High Heels On The Field

Cliff Lee A Symbol Of Phillies Cool Demeanor

In the post-game press conference, you all but expected Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee to ask for a martini. Shaken, not stirred.

His performance as the Game 1 starter for the Phillies seemed a breezy, effortless victory over a powerful New York Yankees lineup. The Phillies came out on top 6-1, in what was also a two-run home run night for Chase Utley.

But despite the baffling numbers- no walks, 10 strikeouts- it was Lee's unfazed disposition that seemed unbelievable. Guys just don't do that. Pitchers don't just come along everyday and post a 0.53 ERA in the postseason. Lee now ranks seventh in the post-season in ERA. And when accomplishing such a thing, do you act like you just took a stroll through the park? If you're Cliff Lee you do. He told reporters, no, he wasn't nervous before the game. This is what he does.

Lee has only been a Phillie since August, but he's exactly the kind of Phillie that fits in with the current crop.

This is not your Macho Row of 1993.

This is Macho Row on ice.

They don't get emotional, they don't get too upset or too pumped up. Every player tends to stay within themselves, no one gives too much away. Jimmy Rollins gave the media a good bit to chew on, but that's been it. The proof is in the actions. It's how that team operates.

Cliff Lee was the Game 1 top smooth operator, every pitch appeared to have good movement, even when he wasn't locating. He was working both sides of the plate, doing different things. He had to. Those Yankees hitters will make you pay for small mistakes.

The Phillies may not have a clear leader, but in Cliff Lee they have a shining symbol of everything they stand for.

Phillies, Yankees: Tops At Short In Their Own Way

There are a number of exciting variables about the Yankees Phillies World Series, but when you look at the middle of the infield, behold the skill.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter may have decidedly different personalities, but they are a show unto themselves.

Their role on their teams is also very defined, though Jeter stands as the designated captain. Still, it's no secret that the Phillies is Rollins team, his status not only due to his being a farm grown Phillie, but also for his ability to rile the teammates and the masses.

Not every player wants to put themselves out there in the media the way Rollins will. His fearless proclamations have angered or inspired a roll of the eyes, but you have to appreciate his confidence. If the Phillies were "the team to beat", he must've known it. Or at least he wanted to believe it and hoped his teammates did, too.

Rollins appears to be the flashier player. Has Jeter been more celebrated because of the uniform? Perhaps. But that shouldn't be a problem for any baseball fan when the fact is, the teams he helped lead to the World Series three years in a row were the best in the game. He made his name doing extraordinary things in October and November, when players must be better than they have all season. He proved his ability in high pressure situations early on. Rollins didn't get that chance until 2007.

As the all-time hits leader at his position, it's hard to argue who the better hitting shortstop is. 

But Jeter's defensive abilities have been a major debate for years. No one questions Rollins skill level at short. Jeter's range has been questioned, to the point that the University of Pennsylvania released a study finding him to be the worst defensive player in baseball. In 2009 he finished the regular season with a .985 fielding percentage. And in an interesting statistic created by John Dewan, Jeter was first in "Revised Zone Rating." The stat counts how many times a player gets a ball into his zone and converts it to an out.

Rollins in comparison, finished with an only slightly better fielding percentage of .990. In his 10 year career he has an overall fielding percentage of .983. Jeter? In fifteen years, he's posted a fielding percentage of .976.

Some glaring differences exist, though. Rollins has made just 41 career throwing errors, while Jeter has made 99. Still, it's a difficult comparison, considering Jeter has played five years longer. But with a 99 career total in errors, Rollins trumps Jeter who has made 213 overall errors thus far. As an aside, Barry Larkin made 235 in his nineteen year career.

Jeter may not be the best defensive shortstop, but he's the best hitting shortstop and that's the meat, the stuff fans sink their teeth into. It's why he's the leader of his ball club. It's why he's "Mr. November." 

Rollins has stood firm in his leadership. He's never backed down. Also the stuff of leaders. He's a five-tool player, with 20 bases stolen in every season of his career since 2001. In 2003 he hit 42 doubles. He broke a franchise record in 2005, when he went on a 36-game hitting streak, breaking Ed Delahanty's 1899 record.

What it all boils down to is October and November. Jeter has been there. A lot. Rollins has now been there, and been all the way, and he has another chance to prove his abilities in the Fall Classic.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriquez was asked about both men and he put it like this:

“...Two Hall of Fame shortstops, and two great leaders.”

There can be no debating that statement. (Oh, go ahead if you must...)

FUNNY FACT: Did you know that Rollins statement in 2007 about being "The Team To Beat" in the NLE, was followed by, "But, that's only on paper"?

Both Rollins and Jeter were named Rookie of The Year: Jeter in 1997, Rollins in 2001

Rollins is a three-time All Star, while Jeter has been voted in ten times.

Phillies And Yankees Fans Taste Their Destiny And Their Pasts

And so they meet again.

After 59 years.

The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees will face each other in the ultimate east coast Fall Classic.

If you're a passionate baseball fan, this is a contest for the ages. Inevitably ugliness will rear it's head. This is not a World Series for the faint of heart, the weak in the stomach, the half-interested fan. This is a series for two of the most notorious and fiery fan bases in sports. 

These are fans with different complexions, different complexities. They each have their identities.

The Yankees fight to get their glory back, while the Phillies keep the all-time losers history at a safe, but still too close of a distance. Both clubs have something specific to tell their fans and the message has to be clear.

Yankees fans: We're back.

Phillies fans: We ain't going back.

It's not just about baseball, but the very rich history in both cities, in sports, and in general.

Philadelphia may be the birthplace of freedom, but New York knows it's the birthplace of nearly everything cool and exciting.

Devotion to sports isn't just about the sport itself, but how it defines families, neighborhoods and childhood memories. When I think of key moments as a baseball fan, I recall where I was and who I was with. You might have had a difficult relationship with a parent or sibling, but sports was where you bonded. Or maybe the friends you made for life, were made through a shared passion for a team. 

The identity of Phillies fans and Yankees fans is tied up in the identity of the cities and the lifestyle.

No athlete cares to live in the past, but fans stay mired in it and forever influenced by it, down to their core.

The identity of a Yankees fan has always been tied to it's past: Gehrig and DiMaggio, Ruth and Berra.

For Phillies fans this goes a bit different: 10,000 losses notched, 1964, Joe Carter...then there's 1980, Tug, Pete, Schmidty. And, well, last year.

Fans don't want to live in the past either, but they live there because it becomes part of who they are. The losses aren't about a career, but a direct line to their hearts. The heart doesn't forget. They don't switch uniforms. They live and die with that team.

The Pinstripes Series arrives and so do fans who know who they are and, also, who they want to be.

You aren't just going to be watching a World Series, but two cities with their hearts on the line.

2009 ALCS: Angels Tragic Inspiration Familiar To Yankees Fans

Baseball, despite it being a competition, is a family.

There are friends who play against each other, actual brothers on opposing teams or on the same team, and former teammates who look across the field and see a guy they came through the system with. Now he may pitch against him or get a big hit off of him.

They're still family. They're just doing their jobs.

Fans also understand each other, despite being on opposite sides. Fans of rival teams are married to one another. Kids don't always love the teams their parents love. The friend you have dinner with one week, could be on the enemy side a few weeks later if their favorite teams go to a World Series.

We're still friends. We're just fans.

While Yankees fans root for their team to defeat the Anaheim Angels and advance to the World Series, many of those same fans know about watching their team take the field after a tragic loss.

They understand what the Angels and their fans are inspired by right now, because they remember Thurman Munson.

Nick Adenhart was 23. He'd just made his Major League debut a year before, while the Yankees catcher had many years (and two World Series rings) as the leader of his ball club. Both were taken by the cruel hand of fate: Adenhart by a drunk driver, Munson as pilot of a doomed flight.

But tragedy doesn't have a measure. Though Munson had been in the big leagues for ten years, he was still a young man himself, dying at 33 in 1979. Adenhart made his Angels debut in May of 2008. He was the starting pitcher against the Oakland A's on April 8th, 2009. Several hours later, he was gone.

Perhaps Munson, long retired, would've thrown out the first pitch at today's Yankees game. A game Nick Adenhart may have started, as the third guy in the rotation.

The Yankees might come out the winner, or maybe the Angels will hold on for another chance.

But wouldn't it be wonderful if those two were still here to take part?

Yes, as fans we have our sworn enemies.

But, in the end, the truth is,  we know each other well.

Today's Young Major League Stars Can Restore Baseball's Soul

If you fell in love with baseball in the nineties, you were probably impressed (or disgusted) by the offensive powers of Mark Mcgwire and Barry Bonds.

You watched Roger Clemens pitch his way toward a seemingly inevitable place in Cooperstown. You saw future New York Yankees stars Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez (then with Seattle) developing. You might have been watching, and even rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1993 World Series.

You were also watching players who would later be accused of using performance enhancers. Some of them would admit to using. Some, well, they'd say they were misheard. Who's telling the truth? It doesn't matter right now.

Because in the 2009 post-season, baseball seems to be renewing itself. Starting over, in a sense.

Maybe it's just me, but the slate seems to be cleaned- or at least less dirty- in regard to Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte's past steroid use. Admitting an error in judgment goes a long way with people. You know what else helps?

Playing really, really well. 

But mixed into the 2009 playoffs, are a number of young superstar players who can be a tremendous help in restoring fans faith in baseball.

Young players such as the Los Angeles Dodgers Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw, Phillie Ryan Howard, and the Yankees Phil Hughes, as well as veterans Derek Jeter and Jim Thome, are all part of an exciting post-season, that includes the New York Yankees once again.

Baseball's been on a long, strange trip lately. Manny Ramirez was suspended due to testing positive for a banned substance, and there was the Clemens debacle over what he did or didn't say to former teammate Pettitte about his steroid use.

In the age of much stricter testing and consequences, what baseball needs is a crop of young players  to emerge with force and make a statement with their abilities: This is what can be done without all that. They can remind wayward fans that awesome natural talent does exist.

But seeing the rebirth of players who've been outed for their decisions to use performance enhancers, is also important in the process. If they can be successful after proving they're on the straight and narrow, they make a point.

The 2009 Fall Classic is the stage for all that to begin. 

Perhaps the next decade sees America falling in love with baseball again.

Yankees/Phillies World Series? Imagine The Possibilities.

For one moment in the early nineties, the Phillies were America's team.

When the Toronto Blue Jays played the Phillies in the 1993 World Series, the beloved "Macho Row" Phils had taken hold of the hearts and imaginations of baseball fans everywhere.

But the truth is, the New York Yankees are considered America's team by and far.

Phillies fans and baseball fans in general, accept it or at least try to. Many resent it. Words like "evil" and "empire" clarify that, no, everyone does not accept it.

Think about the excitement (and bedlam) if the 2008 World Champions and the all-time champions faced each other.

Each team has something on the line: the Phillies are defending their title. The Yankees haven't won a World title since 2000. Both teams fans are impatiently parked on the frontline with clenched jaws and raging hearts, with the attitude that this must belong to them once again.

The Yankees are trying to return to glory and the Phillies don't want to give theirs up.

When you close your eyes and envision a Phillies/Yankees World Series, there are any number of dramatic and interesting scenarios to come up with.

...A home run parade, with Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez leading the way. Don't forget the unlikely home run hitter, Chase Utley, who'd be out of a slump and knock a few out.

...Two of the best defensive shortstops in the game, displaying their skills and command, their leadership and athleticism. Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins would make the ESPN reel. The panel would debate who made the better play. Perhaps we'd see something we'd never seen before. Wouldn't be the first time, with either guy.

...Closers? Well, hey, this is about the imagination right? We can mix that with some of the history of both Mariano Rivera and Brad Lidge. Or is it Ryan Madson? Would we be seeing a future great closer emerge on the biggest stage in baseball? Madson, getting the chance of a lifetime, to close out a game five...or seven...everything on the line.... Or Mariano Rivera could come in and put everyone to sleep. That's also quite possible.

...The managers, well, they'd have to answer some tough questions. They wouldn't be able to make everyone happy. No manager ever can. He's a genius if it works out. And the one to blame if a key decision fails. Will young Joba Chamberlain be off of Joe Girardi's post-season roster?** Will C.C. Sabathia quiet fans who think he'll flop in his post-season Game 1 start? Who WILL the Phils closer be? Was Charlie Manuel right to give Cliff Lee the ball for Game 1? 

There's a lot of exciting baseball to dream up in a Yankees/Phils Fall Classic, but there's still getting there.

Yankees and Phillies fans still have to imagine that.

**Hours after I published this, Joba Chamberlain was included on the final roster. He'll pitch out of the bullpen.

Finding A Translator Isn't Always Necessary: Brian Dinkelman, Ryan Howard, A.J. Battisto & Other Favorite 2009 Quotes

Yes, there's a script of sorts and some players don't stray from it.

They say all the things a player needs to say to both himself and those around him, whether it's to teammates, his manager, or the media.

But there are always those great moments when a player, coach, or manager says something memorable.

I put together a list of favorites from 2009. I want to thank each and every person who gave me this stuff. I like when you gentlemen rewrite the script:

"In the next few years." Ryan Madson, when asked about his readiness to be a closer. After Brad Lidge struggled as the Phillies closer, Madson has had to be called on in the role. He's 4-1 in five save opportunities since September 3rd .

"The fans have their moments here. They get on you, but at the same time when we were going to the playoffs it was one of the most electric feelings you could ever have. I would say that has been the best part of playing here." Phillies 1st baseman Ryan Howard, when asked what his favorite part of playing in Philadelphia is.

"I don't play this game for money. I play because I love it and I want to."- Gateway Grizzlies infielder Brad Thoma...or the Saint of Baseball. Either way.

"It's hard to pick out one weakness, because I've got a ton of them." Reading Phillies outfielder Michael Taylor, before being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs on September 3rd.

"Their work ethic is damn good."- Tom Nieto, New Britain RockCats manager. The RockCats defeated the Trenton Thunder for the final Eastern League playoffs spot.

"Of course, the minute I got the call from the Phillies my allegiance instantaneously shifted."- Lakewood BlueClaws outfielder Brian Gump, who sure knows how to get on Phillies good side. And, yes, there is one.

"It's important to let the losses go, because you're going to have a game the next day."  San Diego Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, who's had to let a lot of losses go this season.

"It truly is a blessing to be playing."- Jacksonville Suns pitcher A.J. Battisto

"Harry was as much a part of that team as any of the players," Boone said. "He was treated as one of us."- Bob Boone, former Phillies Catcher on 1980 World Series winning team, remembering Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas.

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to say."- Harrisburg Senators pitcher Eric Arnesen, when asked what team was his favorite growing up in New Jersey. Mets? Yankees? Phillies? I just couldn't pry it out of him.

"My job and the job of the coaches here is to help players define who they are."- Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin

And also:

"I've seen a lot of progress. The numbers don't necessarily explain the progress they've [Thunder] made."

"Learning I don't have to blow everyone away."- Reading Phillies pitcher Scott Mathieson, when asked what he's learned about pitching in the past few years.

"I don't think about that all the time, but yeah, it's the Yankees and I feel a responsibility to that legacy. "- Trenton Thunder infielder Chris Malec, on being a part of the New York Yankees organization

"I'm comfortable in any of position, it doesn't matter to me."- New Britain RockCats outfielder Brian Dinkelman

"As a reliever you come out and you have one, two, maybe three innings to blow it out and throw as hard as you can. I love that." Trenton Thunder pitcher Grant Duff. Duff was called up to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees after the Thunder's playoffs chances ended. He'll play in the Arizona Fall League for the first time in his career this year.

"I think I can be a good reliever, but I believe I can do both." - Trenton Thunder pitcher Wilkins De La Rosa

"You try not to let it affect you, but I think everyone on the team is trying to be 'the guy'."-  Trenton Thunder outfielder Austin Krum during the Thunder's playoffs push.

"It doesn't matter if I'm hitting or I'm pitching. Just playing baseball is what matters." Trenton pitcher Mike Dunn, before his promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre . Dunn was a Yankees September call-up.

FAVORITE QUOTE OF 2009:

"It's not science." Tony Franklin, on baseball. 

*By the way, the title of the piece is a nod to Trenton Thunder infielder Eduardo Nunez. Gracias, Mi Amigo ;)

Derek Jeter's Detractors? They Don't Know Why They Don't Like Him.

Baseball's biggest stars aren't necessarily guys you'd like on a personal basis.

There are some players that make it tough to root for.

Derek Jeter isn't one of them.

On Wednesday night, Jeter got three hits in the Yankees game against the struggling Tampa Bay Rays, who lost their eighth straight. The win was most important, yes, but with that third hit the Yankees shortstop tied Lou Gehrig's franchise hit record of 2,721.

Jeter, like Gehrig, was captain of his team. Gehrig was known for being a tireless teammate, a man who worked hard all his life and knew that's all that mattered. He'd come from humble beginnings and Jeter is no different in all those ways. Jeter, like Gehrig, could do grand things on a field, but he was also a good man and didn't behave in a boastful, egotistical manner.

That's why it amazes me every time I hear anyone speak badly of Jeter.

One has to know when people are being critical in a constructive way as opposed to having their own agenda. And criticism of Jeter is often clearly jealousy. Rarely does anyone criticize the way he plays the game. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard that. What is oft-repeated is that if he weren't a Yankee, he wouldn't get the same level of attention.

Well, yeah. Sure.

But what does that have to do with him? What does that say of his abilities? Nothing.

Am I actually going to say don't be a player hater?

I guess so. So don't.

Jeter's ability to lead his team over the past fourteen years, is in the numbers (3 AL Gold Gloves, 4 World Series rings, 10-time All Star), but the numbers are only part of the story. Not every teammate is as highly regarded. Not every teammate commands the kind of respect he does and gets that respect because of how hard he plays and how he carries himself. Proud, but never boastful. Strong, but never aggressively macho.

His love life has gotten him a lot of attention over the years, as has his masses of female admirers impressed by his physical appearance. They swoon, sure.

But what does that have to do with him?  And what does that say of his abilities?

Nothing.

You can root for a guy who plays baseball with quiet dignity, mixed with a good dose of confidence and leadership. A guy who's never been anything but a good role model on the field and off the field has lived his life fairly drama free. He's never embarrassed the uniform or put himself above the team. He respects the uniform and hopes to be a Yankee his whole career. He is a person who took his pure talent and continued to work hard to improve. He never expressed anger toward Yankees fans when they booed him during a particularly bad slump a few years ago. His response was, "I'd boo me too." And he just tied, and will break, a very precious record in Yankees history. You can respect him for that.

Or you can hate him because he's a New York Yankee.

Your choice, of course. BASEBALL FANS.

Mike Dunn Called-Up, Story Revisited

In May I interviewed LHP Mike Dunn about what the Yankees might use him for in the coming months if he got the call. The 24-year old went on to have a 2.25 ERA for the season, before he got a September call-up. Here's what he told me in May.

The Trenton Thunder are second from last in the Eastern League Northern Division, with a 16-18 record on the season. Though the 2008 EL champs are playing .470 baseball, the division is competitive. They're only three games back from first, with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats leading the Connecticut Defenders by just half a game.

Thunder reliever Michael Dunn is a guy whose attitude seems positive enough to carry the whole club.

"It doesn't matter if I'm hitting or I'm pitching. Just playing baseball is what matters," he says.

In 20 innings pitched he carries an ERA of 5.75. He's 1-2 with two saves. While he has no demands on how he's used, he admits to ultimately having a preference.

"I love the bullpen. Ideally I'd like to be an 8th or 9th inning guy further down the road. But right now it's fine with me, wherever they want me to get my work in."

Trenton Thunder Overcome Season Of Obstacles

Yes, it's developmental league. But they still want to win in the minor leagues.

The Trenton Thunder have faced plenty of challenges to inch closer to a playoffs spot. Minor leaguers aren't just developing their skills, they're learning how to handle adversity. And 2009 has offered the Double-A Yankees plenty of opportunity for that.

On Monday night they defeated the New Britain Rock Cats in a hot, down-to-the-wire race for a chance to return to playoffs baseball. The Thunder have won two consecutive Eastern League Championships, a fact not lost on the players. 

"You try not to let it affect you, but I think everyone on the team is trying to be 'the guy'," said 2B Matt Cusick following Monday night's doubleheader. "We're so close. There's a lot of pressure on us, especially because of the last two years. To not make the playoffs would be a letdown for the city and the team."

The 2007 and 2008 championship teams included some of the best Yankees prospects including George Kontos and Austin Jackson, as well as Yankees reliever Phil Coke.

A common thread is the manager. Tony Franklin has managed the team with a calming personality, mixed with a dose of discipline when necessary. Cusick gives his skipper a great deal of credit.

"I think the team's confident. Tony Franklin gave us a little motivational speech yesterday, and then we played well in both games."

"It's the end of the year, so guy's are breaking down. Tony does a good job of keeping you focused."

Franklin, in his third year as manager, has had to steer the ship when the weather has (literally) been storm filled. He praised his players for their admirable efforts.

"I've seen a lot of progress," manager Tony Franklin said. "The numbers don't necessarily explain the progress they've made."

But he also knows there were some missing pieces this season, including catcher Jesus Montero and 1B Jorge Vasquez who suffered season-ending injuries.

"The injuries leave me with the question of what might've been."

Their success can already be measured, regardless of when this season ends. And to paraphrase, the numbers may not ultimately reflect what they've accomplished.

The one thing the Trenton Thunder cannot be considered is a letdown.