Jayson Werth breaks his wrist, taunted by Phillies fans

It’s game on between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. When Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels admitted he drilled Washington’s Bryce Harper on purpose it amped up the budding rivalry. The Nationals’ Jayson Werth is a former Phillie and broke his wrist which will keep him out for 10-12 weeks. What adds a layer to the story is that visiting Phillie fans taunted Werth while he was leaving the field.

“After walking off the field feeling nauseous knowing my wrist was broke and hearing Philly fans yelling ‘You deserve it,’ and, ‘That’s what you get,’ I am motivated to get back quickly and see to it personally those people never walk down Broad Street in celebration again,” Werth wrote.


Also remember before last season Werth and Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo stated that they both hated the Phillies. With the teams going in opposite directions right now the Nationals could hold the upper hand in this rivalry real soon.

Oswalt could find himself without a home

There are teams in need of a proven veteran pitcher to round out their rotations. Some are contenders and there are some trying to climb the ladder in the standings. The Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox or Cincinnati Reds would be a good fit for the veteran hurler. Problem is Oswalt is being awfully picky to whom he plays for.

I know a player who has earned their right to be a free agent can take their time and assess which situation they want to go play in. That’s a major part of being a free agent. But if you’re a veteran trying for one last good contract and a shot at a championship then I figure you sign with who gives you the best chance at a title. Oswalt had a chance to win in Philadelphia, but the Phillies blew it as a collective. Now Oswalt is looking to move on to presumably stay close to his father in Mississippi or his Missouri farm. So it would seem the Cardinals would be a good fit for him. A report two weeks ago said the Cardinals locked up Oswalt but it obviously didn’t happen.

The one time Houston Astro would also be a good fit for the Rangers who just lost their number one starter C.J. Wilson to the Los Angeles Angels. But he won’t sign there either. He already said he won’t go to Detroit and hasn’t turned down the Red Sox but doesn’t exactly want to play there either.

“He wanted to go to Texas. That’s not gonna happen. He wanted to go back to Philadelphia. That’s not gonna happen. He had some interest in the Reds. That doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. So his choices still come down to, I think, going to Boston, where they have a clear need but he doesn’t seem to want to play, and going to St. Louis, where all his friends say he would love to be. But to do that, he has to do it on their terms.”     


  Jayson Stark, ESPN

With pitchers and catchers due to report in another week, Oswalt could be left without a home or scuffling to take whatever a team offers him. Time is running out and Oswalt is taking his sweet time trying to find a team. I think it comes down to the Cardinals or Rangers and he won’t exactly like the terms of the deal.

Victorino to appear in a Hawaii Five-O episode

Anyone who pays attention knows that Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino is a ntive Hawaiian. So I guess it would be a natural fit to appear in an episode of the CBS television show “Hawaii Five-O”.

Victorino will be appearing in the February 20 episode.

According to CBS, Victorino stars as a business executive on a company retreat. Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno also appears in the episode as a Hawaiian history buff. The episode centers around the murder of a man dressed as a Hawaiian NaKoa warrior.

We’ll see if Victorino has the chops to get a few more acting jobs in the future.

Charlie Manuel Loves Him Some Bernard Hopkins

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel isn’t one to watch boxing or talk about it. But if you ask him about Philadelphia boxing champion Bernard Hopkins, he may never stop talking about him.

He’s crossed paths with Hopkins once before, but was so impressed by him that he would like him to make a stop by Citizens Bank Park and have a conversation with him.

“I absolutely love listening to him,” Manuel said. “That’s one tough guy who wants to be a champion. I know in baseball, that’s what separates the average guy from the real good one.”   

If you’ve ever listened to a Hopkins interview the guy can talk for days. He’ll also let you know he has the same drive and determination he had when he got out of prison. That’s what Manuel likes about him. It seems like an odd pairing, but Manuel likes hard nosed players.

“It’s about being a champion,” Manuel said.

And in my eyes Hopkins is what being a champion is all about.

 

Dykstra’s Brother Says He Deserves To ‘Pay For What He Did’

Apparently former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Len Dykstra has been getting bailed out by his family and now they aren’t going to bat for him anymore. His brother, Brian, says that Dykstra deserves his fall from grace amd is guilty of the charges brought against him last week.

“It’s sad, but he’s got to pay for what he did,” the older brother, 49, told The New York Daily News. “We feel sorry for him, but he’s pretty much on his own right now. We’re praying for him.”

“I wish I could post bail. I know the real Lenny from years ago is still in there somewhere. But the family breakup was bad,” Brian said. “We’ll be there to help afterwards – when he gets out. I know he could go coach somewhere.”

I’m not well versed in the Lenny Dykstra story, except that he played hard. I guess he lived harder and made some bad business deals along the way, while pissing off a few family members in the process. Brian and another brother Kevin, haven’t got along since Len sold the car wash business they owned and didn’t pay them money they were owed. Talk about shady. I know it’s not my place to say this, but they would’ve been better off doing business with a stranger than their own brother.

Maybe Dykstra can hit up Mookie Wilson for a few dollars.  

 

 

Oswalt Hurts Back Running The Bases

One of the Philadelphia Phillies “Four Aces” has folded.

Roy Oswalt had to leave tonight’s game against the Florida Marlins after six innings with a lower back strain. Oswalt was hurt running to first after he laid down a bunt in the bottom of the sixth. He stayed in and ran the bases but left the game after attempting some warm up pitches.

This could affect the Phillies if Oswalt has to miss any significant amount of time. I don’t think he’ll miss anything beyond his next start, but with sports injuries you never know.

Quote Of The Week: Mike Schmidt

I think Mike Schmidt had different ideas when he was talking about the Phillies’ “Four Aces”.

Schimdt said that the pitchers strike fear in no one.

“They’re not scary,” he said. “Even if they all win 20 games, the Phillies don’t have a pitcher who strikes fear in a hitter.”

I think Schmidt meant by occasionally getting buzzed by a pitcher back in the day.

Nationals GM Rizzo,Jayson Werth Hates The Phillies

An excerpt from an article in the Washington Post caught an exchange between Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and new Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth.

Werth was taking some batting practice and Werth might’ve been taking a break when a reporter got this.

Once Werth got back behind the cage, Rizzo said, “I hate the [expletive] Phillies.” The GM then ran off a list of borderline dirty plays and purpose pitches in recent years by the Nats’ nemesis. “I hate the Phillies, too,” said Werth. Unspoken, but hanging in the air was a new idea for the Nats: So, let’s play more like the Phillies: mean, grimy and a little nasty. 

If this is the case then it’s game on when the Phillies play the Nationals. I think it might’ve been more playful for Werth who probably has some friends on the Phillies. Besides they rescued him from the baseball scrap heap so how can he really hate them. Maybe it’s because the Phillies didn’t want him at an inflated price and brought back Cliff Lee instead.

I think it’s Rizzo that has hate and contempt for the Phillies more than Werth. Maybe because the Washington experiment has turned out a bunch of losing seasons and the Phillies have turned into a National League powerhouse.

This might be the only time I check out a Nationals game this year.

Matt Anderson Gets Another Chance

Matt Anderson is getting what amounts to a last chance in the major leagues. The Philadelphia Phillies signed the former Detroit Tigers pitcher to a minor league deal. Which means if he performs well he can pitch in the big show again.

Anderson was the top pick in the 1997 baseball draft out of Rice by the Tigers. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2005 and his last season was in 2008 with Triple-A Charlotte. He has 15 appearances and a 5.60 ERA. He’ll need to do much better than that if he wants to stick with the Phillies. His best year was back in 2001 when he posted 22 saves for the Tigers.

Anderson’s most famous moments were hitting 103 mph on the radar gun and having his name dropped in a sexual harassment lawsuit in 2001. Good luck Matt, you’ll need it since you haven’t been the same since injuring your arm in 1999 ( there was a contest at the ballpark to throw an octopus the farthest and win tickets to a Red Wings playoff game – Anderson tossed an octopus and suffered an injury from which he never seemed to recover).

Jamie Moyer Wants To Keep Pitching

If your left handed and can get the ball over the plate, you can pitch forever, as long as your effective. Even if you’ve had Tommy John surgery. Maybe that’s why Jamie Moyer wants to keep pitching and doesn’t want to be told when to quit.

Moyer is eyeing a comeback in 2012 after going 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA with the Philadelphia Phillies last season, before missing the second half of the season after straining his left elbow. Moyer will be close to 50 when and if he begins his comeback. He’s clearly not ready to give up baseball yet.

“In all honesty, I just don’t feel like I’m ready to give it up. I feel I’m entitled to make my own decision,” Moyer told the Seattle Times. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, which people don’t seem to be shy about expressing.”

“It may be difficult to find a job at the age of 49,” Moyer said, the Times reported. “Then again, it may not be. I know where I stand: I’ll probably get a spring training invitation . . . I don’t have a problem with that. Throughout my career, I’ve always had to earn the situation I’ve been in. I don’t expect anyone to give me anything. It’s never been that way, so why now?”

I’ll say this much. Throughout his career he’s been consistent and effective. You do know what your gonna get from him. He’s never been a hard thrower, so that’s probably enabled him to last as long as he has. Most would probably be eyeing retirement, but Moyer feels that he can still help someone win games. I don’t think this has anything to do with money. It’s more personal pride and going out on his own terms rather than having someone else tell him when to go. Baseball is all he knows.