33-Year-Old-Rookie: Chris Coste

My work schedule has been a little nuts. Time spent on trains and planes has been tolerable because of my recent choices in reading materials.

Being a huge baseball fan and sap for an underdog, buying Chris Coste's "The 33-Year-Old- Rookie" was a no-brainer. 

I knew the story. I lived through the games. Every time Coste's name flashed on the Scoreboard, talk in the stands turned to his story. He always receives a hearty Philly cheer. Philly Phans are tough but loyal.  Will Coste land in Cooperstown? Unlikely, but who cares? We love the guy who succeeds against the odds.

That did not stop me from crying and cheering while sucking in this feel good story. 

A must read for anyone chasing a dream.

Burrell finds his heart and his swing

I guess it was after the Phillies couldn't unload his erratic bat and expensive salary. Burrell grew tired of being the punching bag at Citizen's Park, in the newspapers and radio. Or maybe he got mad or simply accepted that he was going to work in Phildelphia. Who knows?

Since the all-star break, he has been hitting the crap out of the ball, in critical situations. The boos turned to cheers.

After a six year slump, I never thought that I would put Burrell and clutch in the same sentence, EVER. The Phils are 1 1/2 games from securing a playoff berth. Considering our bull pen has been just wretched, it is clear that a whole lot of offense will overcome a shaky pitching staff.

Burrell has found his heart and his swing, welcome home, we missed you.

Why?

Why do the Phillies play to the level of their competition? Maybe they are drained from the week of Mets?
Who knows?

They are killing me...

Rookie hurls no hitter in Second Start

Oh man, I wish I could have watched it. There is a certain energy that emerges when everybody senses what is happening.

Even the other team respects what is unfolding before their eyes. There was no doubt a hush in the crowd around the sixth inning. No one dared to speak on it for fear they would jinx it. Even though Bucholz was in just his second start, he has been around the game long enough to "just know."

Surrounding him are players who dig inside themselves and focus.They watch the ball coming off the bat. Each routine play is in slow motion. They hold on to the caught ball just a little longer.

Who wants to be responsible for screwing up a no hitter?

I'm convinced all you heard in the dugout in the ninth inning were the buzzing of lightning bugs. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Hooray for Bucholz. He joined a small club of seventeen rookie pitcher who threw a no hitter. This is what the game is all about!

It was a great week to be a Phillies Phan

Monday evening, I had just settled in to watch the contest between the Phillies and the Mets. It was critical for the Phillies, to at least, split the series to secure a playoff spot.

The ring of my cellphone was a mild intrusion. On the other end, was a very dear friend of mine. "Hey where are you?" he asked without a hello. Why? was my knee jerk response. "In my living room, I finally acknowledged.

"I just remembered that I have tickets to the game. Wanna go? I'll pick you up in ten minutes. With zero arm twisting, I took a quick shower and prepared for the game, needing all ten minutes.

Since everyone was at the game, there was no traffic. We arrived to our great seats at the bottom of the third inning. My companion like all of my friends is very smart and funny. An attorney by profession, a baseball geek by passion. Throughout the game, he provided a running commentary on the players and their stats. The couple in front of turned around, and thanked us for being there. "We are tired of sitting in front of people who do not know the game."

Little did we know at the time with the win, the Phils would sweep the Mets and continue to win.

Come on join me in my fantasy...Phillies in the Fall Classic??

Taken to the wood shed

Just because sensed Trot would be leaving, it did not make it hurt any less. After what seemed like an endless spell of rain, I needed to be outside. So I accepted an invitation to the Phillies game. I assumed watching my Phils would the perfect prescription for my mid-August blues.

Yet another miscalculation. Watching the game was like a guy taking Midol for a headache. It will cure the pain but it's just weird.

That pretty much summed up the evening. The weather was crappy and so were the Phillies.

I suppose I shouldn't complain, I could be a Orioles fan.

Aaron has left the building

Good for Aaron. He did the right thing buy leaving Atlanta. I'm surprised that Bonds wasn't given the Sherman welcome. Atlanta still spits out his name.

There is talk of Bonds playing one more season. It is evident the Giants have had enough. What team would want him?

What a man!

On the night the other guy made some noise in San Francisco, Phillies own Ryan Howard is slowly building some stats of his own.

Being the "runt of the litter" in his family, his power comes genetics and probably biscuits. Good for us, good for baseball.

B*NDS

*756*

props to SI

Ozzie " Bonds is not welcome"

"White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen completely ruled out his interest in signing Barry Bonds for 2008. "When you go out to stretch, you have to go with the ballclub," Guillen said. "When you go out for the national anthem, you have to be out for the national anthem. The rules are for 25 guys, not 24. "Maybe Barry says, 'I don't want to play for you either.' I don't want to say I'm different, but I like when we have team rules, everybody goes for it."

I am suddenly in love with Ozzie Guillen...........

Now I have to cheer for A-Rod

Much to my dismay, now I have to cheer for A-Rod. Until injuries crippled Ken Griffey, Jr.'s career, he seemed to be the heir apparent in the HR chase, then came Bondso....

If A-Rod keeps his head out of his game and manages to stay healthy, he should surpass Bondso during his career. Today is a sad day in Baseball.

Thank God, Coste didn't get a life

A great piece on Coste by Neon Gods.......

Why now?

I have never been a fan of A-Rod. When he becomes "clutch" in the fall, them I will hop on his bandwagon.

However, I have to question Jose Conseco's new book. Why didn't he throw A-Rod under the bus in his first book. He is the highest paid player in the game.

Granted, his book uncovered steroids in baseball, but I have to wonder if he is doing this hype his new book.

Go away Jose'.

Bonds Drama King

There comes a time in every athlete's career when it's over. The foul shots don't sink as easy. The silky smooth hands of a wide receiver aren't as sure or the step not as quick.

For a long ball hitter, sometimes there are no more home runs in the bat. Oh how sweet it would be if Bonds simply ran out of steam.....

What a shame, Costner is too old to play Coste in the movie

The Chis Coste story has all the elements of a perfect baseball tale, journeyman writer playing for a working class team whose fate is unknown hourly. I love it.

The Phillies must keep him. He is a steady Eddie who delivers. It is cool watching an great story unfold. The happy ending will be determined by Phillies management. Sigh.

Toby McGuire?

It's not fair

Ryan Howard has found his stroke. Thank God. He had a terrible spring. All of which is forgivable, when you get your groove back after the All-Star break.

My Phillies have won five in a row. Unfortunately for yours truly, I was supposed to be at last night's game. Duty called. We managed to become a finalist for a contract for a possible client in Newport News.

All things considered, I would have rather been at the game. Today, I have to take a client to the Businessperson's special.

Poor me.

We can't even count............

As celebrated by Phillysucks:

""The Phillies are closing in on being the first professional team to reach 10,000 losses all time.
Below is the Phillies all time record.

Wins: 8808 Losses: 9999

Current as of 7/8/07

Initial stats prior to 2005 compiled from baseball-reference.com. 2005 season to present, record is updated daily.

Note: There is some conflicting information out there. The Phillies website includes the records from the Worcester Brown Stockings (1880-1882) which would make the Phillies 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on June 25, 2005 the 10,000th loss."

Who knows whether we have already reached or just one loss away? I'll operate on the assumption that we have yet to reachb this milestone.

Four losses away

Groan

Angel in the living room

I am a huge baseball fan. This season I have returned to spending time with my boys.

I must confess, that while I am sympathetic to Reggie Willitis' need to work on his "stroke," I would put my foot down on living in "the cage."

Roberto Clemente: National Treasure number should be retired

I'm stunned this is even an issue. Clemente was the man. He was not only a gifted baseball player, he was an incredible human.

What Jackie Robinson did was historic. However, Clemente's roll in the MLB was no less worthy of recognition. Retire #21.

This gem was found at: afro-netzien:

MLB icon Clemente deserves his props.

Should MLB retire Roberto Clemente's 21 like it did with Jackie Robinson's 42? Vote Now!
June 6, 2007 -- In A RECENT profile of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, one of his closest advisors commented on the in-fighting amongst Latino politicians and said, "We have a propensity, like other minorities, to screw one another."

I've erased the word "minorities" from my vocabulary a long time ago, but the comment made me think about Sharon Robinson (the daughter of the great African American baseball player Jackie Robinson) and her reluctance to endorse the retirement of Roberto Clemente's jersey, No. 21.

Ms. Robinson was quoted in a January 2006 Associated Press article as saying that her father's situation was "very unique and historical. (Roberto) Clemente did an awful lot of good things and was a terrific ballplayer, but I don't think it's the same type of situation as Jackie Robinson."

Ms. Robinson's type of thinking is endemic to the racial divisions that currently plague our major cities. For her to imply that "the situation" was different for the Puerto Rican ball player is to negate the struggle that Clemente endured as a dark-skinned, Spanish-speaking man in this country.

Did he not encounter the same Jim Crow injustices that were experienced by Robinson, Willie Mays and Don Newcombe? Did he not, unlike the aforementioned players, have the courage to speak up about these injustices? Must an argument really be made to retire the number of a baseball player who was called a prince?

A player who consistently got the good wood on a bad pitch and a consummate All-Star who made playing baseball look like modern ballet.

A ball player who hit a cool 3,000 hits, won 12 Gold Gloves in twelve consecutive seasons, four batting titles and virtually ensured the Pittsburgh Pirates a victory in the 1971 World Series by hitting safely in every post-season game for a .421 average.

Sure, Jackie Robinson was the first African-American man to wear a Major League Baseball uniform, but ask the million-plus Puerto Ricans who will be parading up Fifth Avenue on Sunday if Clemente's number should be retired. I guarantee that you will hear a resounding "Claro, que si" and "Hell, yeah!" followed by a "Wepa!" and then a symphonic clanging of cowbells to rally the issue.

If the problem, as W.E.B. Dubois reflected, within our Latino and African-American communities (and I include myself as a member of both) is that we fall prey to the "crabs in the barrel phenomenon" then Sharon Robinson is acting like a queen crab to a man, Roberto Walker Clemente, who died en route to a humanitarian mission to feed the poor in Nicaragua.

A man who, after having reached the top of the barrel, would undoubtedly grab a rope and throw it back down to help lift up some of his fellow crustaceans.

I