The long, long odds

It should be pointed out that I – Mr. I Haven’t Watched a Game All Year and I Have No Intention of Starting Now – was perfect in selecting Thursday’s opening games in the NCAA Tournament. Yep, that’s right… a perfect 16-for-16. That’s the first time I pulled that off and I seem to be headed for my best picking since I went 14-for-16 in choosing the Sweet 16 over a decade ago. In that year Old Dominion went to the Round of 16. I think they beat Villanova, too.

Regardless, like most people I filled out two pools. One was based on probability as determined by a mathematician who crunched the numbers and the other was based on what I knew about college hoops. Guess which one was perfect?

Left to my own devices I came up with Oregon, Kansas, Georgetown and Texas A&M for the Final Four, though a Penn alum told me A&M was a trendy pick and after its inconsistent showing in the opening-round victory over the Quakers, it was hard to think they were going to be in the tournament for the long haul…

Yeah, exactly. Sour grapes.

On another note regarding Penn and its basketball team, Stephen Danley, the starting forward for the Quakers, had been contributing to The New York Times’ college basketball blog called “The Bracket.” In his first entry, Danley wrote about how he and his teammates deal with cliché questions from reporters on their Ivy League pedigree and how they are so-called true “student-athletes.” Needless to say, it was pretty funny including the parts where Danley revealed the fun they have to the dim reporters doing those pad Ivy League stories.

But reading it I was struck by the clichés within the clichés. Like a riddle wrapped in an enigma covered in a conundrum. Or whatever.

How’s this for a cliché: Penn, or any other Ivy League school, in the NCAA Tournament. There, I said it. What’s the point of having those teams in the “Big Dance” when all we get to read about come March is how no Ivy League school has won a tournament game since Princeton beat UNLV in 1998 or how Princeton upset UCLA in 1996 and almost beat No. 1 Georgetown and Patrick Ewing.

Everyone seems to have forgotten that Penn made it to the Final Four, and I think I know the reason why. Ready? Because it was nearly 30 years ago!

Here are some handy dandy facts from the same blog Danley contributed to:

But in the eight seasons since Princeton beat the Rebels, Ivy teams have lost by an average of 14 points and haven’t been seeded high than No. 11. That doesn’t bode well for Penn.

And:

Here are the results of the Ivy’s eight-game N.C.A.A. losing streak:

2006
No. 2 Texas 60
No. 15 Penn 52

2005
No.4 Boston College 85
No. 13 Penn 65

2004
No. 3 Texas 66
No. 14 Princeton 49

2003
No. 6 Oklahoma State 77
No. 11 Penn 63

2002
No. 6 California 82
No. 11 Pennsylvania 75

2001
No. 2 North Carolina 70
No. 15 Princeton 48

2000
No. 4 Illinois 68
No. 13 Penn 58

1999
No. 6 Florida 75
No. 11 Penn 61

Just once I’d like to see Penn – or any other Ivy League school – tell the NCAA Tournament, “thanks, but no thanks. We’re not going to travel across the country to be a first-round hors d’oeuvres for a potential national title contender. We’re going to take our chances in the NIT where we have a chance to win. We don't need to play the No. 3 seed and lose so everyone can call us 'scrappy.'”

Yeah, I know this probably isn’t a popular sentiment, but I can’t understand the logic of a team going to tournament that it has no chance of not just winning, but also being competitive. Sure, Penn could get lucky and win a game, but the thing about the NCAA Tournament is that those No. 13, 14 and 15 seeds don’t last too long after the first upset. In fact, I’d like my odds of winning the Powerball over Penn’s (or Princeton, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Cornell or Dartmouth... not Harvard -- they have it all figured out) chances to win two games in an NCAA Tournament.

But then again, what do I know. Obviously those smart kids from Penn know what's going on.

Hold on: didn’t they let Penn into the Ivy League because they were good at sports or was that Cornell?

Come on Penn folks, laugh for once. Everyone else is.

Anyway, my mathematician (an Ivy Leaguer, but not from Penn) claimed that the Quakers had a 3.8 percent chance to win a game in the tournament this year and only six other teams had worse odds.

His Final Four? Kansas, Florida, North Carolina and (ahem) Texas A&M, with Carolina beating Kansas for the championship.

Then again, he had Duke in the Sweet 16.

No longer in the shadow

Just yesterday I picked up a copy of Game of Shadows, the expose by investigative reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams on Barry Bonds, BALCO and the unseemly side of baseball. Though the book is incredibly researched and full of the minutest detail, my fear is that Game of Shadows only scratches the surface. Beneath lurks, perhaps, depths of ugliness, greed and cheating that is sure to be unfathomable.

I’m afraid (and I’m just basing this on hunches) the underbelly of baseball is like a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum pulp novel. Coincidentally, Clancy owns a stake in the Baltimore Orioles. Go figure.

But in rifling through the opening chapters yesterday, I couldn’t help but think about baseball’s last major scandal, which just yesterday took a new fork in its ever-winding twists and turns in a plot that would be perfect fodder for a bad made-for-TV movie. In comparison to the steroids and HGH revelations that could knock out the punch-drunk fans, the Pete Rose scandal seems quaint. With that dirty scandal there was simply cheating, a bad cover-up and a few jail sentences that resulted in Rose essentially admitting that the investigation headed by John Dowd was correct.

Well, the investigation was sort of correct. Dowd, the civil and criminal litigator who not only is a Washington insider, but also served as Special Counsel to the Commissioner of Baseball in the investigations of Rose, George Steinbrenner, Don Zimmer and Lenny Dykstra, seems to have undershot with Rose. According to the Dowd Report, Rose bet on baseball regularly – including the Reds, the team he managed – which is a direct violation of baseball’s “Golden Rule.” But according to Rose, as revealed on ESPN radio with hosts Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, Dowd got it wrong. Rose just didn’t bet on his Reds regularly, he bet on the Reds all the time.

“I bet on my team every night. I didn't bet on my team four nights a week," Rose said during the interview with Patrick and Olbermann. “I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team. I did everything in my power every night to win that game.”

That certainly is a lot different than reportedly admitting that you thought the steroid you were rubbing on your legs was flax seed oil. Who would have guessed that it was “The Cream” or “The Clear?”

Nevertheless, Pete Rose is approaching his 18th year of banishment from baseball. He also will turn 66 in a few weeks so it goes without saying that time is getting short for the so-called “Hit King” to lobby for his reinstatement to the game he says he loves so much yet still decided to treat like it owed him something. Now I don’t doubt that Rose is contrite in his repeated mea culpas, including the one that was released as a book from publisher Rodale. And I’m not going to debate whether or not Rose is sincere in apologizing for staining his game.

However, it’s so transparent that Rose wants something from baseball.

Again.

Whether or not he has properly paid for his crime and made his penance is not really for me to say, though if anyone would have asked me a few years ago I would have said that the lifetime ban was sufficient. I will say, though, that I don’t know if Rose realizes that baseball owes him nothing. Nada. Zilch. Baseball doesn’t need Pete Rose, despite what he says. In fact, baseball never needed Pete Rose. Like any art form, baseball will always exist. There will always be games whether they are in some small park in any corner of the country or at Yankee Stadium. There could be two people watching or 70,000 – it doesn’t matter. The game doesn’t exist in a vacuum and no one owns it despite what Major League Baseball leads people to believe.

To play or watch the game is a reward within itself and those who give it the proper respect and treat it with humility get to have it for life. Someone like John Vukovich got that. It doesn’t seem as if Rose ever will.

Pete Rose, it seems, had the world in the palm of his hand and spit in its face.

Worse, as Game of Shadows indicates, he wasn’t the only one.

More: Pete Rose on ESPN Radio with Olbermann and Patrick

More: The Dowd Report

More: In defense of Pete Rose

More: Pete Rose book tour hits Philadelphia (2004)

Winds of change? Part deux

As the Phillies continue to look for ways to improve their thin bullpen, it’s interesting to note that one player seems to acknowledge that he’s the bait for the big fish. According Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Aaron Rowand appears to have accepted the notion that there is a very good chance that he will not be in Philadelphia for Opening Day.

Is he heading back to Chicago? If so, Rowand is saying… at least not in Cowley’s story:

MORE ROWAND: In the wake of a Sun-Times report last week about a possible trade to bring Aaron Rowand back to the Sox, the Phillies outfielder appeared on Mike North's morning show on WSCR-AM (670) on Tuesday and had a few interesting comments.

One that stood out was when Rowand, who always had a close relationship with Sox general manager Ken Williams, was asked if Williams ever told him that he'd bring him back to the South Side.

"I don't know if I should disclose any of that information," Rowand responded.

Meanwhile, in the same story former Phillie Gavin Floyd’s spring struggles are documented.

More: Knuckleballer Haeger making case for 5th spot

Didn't we do this last year?

This is the week when the casual sports fan can pretend to be the biggest know-it all out there. He can pontificate on defenses, offenses, match-ups, coaching and other intangibles. He can shout all of this with such alacrity and conviction that everyone must listen and nod their head in agreement not because the shouter is making valid points, but because they want the guy to shut up.

In other words, life imitates sports talk radio. And, yes, the NCAA Tournament is about to begin.

That means everyone has their bracket filled out, checked twice and if that doesn’t work, they complete an “upsets” sheet. You know, because it’s all so scientific.

But make no mistake about it, aside from the Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament is the one sporting event where even the casual observer or worse, the non-sports fan, can have an opinion and participate. All they have to do is fill out one of those brackets and turn it in to the sketchy guy running the office pool who always seems to win the damn thing every year.

The best part about the NCAA Tournament is that you don’t have to watch the games to be involved.

What? Don’t have to watch the games? Such sacrilege! What about the upsets and the last-second shots, and the Cinderellas, and the corny song they play at the end with all of the hightlights….

!

Yeah, well, whatever.

As one of those folks slowly morphing into a non-sports fan, I believe that the NCAA Tournament is beginning to become a parody of itself. Or a cliché. Or worse. Oh sure, the last-second shots are exciting and the upsets are cool, but it’s getting to the point when it doesn’t occur every time, the drama gets forced. Not every ending can be NC State beating Houston or Freddie Brown passing the ball to James Worthy.

Worse, the whining and complaining about what team got into the tournament or improperly seeded has reached such a pitch that it’s become completely unwatchable and unlistenable. So Drexel didn’t get invited to “The Big Dance.” I guess it shouldn’t have lost to Rider and I doubt Drexel as a bastion of academia will figure out how to trudge on even though the basketball team has to play in the NIT.

Now don’t get me wrong, I used to go crazy like everyone else about the NCAA Tournament. In fact, it’s really interesting to me that Georgetown has John Thompson as the coach and Patrick Ewing as a star player. It makes me feel like it’s 1984 all over again.

Better yet, for the last 20 years in a row, I spent the second Sunday in March in front of the television with a legal pad and a pen and marked down where, when and who each of the 53, then 64 and now 65 teams were going to play. There was no so-called bracketology involved, no whining about who was left out or wrongly seeded (though Temple’s No. 4 seed in 1994 was wrong), or no hand-wringing, boisterous and hyperbolic rants about which team was going to go to the Final Four. Simply, it was an annual ritual in its purest form.

The result was what mattered. It was that simple. There was an air of mystery about the teams and the players because the only time we (I) saw them was on TV. I didn’t know anything about Ewing, or Bird, or Sampson, or Jordan, or Bias other than what they offered during a basketball game.

Somehow, though, that mystery and pureness soured and was ruined and those old notebooks have been moved from a box in the garage to a big green plastic receptacle at the end of the driveway. Was it the corporatization and greed that has pervaded big-time athletics? Have my priorities changed that much? Has it just gotten so boring? Whatever the reason, this year I decided that all traditions must come to an end. Sure, the fact that the only reason I paid attention in the past few years was because it related to work and the Big 5 teams were a threat to make it past the first weekend of games. Then there is the fact that I haven’t watched an entire college basketball game since… gee… when was that?

I guess that’s the way it is when one gets older. Maybe those priorities and interests change because they find their proper perspective? Memories shift, too. I can still recite the Final Four from the late 1960s to about the early or mid 1990s. As for last year or the year before that I have no idea.

And this stuff used to matter – relatively speaking, of course.

Here’s the point: I’m old, and who wants to listen to Billy Packer whine or Dick Vitale get tangled up in the lies of the mission of college athletics? Not me.

But man oh man those games used to be a lot of fun. I’m sure they still are to a lot of people, so excuse this old man as he steps aside to let others have fun without another know-it-all boring everyone to tears.

And if you’re looking for help on the bracket, try this Final Four: Oregon, UCLA, Georgetown and Memphis with Georgetown and Oregon going all the way to the end.

Deep thoughts...

Here’s an idea that will probably make a few people hold their heads as if they have a really bad migraine – you know, the kind where it pounds at the temples and feels as if someone or thing is shooting a low frequency wave through the skull that emits a shrill buzz in the inner ear – and question my sanity for such “unconventional” thinking.

I’m throwing it out there any way…

Maybe the Phillies should keep all of their starting pitchers. Yeah, that’s right, all Six. Before anyone goes crazy, here’s what I’d do – Cole Hamels, Freddy Garcia and Brett Myers would pitch every five days just like they customarily would in the square-boxed thinking that guides such things. Meanwhile, I’d try to figure out how to work it so that Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton and Jon Lieber started at least one game a week and if there were too long of a lull between outings, I’m sure there would be some relief work available, too.

What?

Exactly. My guess is that Moyer, Eaton and Lieber would be perfect compliments to the top three starters and would be much more effective if they were used like a dash of seasoning instead of as a main course. Better yet, if the trio made one start per week over a 26-week season then they would be that much fresher when the stretch run approached. Besides, it seems to me that good baseball teams treat the season like a chess match or a golf game where the importance of a move or shot is to put one in position to have an even better move or shot the next time.

Hey, I’m not kidding myself by believing that any manager or team would go for something like this, but what the hell? It certainly isn't convention thinking, but ideas have to come from somewhere. Right?

***
Meanwhile, it looks as if Tom Gordon’s achy shoulder is aching again.

Last season, as everyone remembers, Gordon broke down a bit and went on the disabled list in August despite a first half in which he earned a trip to the All-Star Game. At 39, the Phillies are concerned about over working their starter as evidenced by the fact that he’s appeared in just two Grapefruit League games and by the fact that they sent him back to Philadelphia for a checkup with team doctor Michael Ciccotti.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions (how could they?), the team says the trip is simply for a routine checkup and it’s something that occurred last year at this time, too. But before anyone can say Mike Jackson, perhaps the Phillies ought to get another arm for the ‘pen to go along with Ryan Madson and Antonio Alfonseca.

Until that happens, be sure that Charlie Manuel sticks to his guns and allows Gordon just one inning per outing no back-to-back work early in the season.

Winds of change?

At first it looked like nothing more than a Tasters Choice moment between a couple of guys hanging around the batting cages at the ol’ ballpark in Dunedin. Better yet, just a couple of old pros – one a legend in the game after decades of leading all of his teams to the playoffs and the other a younger innovator who subscribes to the modern methods – talking shop and kicking around a few ideas before the start of a new season.

But with Pat Gillick work something that occurs like breathing. Sure, it might look like he’s simply standing there by himself and staring off into the bright Florida sunshine while the seabirds swoop and swoon overhead, but he’s really working. Just standing there like that he’s doing about 20 things that the casual observer would never notice.

J.P. Ricciardi, the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and Gillick’s pal on that day last week around the batting cages in Dunedin, knows this. He’s heard the stories and knows the legend of Pat Gillick. After all, he’s the measuring stick for all who go to work for Blue Jays.

Be that as it is, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a BBWAA card holder to realize that there are some trade winds swirling around the Phillies’ camp in Clearwater. Perhaps all it takes is a quick glance at the Phillies’ roster and the box scores from Grapefruit League action to know that the team needs some help getting people out. And with the season set to begin in a little more than three weeks, Gillick needs to get his pitching staff together.

According to published reports, Aaron Rowand and Jon Lieber are the names the Phillies are floating out there, though losing Rowand for relief pitching leaves the team with a big hole in the outfield. A deal in which Lieber went to the Jays for outfielder Alex Rios had surfaced, but Ricciardi rejected it… with impugnity.

From Peter Gammons:

Right now Geoff Geary (7-1, 2.96), Antonio Alfonseca, Ryan Madson and Matt Smith comprise Gordon's supporting cast. No, says Manuel, Myers is not going to the bullpen, but they have been looking at other relievers, including San Diego's Scott Linebrink. One rumor in the scouts' section would have sent Jon Lieber to Toronto, Alex Rios to the Padres and Linebrink to Philadelphia, but the Toronto folks shot that down. They say when they were approached about Rios, they asked for Myers, and have no interest in swapping a potential All-Star outfielder for Lieber.

From Buster Olney:

About some of the trade stuff going on so far: The Phillies-Jays talks regarding pitching Jon Lieber and outfielder Alex Rios are completely dead. “They (the Jays) aren't trading Rios for Lieber,” one talent evaluator said flatly.

However, heard some rumblings about a possible fit between the Rangers and Phillies involving Lieber, and as Joe Cowley wrote Friday, the Phillies are talking with the White Sox about Aaron Rowand.

Something is gonna happen.

John Vukovich 1947-2007

The plan was to write a tribute to John Vukovich, but there is just no way to do it within the confines of this or any other web site. There just isn't enough server space to do justice to what the man meant to every facet of baseball in Philadelphia. Oh, I started to write, alright, but just couldn't rein it in. yesterday I wrote more than 3,000 words with the thought of editing it down to something a little more digestible for readers, but when I sat down to work on it this morning I ended up writing another 3,000 words and I was nowhere close to being finished.

There are just too many stories. Way, way too many stories. If a person is judged by the stories they possess or that others have about them, then John Vukovich was truly the gold standard.

So excuse me while I save whatever I come up with for later. Explaining what John Vukovich meant to the Phillies, the writers that covered the Phillies, and Major League Baseball in Philadelphia is like trying to describe why the sky is blue in 10 words or less. Sure, it might be possible to do, but chances are something is missing.

That said, I'll leave at this: We might not have known it at the time, but John Vukovich was the reason why people go to the ballpark every day. He is also the reason why people sit at home and watch games on TV. It's not just his fingerprints that are all over the franchise, but his blood, sweat, tears and everything else a person can throw into a life spent trying to always do the right thing.

I thought that he was going to be there forever. I thought that 10 years from now I would be able to show up at the ballpark and see him in the third row of seats in the press box holding court with the scouts, scribes, execs and other lifers. I thought that one day they were going to have to go in and drag him out of there.

Going to the ballpark will never be the same ever again.

Remembering John Vukovich

“As a player, coach, instructor, advisor and above all, friend, he made a tremendous contribution to our organization and all of us. He was a fierce competitor who possessed tremendous baseball knowledge and had great respect for the game. He always wanted to see the game played right.

“Vuk battled his illness privately and with dignity with his loving wife Bonnie, daughter Nikki, and son Vince, by his side.

“Since the day he signed with us in 1966, Vuk devoted himself to baseball and the Phillies. Today we lost our good friend and a special member of our Phillies family.”
David Montgomery,
Phillies President

“Vuk was special. I’ve had the honor to know John for 37 years and I will never forget him. He was a Phillie through and through. Vuk had a great sense of humor, terrific knowledge of the game of baseball and was a fantastic family man. His passing is a great loss to the Phillies family and baseball as a whole. My prayers go out to his wonderful family.”
Bill Giles,
Phillies Chairman

“We knew each other for over 30 years from spring training. Being with Vuk last season I realized he had one of the sharpest minds in the game.

“His experience and knowledge was invaluable to our management team and he contributed greatly to changing the face of the club for 2007.

“He had a great sense of humor and a tremendous love and respect for the game.

“We will all miss him very much. My heart goes out to Bonnie and his family.”
Pat Gillick,
General Manager

“Vuk is much more than a friend to me. Vuk is family. Ever since I can remember being on a baseball field--from Eugene, Oregon (at 5 years old) to the GM’s box at Citizens Bank Park--he has been a special part of my life.

“He helped me grow as a man; as a Major League baseball player; as a Major League executive. Very few people in my life have helped shape me as a person and as a baseball man as has Vuk.

“I can remember spending many hours in Chicago at my father’s high-rise condo (Vuk was a boarder there) discussing why I thought it was so much easier to lay off the high fastball rather than the low pitch. Vuk and I had a lot of arguments over the years and that was the first one. Of course, he was right. I was wrong. This was usually the case, but not always.

“I will remember him as a friend, coach, mentor and a host of many other things, but what he was most for me is family.”
Ruben Amaro Jr.,
Assistant General Manager

“The Phillies and baseball have lost an outstanding baseball man and he will be greatly missed. His work as a spring training organizer, infield instructor, as well as a bench and third-base coach often went unnoticed by the general public. But, all of those people in baseball held a great deal of respect for his vast experience and knowledge. His passing leaves a great void that will be hard to fill.”
Mike Arbuckle,
Assistant GM, Scouting and Player Development

“I have so many memories of the times he and I spent together. I watched him grow up in baseball, give every ounce of himself to reach his goal in the major leagues and stay there.

“Vuk was very important to me and our success in 1980, not so much for what he did on the field, but what he did in the clubhouse and behind the scenes. He understood and helped carry my message. It helped us win a championship and put rings on our fingers.

“He helped me turn around the franchise in Chicago. We became one of the best in baseball and he was a big part of the success.

“He worked and taught the Phillies players how to be professional and play the game the right way during his coaching career with the Phils. That was his strength.

“I respected him for his baseball knowledge, dedication to the game and the Phillies, his loyalty to his managers and organizations, his honesty and his work ethic. He was one of the best baseball men I’ve ever been around.

“Vuk was one of my best friends. I will miss him terribly, including the many heated arguments we had. Sylvia and I send our deepest sympathies to Bonnie, Nicole and Vince. He may be gone, but he will never ever be forgotten.”
Dallas Green,
Senior Advisor to Pat Gillick

“John was one of my closest friends. Our relationship began over 40 years ago when he signed with the Phillies. He was not only a true baseball man but also an ardent hunter. Over the years, we spent a lot of time together on deer stands and in duck blinds.

“One of Vuk’s outstanding qualities was his innate ability to tell it the way it was. You always knew exactly where he stood on any issue whether it pertained to baseball or not.

“I will miss him and greatly appreciate his years of service to the Phillies organization both on and off the field.”
Ruly Carpenter,
Former Phillies Owner

“He was the best friend I had. He was a man’s man, a very honest person.

“As a teammate and long-time friend I am saddened at the passing of John Vukovich. He was a favorite of mine, being the first major league player I met upon signing in 1971, a teammate in triple-A Eugene in 1972, a long-time teammate in Philly, and an opponent with the Reds and Cubs. He affected countless of us in the years he gave to baseball as a player and coach. While he will most be remembered for his defensive skills at third base, I will most remember his charm, smile, and endearing wit. The Phillies family has lost another lovable and treasured member. Donna and I join everyone in prayer for Bonnie, Vince, Nicole, and the rest of the Vukovich family during this difficult time.”
Mike Schmidt

“I've known John since 1968, when we played instructional league and minor league ball together, then on to the big leagues. I roomed with Bowa and everybody knows that Vuk, Bowa and myself became good friends. He made a difference in my life, as well as my approach to the game. John WAS Mr. Baseball in Philly. I will remember him first as a great family man, as well as one of my best friends. I surely will miss seeing him and talking baseball at the BBQ stand. My prayers go out to his family.”
Greg Luzinski

"Vuk was a man's man. He was tough on and off the field as a player and a coach. He knew the game of baseball as well as anyone and was a most important fixture in the Phillies organization. After going through what we did with the Tugger, this is another sad time for the Phillies and certainly Vuk's family and friends. He was a loyal friend and a terrific teammate. We will all miss him."
Larry Christenson

“Vuk was one of my favorite teammates. He embraced the game and was very supportive of all his teammates. He got along with everyone, welcomed me with open arms, and I will miss him.”
Pete Rose

“Vuk was a dear friend since 1969 – a great baseball man. We stayed tight because of baseball for a lot of years. There is no one with higher character in the game.”
Bob Boone

“Vuk was a deer hunter and so am I. We used to tell each other lies: how big the one was we got the year before and how big the one was that got away. On one of our baseball road trips, I was wearing a bronze deer head for a belt buckle. Vuk saw it and said he needed to find one like that. I immediately took mine off and gave it to him. Every time I saw him after that, he always had that buckle on.

“I know I feel the same as every other member of the Phillies family; if I was ever in a bar room fight, or if I just needed a friend to talk to, I would want Vuk standing beside me. God bless his family.”
Ron Reed

“I got my first taste of the big leagues around Vuk. He showed me the proper way to go about my business and I respected him a lot for that. His knowledge of baseball was second to none and I’m definitely going to miss him.”
Chase Utley

“Vuk always showed me a lot of love. I got to play with his son Vince [in the minor leagues], so he came to a lot of games. He always had good things to say about me. We will miss him, we all love him and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
Ryan Howard

“He was like a brother to me … one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met in baseball.”
Jim Fregosi,
Former Phillies manager

"We are blessed beyond measure to live our lives within the game of baseball. It is the nature of the game that through many years we make hundreds upon hundreds of acquaintances. Culled from those acquaintances are a very few select precious friends - friends for all of life, friends through wins and losses, through tears and high fives, friends whose families you watch grow up.

“I began with the Cubs in 1982 with Vuk - his first year with the Cubs. He became my first friend in baseball and one of those three or four people that will forever be my friend. My dad died three weeks into my first baseball season in 1982. Since then, I think of him practically every single day. I'll be doing the same with my buddy Vuk."
Ned Colletti,
General Manager, Los Angeles Doddgers

“We talked on the phone 3-4 times a week for years. He loved to hang up in the middle of a conversation which would tick me off. Vuk called me every year on my birthday, including this January when he was in a weakened condition. That really touched me. In life you can count your real, real friends on one hand. He was one of my five fingers.”
Don Zimmer,
Senior Baseball Advisor, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

“In my short time in Philly, I would say that Vuk had the greatest impact on me, not only as a coach of mine, but also as a friend. Sitting on the bench and talking baseball and life and hunting, he became a very good friend of mine. It’s very sad to hear what happened.

“He was a very special man who had a knack for making people smile.

“He had a way of running spring training like no other. It was fun because of that grumpiness but you could tell he always loved you. Just Vuk being Vuk lifted everyone every day in the spring when he would give his talks. He made baseball fun and I feel fortunate to have learned from a great baseball mind.

“I love him so much and will miss him.”
Jim Thome,
Chicago White Sox first baseman

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bonnie, Nicole and Vince. There’ll be a lot of people in heaven toeing the line.”
Terry Francona,
Boston Red Sox manager

"Vuk always had a great reputation and I knew a lot of people in the game respected him. But I didn't know him that well until we went to Japan together on the Major League tour a few years ago. We became good friends and I could see why everyone loved and respected him so much. This is like losing one of our own - he will be missed by everyone."
Bobby Cox,
Atlanta Braves manager

“John Vukovich was the epitome of the phrase ‘a baseball man.’ As a player and coach, he always gave the game everything he had with 100% determination. As intense a competitor as he was, he still had time to laugh and have fun with his contemporaries.

“He will be sorely missed and forever remembered.

“My prayers and thoughts are with Bonnie and her family.”
Harry Kalas,
Phillies Hall of Fame announcer

“John Vukovich was a throwback. He believed that wearing the uniform of a professional baseball team was an honor and a privilege. He wanted players to be professionals and play the game right and he never wavered in his belief. Many players fought his ways while playing for his teams but they always returned at some point and thanked him for making them better players and people.

“Vuk was the best friend a man could have and he loved a good argument. He was rough and tough on the outside but truly was a kind, gentle man who would do anything to help his friends.

“I was lucky enough to be one of those friends and will never forget all the life lessons he taught
me. I will miss his friendship and advice.

“But most of all I will miss those wonderful talks at all hours of the day or night. He was a man's man and a Philadelphia Phillie to the very end.”
Chris Wheeler,
Phillies Broadcaster

“It's an unbelievable loss for baseball, not just for the Phillies, but for all of baseball. He touched so many players. He had a hard side to him, but most people never saw how big his heart was.”
Larry Andersen,
Phillies Broadcaster

“I first met John in 1979 when he was playing for the Phillies’ Oklahoma City farm club and I was working in the minor leagues for the Cardinals. We reunited 10 years later when I came to Philadelphia. Vuk was so helpful to me in getting settled in the area and adjusted to the Phillies organization.

“I was truly amazed at his many ‘connections’ with people ranging from real estate to cars to even firewood! I soon came to realize just how many friends he had.

“He was a hard-nosed competitor on the field and in the clubhouse, but off the field he had a heart of gold and would do anything in the world for you if you were one of his friends. He loved baseball and insisted that the game be played the right way. He commanded the respect of even the toughest guys on the club.

“He was proud to be a Major Leaguer and most of all a Phillie. He truly loved the Phillies and the people of Philadelphia. We have lost a great Phillie and I have lost a dear friend. My prayers go out to Bonnie and the family.”
Frank Coppenbarger,
Director, Team Travel and Clubhouse Services, Phillies

“I spent seven years coaching with him in the big leagues and I learned more about baseball through him than I had in my entire career. We didn’t just lose a good baseball man, we lost a great person. You can’t replace a John Vukovich as either a baseball man or a human being.”
Ramon Henderson,
Phillies Bullpen Coach

"John was old-school when it came to the game of baseball and life. He wanted the game played the right way and he worked tirelessly to make players better. And, he lived his life the right way. He was loyal to his friends and devoted to his family, and he had a lot of fun along the way.

“He was the kind of guy who everyone wants to have as a friend, and I am blessed to be able to say that he was my friend."
Ed Wade,
San Diego Padres scout

“He was a very dear friend the last half of my life. Our friendship went beyond being in the clubhouse together.

“He was the most loyal and intelligent coach I’ve ever been associated with.

“I will always remember him. That will never go away.”
Lee Elia,
Tampa Bay Devil Rays scout

“John was very assertive in his coaching and knew one way and that was to win. He was a no-nonsense guy working with players. Vuk was a big part of the success we had in 1993.”
Lee Thomas,
Former Phillies GM

“John was the consummate baseball man. He took his job seriously, but made friends easily. He will be missed by everyone in the Cubs organization.”
John McDonough,
Interim President, Chicago Cubs

“If I was ever to do battle with anyone I would want John Vukovich in my corner. Loyalty and strength was what Vuk was about. I love John Vukovich.”
Bruce Froemming,
National League umpire

“There is not much you can say. John was a good baseball man and a good father. He was just a good man, period. He has been a good friend for a long time.”
Pat Corrales,
Washington Nationals coach

The Phillies welcome their fans to e-mail their remembrances of John Vukovich to remembervuk@phillies.com

Be careful for what you wish for

The New York papers are getting a lot of mileage out of Jimmy Rollins’ proclamation that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East. Like a sadistic zoo keeper poking an angry bear with a stick, the New York scribes have been prodding everyone about the Phillies’ chances in 2007. David Wright has chimed in. Billy Wagner, to a degree, did too.

Don’t think that Mets won’t use Rollins’ words as bulletin board fodder during the dog days of the season. Athletes, after all, will use anything available for motivation.

Be that as it is, Murray Chass of The New York Times was seen lurking around the Phillies’ camp where he did some poking and prodding of his own. Don’t think for a second that the players didn’t know where Chass was from and what he was doing.

Aside from attempting to eke out answers from Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and Ryan Howard, Chass also cornered former Phillie Randy Wolf, who he labeled a “neutral observer.” In the story, Wolf said:

“The Phillies are going to be a strong team. But you can’t argue with what the Mets did last year. It was like the Braves before that. Until someone dethroned them, they were always the team to beat. Now the Mets are the team in control of the National League East. They’re obviously the one to beat.”

Looking into those words there is one element that people might be sleeping on a little bit in the supposed dog fight between the Mets and Phillies… aren’t the Braves still in the NL East?

Last I checked the Braves won the division 14 out of the last 15 seasons (14 in a row until the Mets finally broke through). During that decade-and-a-half there were a handful of seasons where pundits called one team or another the one to beat. Remember 2003 when the Phillies got Jim Thome and Kevin Millwood in the same month? I recall Pat Burrell saying after he signed his big contract (the one he is still cashing in on) that winter that the Phillies were the team to beat. Actually, Burrell was asked, “Are you guys the team to beat this year?”

He said: “We gotta be, right?”

Well…

The Phillies were the team to beat in 2004, too. Heading into the season that team was stocked with new additions Tim Worrell and Billy Wagner stabilizing the bullpen and joining Thome, Millwood, Bobby Abreu, Rollins and an assorted bunch of veterans.

During the last weekend of the season the manager of that team was fired.

More drugs news

Sports Illustrated writers Luis Fernando Llosa and L. Jon Wertheim dive into the brewing performance-enhancing drugs investigation with this piece that headlines promise to "rock sports." Certainly some of the names trickling out that are allegedly tied to the investigation have been well reported. Gary Matthews Jr., Jose Canseco, Evander Holyfield, etc., etc.

But one name that stood out in the Sports Illustrated story read:

David Bell, a veteran of a dozen major league seasons, received six packages of HCG at a Philadelphia address last April, when he played for the Phillies. The cost was $128.80, and the drug was prescribed in conjunction with an Arizona antiaging facility. Bell acknowledges receiving the shipment but tells SI the drug was prescribed to him "for a medical condition," which he declined to disclose, citing his right to privacy.

Bell had back trouble when he played for the Phillies. In fact, injuries kept him out of close to half of the games during the 2003 season, though he returned to play in 143, 150, and 145 games the next three seasons. Also, Bell and his wife Kristie had their first child during the off-season.

According to the Wikipedia entry on HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), it can be used medically and as a steroid:

hCG is extensively used as a parenteral medication in fertility therapy in lieu of luteinizing hormone. In the presence of one or more mature ovarian follicles, ovulation can be triggered by the administration of hCG. As ovulation will happen about 40-45 hours after the injection of hCG, procedures can be scheduled to take advantage of this time sequence. Thus, patients who undergo IVF, typically receive hCG to trigger the ovulation process, but have their eggs retrieved at about 36 hours after injection, a few hours before the eggs actually would be released from the ovary.

As hCG supports the corpus luteum, administration of hCG is used in certain circumstances to enhance the production of progesterone.

In the male, hCG injections are used to stimulate the leydig cells to synthesize testosterone. The intratesticular testosterone is necessary for spermatogenesis from the sertoli cells. Typical indications for hCG in men include hypogonadism and fertility treatment.

hCG sold under brand names including Pregnyl®, Follutein®, Profasi®, and Novarel® use chorionic gonadotropins derived from the urine of pregnant women, while Ovidrel® is a product of recombinant technology. Novarel® and hCG from APP are typically considered generics in the United States.

Use with anabolic steroids
In the world of performance enhancing drugs, hCG is increasingly used in combination with various Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) cycles.

When AAS are put into a male body, the body's natural negative feedback loops cause the body to shut down its own production of testosterone via shutdown of the HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis). High levels of AASs that mimic the body's natural testosterone trigger the hypothalamus to shut down its production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. Without GnRH the pituitary gland stops releasing luteinizing hormone (LH). LH normally travels from the pituitary via the blood stream to the testes where it triggers the production and release of testosterone. Without LH, the testes shut down their production of testosterone, causing testicular atrophy ("shrinking testicles").

In males, hCG mimics LH and helps restore / maintain testosterone production in the testes. As such, hCG is commonly used during and after steroid cycles to maintain and restore testicular size as well as endogenous testosterone production. However, if hCG is used for too long and in too high a dose, the resulting rise in natural testosterone will eventually inhibit its own production via negative feedback on the hypothalamus and pituitary.

David Bell remains unsigned for the 2007 season.

Getting paid

Ryan Howard is really the media darling for the national press that covers Major league Baseball. Aside from the big N.Y. Times story in their sports tab that appeared late last week, Howard has been described as the “anti-Bonds,” who along with Albert Pujols, is expected to rescue baseball from the plague of supposed drug cheats.

That’s a pretty big task for a guy with just a bit more Major League service time than Cole Hamels.

So when the Phillies handed Howard a one-year deal worth a cool $900,000, it touched off a tiny wave of chatter around these parts. After all, Howard smacked 58 homers, drove in 149 runs, hit .313 and posted gaudy numbers all over the stat sheet to win the MVP Award in his very first full season in the Major Leagues.

Let’s repeat that part… his very first full season in the Major Leagues.

Based on the sentiment from certain segments, the Phillies should have run out with their wallet open, a blank check and a contract ready for Howard to fill out the way he saw fit. Better yet, folks are reacting the way they do when stores open at 3 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and they just have to run out there and beat the crap out of each other and trample over human carcasses just to get a superficial piece of crap Cabbage Patch Doll…

You know, because it’s going to be a collector’s item one day. Oh no, it’s not an impulse buy or one of those keeping-up-with-everyone else moves. Consumers are looking long term when they buy Cabbage Patch or Tickle Me Elmo.

Now we aren’t comparing Howard to trendy plastic dolls or superficial silliness. Not at all. But we will compare him to a player with just one full Major League season under his belt who cannot become a free agent until 2011. In that regard, Howard got what he deserved… and then some. Just once in the history of the game has a player with Howard’s experience been paid as much as Howard and that was Albert Pujols.

Just as an aside and for fun, let’s throw this out there: Knowing what we know now, who would you rather have Howard or Pujols? Go ahead… think about it. While you’re thinking, how’s this fact – Howard is two months older than Pujols.

From all reports – published or not – Howard seems to understand the baseball salary structure and knows he has to wait in line in order to get the grotesque salary he apparently covets.

Here’s another aside… I always loved it when guys like Jimmy Rollins teased Howard about not really “getting paid” yet.

Meanwhile, the Phillies apparently talked about a long-term deal with Howard’s people before they came to an impasse and Howard only received his $900,000. Based on that it seems as if the Phillies will continue talks with Howard’s camp, but in the meantime the slugger has to go out there and try not to be Joe Charboneau. In that regard, I still can’t get over the synopsis from the Baseball Prospectus guide that came out late last week:

Historically, players like Howard, big-bodied guys with limited defensive skills such as Mo Vaughn and Boog Powell, tended to have high but brief peak periods. Their legs just couldn’t carry that much mass for very long, and around 30 their defense plummeted, their playing time dropped due to nagging injuries, and their singles dried up and disappeared. The Phillies should have a three-year window in which they can expect this kind of production from Howard, but should not plan beyond that.

Here’s one more question: just what did Howard lose in being stuck behind Jim Thome for two seasons?

Consistently inconsistent

After a strong start, I faltered a bit at the end of the week. Actually, “faltered” insinuates that there was something wrong with me or the conditions or both, and that’s not the case. Instead, I spent all of Friday with my 2-year-old boy and had a chance to run for just 30 minutes. On Sunday, instead of ripping off another 13 miler, which was the staple of the week, I took the boy and my wife to Baltimore where we looked at fish, walked along the water, browsed through bookstores and ate pizza.

Needless to say, Sunday’s outing was much more tiring than any run ever was.

Anyway, here’s what 63.8-mile “rebound” week looks like:

Monday -- 10.5 miles in 1:11:45
I definitely struggled with the mental part today. I forced myself out and it took a while to get loose because my legs were tight. There was a stretch where I felt pretty good, but for the most part I was tight and a little tired the entire run.

Tuesday -- 13 miles in 1:27:42
Felt really good through the first part and the hills, but was definitely tired during the last three miles. I'm not sure why that was, however, my legs -- especially hamstrings -- have been noticeably tight and tired. Regardless, I came to the conclusion during my run that it would be a really good idea to run every day for the rest of my life until I fall over. That's the plan.

Wednesday -- 10 miles in 67:58
Cut it short because I got a late start, but I felt really good and strong. There was one little lull, but other than that I was solid. Perhaps easy days like this one will help me in the long run.

Thursday -- 13 miles in 1:26:22
I felt really good. Actually, I felt really, really good. There isn't not much more to say than that.

Friday -- 4.3 miles in 29:19
Ran as much as I could with what little time I had.

Saturday -- 13 miles in 1:27:30
Another solid effort. I ran hard up the hills and pushed it a bit at the end. The only bad part was thinking about not being able to run more yesterday. Live in the now! Live in the now!

Sunday nothing
Went to Baltimore and was worn out by chasing around a little boy.

In terms of mileage it wasn’t a great week, but I definitely feel a 2-hour/20-mile outing lurking for next week.

The new phone books are here!

As the statistically inclined are wont to know, the Baseball Prospectus yearbook for the 2007 season came out yesterday and is chock full of nerdy numbers and spread sheets that kept the stat geeks up all night pouring over the fine print.

I got my copy in the mail today and bypassed the abbreviations that I don’t know and the numbers I don’t understand and dived right in to the synopsis for the guys we’ll be seeing a lot of this season. What was found was a Mr. Blackwell-esque renderings for the Phillies – good thing the writers never have to go in a clubhouse.

Here are the highlights:

On Pat Burrell:
Fans and management alike jumped on Burrell for hitting just .222 with runners in scoring position last year. Never mind that that it isn’t so far removed from his normal batting average – given 153 AB with RISP, we talking about four, count ‘em, four hits worth of difference. Burrell is not a high-average player in any situation…
… using a low-average/high-strikeout hitter to protect Ryan Howard is the manager’s failure, not Burrell’s.

On Ryan Howard:
Historically, players like Howard, big-bodied guys with limited defensive skills such as Mo Vaughn and Boog Powell, tended to have high but brief peak periods. Their legs just couldn’t carry that much mass for very long, and around 30 their defense plummeted, their playing time dropped due to nagging injuries, and their singles dried up and disappeared. The Phillies should have a three-year window in which they can expect this kind of production from Howard, but should not plan beyond that.

On Charlie Manuel:
Manuel uses fewer lineups than any manager in baseball, picking one batting order and staying with it. He’s extremely conservative with the hit-and-run, reluctant to bunt with a non-pitcher, and his team hasn’t pulled off a squeeze play in the last two years. The Phillies bullpen has been a constant sore spot; as with his lineups, Manuel establishes pitchers in roles and then leaves them there whether they’re performing or not. … Given his mix of skills and strategic tendencies, Manuel is probably the greatest A’s manager Billy Beane has never hired.

On the Phillies’ chances in 2007:
Some faceless lineup members are going to have to step up to help a balanced but unspectacular team win the division.

Check out the big head on Barry

The second (or third?) segment of drug war spurred by the BALCO findings has come into the forefront and this one is just as much a tangled web as a David Lynch film. This time, celebrities, athletes and team training staffs are in the mix. Included here is Gary Matthews Jr., who went from a player who was released five times and traded twice before landing on a $50 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

But everyone’s attention has been squarely focused on Barry Bonds, who apparently went through a middle-aged growth spurt according to the authors of the book Game of Shadows. In the new afterward of the newly-released paperback edition, authors Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada write that Bonds – upon joining the Giants from the Pirates – went from a size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10½ to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/4 cap, even he shaved his head.

The authors write:

“The changes in his foot and head size were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of human growth hormone could cause an adult's extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegaly.”

Yet as Tom Verducci points out on the Sports Illustrated web site, Bonds and his legal team have never, ever challenged the facts of Game of Shadows. In fact, all they have done is point out that the authors used leaked grand jury testimony and attempted to block the authors from accepting profit from the sales of the book.

But the content of the book? The facts? They didn’t touch it.

Contrast that with Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner who has faced all sorts of drug doping allegations ever since he rode into the Champs-Élysées for the first time. When books, reports or even idle chatter popped up accusing Armstrong of using EPO, steroids, HGH or whatever, he sued. He went after the accusations the way he attacked the Alps in the Tour. Armstrong even went after World Anti-Doping Agency zealot Dick Pound, asking the International Olympic Committee that the WADA head be “suspended or expelled from the Olympic movement.”

The IOC agreed and offered a stern rebuke.

Meanwhile, what did Bonds do when he tested positive for amphetamines? Yeah, that’s right, he blamed a teammate… then backed off… and now it’s something he doesn’t want to talk about because “it’s in the past.”

Why shouldn't it be for him? After all, if Bonds is indicted and the Giants void his contract, the Major League Players Association will have his back...

Drug use in sports, however, is not in the past. It’s not going away – it’s sitting right there in your living room waiting for you and your sports-loving fans to determine if it’s up to them to make a decision.

Is this going to stand or not? The people have the power... right?

Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
We would be remiss not to note the passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. For those with an interest in American history, Schlesinger undoubtedly has a section on your bookshelf.

Schlesinger's The Age of Jackson won the Pulitzer Prize in 1946 when he was just 27. His biography of Robert F. Kennedy that was especially memorable, especially the last three chapters.

Worst person in the world

Yesterday, the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee announced… nothing. After much deliberation, posturing, campaigning and whatever else the baseball folks with their secret ballots do, the Veterans Committee decided to tell good folks like Ron Santo, Marvin Miller, Buck O’Neil, Gil Hodges, Walter O’Malley and Jim Kaat to, well… maybe we shouldn’t rephrase it.

Let’s just say it ends with “… and die.”

Some already have.

Let's start with the fact that the Baseball Hall of Fame is watered down. Based on some invisible criteria that elected borderline players – statistically speaking – it’s a real crime that Santo, O’Neil, Hodges, O’Malley, Don Newcombe and gasp! Marvin Miller can’t get the votes.

Do those electors have a clue as to what their mission is?

So what’s the deal with these folks? Is there anything that can be done about possibly taking the Hall of Fame voting away from the Veterans Committee and some sycophants in the Baseball Writers Association of America?

No. Probably not.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean we can’t pick on them. At least that’s what Keith Olbermann did last night on his show Countdown. In his nightly feature, “Worst Person in the World,” Olbermann awarded the top place to the Veterans Committee (ahead of Anne Coulter and some guy who e-mailed a bomb threat into his school) saying they should do the correct thing and quit.

Here’s Olbermann:

But our winners tonight: The Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Veterans. Given a choice of such overlooked immortals as Gil Hodges and Ron Santo, Jim Kaat and Maury Wills, and such movers-and-shakers as Dodger owner Walter O'Malley, and players' union founder Marvin Miller.

Today, they elected... nobody.

Santo came closest – five votes short of the spot in the Hall of Fame he has long deserved. There will not be another vote until 2009... 2011 for the non-players.

The electors – including 61 current Hall of Famers – should voluntarily resign their positions, or be compelled to. They have made fools of themselves.

Again.

The Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Veterans, Tuesday's Worst Persons In The World!

Here’s an idea for the Hall of Fame – let’s start over. Let’s take everyone out of the Hall of Fame… Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, etc., etc. and vote them back in. You know, rebuild it all from scratch. This time contributions to the game, citizenship and playing ability all count.

And let’s get people to vote on them who really care. Olbermann should get a vote. Bob Costas, too. Just not the same old, same old people who have been doing it in the past. The world changes, elements of baseball should as well.

On another note...
Barry Bonds needs bigger shoes.

They buy those things for the gum

Yesterday we noted the very real gaffe on the Derek Jeter 2007 Topps baseball card which featured Mickey Mantle and George W. Bush photoshopped into the background. Today there was even more baseball card news when it was announced that the Honus Wagner T206 card from 1909 was sold for $2.3 million.

Easily the most famous and valuable card in existence because Wagner, aside from being a very good player, asked the tobacco manufacturer that created the card to take his out of circulation. Wagner, it seemed, didn’t want to be a shill for the tobacco company.

But wouldn’t know it that some guy added Teddy Roosevelt and the Phillies’ Ed Delahanty just off Wagner’s shoulder? Those wacky kids and their computers…

Big news

There is a bunch of interesting running news today. The biggest bit, I suppose, is the announcement that Rodale – the publisher of Runner’s World magazine – has agreed to purchase Running Times from Fitness Publishing.

As long as Running Times becomes a running magazine for the hardcore runner, this is good news. After all, Runner’s World gave up on running a long time ago.

Seriously, how many more stories about “Running a faster 5K!” does anyone need?

Running Times, it always seemed, struggled to find its niche. Were they trying to compete against Runner’s World or were they after the aficionado? The vision appeared cloudier in recent years as the magazine bounced back and forth between what it was trying to be.

For the time being, both magazines will remain separate. Perhaps now Running Times can find a focus while Runner’s World sets its sights on the Oprah crowd.

Elsewhere...
I received the following press release in my e-mail today:

Penn Relays tickets will go on sale March 1st, 2007. To order, call 1-888-PENN-TIX or visit www.comcasttix.com. Ticket Information The 113th Penn Relay Carnival will take place April 26-28, 2007. The deadline to renew your tickets has passed. Ticket prices for this year's Penn Relays are as follows: Event Day Ticket Type Price Thursday-Friday General Admission Pass $25 Thursday Reserved (Sections ND-NH) # $20 Thursday General Admission $14 Friday Reserved (Sections ND-NH) # $20 Friday General Admission $14 Saturday Chairback* (Sections SE-SH, Rows 1-19) $45 Saturday Lower Reserved Rows 1-5* $45 Saturday Lower Reserved Rows 6-10* $37 Saturday Lower Reserved Rows 11-30* $30 Saturday Upper Deck Rows 1-2 (on North Side) $30 Saturday General Admission $20 # Reserved Seats near the finish line for Thursday and Friday. * Please note that there is a limited availability of these seats for non-renewals/new buyers. Tickets for higher rows will be substituted and refunds given for difference in ticket price of seats.

	© 2007 - University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved.

Abreu finally takes a break

It seems so long ago, but the Phillies used to have Bobby Abreu. In fact, it’s hard to imagine the current team going through its paces in Clearwater in preparation for the 2007 season filled with high expectations with a player like Abreu. Just imagine a lineup with Rollins, Utley, Howard, Burrell and Abreu.

Think those guys could post a few runs?

Isn’t that what they did when he was here? It’s so hard to remember.

It’s been seven months since Abreu was a Phillie, which in baseball time is almost a lifetime ago. Seven months ago no one talked about protecting Ryan Howard in the lineup, because Howard was protecting Abreu. The opposition preferred to pitch to guys like Howard and Chase Utley instead and gave him nearly a walk a game. Compare that to the total he got when he joined the Yankees (33 in 58 games) and it was clear that Abreu was The Man with the Phillies.

Abreu, as we all remember, wasn’t really appreciated by certain elements of the sporting press and fandom in Philadelphia. His crime, it seemed was that he wouldn’t injure himself. And then even when he was injured Abreu still kept playing. During the stretch run of the 2005 season Abreu was so injured that he should have been on the disabled list. But since the Phillies were chasing the wild card Abreu ignored suggestions to take some time off in order to play.

He just thought that the team was better when he played.

For more than 151 games in the last nine straight seasons, Abreu has been out there working counts and getting hits in order to post the stats and help his team win. It’s just that in all of those games he chose not to run into outfield fences because, well… he wanted to play. Abreu believed that he was more valuable to his team over the long season by playing rather than being injured.

In Philadelphia, it seemed, we want out players to be injured unless, of course, they are actually injured.

Now with the Yankees, it appears as if the durable Abreu is finally injured. Actually, Abreu is so injured that he is going to be shut down from activity for at least the next two weeks because there is nothing the Yankees’ trainers can do for him.

The problem: a pulled oblique muscle in his right side.

“It was painful,” Abreu told reporters on Tuesday. “You just have to hang with it, and don't try to worry about too much. It's sore. I felt a little pain there and thought it was nothing to worry about. I kept swinging and then, after one swing, I felt a big pain.”

But come opening day everyone – Abreu included – expects the right fielder to be out there.

Like it or not, that’s just what he does.

Elsewhere...
The Phillies announced that Flyers' play-by-play man Jim Jackson has joined the broadcast team as the host of the pre- and post-game radio shows.

Fear not Flyers' fans, Jackson is not giving up hockey. Instead, the 20-year hockey veteran will get his first taste of Major League Baseball action.

And you thought that Billy Ripken card was funny

I saw the Derek Jeter baseball card story on several blogs and web sites today and I still can't wrap my head around it. Did this really happen? George W. Bush and Mickey Mantle photoshopped into the background of Jeter's card? Really? How does that happen?

I can't wait to see what Topps came up with for Alex Rodriguez's card. Please tell me for A-Rod they have Dick Cheney shooting the Easter Bunny with a 12-gauge on the outfield grass at Fenway with Babe Ruth standing off to the side eating a hotdog.

Mike Schmidt statement on Pat Burrell

As a former Phillies player, I'm honored to be a guest at this camp. As a guest I want to do my best to steer clear, and put to bed any issues that may lead to controversy. With regard to the past article where I commented on Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn, understand the article was about the propensity of power hitters to strike out. As you all know, I'm pretty well versed on that subject being in the top five of all-time, having K'd almost 1,900 times.

I believe a goal of any hitter should be to make contact, especially in crucial at-bats, by understanding how to hit defensively with two strikes, something that me 14 years to learn. My use of the term "mediocre" was in poor taste, and I'm sorry if it offended, but it was not intended to label Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn, or their accomplishments, but to point out that at some point, as a result of reducing strikeouts, their future accomplishments will make their past seem "mediocre."

Since meeting Pat six years ago, I have re-lived my career through him, as we have so many similarities. I root for him every game, and feel that in 2007, given good health and 600 at-bats, Pat will assert himself as one of the top run producers in baseball.