Jamie's Got a Gun

Games 67 and 68 - Phillies

Fish 6, Phils 2

Phils 3, Fish 0

Record: 40 and 28

Well , not really. What Jamie's got is more like a pea shooter but oh, what he can do with it! By the way, who is older looking - Steven Tyler or Jamie Moyer?

I was going to post yesterday on the heels of the crushing blow delivered by Dan Uggla. Time got away from me however. Damn, the possiblities were endless starting with the obvious "The Good, The Bad and The Uggla."

The Phils managed to salvage the third game of the series at Dolphin Stadium bringing their record on this highly anticipated road trip to 4 and 2. They are one of only 3 teams with a winning road record - the City of Angels Angels of Anaheim and the Redbirds being the others. Given how the Marlins series started and continued through game 2, the Phils can be quite thrilled that their elder statesman delivered his finest performance to date for his boyhood team to keeping the Marlins at 4 games back.

I think it's safe to say that as of this moment - 12:35 on June 13th, 2008 - the Florida Marlins are for real. I just don't understand it. In their short existance, they have had 3 owners, several GMs, several managers and precious little fan support playing in a football stadium in oppressive and possibly inhumane South Florida summers. Yet they have twice as many championships in 15 years as my pathetic team has in 124 years and are on their third iteration of building a winner. When they shipped Beckett and Lowell and sent Pudge packing (keep it clean TJ,) one would have thought they were doomed. Then they proceed to dump the D-Train and Miguel Cabrera last season and again, we thought "what a shame."

Larry Beinfest and Michael Hill must know a hell of a lot more than just about everyone else in baseball. It must be so. When I made my season predictions, I never gave the Fish a serious thought as a contender. This game continues to remind me of just how little I know. Bully for them even if it annoys me. What scares me is the idea that this team will soon have an retractable roof stadium soon (opening in 2011) and a bevy of stars (Ramirez, Uggla and Jacobs) to trot out before a sizable Cuban expatriate community who surely are in for some cooler version of baseball indoors. I mean, if you can't sell baseball to Cubans.... This new stadium will be in Miami on the site of the old Orange Bowl where, you guessed it, Cubans live. Anyone who has been to Dolphin Stadium nee Pro Player Park, nee Joe Robbie Stadium can attest to the fact that it is a world class football stadium placed in the middle of nowhere convenient only for tailgaiting. I am telling you, done correctly, this new park can make the Fish a juggernaught. Up and down the NL East, you are going to have 5 clubs with considerable revenue streams.

Now hopefully all this talk will do them in.

We are on to St. Lou tonight taking on the 2006 champions who, though they no longer resemble that squad what with the departure of Scotty Rolen, David Eckstein and Jim Edmunds, is still a pretty good club. Pujols is on the DL so there is that. Get your wins in now boys because Monday you will be hosting the 2007 world champs.

Mercy me.