The business of baseball is crazy!

For the Phillies, the question marks are Chad Durbin and Chan Ho Park.  The Phils need to decide whether these guys are getting arbitration or not.  If its offered, and they accept, their salary remains to be determined, but should they choose to sign elsewhere, we get a draft pick.

I think.

I don’t know, this part of baseball feels like a circus that nobody wants to go to.  So like, a normal circus.

Should Placido Polanco be offered arbitration by the Tigers, we’re going to see his price tag take a trip north.  However, if the Phils sign him, we have to give the Tigers our first-round draft pick as well.

Canada is crazy!

Speaking of north, Matt Stairs is Canadian; Fredericton, New Brunswick Canadian to be exact.  While Matt hasn’t been signed anywhere (yet), he is getting his name put on a sign.

A street sign, to be deemed “Matt Stairs Way,” just outside Royal Field Park, where he first signed a pro ball contract. Anyone who has seen Matt Stairs play knows that the “Matt Stairs way” is to abuse baseballs physically and then eat twelve steaks.

Chris Coste has also been signed, but his signing differs greatly from the previous story, as he was: A.) Not given a street in Canada, and B.) Signed by the New York Mets.  Bleccch.  I’m assuming the copy of his book I asked for for Christmas will now include an addendum entitled “Ewww, Gross.”  Am I remembering correctly that there is a part of the 2008 Phillies DVD where Coste is in front of a microphone, saying that he and the Phillies hate the Mets?

Allen Iverson is actually crazy.

Awkward.

Categorically not signed was TBS Sports’ Chip Caray, who made so many mistakes this offseason he could have been an umpire.  Not only was there the infamous Nick Punto line drive-base hit-double play fiasco during the Twins-Tigers playoff, but the man dropped more uses of the word “fisted” than anyone would have deemed necessary had they been playing with only their fists.

And the Sixers want to sign Iverson!  Whoa!  This is getting wacky.

I can’t wait to see what happens on that even crazier “Sign Your Non-free Agents” Day, December 12!

Manuel said that Werth was “his guy”, and that that helped in picking Werth over other players such as Matt Kemp or maybe Manny Ramirez.

The Phillies now have five players in the All-Star game: Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Victorino, and Werth. The Phillies are only the second team in the history of the All-Star game to have their whole outfield elected to the Mid-Summer Classic.

While half of the Phillies lineup was celebrating their All-Star bids, back-up catcher Chris Coste was placed on waivers today, and was picked up by the Houston Astros.

Coste made a statement saying that Manuel said that Coste was a Philly kind of player, and with the Spring Training that Coste had, you would expect him to compete for some playing time pretty much everyday with other catcher Carlos Ruiz.

With the recent call-up of catcher Paul Bako, the Phils had no need for Coste with young prospect Lou Marson waiting in the wings as well, as already carrying both Bako, and Ruiz.

Injured outfielder Raul Ibanez made his return to the majors tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ibanez did not play in the game, but at least he is on the active roster.

The performance that the Phillies put into the game showed that they want to win, and showed what can happen when all systems are go. For once the Phillies starting pitching put in a good outing, the bullpen did not blow a lead, and the bats scored enough runs to give the pitchers some breathing room.

The scoring started early for the Phils. What started with an error by Evan Longoria turned into a 6-0 lead for Jamie Moyer before he even threw a single pitch.

With Jimmy Rollins on 2nd and Shane Victorino on 1st after a walk, Chase Utley doubled to left center to score both. Ryan Howard then doubled to left to score Utley, and increase the lead to 3-0. Jayson Werth singled to left to put Howard on 3rd, and Werth on 1st for John Mayberry. Mayberry homered to left to push the lead to 6-0 at the end of the inning.

The scoring then stopped until the top of the 4th inning. With Mayberry and Chris Coste on 2nd and 3rd, Carlos Ruiz grounded out to the shortstop to score Mayberry and move Coste to 3rd. Victorino then singled to right to score Coste, and Utley followed with a 2-run homer to make the score now 10-0 in favor of Philadelphia.

The Rays did retaliate though with an RBI single to left to score Carlos Pena.

The scoring ended there though. The rest of the game was a pitchers duel with both bullpens shutting down the opposing batters.

In what was a rematch of the 2008 World Series, the final result was the same, the Phillies dominating the Rays. 

This was the game that the Phillies needed. This was the game that should give them the confidence ti get back on track. This is the game to show them that they still can play despite all of the injuries that they have suffered. Confidence is what the Phils need right now, and if they can carry that confidence over into the todays game, and the game after that, and into next week, and until they get both Brad Lidge, and Raul Ibanez back, then they will be fine, and will still be atop the NL East.