Results tagged ‘ Mike Schmidt ’
Rollins, Victorino Win Gold Gloves
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino found themselves in rare company Wednesday when they picked up Gold Gloves.
Rollins is the first National League shortstop to win three consecutive Gold Gloves since Rey Ordonez in 1997-99, and the first Phillies player to win three consecutive Gold Gloves at any position since Mike Schmidt won nine consecutive at third base from 1976-84. He also is the fifth Phillies player to win at least three Gold Gloves, joining Schmidt (10), Garry Maddox (eight), Manny Trillo (three) and Scott Rolen (three).
Victorino is the first Phillies outfielder to win consecutive Gold Glove since Maddox won eight consecutive from 1975-82.
Rollins led the Majors with a .990 fielding percentage. He committed just six errors, which were fewest in baseball amongst qualifying players. He ranked second in the league in games (152) and innings (1364 2/3), fourth in putouts (212), sixth in total chances (607) and assists (389) and eighth in double plays (72). His career .983 fielding percentage is the second best in baseball history. Only Omar Vizquel is better with a .985 fielding percentage.
Victorino had a .997 fielding percentage, which was the second best in the National League amongst outfielders. He committed just one error. He ranked sixth with 336 putouts. He ranked tied for fifth amongst centerfielders with eight assists.
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Game 3, and Its Magic Numbers
A few things about last night’s 11-0 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS:
- Ryan Howard has a hit and RBI in every playoff game this year (seven games, 10 hits and 12 RBIs). He is the Phillies’ all-time RBI leader in the postseason (22 RBIs in 24 games) and has reached base safely in 16 consecutive playoff games (22 hits and 10 walks).
- Howard’s seven consecutive playoff games with an RBI established a MLB single-season playoff record. Lou Gehrig had eight consecutive games with an RBI from 1928-32.
- Chase Utley singled in the first inning to reach base safely in 23 consecutive playoff games (22 hits and 21 walks), which dates to Game 2 of the 2007 NLDS. Utley’s streak is tied for second all-time in playoff history with Gehrig. Boog Powell holds the all-time record with 25 consecutive playoff games reaching base safely.
- Cliff Lee struck out 10 batters, tying a Phillies postseason record for strikeouts in a game with Steve Carlton (Game 1 of the 1980 World Series) and Curt Schilling (Game 1 of the 1993 NLCS).
- Jayson Werth hit a two-run homer in the first inning. It was his third homer of the 2009 postseason and seventh of his postseason career. It was his fifth postseason homer with the Phillies, tying him for second on the all-time franchise list with Howard, Greg Luzinski and Gary Matthews. Lenny Dykstra holds the franchise record with six. Werth also became the Phillies’ all-time leader in postseason extra-base hits (14 in 82 at-bats), passing Mike Schmidt who had 13 in 140 at bats.
- Shane Victorino moved passed Schmidt on the team’s all-time postseason RBI list, when he hit a three-run homer in the eighth. Victorino has 18 RBIs and trails only Howard.
- Carlos Ruiz has reached base safely in 12 straight playoff games (15 hits and nine walks). He is hitting .625 (5-for-8 with one homer and three RBIs) this series.
- Last night’s victory marked the largest margin of victory for the Phillies in a playoff game.
- In NLCS history, 20 of 29 teams who led the series 2-1 went on to win the series
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Chooooch, Rauuuul, Chan Ho and More In Game 1
Some quick hits after the Phillies’ 8-6 victory over Los Angeles in Game 1 of the NLCS:
- Since the NLCS moved to a seven-game format in 1985, the team taking a 1-0 lead has won 16 of 23 series, including 14 of the previous 16. Eight of the 10 NL teams that took a 1-0 lead on the road have reached the World Series, including the last seven.
- In the NLCS and ALCS since ’85, the Game 1 winner is 28-18.
- Carlos Ruiz hit a three-run homer in the fifth against Clayton Kershaw to make it 3-1. Ruiz, a career .246 hitter in the regular season, has hit .354 (17-for-48) with three doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and eight walks in his last 15 playoff games. “He likes the bright lights,” Ryan Howard said.
- Howard smacked a two-run double to right field in the fifth to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead. It was Howard’s 17th and 18th RBIs in the postseason, which set a Phillies playoff record. Howard has 18 RBIs in 22 postseason games. Mike Schmidt had 16 RBIs in 32 postseason games.
- Dodgers left-hander George Sherrill has allowed just two home runs to left-handed hitters the past two seasons: June 14, 2008, against Adam LaRoche and last night to Raul Ibanez. “I think that was a shock for everybody, especially the walks, which really hasn’t been something that he has done a lot of,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Sherrill. “You know, that was a blow.”
- Cole Hamels allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He got rattled in the fifth when Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley could not turn a double play. Manny Ramirez followed and hit a 2-0 changeup for a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-4. “It’s tough because you’re battling,” Hamels said. “I got exactly what I wanted and unfortunately the results didn’t happen. It takes a lot out of you because these guys are very tough hitters, so when you do get them in a situation where you can seal the deal, it takes a lot to really get through that. I really thought we had that. It’s the process I’ve had to go through all year – learning how to deal with my emotions and learning to control them and forgetting about what just happened.”
- Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five postseason starts last year. He is 1-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts this postseason, but sounded upbeat after the game. Everybody in the clubhouse thought Hamels had thrown much better than his line indicated, for what that’s worth.
- Chan Ho Park pitched great. He entered the game in the seventh inning with a runner on second and no outs. He got Ramirez to ground out to Pedro Feliz to keep Andre Ethier at second. He struck out Matt Kemp and got Casey Blake to ground out to Utley to end the inning. It was the pitching performance of the night. “I thought he was outstanding,” Rich Dubee said. Charlie Manuel and Dubee said they did not consider sending Park back out to start the eighth. They had Ryan Madson rested, and did not want Park going out throwing 50 pitches his first time back since Sept. 16.
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Random thought: I’m looking forward to seeing Pedro Martinez pitch today in Game 2.
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Ozark Dies, Manny Being Manny
Former Phillies manager Danny Ozark died today.
He was 85.
“Our family is deeply saddened by the news that Danny passed away,” former Phillies president Ruly Carpenter said. Danny was more than a baseball manager, he was a genuine human being. We would not have had the success in the ’70s if it wasn’t for him. He taught those guys how to play the game,” former Phillies president Ruly Carpenter.
“He was a good friend, my first major league manager, played a major role in early years my career, and was instrumental in building us into prominence in the mid-1970′s,” Mike Schmidt said. ”He brought a wealth of baseball experience from his years with the Dodgers to Philadelphia and we were fortunate to have him as our leader throughout that time. My wife and I extend our deepest sympathy to Ginny and the Ozark family.”
“Danny was the guy that took us from last to first,” Bob Boone said. “He was the perfect manager for the Phillies in the 70′s. He had the patience of Job and helped all of us grow up as men and players. He was a wonderful man. He will be missed but his legacy will live on.”
I spoke with Ozark last summer for a book I was working on. He couldn’t have been nicer. I talked with him for about 45 minutes about everything from the greatest players in Phillies history to his decisions during Black Friday. Very generous with his time. Very open and honest. I appreciated that.
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So we learned earlier today that Manny Ramirez has been suspended 50 games for violating the league’s policy against performance enhancing drugs.
Do you care?
Personally, I’m tired of it. But let’s begin the “Are you shocked?” questions and “Should he be in the Hall of Fame?” questions. Don’t worry, it should be over in about a month or two.
I think Matt Stairs put it best.
“People are going to have to stop taking this health bull (bleep) and go back to being chubby and having fun,” he said.
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Schmidt: Kalas Big As Franklin, Penn
Mike Schmidt tried to put into words the impact Harry Kalas had on Philadelphia during his 39 years with the Phillies.
“Harry Kalas – he’s household,” Schmidt said “He’s a household name. He’s a guy they depended on for 40 years. I’m just a guy that played for 17 of them, just like all the other Phillies. We come and go. The guys there are here now they’re going to be gone. We’re all going to move on. Harry was just always here. He was always here for you.
“If you can look past Ben Franklin and William Penn, he may have been the greatest person to grace Philadelphia in the history of the city, when you think about it. As many lives as he affected over the time that he lived in Philadelphia, who would have had a bigger impact on the city? Who would have? If anybody can think of somebody I’m willing to hear it, but I don’t know.”
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The Phillies just played a video recording of Kalas singing “High Hopes” during the seventh-inning stretch. Everybody sang along. A very cool moment, and it’s the kind of thing that could become a tradition in time if the Phillies choose to go that route.
Honoring the Legend
It’s Harry Kalas Tribue Night, and so far it has been very impressive.
Harry’s signature is on the field. The TV broadcast booth has been renamed in his honor. The pregame ceremonies were great. A tribute video on the PhanaVision scoreboard in left field. Kalas’ sons – Todd, Brad and Kane – threw the first balls to Mike Schmidt, John Kruk and Jimmy Rollins, representing the last three decades of baseball with Kalas in the booth.
There was a moment of silence.
Kane sang the national anthem, with Rollins holding a pair of Kalas’ famous white shoes and Chase Utley holding Kalas’ powder blue sport coat.
The Phillies did a great job with it.
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Schmidt: '08 Phils Better than '80 Phils
Mike Schmidt spoke to reporters for nearly 20 minutes this morning, sitting at a picnic bench outside the batting cages at Bright House Field.
He talked about Alex Rodriguez and steroids. He offered his opinions on the Phillies defending their World Series championship in 2009.
But he also answered this question: In a seven-game series, who would win: the 2008 Phillies or the 1980 Phillies?
“That’s not a good question,” Schmidt said. “Probably these guys. Bigger, stronger, faster. Yeah, no doubt in my mind.”
He paused.
“It would go seven games,” he said. “It would probably turn on a Schmidt error at third base. (Larry) Bowa picks it up, throws to first and Bruce Froemming calls him safe. And the ’08 team wins in a controversial play that’s talked about for years.”
Sounds familiar.
Burrell Makes Some Adjustments
Pat Burrell is in Tampa Bay Rays camp, and the former Phillies leftfielder talked about the adjustments he is facing.
One of those adjustments is being a DH.
“I haven’t done a whole lot of it,” Burrell said. “I’m trying to talk to as many guys as I can about that, trying to get the right mind-set. The whole deal is getting comfortable. Spring Training is a good time for that. And I haven’t spoken to [Rays manager] Joe [Maddon] too much about it. But it looks like that’s what I’m going to be doing most of my time. It’s something I’ve got to work on and get comfortable with.”
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The Phillies completed their first full squad workout today. Charlie Manuel said Chase Utley has moved past Pedro Feliz in terms of being ready for Opening Day. Utley is taking fielding practice and taking swings off the practice tee. Feliz is doing neither, but could be throwing in a few days.
The uncertainty surrounding Utley and Feliz means camp should be especially interesting for Eric Bruntlett, Jason Donald, Marcus Giles and Miguel Cairo. Only Bruntlett is guaranteed a spot on the team, but the other three could be needed to fill the void if Utley and/or Feliz aren’t ready to start the season.
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Manuel won’t be at tomorrow’s workout. He’s flying to Colorado to attend the funeral of Giants scout Ted Uhlaender. They played together in the Minnesota Twins organization.
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Mike Schmidt is in camp, and will meet with reporters tomorrow morning.
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The Phillies are being fitting for tuxedo’s tomorrow for a photo shoot Friday with the World Series trophy. The photo will appear in Phillies magazine.
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Here’s an entertaining exchange between Larry Bowa and Brad Penny.
Todd Zolecki
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