WASHINGTON – Despite what the schedule reads, there is a lot of baseball remaining in the 2007 season for the Phillies. These final eight games of the year will undoubtedly feel like an eternity. Actually, the defining moment of the year will probably occur between now and Sept. 30.
But before Friday night’s game against the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium, manager Charlie Manuel took the time to reflect on the season so far.
“Basically what we’ve done this year is survive,” the skipper said.
“We have some of the best players in baseball, but we’ve had to fight to survive.”
With just nine games to go the Phillies have done much more than just survive. Despite a bevy of injuries to seemingly every player on the roster, including disabled-list stints for Brett Myers, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels, the Phillies entered Friday’s game just 1½ games behind the New York Mets for first place in the NL East. And if a run at the division title doesn’t work out, there is always the wild-card race in which the Phillies find themselves 2½ games behind the San Diego Padres.
Needless to say, the Phillies are really into the action around the league right now. In fact, after Thursday night’s come-from-behind victory over the Nats, the Phillies rushed back to the cozy visitors’ clubhouse at RFK to gather around the television set and watch the end of the Mets-Marlins action from Miami. Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand helped rearrange the furniture in the tiny room so the entire team could get unobstructed views.
For a night, the visitors’ clubhouse at RFK Stadium was the best little sports bar in The District of Columbia. When Dan Uggla’s 10th inning hit won it for the Marlins, the clubhouse suddenly morphed into a scene right out of Animal House.
Manuel loved it.
“What was cool was that I didn't see anybody who wasn't interested,” Manuel said. “I've been around a long time, and sometimes there are guys who just don’t give damn about it. They'd get dressed and get the hell out of there. I wonder about that sometimes. (But) last night, everybody we had was around the TV.”
The Phillies were back around the TV set before Friday’s game, too. This time, instead of the matinee action from around the league, a dozen players or so were paying rapt attention to a DVD of Ken Burns’ documentary, Baseball. When the film came to the part in which the legendary Buck O’Neil described the sound of the ball crashing off the bat of Babe Ruth, Josh Gibson and Bo Jackson – a sound O’Neil says he never heard from any other player – shortstop Jimmy Rollins recited the lines in sync with O’Neil.
Then Rollins ad libbed some of his own lines.
“Buck didn’t live long enough to hear Ryan Howard,” Rollins stated. “Ryan has that sound, too.”
A few teammates nodded in agreement.
Clearly the Phillies want to make a little noise of their own during the final week of the season. Desperate to hear the sweet symphony of baseball in October seems much more apt.
“I just want to get in (to the playoffs),” Manuel said. “I've been here three years in a row. It seems like we just left here and here we are again. We have to cross that line. We had to fight and claw. I don't know what else to do.”
Win. Just win.
The ‘pen is mighty It’s interesting to note that the Phils are making their sprint for the finish line with big contributions as of late from a rejuvenated bullpen. Maligned for the entire season as being the team’s Achilles heel, the Phillies’ relieving corps has bailed out the starters after short outings in two of the last three games.
To follow up Tuesday’s 14-inning victory in which the relievers tossed 11 frames one-run ball, the ‘pen went seven scoreless innings last night against the Nats. Of course the memory of Monday night’s near debacle where the relievers almost coughed up an 11-run lead, but since then they have been pretty good. In the last three games the bullpen has allowed just two runs in 21 2/3 innings.
“Like last night, our starter (Kyle Lohse) goes two and they don't score off a bullpen that can give up runs,” Manuel said. “At times, it seems like we can't stop anybody and then we'll do pretty good.”
Truth be told, Manuel admits he is a little surprised by work out of the ‘pen.
“I’m surprised,” he said. “If you look at it based on the way we’ve played all year, winning six of seven has been hard for us. In order to (go on a winning streak) you have to be consistent, and sometimes we haven’t been consistent.”
Nevertheless, 21 2/3 innings is a lot of work in just three games – especially at this point of the season. Aside from a complete game from a starting pitcher, Manuel acknowledges that he will have to use other relievers in addition to his core group of go-to guys in Myers, Tom Gordon and J.C. Romero.
“We’re going to get into position where we’ll have to use guys like (Geoff) Geary and (J.D.) Durbin,” Manuel said.
Hail to the Chiefs
A handful of Phillies were granted a special audience with President George W. Bush as well as a private tour of the White House on Friday morning.
Utley, Howard, Burrell, Hamels, Myers, Rollins, Manuel and director of team travel and clubhouse services Frank Coppenbarger met the President in the Oval Office before their special tour of the most famous residence on the earth.
“It's not as private as you would expect it to be,” Utley said. “There's a lot of people running around.”
Mostly, though, the players were awed by meeting the President and seeing the White House up close and personal.
“He knew who we were,” Utley said. “He seemed pretty informed about what was going on (in baseball).”
Said Hamels: “We didn't joke around. It's a situation that you just find yourself in awe of. (President Bush) appeared to be a normal guy… well, as normal as you can expect. He was really busy and that's a good thing. It's good to know the President is a very busy guy.”