Good bye and good riddance.

No more interleague games against the American League for a year.  We're finished with different teams, different pitchers, different hitters, different  rules, different parks, different hotels, different time zones and different running water.

The numbers aren't pretty, 4-11 record, .220 batting average and 57 runs scored.  Only the Padres (3-15) had a poorer record.

Speaking of running water, the NL took a total bath: 102-149 (NL East 34-44, NL Central 41-51, NL West 27-54).  The AL held the upper hand all around: .275-.251 average, 1,247-1,010 runs, 276-251 home runs and 3.69-4.56 ERA.  For the record, there is one game left on the schedule, a June 26 rain out of the Yankees at Pittsburgh that is now set for July 10. 

Back to NL
So, so long to the AL and back to the NL. 19 of the next 25 games are within our division.  Three months remain in the 2008 marathon season and every game and series is big.

Despite losing five straight series, we will still be in first place tomorrow morning. In case you are wondering, the Phillies have been leaders on July 1 in seven previous seasons: 1950, 1976, 1978, 1993, 1995, 2001 and 2004.

Last time we won a series was in Atlanta where we begin a three-game set tomorrow night.  We swept three from the Braves there during the first weekend of this month.  I'm sure the Braves haven't forgotten.

Comments Corner
Appreciate the postings following Saturday's Phillies Insider.   Jenn added a cool suggestion for what to do with the bats, peg-leg for pirates.

"Build a bandwagon that we'll soon be jumping off" was another posted comment.  Another clever idea but don't leap.

Did You Ever Wonder ?
When we do well, the media doesn't refer to us as the "phenomenal Phillies".  When we struggle, we are the "floundering Phillies."

This Date
In Phillies history....
1932 Chuck Klein hits 23rd and 24th homers in 9-3 win over Brooklyn at Baker Bowl, the most home runs at that time by the end of June by any National League player.
1938 New York Giants romp, 14-1, over the Phillies in final game at decaying Baker Bowl before 1,500 fans.  On July 4, the Phillies moved to Shibe Park, home of the Philadelphia A's. 
1967 Cookie Rojas pitches scoreless ninth inning in 12-3 loss to the Giants, 2nd game.  Rojas has now filled all nine positions since joining the Phillies in 1963, and played eight different positions this season.

In case you haven't noticed, we are scuffling.  The offense has gone south since the 20-run win in St. Louis on Friday the 13th. 

Perhaps it is time to do something drastic.  Offense starts with bats so let's do something with those pieces of wood:

**Burn them in a bonfire.

**Invite a colony of termites for a feast.

**Sell them to a toothpick factory.

**Dip them in The Bull's spicy barbeque sauce.

**Stick them in a freezer to make them harder.

**Drape them with flowers as a sign of affection.

**Send them back to the forest.

**Grind them into kitty litter.

**Flatten them into roars.

Other creative ideas?

Charlie Manuel was the pre-game story yesterday as he drastically changed the lineup on his V-8 Machine.  While the Phillies still struggled with runners on base, the slump, streak, nose-dive, decline--whatever you want to call it--came to an end.

The game story belonged to Kyle Kendrick and Chase Utley.  Kyle dominated the A's for eight innings, throwing 71 strikes out of 113 pitches.  He demonstrated what command can do, especially pitching inside to a lineup dominated by left-handed hitters.   Going into the game, LH hitters were batting .328 against him.

Utley broke out of his mixup with a four-hit game--single, double, triple, single in that order.  When asked how worried he was over Utley's recent struggles, Manuel said, with a grin, "I was scared to death," as Todd Zolecki reported in this morning's Inquirer.

Eric Bruntlett, Mr. Versatile, made his first start at first base last night.  He borrowed Rich Dubee's first baseman's mitt.  Frank Coppenbarger, he of equipment fame, needs to order Eric's own glove. 

So, winning two of three comes down to this afternoon's rubber game.  Next, three games in Texas (different time zone) and three games next week in Atlanta (another different time zone). 

Today's Lineup
Another new one:
Rollins ss; Utley, 2b; Burrell, lf; Howard, 1b; Dobbs, 3b; Victorino, cf; Werth, rf; Jenkins, dh; Ruiz, c.  Adam Eaton on the mount.

Minor League Notes
Lehigh Valley OF Chris Snelling has been placed on the DL (left knee inflammation) . . . Clearwater RHP Kris Benson has been promoted to LV . . . Clearwater RH reliever Brett Harker is moving up to Reading . . . Reading LH reliever Jason Kershner was released.

High School Honors
OF Zack Collier was named to the USA TODAY High School All-Star team . . . SS Anthony Hewitt was selected to the second team.  Hewitt and Collier were the first two players we selected in the draft earlier this month.

Comment Corner
In response to a comment yesterday, Doug Mansolino is wearing #53.

This Date
In Phillies history.......
1987 RHP Steve Bedrosian ties major league record (Sparky Lyle, Yankees, 1973) with his 11th saved in last 11 appearances, 5-2, over Mets.

When things are going good, you can feel it.  When things aren't going good, you can feel it.

A key base, a big pitch, a defensive play....all part of winning games.  Right now, it just isn't happening.  Every little thing is magnified.

When things aren't going good:

       *Pat Burrell's home run last night gave us a lead for the first time since the Monday game against Boston.  That's hard to believe.

       *Jamie Moyer was brilliant.  Yet, one pitch did him in.
 
       *Trailing, 3-2, in the 8th, J. C. Romero gave up a two-run, opposite-field home run to a left-handed batter who has been scuffling. It was the first homer by a lefty off J. C. since April 2006.

It is a case of hanging in there and battling until things get turned around.

Players of the Week
Reading shortstop Jason Donald and Williamsport right-hander Justin DeFratus are the Phillies minor league player and pitcher, respectively, for last week: http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/downloads/y2008/062408.pdf

Minor League Note
RHP Kris Benson made his second rehab start for Clearwater last night against Vero Beach: 4.2 innings, 7 hits (6 singles), 1 run (top of 5th inning), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts.  "Command was better with all his pitches and he was down in the zone more often," reported Steve Schrenk, pitching coach.

Benson took the 2-1 loss.  Clearwater had trouble hitting with runners on base.  Three times with a man on third and one out, the next hitter struck out.  They must be watching the big club.

Former Roommates
Came across a great story on the Oakland A's website.  Ryan Howard and A's reliever Brad Ziegler were roommates in Clearwater four years ago.  Ziegler was originally drafted by the Phillies.

Check it out: http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080624&content_id=2994838&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

This Date
In Phillies history
1986 Phillies release Steve Carlton.  In 15 years with the Phillies, he won 241 games, started 499 and struck out 3,031, all club records.  He won 10 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons, another Phillies record.

Still remember the night very well.  Went into Bill Giles' office well after the game was over.  Bill still had tears in his eyes because he had to deliver the news to Lefty.

When things are going good, you can feel it.  When things aren't going good, you can feel it.

A key base, a big pitch, a defensive play....all part of winning games.  Right now, it just isn't happening.  Every little thing is magnified.

When things aren't going good:

       *Pat Burrell's home run last night gave us a lead for the first time since the Monday game against Boston.  That's hard to believe.

       *Jamie Moyer was brilliant.  Yet, one pitch did him in.
 
       *Trailing, 3-2, in the 8th, J. C. Romero gave up a two-run, opposite-field home run to a left-handed batter who has been scuffling. It was the first homer by a lefty off J. C. since April 2006.

It is a case of hanging in there and battling until things get turned around.

Players of the Week
Reading shortstop Jason Donald and Williamsport right-hander Justin DeFratus are the Phillies minor league player and pitcher, respectively, for last week: http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/downloads/y2008/062408.pdf

Minor League Note
RHP Kris Benson made his second rehab start for Clearwater last night against Vero Beach: 4.2 innings, 7 hits (6 singles), 1 run (top of 5th inning), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts.  "Command was better with all his pitches and he was down in the zone more often," reported Steve Schrenk, pitching coach.

Benson took the 2-1 loss.  Clearwater had trouble hitting with runners on base.  Three times with a man on third and one out, the next hitter struck out.  They must be watching the big club.

This Date
In Phillies history
1986 Phillies release Steve Carlton.  In 15 years with the Phillies, he won 241 games, started 499 and struck out 3,031, all club records.  He won 10 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons, another Phillies record.

Still remember the night very well.  Went into Bill Giles' office well after the game was over.  Bill still had tears in his eyes because he had to deliver the news to Lefty.

Three teams in the majors have a winning record on the road and the Phillies (20-17) are one of the trio.  The others: St. Louis (21-16) and Angels (24-12).

Since 2004, only the Angels (202) and Yankees (194) have more wins on enemy turf or sod than us (192).

When Jamie Moyer starts, we're 10-5.

Hopefully, these numbers bode well to end the gloomy five-game spiral.

Interleague numbers
Against the A's, we're 3-3, winning two of three at home in 2003 and losing two of three in the McAfee Coliseum in 2005.

Career numbers against A's:
Burrell, .150-HR-3 RBI
Dobbs, .302-0-14
Feliz, .186-6-18
Jenkins, .364-2-3
Rollins, .385-1-4
Taguchi, .429-0-4
Utley, .182-0-1

The rest of the Phillies hitters have never faced the A's.

Moyer, 17-15, 4.46 ERA for 43 starts
Kendrick, first appearance tomorrow night
Eaton, 1-1, 4.91 for 4 games

Designated Hitter
Charlie Manuel can use the DH tonight and for the next five days.  The A's are starting a RHP, LHP and RHP these three games. 

Most likely options: Burrell, Dobbs, Victorino, Werth, Bruntlett, Jenkins.  Sorry, catching instructor Mick Billmeyer.  We're not activating a .247 minor league hitter who hasn't batted in 15 years!

Career DH numbers:
Burrell, .153 (13-85), 1HR-7 RBI
Dobbs, .273 (27-99),1-14
Feliz, .000 (0-1)
Howard, .500 (2-4), 1-1
Jenkins, .636 (7-11), 0-3
Taguchi, 1.000 (2-2), 0-1
Utley, .500 (2-4), 1-1
Werth, .500 (1-2), 0-2

This Date
In Phillies history
1994 Phillies sign two free agents, LHP Fernando Valenzuela and INF Randy Ready. Sorry, Fernando and Randy, but history is kind of bleak for this date.  Perhaps something historic will occur tonight.  Ending a five-game losing streak isn't historic, but at this point, we'll take it!

Two weeks ago we swept the Braves in Atlanta.  What a high. 

Now, we've dropped five in a row.  What a low. 

Someone once told me: "Don't get too low when the going is bad and don't get to high when the going is good." That someone? The late Gene Mauch.

Manuel's V-8 Machine has been misfiring.  But, it will get going again.  This is too good an offensive club to keep sputtering.  Hitting is contagious which, I suppose, means non-hitting is the same.

Bottom line: we're in first place as we head for a tough nine-game road trip through Oakland, Arlington and Atlanta.

Interleague Play
In looking over various message boards, some fans are for it and others oppose it. 

One concern is quality of opponent.  In our case, we have a very difficult interleague schedule.  But, that's the way it goes.  "There's no crying in baseball," Tom Hanks, as manager, said in the movie, League Of Their Own. 

Still like seeing other players from teams in the other league, although Vladimir Guerrero can stay in California next time.

Your thoughts?

Fan Support
Phenomenal!

During the month of June, the Phillies averaged more than 44,500 in their 11 home dates.  The total attendance was 489,879.

Ten of the games were sold out, including the last nine.

Comments Corner
Appreciate the most recent comments. 

Will get to searching for pitching in a later Phillies Insider.  Just keep in mind discussing certain enemy pitchers is tampering and baseball has a huge fine for tampering.

This Date
In Phillies history
1971 RHP Rick Wise becomes first pitcher in major league history to hit two home runs while pitching a no-hitter, 4-0, in Cincinnati.  Wise is currently the pitching coach for the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers in the Atlantic League.  Von Hayes is the manager.
1973 Ken Brett sets a major league record for pitchers by hitting a home run in his fourth straight game, a 7-2 win in Montreal.
1978 Phillies beat Cubs twice by 6-1 scores at Veterans Stadium to take over the NL East lead, a lead they held for the rest of the season.
1986 Phillies bomb Cubs, 19-1, at the Vet, setting modern NL record with 15 extra-base hits and a new club record with 11 doubles.  HRs by Juan Samuel (2), Mike Schmidt and Milt Thompson.

Fortunately, or unfortunately--depending upon how readers view this blog--Phillies Insider will be blank as I'm going to be away for the weekend series against the Angels. 

I'll be back again on Monday.

Thanks for checking out Phillies Insider. Appreciate your passion.

Today's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Dobbs, 3b; Ruiz, c; Kendrick, p.

Blanked
24 hours after the Phillies had taken the NL lead in runs scored, LHP Jon Lester and his bullpen mates tossed a shutout, setting up the rubber game this afternoon.

Phillies offense has been inconsistent at times but credit last night goes to Lester, who was involved in his fourth scoreless outing of the season. 

Robbie on Mound
60 years ago today Robin Roberts made his major league debut, as was mentioned in this space yesterday.

Thought the following from the Phillies 1949 Yearbook was interesting:
A young man the National League believes has a date with pitching stardom . . . a spunky, right-hander with a violent fast ball, a crackling curve and though still a raw rookie in a professional sense, has no fear of any hitter he faces.  Signed out of Michigan State, this imperturbable youngster debuted in the Inter-State League with Wilmington last season, fanned an average of nine per game, won nine of 10 decisions and was brought up in mid-June.  Pitched 10 complete games, won 7, lost 9; fanned 84 and in all worked in 20 games.  Beat Cincinnati three out of three; also scored wins over Boston, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

All-Star Voting
Chase Utley continues leading all NL players, which is great.  Matter of fact, his lead over the second-place vote-getter (Chipper Jones) increased.

Pat Burrell moved from ninth to sixth and Jimmy Rollins from fifth to fourth.  But, Ryan Howard, dropped a notch to fifth place.  Rollins had the second most votes among shortstops over the past week which is good news. 

We need to get behind our players.  In-park voting ends Saturday but online voting continues until 1:59 p.m. July 2.  Fans can vote up to 25 times on phillies.com.

Minor League Notes
OF Greg Golson (Reading) has been placed on the DL with a left wrist strain . . . RHP Tyson Brummett (Clearwater) has been promoted to Reading . . . OF Michael Taylor and RHP Drew Naylor (Lakewood) have been moved up a level to Clearwater.  Each was having a banner year with the BlueClaws.

Tonight's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Werth, rf; Feliz, 3b; Ruiz, c; Moyer, p.

Playoff Atmosphere
Citizens Bank Park was really alive last night, electricity as in a playoff game.  Jimmy Rollins got the juices going with his lead off home run, his 28th, which is twice as many as the Phillies previous record holder, who happens to be Juan Samuel.

Ryan Howard is getting hot.  The two MVPs were the catalysts and Cole Hamels did the job on the mound. 

Something different seems to happen in every baseball game.  Triples by Howard and Pat Burrell in the same game.....that's something different.   Howard now has more triples than J-Roll, 2-1.  That's something different.

Comments Corner
Thanks for the feedback on Juan Samuel.  He is a special person, on top of being a very good ballplayer.

Sammy's evening yesterday started with an appearance on Comcast SportsNet's Daily News Live from the field.  It was followed by a press conference in the Media Room, 30 minutes of autographs in the Hall of Fame Club, Phillies-pre-game radio show with Jim Jackson in the Main Concourse, in-game Phillies TV and Spanish Radio.

Wherever he went yesterday, people knew him.....media, players, coaches, managers, game day employees, club officials and the fans.  He was smile city last night.

Commemorating History
He'll be on the mound again tomorrow, wearing that familiar number 36.  The motion will still be fluid but the speed won't register on the radar gun.

"He" is Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.  To commemorate the 60th anniversary of his major league debut (June 18, 1948), Robbie will throw out the first ball.

Robbie was a pitcher with a blazing fast ball, awesome curve and pinpoint control.  His motion was as fluid and smooth as any who hurler who has graced this game.  He never backed hitters off the plate and paid for it by allowing a ton of home runs (505).  In the end, he won 286 games and made it to Cooperstown, NY.

To say he was a workhorse would be a gross understatement.  For six straight seasons starting in 1950, he never threw under 304 innings.  He would have set insurmountable pitch-count records but pitch counts didn't exist back then, thank goodness.

At one point in his career, he had 28 consecutive complete games (8/25/52 to 7/5/53). Robbie led the majors with 33 CG in 1953.  The game has changed. The Diamondbacks staff led the NL last season with 7, a month's worth for Robbie.

Robbie, now 81, will be honored as part of Toyota Alumni Night set for Saturday, August 9.  Family, friends and ex-teammates will join Phillies Alumni that night.  All fans will receive a commemorative print of Roberts, thanks to Toyota.

This Date
In Phillies history......
1930  RF Chuck Klein hits in 26th straight game (.432), May 18-June 17, a new modern club record. He hit in 26 in a row again the same season (.434), July 12-August 13.
2004 Phillies and Detroit Tigers play first day-night doubleheader in Citizens Bank Park.  Phillies win opener, 6-2; Tigers, the nightcap, 5-4, 11 innings.

Tonight's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Feliz, 3b; Ruiz, c; Hamels, p.

Tough Setback
Don't know that I've ever seen a game end on two similar plays as yesterday. Tough loss, but, as Tony La Russa said after Friday night's blow out of his Cardinals, "It only counts as one loss."

Left on base: 15 by the Phillies.  Runners in scoring position: 4 for 16.  We just couldn't get a clutch hit and that was the difference.  Yet, going into yesterday, we had a .282 RISP average, tops in the NL.

Comments Corner
Jenn wrote: "Looks like my crystal ball is gettin' rusty...ugh! Sad, sad loss... Well, tomorrow is a new day."  Relax, your crystal ball isn't getting rusty, just cloudy.  And, yes, today is a new day.

In response to another comment, "How does the Phillies pitching staff stack up as far as batting goes?" We are third in the NL in hits and average, trailing the Cubs and Cardinals.

Welcome Sammy
Congratulations to Juan Samuel, the 2008 Phillies Wall of Fame inductee. 

He came up to the majors on August 22, 1983, from Portland, OR, and started 15 games at second base the rest of the season.  John Felske, his Portland manager, reported: "Can run, throw, hit and hit with power, above average power.  A very exciting player."

Sammy's rookie season the following year was electrifying: league-leading 19 triples and club-record 72 stolen bases.  The man could flat out fly. 

Home runs for a season and career and RBI for a season--by a Phillies second baseman--were Sammy's records until some guy named Chase Utley came along.  Don't feel bad Sammy, Chase is rewriting a lot of Phillies records.  Samuel had 80 extra-bases hits in 1987, a record for a Phillies second baseman.  Chase is still chasing that one.

Off the field, Sammy is as likeable as anyone I've been around.  He always seemed to be upbeat, even when we tried to move him from second base to centerfield.  Well, maybe he wasn't so upbeat then.  He has a very infectious smile, one that comes often and easily.

A coach with the Orioles, Baltimore has given him permission to be at Citizens Bank Park on August 8 for the induction ceremonies.  You'll see that smile again.  Look close, maybe a tear or two.

Minor League Notes
LHP Antonio Bastardo (Reading) has been placed on the DL with a left shoulder inflammation . . . RHP Andrew Carpenter (Clearwater) has been reinstated from the DL . . . 1B Michael Durant (Lakewood) is also back from the DL.

This Date
In Phillies history....
1997 Phillies lose, 5-4, to Red Sox at Fenway Park, the club's first interleague road game; last time Phillies played at Fenway was in an exhibition game, 4/14/57.

I guess you can say Manuel's V-8 Machine is lacking a little consistency.  From 20 runs and 21 hits Friday night to 2 runs and 4 hits yesterday.  Adam Eaton, who pitched well again, had 2 of the 4 hits.  The rest of the V-8 Machine couldn't figure out Kyle Lohse. 

Pitching, both starters and the bullpen, has been consistent which is one of the reasons the Phillies sit in first place. 

Jimmy Rollins is in a mix-up right now at the plate.  He'll get it going and when he does, look out.

Wining two of three is so key over the long haul and that's what the Phillies face this afternoon.  A win will make a 6-3 trip, which is great.  A loss, obviously, 5-4, which isn't great but it is still a winning road trip.  Only the Angels (21-12) have more wins in enemy yards than the Phillies (20-16).

Next weekend the Angels bring their road show to Citizens Bank Park.  Before then, a three-game series with the World Champion Boston Red Sox starts tomorrow night.

Dan Goroff, the Director of the Ticket Department, always sends out estimated attendance figures in advance of a homestand.  His e-mail for next week: "I'll make this simple, 44-45,000 for all games."

Curious?
Last time a Phillies pitcher got two hits in the same inning?  OK, Kyle Kendrick did it Friday night.  Prior to then?  Omar Daal, May 6, 2001. 

This Date
In Phillies history...
1949     1B Eddie Waitkus is shot in the chest by deranged 19-year-old Ruth Ann Steinhagen in a Chicago hotel.  Waitkus missed the rest of the season but returned in 1950 following five operations.
1968     Bob Skinner replaces Gene Mauch as Phillies manager.  Mauch had managed the Phillies for eight and one-half seasons.
1991     Andy Ashby strikes out the side on 9 pitches in the 4th, 1st time in Phillies history, but Reds win game, 3-1.
 

Baseball is a strange game.  No home runs in three games in Florida and one win in that series.

Todd Wellemeyer retired the first two hitters last night and then an explosion.  By the end of the night, the record book had a few additions:

Three Consecutive Home Runs
When Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell went deep, it marked the seventh time that it has happened in Phillies history.  While we have a ton of facts and records, sometimes they don't go back very far in our history.  This is the case in this category. 

If anyone can add to the following list, we'd love to hear from you. 

Anyway, the other six occasions:
 **9/30/1977, 2nd inning, Expos, Veterans Stadium (Greg Luzinski, Richie Hebner, Garry Maddox).
 **8/17/1985, 7th, Cubs, Wrigley Field (Juan Samuel, Von Hayes, Mike Schmidt).
 **7/26/1987, 8th, Braves, Veterans Stadium (Milt Thompson, Von Hayes, Mike Schmidt).
 **4/28/1999, 1st, Reds, Veterans Stadium (Scott Rolen, Rico Brogna, Ron Gant).
 **5/4/2004, 5th, Cardinals, Citizens Bank Park (Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, Pat Burrell).
 **5/18/04, 4th, Dodgers, Citizens Bank Park (Bobby Abreu. Pat Burrell, Jim Thome).

20 Runs
The Phillies also did it last month and according to Elias Sports Bureau, we are the first team to score 20 or more runs in a game twice in one season.

Runs vs. Cardinals
Last night marked the second time the Phillies have scored 20 against the Cardinals.  The other time was May 11, 1923, at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.  I realize I'm a Phillies fossil but no, I wasn't around back then.

Most Runs, Inning
Sorry, the 9 last night in the fourth inning fell short of the club record for this particular inning: 13, 4/13/2003 vs. the Reds at Citizens Bank Park, which is a record for most runs in any inning for us.

Prior to that game, 9 was the club high for the fourth inning, 7/14/1990 at Houston.

Bottom line: Manuel's V-8 Machine was firing on all cylinders.

Comments
Thanks for the comments about Davey Lopes.  He is the best at reading enemy pitchers and teaching base runners.

This Date
In Phillies history.........
1988     2B Juan Samuel starts five double plays in first game of Vet TWN vs. Montreal, a new NL record and tying AL mark held by Gerry Priddy of Detroit 5/20/80.
2004     1B Jim Thome homers off Juan Acevedo in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park for his historic 400th career HR.  Phillies win, 10-7.
 

Road trip continues in St. Louis tonight after Moyer mastered the Marlins last night...again.  He's now 9-0 in his career against the Marlins.  He's an amazing person and pitcher.

Let's hope Friday the 13th is a lucky day for Kyle Kendrick.  The Phillies have done well when he pitches (10-3 record, including 9-1 in last 10 starts).

Tomorrow afternoon's game is on national TV ( FOX).  Monday night is another national TV game, ESPN, as the Red Sox start a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

While everyone else is playing interleague games this weekend, the Phillies and Cardinals are meeting for the first of nine games this season.  Yes, nine.  Normally, we play the Central and West clubs six each.  But because of interleague play we get these three games in St. Louis.

With Albert Pujols on the DL, we're catching a little break.  But, St. Louis has been playing great ball all season with some new faces.  New faces? Yes, eight players have made their major league debut this season.

Numbers
       **86.8, Phillies percentage of stolen bases, best in the majors.
       **238 extra-base hits and 1,048 total bases for the Phillies, best in the NL.
       **35, Phillies errors in the first 41 games.
       **6, Phillies errors in last 27.
       **1, number of losses for Todd Wellemeyer, tonight's Cardinals starter.  That loss came April 28. 
       **3, most runs Wellemeyer has given up in a game since his loss.
      
This Date
In Phillies history
June 13
1980     Phillies score seven in first on hits by first seven batters, one shy of record en route to 9-6 win over San Diego at Veterans Stadium.
1997     Phillies defeat Toronto, 4-3, at the Vet before 26,799, the first interleague game in team history; RHP Wayne Gomes is winner in major league debut.

On Sunday night, we were all giddy following a sweep of the Braves in Atlanta.  After last night, we are un-giddy, with apologies to my English professors.  If there isn't such a word as un-giddy, you know the feelings I'm trying to describe.

In baseball, the world of passion can change quickly.  This time it was just two days. 

In baseball, you have to bounce back.  Instead of trying to win the series tonight, we've aiming to salvage one win.

Charlie Manuel's V-8 Machine has appeared to be stuck in neutral.  That's part of the game.  We hit some balls hard the last two night but they were outs. 

Granted two straight losses isn't the end of the world....or season. 

Jamie Moyer is a perfect 8-0 against the Marlins going into the series finale tonight.  Let's hope the law of averages is asleep.

On the other end, credit goes to the Marlins.  They can belt the ball and they've done that in the first two games.  All 11 runs have come via home runs.  One the other end, we have 11 total hits.

Leaving Miami tonight doesn't make it any easier.  St. Louis is the next stop and then home to the Red Sox and Angels next week. The Cardinals have the second-best NL record; the Angels and Red Sox rank 1-2, respectively, as the best in the AL.

As Charlie once said, "If you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best."

Comments
Thanks for the comments posted this week. 

Voting online is the quickest and easiest way to show support for Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/ballot_reg.html

This Date
In Phillies history.......
1939 Grover Cleveland Alexander is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
1954 Braves RHP Jim Wilson pitches 2-0, ho-hitter against the Phillies at County Stadium.
2005 Phillies defeat Brewers, 6-2, to conclude 12-1 homestand, best since 14-2 in 1955.

Got to rebound from last night, a night in which the Marlins used the long ball to win the series opener.  They now lead the majors in home runs.  Wonder how many experts would have predicted that at the start of the season.

What's Happening
With the team out of town until Monday, there's still a buzz of activity at Citizens Bank Park.

It isn't baseball related.  There's a huge stage and sound system being constructed in center field for the Jimmy Buffett and Coral Reefer Band concert on Saturday night.

Minor League notes
RHP Sam Walls, who has been lights out as a closer with the Clearwater Threshers, has been promoted to the Reading Phillies.  He was the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May:
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080603&content_id=2830249&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi.

Lehigh Valley 3B Brennan King and Lakewood RHP Drew Naylor are the player and pitcher of the week for June 2-8 in the Phillies minor league system: http://mlb.com/phi/downloads/y2008/phi_061008.pdf

LHP Steve Kline was released at Lehigh Valley this afternoon.  He was 0-2, 5.32 in 19 games.

This Date
In Phillies history..........
1985 Phillies set a club record for runs scored in 26-7 rout of the Mets at Veterans Stadium. LF Von Hayes becomes the first player ever to hit two home runs in the first inning(solo and grand slam). 2B Juan Samuel was5-for-7.
1990 CF Lenny Dykstra is hitless in first game of TWN vs. Montreal to end a 23-game hitting streak and drop below .400.  Was hitless in nightcap, ending day at .392.

Jimmy Rollins is a three-time All-Star and the reigning MVP.  In looking over today's NL All-Star voting update, it appears as if J-Roll has disappeared.

For the second consecutive week, Jimmy sits in fifth place among NL shortstops.  Here's the number of shortstop votes just for the last week:
Miguel Tejada  357,335
Ryan Theriot  251,622
Hanley Ramirez  189,331
Jose Reyes  157,417
Rollins   149,318

Every Cubs fan in the universe must be voting:  Derrek Lee (1b), Mark DeRosa (2b) and Aramis Ramirez (3B) are all in second place, Theriot is third, rookie Geovany Soto (C) is first and Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome rank 1-2 among the outfielders.

I'm sorry, but that's an injustice. 

Phillies fans need to rally and get voting.  Yes, Chase Utley leads all NL players.  Face it, he should.  But, Jimmy in fifth is not a laughing matter. 

In Utley's case, he is trying to do something that has never been done by a Phillies player.....lead all NL voting.

An even greater injustice has happened in the Florida State League.  In announcing the Western Division squad for the June 14 game, the Clearwater Threshers are represented by RH reliever Brett Harker, LH reliever Matt German, OF Gus Milner and RH starter Edgar Garcia.

RH closer Sam Walls" season: 2-0, 0.81 ERA, 10 saves, 3 runs allowed, 33 strikeouts in 33.1 innings.  Walls' last 13 games: 2-0, 8 saves, 18 innings, 7 hits, 0 runs, 5 walks, 23 strikeouts.  He hasn't allowed a run since April 28.

Somebody in Florida is sleeping.

This Date
In Phillies history............
1926 3B Russ Wrightstone became the first Phillies player to hit for the cycle in the 20th century during a 13-11 win over the Pirates at Baker Bowl.
1981 1B Pete Rose singles to tie Stan Musial's NL record of 3,630.  RHP Nolan Ryan strikes out Rose in his last three at-bats in the game.
(I was in the dugout this night in case Pete broke the record.  Ryan was determined that Pete would not get the record hit off him.  Ryan threw some blazing fast balls I could hear but couldn't see and broke off some curve balls that were lethal. Pete tipped his hat to Nolan after the third strikeout.)

Great weekend in Georgia for Phillies fans. 

More of the same yesterday....good pitching and clutch hitting.  That's a winning formula.  Seems as if every day a different bat is stepping up.  Ryan Howard led the damage with his 3 doubles and 4 RBI.  Get him really hot and look out.

Day off today in Miami and then three games with the second-place Marlins.  Then, a weekend in St. Louis and the middle of June is here already.

What's Next
Last week's draft is history and now scouts are turning their attention to getting the players under contract.  That process started as soon as the players were selected on Thursday and Friday.

Those that sign soon will report to Carpenter Field in Clearwater for a min-camp.  The new recruits will join the 50-some players who are part of extended spring training.

Daily workouts will take place with some players participating in games against the Tampa Bay Rays extended camp roster that are scheduled for today through Thursday afternoon.

The final workout is scheduled for Saturday.  At that time, the players will be assigned to one of two rosters, Williamsport Crosscutters (New York-Penn League) or the Gulf Coast League Phillies.
Generally, high school players wind up on the Gulf Coast League Phillies roster and college athletes will start their pro careers at Williamsport.

NY-Penn League
Schedule: 76 games starting June 17 and ending September 6.  Williamsport is in the Pinckney Division (one of three divisions).
Roster limit: 30 active players, but only 25 may be in uniform and eligible to play in any given game. 
Player eligibility rules: No more than four players 23 or older; no more three players on active list may have four or more years of prior service.
Home field: Bowman Field.

Gulf Coast League
Schedule: Teams in the Northern Division (which includes Phillies) play 60 games; East and South Divisions, 56 games.  Season runs June 19 to August 27.
Roster limit: 35 active, but only 30 eligible for each game.
Player eligibility rule: No age restriction limits.  No player who has two or more years of prior minor league and/or major league service time can participate.
Home field: Carpenter Field.

Anyone in pro baseball, gets to ride busses.  It all starts in these two leagues. 

Good Pitching plus Clutch Hitting equaled a Win last night, giving the Phillies a series win.  Sweeping in Atlanta isn't easy but the opportunity is there.

Can't say enough about the bullpen.  Once again they shut the enemy down.  Late in the game, clutch hitting by Chase, Ryan and J-Roll sealed the Braves fate.

The victory was the 300th for Charlie Manuel.  Since he became manager in 2005, he has more wins than any other NL skipper.

Road victory improved the Phillies record to 17-13, tops in the NL.  Since 2004, they have won 189 games away from home, also the NL best.

Happy Birthday
Art Mahan, the oldest living Phillie who turns 95 today.  He is one of 10 major leaguers 95 or older.  Mahan was a first baseman (L-L) who played one season in majors, 1940.  In 146 games, he hit .244 with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 2 homers, 39 RBI. He made his debut on April 30 and played his last game on September 29.  Following baseball, he had a lengthy career as the Villanova University Athletic Director.  He is celebrating with his family in Philadelphia. 
 
Mahan broke a three-way tie for the oldest living Phillie: 1B Gene Corbett (1936-38) and RF Stan Benjamin (1939-42) are 94. 
 
The oldest living major leaguer is 3B Billy Werber, who will turn 100 in 12 days. 

Popular Sport
Baseball is packing 'em in.  The Phillies rank fourth in the National League in attendance. 

The game's very popular in the Phillies minor league system: Lehigh Valley IronPigs (2nd, International League); Reading Phillies (1st, Eastern League); Clearwater Threshers (2nd, Florida State League) and Lakewood BlueClaws (3rd, South Atlantic League.

Soon the Williamsport Crosscutters (New York-Penn League) will begin play and Bowman Field is a popular home for the short-season team.

The Gulf Coast League Phillies will also start playing later this month.  They play in the afternoon in Clearwater when the sun is nice and hot.  Sea gulls out-number human beings.

Minor League Notes
Welinson Baez have been moved from the Clearwater roster to extended spring training.  After six seasons as a third baseman, the Phillies are going to convert him to a pitcher to take advantage of his cannon-like arm . . . Lakewood RHP Julian Sampson was reinstated from the DL . . . SS Freddy Galvez was put on the DL with a concussion.

Jayson Werth (right oblique strain) has been reinstated from the disabled list and he is in the lineup (RF) tonight with a lefty going for the Braves.  Werth is hitting .309 against lefties this season. He played two games on rehab with the Clearwater Threshers on Thursday and Friday.

To make room for Werth, OF Chris Snelling was assigned outright to Lehigh Valley.  He has to clear waivers and can refuse the assignment.

Posting Lineups
Appreciate the comments about posting the lineup and the visiting team's lineup.  To be honest, the idea of posting the lineup was something I pilfered from the Dodgers and White Sox blogs. 

Since I'm around for every home game it is easy to do.  Charlie Manuel usually has his lineup ready around 2:30 for a 7:05 night game.  I try to post it as early as possible.  This is the only place online that you can find the Phillies lineup. 

When the team is on the road, it is more difficult since I don't travel.  Did try to have the traveling media relations rep get the lineup to me a year ago on one trip but it became awkward.  Many times, the MR rep has other pre-game duties that need more attention.  Plus, I'm not always around to post something before a road game.

Visiting team's lineup? I could see fan interest when Ken Griffey Jr. was in town.  Other than that, I don't see a need to post the enemy nine.  For home night games, the enemy nine isn't available until around 4:30-5:30 and I think it is more important to have the Phillies lineup posted for you before that time. 

Keep posting your comments though.  They are always appreciated.  May not agree, but that is fine.

A Gift?
"The Force was with us" is the way Brad Lidge described last night's unlikely win over the Braves.  An error on the potential last out of the game allowed the Phillies to tie the score in the ninth before a two-spot in the 10th put the Phils on top.

Then Shane Victorino, he of two triples, ended the game by gunning down the tying run in the bottom of the 10th on a very, very close play at home plate.  It was the second Brave to be nailed at home, three, if you count the botched a squeeze play.

Manuel's V-8 Machine has been sputtering lately.  But, the pitching has been great and good pitching can lead to a lot of wins. 

And, sometimes you have to be lucky. 

Outside the room, there was a baseball game going on.  Inside the Draft Room, the focus was on the college and high school players available.

The one TV in the room was tuned in to ESPN2 to follow the draft.  A speaker phone in the middle of the large table blurred out the selections seconds before it was announced on TV.

Marti Wolever, Director of Scouting, was the man in charge.  Much of his morning was spent on the phone.  During the first round, he mainly stood and watched as names were removed from the boards.  Twice he left the room as his cell phone rang.

A little more than an hour into the draft, Billy Moore (Western Supervisor) changed his lap top to phillies.com.  "Final score, 5-0, Phillies," Moore reported.  A cheer went up from the room.

Throughout the eight days of preparing for the draft and reviewing players over and over again, Marti and his crew speculated they would have a chance to get one of two high school players, Anthony Hewitt or Zach Collier. 

When it came to the 24th pick in the first round, Marti went for Hewitt.  Another cheer went up in the room.

The Phillies had the fourth selection in the compensation round that followed and Collier was still on the board. When the Twins, Diamondbacks and Mets made other choices, Marti raised both arms in the air and another cheer burst out.  Collier was a Phillie.

Following this pick, Wolever met with the media in the Press Dining Room.  After that, the media got to speak with Hewitt via telephone in the Media Relations Workroom.

Seven different Phillies scouts saw Hewitt over the course of this high school season and last summer.  In addition, they had a private workout at his school in the spring and then invited him to Citizens Bank Park this past Monday.  Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro also got to see him in a work out, which included several shots into the seats.  One was a drive deep to right-center.  Milt Thompson then took Hewitt into the batting cages and worked with him on a couple of minor things.

Counting Gillick and Amaro, 10 different Phillies scouts turned in reports on Collier, who will turn 18 in September. 

At the end of the first round, 12 of the 15 top college position players on the Phillies board were gone and eight of the first 10 college pitchers as many teams went for more experienced players.  The Phillies chose a pair of high school players with high ceilings.  It may take a while for them to reach Citizens Bank Park but both have the potential to be offensive machines.  Athletic players with tools was the goal.

Tonight's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, rf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Feliz, 3b; Coste, c; Myers, p.

Adam Gets "Em
Adam Eaton's third consecutive solid outing and the reliable bullpen keyed last night's win while Manuel's V-8 Machine produced only three runs.  It was the fourth time this year we have won when scoring fewer than four runs.

Pat Burrell supplied the power with the game-deciding home run.  Chase Utley saw his home run streak end at five consecutive games but his RBI streak extended to nine straight games, one shy of the "modern era" club record shared by 3B Pinky Whitney (1931) and Bobby Abreu (2005).

Thanks SABR member Trent McCotter who sent in longer Phillies streaks: 13, Nap Lajoie (1899); 12, Tuck Tanner (1894) and Sam Thompson (1895) and 11, twice by Ed Delahanty (1894 and 1900).

Overlooked in all the comments about Manuel's V-8 Machine has been the defense, especially at third base.  Pedro Feliz has started some key double plays during this home stand.  His defense is certainly a plus.

Draft Countdown
1 more day until the First-Year Player draft.

The eight magnetic boards are full of blue (college) and red (high school) names.  Scouting Director Marti Wolever, who will make the selections, sits at one end of the huge rectangular table in Draft Room.  Facing him are three boards listing the top prospects: college pitchers, college position players and a high school board (pitchers/position players). 

To his right are three boards that break down other players by position.  Once the draft is well underway, names from those boards will be selected to fill certain needs in our organization.  Every organization needs players to fill rosters.  But, there are occasions where a low draft will make it to the majors (Darren Daulton, 25th round).

As a player's name will be called tomorrow afternoon, Dallas Green will remove the name from the board, thus giving Marti an idea of what is left and where the Phillies rank the players.

Who will be there when we make our first selection (24th) ?  No one knows for sure.  It appears as if the first 12-15 selections are somewhat predictable but after that, anything can happen.

Marti and his crew spent the day reviewing potential 24th selections.  Candidates have been discussed and discussed in the last week but more discussion took place.  Sometimes, opinions can become heated, which is fine.  Different people will see different players under different circumstances which create different opinions.  It is part of the process.

Between now and the 2 o'clock start tomorrow afternoon, Marti and his crew will reach out to our scouts for last-minute information, changes in opinions, etc.  It becomes a bit laborious but it is vital.

This Date
In Phillies history.....
1964    LHP Sandy Koufax no-hits the Phillies, 3-0, at Connie Mack Stadium.
1993    LHPTerry Mulholland fans 14 and doesn't walk anyone but loses, 2-1, to Rockies.

Tonight's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley,2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Feliz, 3b; Ruiz, c; Eaton, p.

Chasing History
Home run for the fifth straight game, RBI for eighth straight game, three hits, two dazzling diving catches and one bone-jarring collision with an enemy catcher.

All in a night's work for Chase Utley, who is also editing the Phillies record book.

The club record for homering in consecutive games is five, shared by Dick Allen (1969), Mike Schmidt (1979), Bobby Abreu (2005) and Chase, twice this season.  In those streaks, Allen and Abreu hit five homers, Schmidt, 7 and Utley had 6 in his April 17-18-29-20-21 streak.  He's currently riding 5 in 5.

The club record for most consecutive games with an RBI is 10, shared by Pinky Whitney (1931) and Bobby Abreu (2005).  Three others have done it nine times: Whitney (1928), Don Hurst (1932) and Ryan Howard (2006, twice).

Draft Countdown
2 more days until the First-Year Player Draft.

2008 version of the draft begins at 2 on Thursday afternoon.  First day will end around 9 p.m.  Day two is Friday, 11:30 a.m. start until the final round is completed.

First round has 5 minutes between selections while the compensation round has 1 minute between selections.  Phillies first selection is estimated at 4:10 p.m.; compensation selection, estimated at 4:58 p.m.

Phillies Selections
 Round  Overall selection
 First   24
 Compensation 34 (Compensation for SF signing Rowand)
 Second   51 (Compensation for SF signing Rowand)
 Second  71
 Third  102
 Third  110 (Compensation for not signing their 3rd rounder last year, P Brandon Workman)
 Fourth  136
 Fifth  166 (24h selection in each succeeding round)

Media Coverage
 ESPN2, Thursday, 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
 MLB.com, every round, both days

Lakewood Stars
RHP Drew Naylor, C Joel Naughton, OF Michael Taylor, DH Michael Durant have been named to the Northern Division team that will oppose the Southern Division in the South Atlanta League All-Star Game on June 17 in Greensboro, NC.

This Date
In Phillies history.....
1930    Phillies release RHP Grover Cleveland Alexander.
1972    Paul Owens, Director of the Minor League System, replaces John Quinn as General Manager.
1978    Davey Johnson becomes first pinch-hitter in major league history to hit two grand slam home runs in one season.  This one came in the ninth inning and gave the Phillies a 5-1 win over theDodgers at Veterans Stadium.  First one came April 30 with the score tied in the fifth inning of an 11-4 win over the Padres, also at the Vet.

Tonight's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Feliz, 3b; Coste, c; Kendrick, p.

Goosebump City
Plenty of goosebumps at Citizens Bank Park yesterday as the Phillies came from behind to reel in  the Marlins and regain first place.

Jamie Moyer kept his composure after the 4-run third inning and kept his team in the game until Manuel's V-8 Machine came through again.  (Speaking of V-8, that's Victorino's nickname because he wears number 8).

Not all 8 cylinders in the machine clicked. But enough did.  Chase Utley went yard for the fourth straight game.  Another one tonight and he ties the club record which he tied earlier this season.

Geoff Jenkins, 0-for-9 as a pinch hitter, tied the game with his pinch homer in the sixth.  A low ball hitter, Manual noticed that Doug Waechter was a low-ball pitcher during his warm-up tosses and the move paid off.  Then, Pat Burrell came through with the game-winner, a two-out, broken-bat, two-run double in the seventh. 

Tom Gordon and Brad Lidge took over from there. 

When Jenkins took over in right field after his pinch blast, he got a standing ovation from the fans in that area.  When Burrell was lifted for a pinch runner after his clutch double, he got a standing-o.

"Lieby" Touched
When Mike Lieberthal was introduced pre-game as retiring from baseball as a Phillie, he, too, got a standing-o.

While it wasn't noticeable from the stands, there were tears in his eyes.  It just goes to show the fans appreciated his 13 years in pinstripes.  Several fans held up signs.  That was cool.

"I was really touched," he said afterwards.

He walked into the clubhouse around 11:30 and hugged the players who once we his teammates.  He also signed a Reading Phillies minor league contract which will be filed with Major League Baseball.  The last line of his career lists that fact.  He was on the Dodgers a year ago but he wanted to end as a Phillie.

Two more years and Lieberthal will be eligible for the Phillies Wall of Fame.  He should be a shoe-in.

Historic Home Run
Ken Griffey Jr. comes to town for four games, sitting on 599 career homers.   Only five players in major league history have reached the 600 level.

In the long history of baseball in Philadelphia, the Phillies since 1883 and the Athletics from 1901-54, none of the 600 were hit against either team.

Jimmie Foxx, then of the Red Sox, hit his 500th against his original team, the A's, 9/24/40 at Shibe Park.  At the time, Foxx was the second player to reach 500, joining Babe Ruth.

Ticket sales have been very active for tonight's game.  It had been the smallest advance sale of the four days.

Draft Countdown
3 more days until the First-Year Player Draft.

Following a weekend of meetings, the eight magnetic boards are virtually filled with names of players the Phillies may select.

Yesterday, Marti Wolever and his crew worked throughout the game.  In baseball, you need to grind out wins and that's what the Phillies did down on the field.  Up in the Draft Room on the Hall of Fame Club level, the crew was in a grind out mode of operation.  They could hear the crowd roar but they were oblivious to what was happening.  They didn't even have the game on TV.

Over the next couple of days, they will refine the candidates, checking with area scouts to get up dates on the players and their health or signability.  Perhaps a scout saw a certain player and he wants to elevate the status of that particular prospect.  Or, it could go the other way.

Area scouts start the entire process.  Then other eyes are brought in, scouting supervisors, regional supervisors, Marti, Mike Arbuckle, Rob Holiday, Chuck LaMar, Ruben Amaro Jr. and even Pat Gillick.  The more eyes and ears the better.

Today's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Feliz, 3b; Coste, c; Taguchi, rf; Moyer, p.

Offense Stymied
Manuel's V-8 Machine was stymied last night by Ricky Nolasco. Cole Hamels had command problems and the Marlins took advantage.  The Phillies lead the majors in homers and the Marlins are second.

All it means is the series comes down to the rubber game this afternoon.  Winner gets two-of-three.  Jamie Moyer is 7-0 in his career against the Marlins, 4 coming last year.

Chase Utley not only leads the majors with 19 homers but with the most off left-handed pitchers, 10.  Amazing, by an amazing player.  Shouldn't be surprised.  The late Gene Mauch once said, "Exceptional players do exceptional things."

Historic Milestone
Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 599th home run yesterday.  He has one more game at home this afternoon and then four in the next four days at Citizens Bank Park.  In his career, he has four homers against the Phillies, a low number because he spent so many seasons in Seattle.

Tickets are available for tomorrow night. Could be an historic night.  Has anyone ever hit #600 in Philadelphia?  We'll have more on that tomorrow.

Countdown to the Draft
4 more days to baseball's annual First-Year Player Draft.

Every draft is different.  Some years, the depth is in college hitters. Other years, college arms.

The depth in this year's draft is high school pitchers and position players, college relief pitchers and college first basemen.  On the slim side: college starting pitchers, college outfielders and high school catchers.

College players, by virtue of playing at that level, are on a faster track to reach the majors.  A high schooler with outstanding tools is worth waiting for. 

When asked which level the Phillies will take, Scouting Director Marti Wolever flashed that big smile of his, "A college player or a high school player."

The Phillies have the 24th selection in the first round.  During their discussions this week as they reviewed each and every player, Marti would ask, "Is he someone we would take at 24?" 

This Date
In Phillies history.......
1969    Dick Allen homers in fifth straight game, a 12-4 loss to the Dodgers at Connie Mack Stadium.
1995 Phillies set NL record for most games into a season without losing two in a row (33), breaking 1907 Chicago Cubs record.  Phils lose next two at San Francisco.
2005 Chase Utley hits game-winning, pinch-hit grand slam with 2 out in the 8th for 10-6 win over Giants.