Re: [Net-Gold] Re: BASEBALL: PENNANT CHOKERS: Philles and Hamel Beat Washington and Grab First Place
David P. Dillard
Re: [Net-Gold] Re: BASEBALL: PENNANT CHOKERS:
Philles and Hamel Beat Washington and Grab First Place
This never happens in Philly ... but it is
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
<http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/
story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3041667>
A shorter URL for the above link:
PHILADELPHIA -- In Philadelphia, life is not supposed to work like this.
In Philadelphia, it's the home team that's supposed to make its own
seven-game lead disappear.
In Philadelphia, it's the home team that's supposed to forget how to win
at all the wrong times.
So in Philadelphia, what they're witnessing now, as life on their sporting
planet turns completely upside-down, is practically an out-of-city
experience.
They know that miracles happen in sports. They have heard about them. They
have read about them.
Except they always happen somewhere else. Everywhere else. Or that's how
it has always seemed.
In Philadelphia, life is not supposed to work like this.
On Sept. 12, the Phillies were seven games out of first place. With 17
games to play. This isn't normally how teams set the stage for their
happiest ending to a season in 14 years.
But 15 days later, that seven-game Mets lead was gone. Vanished. Defunct.
In 15 days. How was that possible?
And that brings us to Friday night at shocking, rocking Citizens Bank
Park. That brings us to the events that transpired on the glistening green
field below and the suddenly friendly out-of-town scoreboard.
Phillies 6, Nationals 0.
Marlins 7, Mets 4.
Do the math. Check those standings. They don't seem real, but they are.
Somehow, when those scores were final, it was the Phillies who led the
National League East by a game, with two games left to play.
Somehow, it was the Phillies who were on the verge of pulling off that
miracle that was always the specialty of someone else's house.
Somehow, it was the Phillies who had a chance to become one of those teams
that people talk about for years, for decades, for centuries.
"I know that," said closer Brett Myers on Friday. "And it gives me chills
to think about it. I mean, not to sound like a wimp or anything, but just
seeing the fans and the way the town is lighting up, it makes you tear up,
man, I mean with happiness. It's just really cool to see this happen."
-------------------------------------------
Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard lead first-place Phillies over Nationals
The Canadian Press
<http://canadianpress.google.com/
article/ALeqM5jPhfzU7TMXj5dYqJJcftuKafbuMg>
A shorter URL for the above link:
PHILADELPHIA - Jimmy Rollins was reminded of his bold pre-season
prediction countless times, especially when it seemed the Philadelphia
Phillies were going nowhere.
Many snickered. Others criticized. Few outside the locker room believed.
Hey, J-Roll, it took 160 games, but the Phillies finally are the team to
beat in the NL East.
"It feels like spring training," Rollins said with a smile.
Cole Hamels struck out 13 in eight dominant innings, Ryan Howard hit his
45th homer and Philadelphia beat Washington 6-0 on Friday night to take
over sole possession of first place.
Desperate to end a 14-year playoff drought, the Phillies began the weekend
tied with the Mets for the division lead. Free-falling New York dropped
one game behind with a 7-4 loss to Florida, and the out-of-town scoreboard
was quick to show every Marlins run, drawing raucous cheers from a sellout
crowd.
Plenty stuck around to watch at a bar inside Citizens Bank Park and their
roar echoed throughout the ballpark when the final out was recorded at
Shea Stadium.
The Phillies' magic number to clinch the East is two.
"You don't have nothing until you have it," manager Charlie Manuel said.
"Do we smell it? Of course we smell it, and we want it."
Making his third start since missing one month because of a strained
elbow, Hamels (15-5) shut down the Nationals with a combination of an
overpowering fastball and a nasty curve mixed in with his trademark
changeup. He allowed six hits and walked one.
The all-star lefty struck 10 of 13 batters at one point and hardly broke a
sweat.
Clay Condrey finished the six-hitter for Philadelphia's fifth shutout.
"At this point of the season, it's key to go out and have your best game
ever," Hamels said.
-------------------------------------------
Hamels Dominates; Phillies Take Division Lead
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 29, 2007
New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/sports/baseball/29phillies.html>
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28 (AP) Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have
reached first place, they look as if they like it there.
<snip>
Desperate to end a 14-year playoff drought, the Phillies began the night
tied with the Mets for the division lead. The out-of-town scoreboard in
Philadelphia was quick to show every Marlins run, drawing cheers from a
capacity crowd.
Do we smell it? Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel said of the division
title. Of course we smell it, and we want it."
--------------------------------------------
09/29/2007 12:25 AM ET
Hamels' gem has Phillies alone in first
Ace whiffs 13; Phils on verge of first division title since '93
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
MLB
<http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070928&
content_id=2237175&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb>
A shorter URL for the above link:
PHILADELPHIA -- Standing casually near the on-deck circle, Cole Hamels
awaited a seventh-inning chance that might never come -- the opportunity
to hit with the bases loaded.
When Carlos Ruiz whiffed, Hamels strode to the plate to the loudest salute
on an already loud and giddy Friday evening at Citizens Bank Park. The
45,084 fans applauded the lefty's dominating effort, drowning him with
adulation through most of his five-pitch strikeout that served as little
payback for how he treated the Nationals.
More roars came as Hamels strode to and from the mound after a scoreless
eighth, acknowledging an ace-like performance in the latest and most
important game of the season.
The Phillies would take down the Nationals, 6-0, and later, move into sole
possession of first place in the National League East, taking full
advantage of a Mets freefall that has them on the brink of elimination. On
Saturday, the Phillies can clinch the division with a win and a Mets loss.
That's when they can celebrate like it's 1993, the last time the Phillies
won the NL East.
"[Hamels] dominated tonight," closer Brett Myers said. "If he pitches like
tonight, there's not going to be anybody who can hit him."
"He's proven he can perform on a big stage," added reliever Tom Gordon.
"That's as big as it gets."
Philadelphia's ace was making his third start since returning from a mild
left elbow strain, and he had no trouble fanning 13 batters through eight
innings.
--------------------------------------------
The complete articles may be read at the URLs provided for each.
WEBBIB0708
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jw...@temple.edu
Net-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold>
<http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html>
<http://groups.google.com/group/net-gold?hl=en>
<http://net-gold.jiglu.com/>
General Internet & Print Resources
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/20309>
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html>
Educator-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/>
K12ADMINLIFE
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/>
Nina Dillard's Photographs
<http://homepage.mac.com/neemers1/PhotoAlbum3.html>
Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold
<http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o>
Net-Gold Membership Required to View Photos
<http://www.ectma.org/hja_photos/pcc012.jpg>
-------------------------------------
On Sat, 29 Sep 2007, Denn...@aol.com wrote:
> Re: BASEBALL: PENNANT CHOKERS
> Good Morning, Everyone:
> Here's a chronological listing of teams that
> have been on top in either league and then
> lost their chances to clinch the pennant or
> division title:
> 1914 National League: Boston's "Miracle Braves"
> won the pennant after trailing the New York Giants
> by 14 games on July 4.
> 1934 National League: The Giants have a 7-game
> lead going into September but couldn't catch the
> St. Louis "Gas House Gang" Cardinals.
> 1938 National League: The Chicago Cubs overcome
> a 7-game deficit to the Pittsburgh Pirates and
> win the pennant thanks to Gabby Hartnett's "Homer
> in the Gloamin'."
> 1942 National League: The Brooklyn Dodgers win
> 104 games during the season but lose the pennant
> to the Cardinals who win 43 of their last 51 games
> to overcome a 10-game deficit on August 5.
>
> 1951 National League: It was Bobby Thomson's
> "Shot Heard Round the World" that helped the
> Giants win a 3-game playoff from the Dodgers
> to clinch the pennant after falling 13 games
> behind on August 7.
> 1962 National League: The Los Angeles Dodgers
> couldn't hold a 4-game lead during the last 2
> weeks of the season as the San Francisco Giants
> win 6 of their last 7 games to clinch a tie for
> the pennant. The Giants win the playoffs in
> 3 games.
> 1964 National League: It looked like there was
> going to be a 3-way tie for the pennant as the
> Philadelphia Phillies, who controlled first place
> with a 6 1/2 game lead, lose 10 games in a row and
> the Cardinals end up winning the pennant. The
> Phillies, who were in first place for 112 days,
> finish tied for second with the Cincinnati Reds,
> both by one game.
> 1969 National League: The Cubs have a 9-game lead
> on the surprising New York Mets on August 16. But
> then the Cubs' hopes fade away as Tom Seaver and
> Company win their first pennant and first World
> Series.
> 1978 American League: The Yankees erase a 14-game
> deficit to the Boston Red Sox, replace Billy Martin
> with Bob Lemon, then battle the Red Sox to a tie
> for the division title, forcing a one-game playoff
> at Fenway Park. Bucky Dent's 3-run homer into the
> "Green Monster" seals the title for the Yankees.
> 1987 American League: The Toronto Blue Jays have
> a 3 1/2 game lead but lose to the eventual division
> champion Detroit Tigers in head-to-head competition.
> 1995 American League: The California Angels blow a
> 9-game lead to the Seattle Mariners to force a tie
> for the division title. The Mariners win the playoff
> game, 9-1.
> This year, the Mets could be on the list. After
> spending 138 in first place, the Mets lost to the
> Marlins while the Phillies shut out the Nationals
> and found themselves in first place.
> Very Sincerely,
> Dennis M. Linsky