Site News - 2009
Note: Site news before 2009 concerns the old Geocities site totally, and before August 2009 partially. The news archive is shown here to give a short history of the website from May 2005. Site news before May 2005 was not archived.
December Update: I still had some difficulty with the newspaperarchives website, and also had a lot of time taken up with the holiday season like everyone else, so I was able to finish only Game Four of the World Series. I also began to put in some articles from the 1980 season, again beginning in the World Series. I was able to put about 10 articles in the new database, and also began to figure out how to arrange them. As you can see, the “nagivation bar” on the top of the page is much larger. It may be a bit unwieldy, but is the best way to organize the articles that I can see right now. Feel free to browse in the October, 1980 articles.
Big Trades: The Phils finally got their man. Toronto ace Roy Halladay, rumored to be heading to Philadelphia in July, was acquired by the Phillies for three prospects (Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d’Arnaud). Not wanting to devastate the minor leagues, the Phils then traded their ace, Cliff Lee, to the Seattle Mariners for Philippe Aumont, J.C. Ramirez and Tyson Gilles.
The Return of Placido: Former Phil Placido Polanco, who played for the Detroit Tigers last year, re-signed with the Phillies for a three-year deal. Polanco, who was the starting second baseman before the arrival of Chase Utley, was originally traded to the Tigers for reliever Ugueth Urbina. In his return, Polanco will be the new third baseman, replacing free agent Pedro Feliz.
Bench Help: Two Phils also made moves to shore up the bench. Catcher Brian Schneider was signed from the New York Mets. Shortstop Juan Castro, who played for the Dodgers last year, was signed to replace Eric Bruntlett. First baseman-outfield Ross Gload was also signed. Gload played for the Florida Marlins last year, and will provide some power off the bench.
Danys Baez?: At the time of this update, the Phils were reportedly in the process of signing relief pitcher Danys Baez. Baez, who pitched for the Orioles last year, had 41 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: I’m still trying to keep up with a lot from “real life,” so updates are coming slower than I had hoped. I will more than likely continue to divide my time between adding boxscore descriptions and articles from the 1980 season.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
November Update: Finished the prediction articles this month. Another section DONE! I was also able to finish the game description and box score for Game 3 of the 1980 World Series. Things are slow going because of increased responsibilities in my job and at home. There’s just less free time right now. I was still having some issues getting pictures for the game (a planned upgrade to my source, newspaperarchives.org, was preventing me from accessing parts of their site)
Just Short: The Phils had to settle for second-best this year, falling to the New York Yankees in the World Series in six games. The Phils won both starts by ace Cliff Lee, but were unable to win any other games in the Series. Chase Utley had an incredible Series, tying Reggie Jackson by hitting five home runs. However, slumps by Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard hinders the Phils’ offensive effort.
Final Regular Season Record: 93-69
Division Placement: 1st, 6 games ahead of the Florida Marlins
Playoffs: Defeated the Colorado Rockies 3-1 in the NLDS; Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the NLCS; Lost to the New York Yankees 4-2 in the World Series.
Gold Gloves: Two Phils were honored for their stellar defense by receiving Gold Glove Awards. Jimmy Rollins was given the award for shortstop, while Shane Victorino received the trinket for his play in the outfield. Rollins committed just six errors in 155 games at short (for a .990 percentage). For his part, Victorino was charged with just one error (a .997 percentage) while tacking on 8 outfield assists.
Utley Receives Silver Slugger: Second baseman Chase Utley was voted the recipient of the Silver Slugger award as the best offensive second sacker in the league. Utley hit .282 on the year with 31 home runs and 93 RBI. Utley also led the league in getting hit by pitches (24).
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Time is still very tight right now, so the updates are coming more slowly than I’d like. I am hoping to finish the World Series box scores by the end of the year, but that may be a pipe dream. I am going to start putting the articles online as soon as I finish the box scores for the World Series, then go back to the regular season box scores.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
October Update: Decided to put together some of the prediction articles up this month. Partially this is because of computer issues that were preventing me from being able to get the pictures needed to do the World Series pages I had been working on before, and partially because the articles are a bit easier, and time was severely lacking. I am about halfway done the prediction articles.
NL Champs!: The Phils have earned their way to a second consecutive World Series appearance for the first time in their long history by beating the Colorado Rockies in the National League Divisional Series three games to one, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series four games to one. Ryan Howard was a monster during the first two series, earning MVP honors for the NLCS.
Site Alone: October 26 (today) was the date given for the demise of Geociteis. When I checked today, it was still there, but it should be gone at any point.
Final Regular Season Record: 93-69
Division Placement: 1st, 6 games ahead of the Florida Marlins
World Series Bound!: The Phillies have the privilege (according to many of the national pundits) of sharing the World Series field with the New York Yankees, who won the American League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels four games to two. The World Series starts Wednesday.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: For the foreseeable future, all updating efforts are going to be to get a lot of this same content to the new website. It's an onerous task, and therefore no new articles will be added during that time. No additional work will be done on the geocities website. And, with the return of school, even that work will come in small chunks. Thank you for your patience.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
October Semi-Update: Progress has been slow, but I think that I am working towards bringing a better, more in-depth coverage of the 1980 season than I had before. It will be a bit laborious, but some of the added frills (such as archive pictures from each playoff game) make it worthwhile. I ask you to bear with me as I basically re-build the site from scratch.
Unfortunately, this also comes with some bad news. There is now a firm date of October 26 for the demise of Geocities. At that time, the old website will disappear, as I decided to stick with a move here over paying to continue with Yahoo sites. There will be a dark period in terms of articles and the like. I have saved all the articles from my site, and will begin the process of replacing the articles as soon as I am finished with the World Series boxscores (hopefully by the end of this month). At that time, I will switch back and forth between articles and boxscores.
I thank you for your continued patience.
Preview The New Site: No, I am nowhere near done, but I have several sectons up and running. You can check out the players, coaches, and broadcaster sections on the new site. There are also a few surprises.
Sections Done: Players, Front Office & Coaches, Broadcasters, Memories, April and NLCS Boxscores
September Update: I have been working on the boxscores. I decided to start at the beginning to figure out what format I wanted to use, then went to the NLCS. I have able to finish both the April boxscores and the NLCS boxscores. With the added coverage of the NLCS, I was able to add some pictures (cavaet: coming from scanned files of old newspapers - or even scanned files of microfilm of old newspapers - the quality of the pictures is often poor) of the NLCS games, and even a bit of video for a couple of games.
Preview The New Site: No, I am nowhere near done, but I have several sectons up nd running. You can check out the players, coaches, and broadcaster sections on the new site. There are also a few surprises.
Current Record: The team could earn a purple heart if at war. It seems that Phils pitchers are dropping left and right as they go down the stretch. And yet, for the most part, the team keeps winning.
Current Record: 87-61
Division Placement: 1st, 8 games ahead of the Florida Marlins
Hamels Back: Following a season that was largely below par for Cole Hamels, he has seemingly turned it on in September. For the month thus far, Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA, to drop his overall ERA to 4.07 to go along with a 10-9 record.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site, but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: For the foreseeable future, all updating efforts are going to be to get a lot of this same content to the new website. It's an onerous task, and therefore no new articles will be added during that time. No additional work will be done on the geocities website. And, with the return of school, even that work will come in small chunks. Thank you for your patience.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
August Update: Had to make a decision to begin the full conversion to the new website. There are no new articles this month, but I have started the process of creating the new website. I am not sure how much longer Geocities will be providing service, so I figured that my time is better utilized on the new site. With that said...
Preview The New Site: No, I am nowhere near done, but I have several sectons up nd running. You can check out the players, coaches, and broadcaster sections on the new site. There are also a few surprises.
Current Record: Hit and miss. The Phils have not been doing enough of the former, and far too much of the latter. Their offense has become too reliant on the homer for my taste. However, the pitching has been very good.
Current Record: 61-46
Division Placement: 1st, 6 games ahead of the Florida Marlins
Pedro Ready?: Rumblings from the minor leagues are that Pedro Martinez is ready to re-join the major leagues. Question is, who does he replace? Obviously not Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels, and definitely not Joe Blanton. To me, J. A. Happ is also untouchable - he's actually been the best starting pitcher this season. Unfortunately, that leaves Jaime Moyer, who has the most wins, but has been by far the weak link performance-wise in the rotation.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: For the foreseeable future, all updating efforts are going to be to get a lot of this same content to the new website. It's an onerous task, and therefore no new articles will be added during that time. No additional work will be done on the geocities website. And, with the return of school, even that work will come in small chunks. Thank you for your patience.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
July Update: Had a nice three-week vacation driving up and down the east coast. Got all the way to Maine before heading back south to Florida. I did manage to put in five new articles into the site database. It's sort of a hodge-podge, but all were published on October 17 ,1980. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
Site Moving: The vacation prevented me from doing a whole lot of work on the new website, but it is progressing somewhat. When I get a little further along, I'll post a link for a sneak-peek. I apologize for the continued "construction-zone" look of the site, but I have decided to dedicate the maximum time I have to preparing the new site, and am letting the dying site go a bit as a result.
Kalas Tributes: Here are some links to Harry Kalas tributes across the internet.
· CSN tribute to Harry Kalas, shown on vimeo.com (Link no longer works)
· ESPN's coverage (includes video featuring Jayson Stark, Mike Schmidt and John Kruk - Update, article still live, but video no longer included.)
· Philly.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· Phillies.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· CSN Philly coverage (Link no longer works)
Current Record: Talk about a rebound! After that terrible June, the Phils turned on the afterburners and have put some distance between themselves and the rest of the National League East. A ten-game winning streak will do that.
Current Record: 58-41
Division Placement: 1st, 6 games ahead of the Florida Marlins
Lee A Phillie: He's not quite Roy Halladay, but it may have been the better trade. The Phils, after failing to reach an agreement for the Toronto Blue Jay's ace, made a deal with the Cleveland Indians for the reigning Cy Young winner. The Phils sent minor leaguers Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Jason Donald and Jason Knapp for Lee and outfielder Ben Fransisco. Lee, after going 22-3 last season, had a deceptive 7-9 record for the Indians this year while compiling a 3.14 ERA.
Five Phils on the All-Stars: Charlie Manuel must have felt at home in St. Louis. Along with starters Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez, Manuel's squad included Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
June Update: Summer school is a boon and a bane for a teacher. The extra money is always appreciated, but it certainly takes takes a lot of that summer time. However, I have been able to get a number - 10 - of articles added to the site database. I have also made a decision (see below). The articles continue the buildup towards Game Three of the 1980 World Series. They come from a variety of newspaper resources courtesy of newsarchives.org. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
Site Moving: The decision I have made is to move the Phillies tribute to a new site. This is partially due to necessity (Geocities will close at year's end) and partially desire. In preparation (and also due to some trouble with Geocities), I have cancelled the pay aspect of my Geocities website. Due to that, the space I am allowed to use has been drastically cut, necessitating in the deletion of several of my pages. The sound and the picture pages are now disabled. Unfortunately, I have not been able to delete the links from every page (there are a lot of them), so you may run into some dead links. I apologize for that. However, the new site should (SHOULD) be ready by fall.
Kalas Tributes: Here are some links to Harry Kalas tributes across the internet.
· CSN tribute to Harry Kalas, shown on vimeo.com (Link no longer works)
· ESPN's coverage (includes video featuring Jayson Stark, Mike Schmidt and John Kruk - Update, article still live, but video no longer included.)
· Philly.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· Phillies.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· CSN Philly coverage (Link no longer works)
Current Record: Ouch. It's been a rough few weeks for the Fightin' Phils. Their tour through the American League turned into a house of horrors. Only a series win in Toronto (after being swept by the Blue Jays in Philly) salvaged any semblance of their pride at 5-11. However, due to the equally bad performance by the Mets, the Phils somehow managed to hold onto first place.
- Current Record: 39-34
- Division Placement: 1st, 2½ game ahead of the Florida Marlins
Rollins Benched: Jimmy Rollins, whose struggled have continued through a horrid June (.176, 3 HR, 9 RBI), was given an elongated time off at the last part of the disastrous interleague swing. For the year, the former MVP is hitting a paltry 211 with 6 HRs and 27 RBI. Even more telling is that he has only 10 stolen bases after stealing 47 last year.
Ibanez, Eyre, Condrey, Bastardo on DL: The list of the walking wounded for the Phillies has also grown in the month of June. Closer Brad Lidge, whose struggles have rivaled Rollins', was on the DL for a few weeks earlier in the month. Since Lidge's stint, the Phils have also added LF Raul Ibanez (probably the first-half MVP), whose injury coincided with the current slide, reliever Clay Condrey, and rookie pitcher Antonio Bastardo, who had taken Brett Myers' spot in the rotation after his season-ending hip injury.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
May Update: May and June are my busiest months of the year, and this year is no different. I managed to (barely) get two new articles added to the site library. One completes the Brett hemorrhoid angle (at least the story, as I'm sure there are more articles), and the other covers the Phils' stellar bench play in the post-season. Both artciles come from the October 17, 1980 edition of the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
Kalas Tributes: Here are some links to Harry Kalas tributes across the internet.
· CSN tribute to Harry Kalas, shown on vimeo.com (Link no longer works)
· ESPN's coverage (includes video featuring Jayson Stark, Mike Schmidt and John Kruk - Update, article still live, but video no longer included.)
· Philly.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· Phillies.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· CSN Philly coverage (Link no longer works)
Current Record: If only the Phils could play the Washington Nationals in every game. Against the NL East cellar-dwellers, the Phils are 11-2. Against the rest of the major leagues, they're a mediocre 17-18. Unfortuantely, only eight more games remain against the Nats.
- Current Record: 28-20
- Division Placement: 1st, ½ game ahead of the New York Mets
Myers Out: Brett Myers, who has actually been on of the Phils' better starters this year, is out indefinitely with a torn labrum in his right hip. Following surgery, it is doubtful that Myers will return this season, though a very late September appearance is possible. Myers holds a 4-3, 4.66 record in 2009.
Moyer Wins 250th: Jamie Moyer finally reached a milestone on Sunday, winning his 250th game against the Washington Nationals, besting John Lannan to win by a score of 4-2. Moyer, who won his 249th against the Florida Marlins on April 26, pitched six inning of one-run baseball to earn the win. He was helped out by Chris Coste's second homer of the year.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
April Update: It's still hard to believe that Harry is no longer with us. The memories of his calls will remain in our hearts forever. This month was a little tough to look up old articles about 1980, with the memory still fresh in mind. However, I was able to transcribe five articles (from the Gettysburg Times and Syracuse Post-Standard), pretty much polishing off the Game Two articles that I have. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
Kalas Tributes: Here are some links to Harry Kalas tributes across the internet.
· CSN tribute to Harry Kalas, shown on vimeo.com (Link no longer works)
· ESPN's coverage (includes video featuring Jayson Stark, Mike Schmidt and John Kruk - Update, article still live, but video no longer included.)
· Philly.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· Phillies.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· CSN Philly coverage (Link no longer works)
Current Record: The Phils, overcoming a rough stretch of games early in the season, swept a series from the Marlins, who had started off red-hot, and taking the first two from the Washington Nationals to pull closer to the Marlins.
- Current Record: 10-8
- Division Placement: 2nd, ½ game behind the Florida Marlins
Hamels Hobbled: Tonight's win against the National came at a price. Cole Hamels, trying to field a bunt from the Nationals' John Lannan, rolled over his left ankle and had to leave the game. The severity of the injury is unknown.
Grand Slams Galore: Part of the current five-game winning streak has been timely hitting. The three biggest hits may have been three grand slams: Shane Victorino (in the 9th, a two-out shot off of Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom to win the game), Ryan Howard (off Shairon Martis to tie the Nationals on Apr. 27), and Raul Ibanez (off Joel Hanrahan to put the Phils ahead to stay in that same game).
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes.
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
Special April Update: Like all Phillies fans, I was stunned by the news this afternoon of the passing of one of the most memorable voices of our childhood. Harry Kalas was found unconscious in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park while preparing to announce the game between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead. I have put up a memorial article for Harry on the site. With heavy hearts, we keep the Kalas family in our prayers and mourn the passing of a Philadelphia broadcasting legend.
Kalas Tributes: Here are some links to Harry Kalas tributes across the internet.
· CSN tribute to Harry Kalas, shown on vimeo.com (Link no longer works)
· ESPN's coverage (includes video featuring Jayson Stark, Mike Schmidt and John Kruk - Update, article still live, but video no longer included.)
· Philly.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· Phillies.com coverage (Link no longer works)
· CSN Philly coverage (Link no longer works)
Current Record: The Phils, despite lackluster starting pitching and inconsistent hitting in the beginning of the season, have manage to start even
- Current Record: 3-3
- Division Placement: 3rd, 2 games behind the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins
Nice Comebacks vs. Braves, Rockies: Even though the Phillies' bats and starting rotation have both started slowly, they have still managed to attain a 3-3 record after the first week of the season. Two reasons are big in this accomplishment: the bullpen and the bench. Both have been stellar, helping the Phils overcome early deficits to win a game against both the Braves (in which the Phils were down 10-3 before mounting a comeback) and the Rockies (in which the Phils were down 5-2 before roaring back).
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
March Update: I hope that everyone is looking forward to the beginning of baseball season as much as I am. My spring break just happens to coincide with the season's opening week, so I'll be killing my satellite dish and television watching baseball games until my wife drags me to do something else. This month I've added seven new articles to the site database. This month the articles come from the October 16, 1980 editions of the Frederick Post and Huntingdon Daily News. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
One week left!: The Phils begin their defense of their world championship next Sunday night against the Atlanta Braves. Right now it looks like the Phils will go with Brett Myers to start the opener (slated to be shown on ESPN). Before we wipe the slate clean, let me post last season's results just ONE MORE TIME:
- FINAL Standings: 92-70, first place, 3 games ahead of the New York Mets.
- NLDS: Phils beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3 games to 1.
- NLCS: Phils beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.
- World Series: Phils beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 games to 1.
Phils Trade For : Ronny Paulino, we hardly knew you. The catcher, acquired over the winter from the Pittburgh Pirates for minor league catching prospect Jason Jaramillo, was moved to the San Francisco Giants in return for left handed reliever Jack Taschner. The 30-year-old was 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA in pitcher-friendly SBC Park.
Hamels OK: The Phils' ace lefty Cole Hamels put a little scare in Phillies fans (and I'm sure Charlie Manuel) when flew back to Philly to get an MRI on his left elbow. Fortunately, the tests showed no structural damage on his arm, and he is slated to take the hill on April 10.
Spring Records: The Phillies have been struggling in their Grapefruit League schedule, going 10-16, currently 15th in the 16-team Florida circuit. Carlos Ruiz has been the leading hitter among the regulars with a .385 average, while Ryan Howard leads with 8 homers and 19 RBI. Among the pitchers, Joe Blanton and possible 5th starters J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park have pitched well, as has Brett Myers.
Utley, Feliz Ready: The Phillies' walking wounded are prepared to start the season where they belong, on the field. Chase Utley, arguable the Phils' MVP last year, had hip surgery over the winter and was possibly going to be out until June. Third baseman Pedro Feliz had back surgery, and was hoped, but not certain, to be ready for the first bell. Both, though, will be in the lineup next Sunday against the Braves.
World Baseball Classic: Congratulation to the team from Japan for winning the World Baseball Classic. Team USA made the semi-finals before losing to the eventual champions. Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was named the MVP of the tournament.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
February Update: Working harder for less money - that's the story of the current economy, and maybe the story of my life right now. I did manage to find time to get six new articles into the site database. This month the articles come from the October 16, 1980 editions of the Annapolis Capital and the Chicago Daily Herald. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
Spring Training!: And the quest to defend the World Champions title now begins in earnest. The Phils have reported to camp (and some have left for the World Baseball Classic), nearly all intact, and hopefully can give us another year to remember. But, before I retire this to bring in the new season, I must put in one more ode for the 2008 edition of the Fightin' Phils:
- FINAL Standings: 92-70, first place, 3 games ahead of the New York Mets.
- NLDS: Phils beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3 games to 1.
- NLCS: Phils beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.
- World Series: Phils beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 games to 1.
Possible Move: Like most of you, my family is feeling the pinch in these trying economic times. While we are still blessed with our jobs, my wife and I are both facing possible pay cuts in our jobs. As part of trying to streamline our budget, I may have to forego the monthly fee for the website. I'm looking at alternatives now. There will still be a website... somewhere.
Howard Signs: The Phils' and first baseman Ryan Howard have agreed to a three-year contract, worth a reported $54 million. Howard, who finished 2nd in the MVP voting, already has one MVP, a rookie of the year crown and, of course, a world championship trophy to his credit. The contract allows the two sides to avoid the rest of Howard's arbitration years. In 3½ seasons, Howard has 177 home runs.
Eaton Contracts: The Phillies have cut ties to starting pitcher Adam Eaton, paying off the rest of the contract and releasing the pitcher unconditionally. Eaton, who was signed prior to the 2007 season, has gone 14-18, but has an ERA around 6.00. He was demoted to the minors last year, and was not on the playoff roster.
NO-mah: The Phillies were not able to sign oft-injured infielder Nomar Garciaparra. The former Red Sox star, who played last season with the Dodgers, was a target for the Phils' bench, giving some power from the right side. Ultimately, Garciaparra went with the possibility of more plying time from the Oakland Athletics..
World Baseball Classic: Eight Phillies players will represent their home countries in the 2nd World Baseball Classic. The Classic, which occurs during an elongated spring training, is an international tournament that features some of the best players in the major leagues, as well as the Japanese leagues and other professional leagues from around the world. Phillies slated to play include Jimmy Rollins and injury replacement Shane Victorino (USA), Matt Stairs (Canada), Carlos Ruiz (Panama), and J.C. Romero (Puerto Rico).
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers
January Update: It's been a busy month - probably busier for me that the Christmas holiday. I did manage to find a few articles about Game 2 of the 1980 World Series and transcribe them into the database. All articles this month are from the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer from October 16, 1980. You can find the articles by title (the old article page), by month, the new articles page, and by game (the day-by-day boxscore pages).
WORLD Champions!: Yes, it's still true: The Phillies - the Philadelphia Phillies - are the World Champions.
- FINAL Standings: 92-70, first place, 3 games ahead of the New York Mets.
- NLDS: Phils beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3 games to 1.
- NLCS: Phils beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.
- World Series: Phils beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 games to 1.
Possible Move: Like most of you, my family is feeling the pinch in these trying economic times. While we are still blessed with our jobs, my wife and I are both facing possible pay cuts in our jobs. As part of trying to streamline our budget, I may have to forego the monthly fee for the website. I'm looking at alternatives now. There will still be a website... somewhere.
Howard in Arbitration: The Phils' Ryan Howard has asked for $18 million for next year in arbitration from the Phillies. The Phils have countered with a $14 million figure. Howard, who finished second in the MVP voting to Albert Pujols, had a pedestrian .250 batting average, but blasted 48 homers and knocked in 146 runs, both figures leading the major league.
Two Weeks: The Phillies will begin their defense of their World Series title in two short weeks! Pitchers and catchers will report to the Phils' Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Florida, for Spring Training on February 14.
Romero Suspended 50 Games: The Phillies have learned that relief pitcher J.C. Romero has been suspended by Major League baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. In Romero's case, it was a trace of the drug that can be tracked to a supplement that was purchased from a GNC store. Though MLB recognizes that Romero did not knowingly take the drug, he is still suspended under the "zero tolerance" policy, and that Romero should have had the supplement tested before taking it.
World Baseball Classic: Twelve Phillies players will represent their home countries in the 2nd World Baseball Classic. The Classic, which occurs during an elongated spring training, is an international tournament that features some of the best players in the major leagues, as well as the Japanese leagues and other professional leagues from around the world. Phillies slated to play include Jimmy Rollins (USA), Matt Stairs (Canada), Carlos Ruiz (Panama), Ronny Paulino (Dominican Republic), Carlos Carrasco (Venezuela) and J.C. Romero (Puerto Rico), as well as six others.
Newspaper Archive: The articles added to the website database this month come from newspaperarchive.com. This website has a large archive or newspapers from a variety of newspapers from around the world. I have found it helpful to work on this site. It is a pay site (just shy of $10 per month), but it does have some free features if you'd like to check it out.
New E-Mail: If there are any problems getting to a page on the site, please e-mail. The e-mail has changed, and is embedded in the graphic below for security purposes. (Note: For new website, click on “contact.”)
Wanted: Any and all articles that pertain to the 1980 Phillies, or any players on the roster from that year. If you have some to donate/lend/sell/steal please e-mail me. Copies are wonderful! I am particularly interested in getting articles during the season from the Philadelphia newspapers (unfortunately, newspaperarchive.com do not have any Philadelphia newspapers). Anyone that has copies of the Inquirer or the Daily News please contact me.
Future Updates: Now that school is back in session, the updates will continue to be about 5 or so articles per month. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the website, please e-mail me. For next month I will probably work to add articles from the actual Game 2 of the World Series.
Go Phillies!
Richard Summers