Joe Blanton, intimidation personified. Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I apologise to everyone about the timing of this post.  I spent the last few days laid up with a stomach virus, managing to watch this game laying in bed using that game-day function on mlb.com.  If you have ever watched a game with this thing, it is essentially a strike zone with a guy standing on its respective side of the plate, with the balls and strikes indicated by different colored circles.  If I could have gotten out of bed, I would have turned on the radio. 

Hey!  Look at that!  After all the fat jokes and trade rumors, Joe Blanton has looked down right impressive of late.  He gave up one run on six hits in seven innings of work.  (more…)

It looks like he can play second Charlie. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Wait just a damn minute.  Are there people watching Joe Blanton pitch?  It appears that there are.  It also appears that Joe’s arm is not going to fall off.  He can even throw his curveball without pain. Thus far, Blanton has not allowed a run in his five grapefruit league innings and has looked more than serviceable.

Blanton’s lack of arm explosions and Freddy Galvis’s ability to play a really good second base highlighted Saturday’s contest with the Orioles.  Even Scott Elarton has looked pretty good this spring.
In lieu of people who pitch for the Phillies pitching well, every 1-0 game from this point forward will remind me of that stupid game against the stupid Cardinals.  The Phillies lost the game 1-0 on a home run from former Ranger Chris Davis.  This one was even more of a snooze fest than a normal spring training contest.

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