR Radio and add it to your presets.

]]> http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/mtr-radio-announces-a-new-lineup/feed/ 0 What’s wrong with the Philadelphia teams? http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/whats-wrong-with-the-philadelphia-teams/ http://www.mtrmedia.com/2012/02/whats-wrong-with-the-philadelphia-teams/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:22:02 +0000 Eisenhicks http://www.mtrmedia.com/?p=31160 The Sixers are doing well without a superstar and the Flyers are in the hunt.
So why the down face?
Because football is over and baseball hasn’t started yet.
And the hockey and basketball teams have to show us what they got in the playoffs before we invest every night in them like we do baseball and do every Sunday for football.
It is look at what is wrong and why it is wrong and the odds of each team making the playoffs and winning the championship.
The Sixers
A starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Jode Meeks and Nikola Vecevic is not going to excite anyone.
But along with backups Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams, they show the depth that gained them a 20-9 record and first place in the Atlantic division.
They are winning without a superstar. Some will argue that it should be Iguodala, but he earned his All-Star credentials with good defense and a all-around game.
Rumors fly that the Sixers could land a Dwight Howard, but Turner and Williams are in most trade speculations.
Just see what the current group can do with its depths as a strength.
Playoffs possibility: 90 percent. Championship potential: 10 percent.
The Eagles
Is Michael Vick the starter to take you to the Super Bowl?
How about the Giants, who had one more win than the Eagles, yet established a strong defense.
And it was Eli Manning, not Tom Brady, led his team to a last-minute touchdown to take the lead and win the game.
Can’t worry about that.
Sure the Eagles paid too much for some players, especially Nnamdi Asomugha and Domimique Rodgers-Cromartie, but are they why the Eagles did not make the playoffs?
The Eagles have a lot of questions to be answered and it should start soon.
Owner Jeff Lurie stated that Andy Reid would stay on as coach, but left unsaid was that Reid would have one last year to get things right.
Playoff percentage: 50 percent. Super Bowl champs in 2013, coming in at 60 percent.

The Flyers

Is Ilya Bryzgalov the right goalie for this team?
It doesn’t matter.
If the Flyers make a run during the playoffs, either it will be Bryzgolov or backup Sergie Bobrovsky in goal.
The Flyers just need to get everyone healthy, which hopefully will be near the end of the season.
Their youth should stay strong during the playoffs. Whether the veterans can stay healthy and contribute, is the key to the season.
Playoff percentage: 95. Stanley Cup: 65.

The Phillies
World Series champ 2008.
Went the World Series in 2009 and were in the playoffs every year since.
Yet I see an aging team with its core past its time.
Out Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rolllins and Placido Polanco, who were is going to play a full season?
The Phillies have depth including Lanyce Nix and Ty Wiggington.
They have improved the bench and the backend of the bullpen with the addition of Jonathan Papelbon.
It is a question mark how the new parts are going to respond to the old.
However, it does seem that in spite of improving the closer’s position, the Phillies have concerned themselves with being better off replacing parts for the long haul better than they were in 2011.
It is going to be a fun ride.
Playoff possibilities: 98 percent. World Series victor: 79 percent.
2008 might be playing into my thinking, but the Phillies do present the best hope of winning a World championship.

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